The Lives of Five Hundred Thousand
The Arrival of Raihan 3

The day changed for the night, I noticed Zain who was playing a puzzle alone because Raihan had been home since last afternoon. But suddenly the sound of a car was heard stopping in my yard. With curiosity who the night that I visited I peeked behind the glass window curtain and saw Raihan dressed neatly out of his pajero car. In my heart I asked why is Raihan coming back to my house? it's not like he should be back in Jakarta tonight.

There was a knocking on the door. I who was standing behind the door was a little surprised to hear it. I don't want to waste time opening it right away. Raihan smiled towards me, he looked handsome once and more mature, wearing a long sleeve ash-and-gray shirt and material trousers.

"You're so tidy Rai, do you want to go back to Jakarta tonight?"I asked because I thought Raihan came to my house just to say goodbye before leaving.

"I want to take my angel for dinner tonight" Raihan said.

"Huh, angel, dinner!"then I looked at my own appearance that only used a long negligee whose color had started to fade.

"You call me an angel with my appearance like this?" ask me then.

Raihan smiled and said, "what does he want to look like, but Nuri is still my angel."

"But, you tombal king." I cursed, then turned inside the house. Raihan laughed and followed behind me.

"I seriously want to take the mba and Zain dinner outside."

I stopped my steps and turned around. Raihan stood in front of me at a very close distance. I looked at his handsome face and asked, "not tonight should you go home to Jakarta huh Rai?"

"Come home?" raihan said repeating.

"He'em."

"My parents' house in this village mba, my future wife's house is also in this village. Jakarta is just my stopover."

"But your lover is in Jakarta Rai, I'm sure tonight he must be expecting you to meet him."

Look Raihan jakun up and down like he was swallowing his saliva. After that, he said back."I'm sorry mba, why can't wait mba. In the midst of my despair, I accepted Nura even though I didn't love her"

"Ray...."

"I will decide on Nura as soon as possible!"raihan said it looks firm.

I shook fast."Don't do that Rai, you're a good man, I know your heart is soft and I know you never hurt a woman. If you disconnect him he will not only hurt you but me too because indirectly I have taken you from him." I don't agree with what Raihan will do. If that happens I will feel even more guilty to Nura because I am like an actor who has snatched away people's girlfriends for the sake of my ego. Again, I say that I am not a woman who does not have a heart that would hurt the hearts of fellow women. I do love Raihan, I want him but not by sacrificing the feelings of the other woman who loves him. Maybe if the woman just likes Raihan and has not become his lover I do not matter but Nura has become his lover, they've committed to a relationship even though it hasn't led to a marriage and I can't afford to hurt it.

"Why is it that Nura's feelings are more important than her own?"

"Because I've experienced a position like Nura Rai." I remember a long time ago when I loved Andre so much, wanted him. A dozen years I was waiting for him, expecting him to come see me and marry me like he said when he was in elementary school. After finding it my hope was dashed, I felt hurt because in reality he had married another woman even though they were divorced in the end. My experience was how different it was with Nura, she who had known Raihan first, liked him since they were Junior High and now they have become lovers. Now that I have come to take Raihan away from him, will I be able to destroy Nura's hopes? no, I won't bear it.

"Do you have a painful past so that you can become a woman of taste until you are willing to sacrifice your own feelings for the happiness of others?"

Raihan's question is enough to make me a blunder. Should I tell you about me and Andre? but that was just the past and now Andre has become a widower.

"We love each other, right? why should I think about other people's feelings?"

"Because I don't want to be happy above the suffering of others Rai."

Raihan snorted, seeing that he was starting to get upset. Then he said, "I really don't understand the mind."

I understand with Raihan's frustration over my attitude that might be valued as a planless and opinionated person. On one hand I love him and want him but on the other hand I don't want to hurt the heart of the person who loves him too.

I grabbed her by the cheek and I told her, "we're handing over our soul mate's business to God?"

Raihan held my hand that stuck to her cheek and kissed her." I just want to be with you mba, not another woman."

If only there were no barriers between us, it would feel like I said what Raihan had said. I want to say that I want to be with him, as my last man and want to spend the rest of my life with him. But in the hands of God, man can only plan but God determines. We do not know what will happen in the future, we will never know how our lives will continue in the future. So I told him to give up his business to God.

When Raihan repeatedly kissed my hand Zain greeted us, "uncle mama.. ain?"in less clear language. We glanced at him then I immediately pulled my hand from Raihan's grasp.

"Uncle wants to take us to dinner, baby, Zain wants to come?"Zain nodded even though he actually did not understand what dinner was.

"You still intend to take us to dinner, right Rai?"I asked to make sure, who knows Raihan changed his mind.

"Of course, mba."

"Then I change my clothes?"

Raihan nodded and smiled. I rushed into my room to change into more decent clothes first.

Raihan drove his car at a moderate speed and in the middle of driving he said, "have you long time no Zain uncle took Zain on the road? Zain wants to walk no longer with uncle?" Raihan asked Zain but his glances pointed at my face.

"Actually you're talking to Zain what's driving me Rai?"

"Take you two dong, you're a package. So if I encourage Zain to come, and if I'm going to go, Zain has to come, too."

While Raihan was focusing on driving I stole a glance at him. From the side, Raihan looks handsome once more plus the clothes he wears add to the impression of adult and his wife. I think it would be foolish for a woman to refuse her love because Raihan is truly the perfect man. He was handsome, well-established, kind, child-loving, and also gentle. If compared to andre if seen in terms of physical they are just as handsome but in my eyes Raihan is more handsome but I do not know in the eyes of others. They're just as good, just as affectionate to his special little boy on my son Zain. They have different characteristics, said andre more hasty and chatty. his style of language is more slang and to the west of the border because maybe he often treveling abroad and his attitude is awkward and a little forcing. While Raihan, his words and language style are organized and soft and his attitude is calm. They are the same established man but the plus point for Raihan is even though he is rich, has a lot of money but his lifestyle is simple and diligent worship, on the contrary Andre, Andre, his lifestyle tends to be hedonic and like he has forgotten his God.

"I know I'm good-looking, don't look at me like that." Raihan's blush woke me from my gaze that had not shifted from his face either since when, it seemed like I was looking at him while daydreaming. I felt so ashamed to have been caught by the perfect physical owner beside me.

I straightened my gaze back to the front but Raihan glanced at me with his tail and asked, "how long will the Iddah period be over?"

I turned my eyes towards him and asked, "why is it?"

"I want to immediately justify mba to be more free to look at me day and night." Raihan said but his gaze was straight ahead but his lips revealed a smile.

"You're driving Rai, don't keep on flailing the danger."

"Which is driving it my eyes, hands and feet mba, if my mouth and ears can dong tease mba "

"Awww sick mba!" Raihan complained because I pinched his waist. Because, Raihan could have replied to every word I said with a sentence that sometimes makes me feel anxious.

"Can't really mba once in such good love!" Raihan protest.

" In good love, you mean?"

"Once in love kiss that don't pinch mulu."

I was getting more and more anxious to hear it then my hand was about to pinch her waist again but Raihan's left hand held my hand and held it tightly.

"Yeah yeah mba play pinch her pinch, I'm not strong amused her mba. What if my little sister wakes up? do you want responsibility?"

"Just put Rai to bed again."

"If I already have a wife, it's good mba no need to be confused. But my current position is still a bachelor."

"Died married Rai."

"That's exactly what I asked mba, when is Iddah time finished?"

"Ray.."

"Why mba?"

"Around you are many beautiful girls who are still virgins including Nura but why do you want me to be your wife?"

"Because the heart chooses where love is anchored."

"But why should I be Rai? you know that I already have one child and certainly not a virgin. Don't you want to feel a girl's virginity?" Actually I'm embarrassed to talk too intimate but I'm curious and want to know the reason Raihan still wants me even though I already have a child.

"Because of love mba, I loved mba since she was a single girl. But do you think I love Mba because I am a virgin girl? even though at that time mba was no longer a virgin I still love the same mba. I never prioritized that woman to be a virgin, no. But I prioritize the woman's heart and if my heart is already linked then I will anchor my feelings of love to the woman. Mba is the second woman I love after my mother, and as a normal man who likes the opposite sex, mba is my first love and will be my last love."

God, this handsome man is so sincere to me, he loves me without seeing my flaws. Once I thought, did I just ignore Nura's feelings, let her feel pain because her lover I took for my happiness, but would I have hurt that same fellow woman who loves the same man? I shook my head imagining that and Raihan realized it.

"Mba why?"asked Raihan, without taking my hand off.

"You're great to drive a car with just one hand." I reasoned and reminded Raihan because he was still holding my hand.

Raihan smiled and replied," I'm also confused how can ya!" Raihan laughed then he let go of my hand and focused on driving.

An hour later we arrived in front of a sizable restaurant located in the county town.

"We go down yuk, let me carry Zain." Raihan's hand reached out to take Zain but I refused.

"Let me carry Rai."

"I am a man, Zain is heavy. After all what about the response of people in think her husband could never let his wife hold a child while her husband breezed handsome."

"But we're not Rai's husband and wife."

"The word of our religion and country is not yet a husband and wife but to be soon, but in the eyes of those who do not know us and see we must think we are a pair of young families and have one handsome son and inshaallah will increase again."

"What the hell are you talking about Rai!"I lowered my face it felt so embarrassed to continue on in Raihan's tease.

Raihan laughed crisply then took Zain out of my lap and took him out of the car. After that he turned around and opened the car door and said, "please get out the pretty angel." I who was still silent in the car turned to his direction and obeyed his orders.

We walked together and entered into a restaurant that was quite crowded, our arrival could not be separated from many pairs of eyes that pay attention.