The Substitute Mother?
3. Playful

"Assalamu'alaikum" Tatiana and Ariana said in unison as they stood at the door of a semi-permanent house that was quite minimalist.

"Wa'alaikumussalam," replied someone as he stepped his foot toward the door.

"Grandmother" cried Ariana when she saw the grandmother, namely Tatiana's mother appeared.

Smile on the lips of the three men. Also Tatiana's mother who immediately opened her hands wide, welcomed the arrival of her grandson.

"Ana, wow, grandma miss is very much the same Ana," said Tatiana's mother while peeping all over Ariana's face. Although Ariana is not her biological granddaughter, but Ariana's mother really treats Ariana like her own biological granddaughter. He loved the son of his son-in-law

"Ana is also kangen, Grandma," said Ariana with a big smile on her lips. "Oh yeah, grandma, Ana bawain grandma sponge kojo favorite Granny you know. This ... " Ariana immediately took the paper bag from Tatiana's hand and quickly gave it to her grandmother. Ariana's mother couldn't hold back her happy shit. Although she was not Ariana's grandmother, the little girl loved her just as much as she loved her own grandmother.

"Well, thank you, honey! Ana knows Grandma's favorite."

"It's that way!" the thrill was proud to make Tatiana and her mother chuckle.

"Come, in! You are also Tiana, why even stand there like a statue. I don't think this is your house," Tatiana's mother said when she saw her daughter just pecked on the spot.

"Eh, yes, Mom." Tatiana stepped in and kissed the back of her hand. While Ariana had already done it after the grandmother's embrace was released.

"What do you want to drink, Tiana?"

"Mother, no need to bother. If you want to drink, Tiana can take it and make it yourself. It was my own mother who said it was Tiana's house, so Tiana was free to say what. I was like a guest made to drink," Tatiana said while sitting next to Ariana.

Ariana's mother chuckled, "yes you rarely come, Nduk, after marriage. So it's natural that mom would make you drink. Who knows, you miss mom's drink."

Tatiana seemed to think, "yes if you want to make it. Make Tiana wedang ginger ordinary kayak, Mom. Shrimp kangen drink wedang ginger made by mother."

"Yes, mom made it. If it's a pretty granddaughter, what do you want?"

"Ana wants a drink like you said earlier, Grandma."

"But the ginger wedang is a bit spicy you know, is Ana resistant?"

Ariana looked weighed. He was like an adult who was thinking seriously. Tatiana and her mother became anxious on their own.

"Ana, do you want my grandmother to make syrup?"

"Yes, if grandma doesn't bother, Ana wants to," she replied imitating the way Tatiana spoke earlier. That's how kids are, they're really good imitators.

Tatiana and her mother could not help but laugh. There are indeed only the behavior of the little boy who is able to make their laughter explode. The existence of Ariana who had been the encouragement of Tatiana. Although the husband and wife relationship between him and the Ocean feels cold, but the existence of Ariana can warm his days. Although Tatiana admitted, being able to marry the Ocean was indeed a part of the little girl. Without Ariana, maybe Tatiana would never have felt like the wife of an Ocean. But without realizing it, because Ariana too, he ended up shackled in a cold relationship. Although the Ocean was never rude either verbally or physically, but the cold attitude of the Ocean was slowly eroding the patience of Tatiana. Cutting the heart, leaving the pain, over time it becomes a gaping wound, bleeding, even festering.

Hurt a wife is not just by doing physical or verbal violence. Being cold can hurt. It may seem ordinary at first, but slowly the wound will get bigger, wider, and deeper. Some are able to continue to survive, but not a few also choose to release. Somehow the attitude of Tatiana in the future if the Ocean continues to behave so.

...***...

Tatiana blinked her eyes while taking the sofa cushion and placed it on her lap.

"The problem? There's no, ma'am," said Tatiana.

But her name is a mother, surely she can feel the sadness that lingers in the netra of the princess. Whatever Tatiana tries to cover up, a mother's instincts are much sharper. Just like a wife's instinct for her husband.

"Mom, I ... "

"Stop lying, mom, Nduk. I can see from your eyes that you're not okay. What's actually going on? Same story mom? Or do you no longer see this mother as your mother? You don't need a mother anymore?" tatiana's mother's cerca made Tatiana's eyes covered in mist instantly.

His mother is so emotional. Tatiana understood, since childhood her mother raised her alone. Right after his father was caught cheating then they chose to separate. For years his father abandoned him, until news was never heard. And when they heard the news about his father, it turned out to be the father's last day. His father and his father's young wife had an accident until they died on the spot.

Tatiana becomes a witness to how her mother struggles to raise herself. Tatiana also witnessed how the nights of the mother were passed by in tears. Raising himself alone, without the help of others. How could his mother not feel that something was wrong with the princess, when almost half his age was spent raising him with his own two hands.

"Bus ... " Suddenly Tatiana sobbed. Then he dropped his head on his mother's shoulder. Tatiana crying. Body vibrates. For the first time after marriage, Tatiana cried in front of her mother.

For two whole years, Tatiana tried to hide everything in her heart, but today, keep it down. He could no longer endure the turmoil inside the chest. He shed his prey in the arms of his mother.

The mother came to shed tears hearing the unusual stuffing of the princess. Is a sign that his heart injury is not kidding. What his daughter suffered was no ordinary wound. Her mother could feel that her daughter's heartache must have been incredible.

Butwhat?

What was the cause of her daughter being injured?

Didn't he say he could happily marry the Ocean.

If he is happy, then what makes the princess only wayangnya hurt?

"Why are you, Nduk? Is anyone hurting you? Or is someone doing evil to you?" asked the mother gently while stroking the top of Tatiana's head.

"Bu, Mas Ocean, Mas Ocean ... "

"Yes, Ocean. Ocean why? Has he hurt you? Has he hit you? Or he already ... "

Tatiana shook her head, then with a heavy heart, Tatiana also told of the treatment of the Ocean so far to her making the mother's eyes blink in disbelief. In front of him, the attitude of the Ocean looks warm, but in fact everything is just a charade.

...***...

...HAPPY READ & ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________...