The Substitute Bride of my Best Friend
Invitation Letter

Shakeela placed her elbows on the mattress in a sideways position, facing Zahira. "Ehm ... Brother Shaka .. wants to marry Brother Ziva in two weeks."

Like hearing the roar of lightning in broad daylight, the news made Zahira's pair of narrow eyes widen perfectly. The heartbeat feels stopped beating and the earth where it stands no longer rotates.

Be married? Shaka's gonna marry Ziva? Oh my God, is Zahira dreaming right now? A dream that often haunts his nights? The dream that always makes the girl cry in the middle of the night because she can not see her best friend and first love together with other women.

"Dek ... what you said just now .. is just a big brother's hallucination, right?" said Zahira. He still could not believe the news that his youngest brother had delivered.

Shakeela shook her head quickly. "No, Brother. My words just now were not a hallucination Brother, but a reality. Shaka's sister is getting married to Ziva's sister in two weeks. The wedding invitation has been spread even Aunty Rini asked me to be a bridesmaid in the wedding reception later," she replied innocently.

Neither the youngest nor both Zahira's older brothers nor parents knew that the girl harbored feelings for the man they were talking about. So, do not be surprised if the current attitude Shakeela so relaxed without feeling sinful has given shocking news to Zahira.

Then, Shakeela moved from the bed and stepped closer to Zahira's dresser drawer. His hand issued a white wedding invitation with the front inscribed with the name of the second candidate of the bride in golden black ink.

"Sak Shaka left this invitation letter to me when Mother and I visited Uncle Rio's house. Kak Shaka says he can't give you the news because of Sister's number. Messages sent via social media are never answered. Therefore, he asked me to keep this letter and give it to Brother when he returned from Japan."

In that instant, Zahira's breath stopped for a few seconds. Hands tremble as they accept the invitation.

"I-this ... Shaka's wedding invitation?" stuttering Zahira still does not believe even though the evidence is in sight. "Cannot be. This must be all a dream. Shaka can't marry that girl."

"Why is it impossible? They dated long ago. Six years!" sahut Shakeela raised her left hand and thumb into the air. When combined to form the number six. "It's not a moment for lovers to explore each other's character, especially the two families already know each other and what else is awaited."

Shakeela threw her body on the mattress violently making Zahira's body shake. A look of eyes gazed at the ceiling of the room. "Aunty Rini was actually very afraid that Brother Shaka could not help himself. Many opportunities for them to do something that should be done by a married couple. Therefore, when Kak Shaka said he wanted to propose to Kak Ziva, Aunty Rini welcomed his son's good intentions with great enthusiasm. He prepared all the needs of the application until the preparation of the marriage assisted by Mother," he said. Although Shakeela was still quite young compared to her three brothers, but the thought of the girl was quite mature.

Hearing Shakeela mention the mother, Zahira turned her back to face her youngest sister. "So, Mommy helped prepare everything?" ask the girl, squinting her eyes.

The youngest snorted annoyed. "Who do you think would have taken care of all that if it wasn't Mother? Brother Beautiful? Brother Good? They're busy with their own business so they don't have time to help Aunty Rini."

"Yes .. although Kak Indah and Kak Bagus helped, still Mother intervened. They will be friends since long ago long before Mother and Father married. So, don't be surprised at Kak Shaka's wedding, Mommy took part in preparing everything."

Zahira was silent. The relationship between the two middle-aged women was indeed close since long ago even since they were teenagers. However, whether the mother should be directly involved in taking care of everything while the heart of the beloved child was broken to pieces watching Shaka's marriage with another woman.

***

The wind was blowing slowly, flying the hair of a girl who was busy surfing the virtual world. Sometimes he glanced at the analog clock on the phone screen.

The girl snorted annoyedly. "Every time the agreement is always late! Never once did he make me wait. He thought, I have no other job but to wait for him here! I'm a famous model, my agenda is solid but she never understood me one bit. Basic selfish!"

Stripped his feet on the floor, venting his frustration. Because he had almost an hour to wait but the expected person showed no signs of coming.

"If it wasn't because there was something important I wanted to say, I wouldn't have waited here too long." Sipping ice mattcha latte back. Nevertheless, he waited faithfully.

Not long after, a man in a neat appearance with a white shirt and black suit wrapped his handsome body. "Darling, sorry I came late" he said with a sigh.

The beautiful model turned to the side, then placed an empty glass on the table with a rough sound to make a loud combination of two objects put together.

"Where have you arrived at this hour? Didn't we promise to meet here at twelve in the afternoon! Look, what time you just got here!" exclaim the girl with a high tone of voice. The girl's tone of voice hinted at how upset she was.

"Yes, Honey. I'm not wrong." The man sat next to the lover. Hands stretched forward, touching the back of the girl's hand. "Yes, don't be angry anymore. I promise, this is the last time I'm late. In the future, it will come on time as we promised," said the man meekly. Realizing his mistake for having made his beloved lover wait a long time.

The girl stared at her lover sharply. "Be careful if you repeat it again. I will not hesitate to teach you a lesson!" threaten her while pursing her lips forward.

The handsome man with the nose nodded slowly. The bright red lips looked so seductive. He was eager to taste the sweet taste of the lips, but he realized that this was not the right time for him to smell the chewy thing. There will be a time when he enjoys the sweetness of honey coming from the lips of the lover. The time when he and the girl were united in a sacred marriage bond until whatever they did was worth worshiping in His eyes.

"But, unfortunately, it's all impossible because I'm not going to make the same mistake." The handsome man smiled sweetly with a glint of happy eyes. Tiredness that envelops oneself disappears instantly when met with a lover of love.

.

.

.