TIME (For A Taste )
CHAPTRE 111

Happy reading....

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MALIA

“I can see and feel that you are not happy, Lia.”

Irsyad said to me, when I met him after I had an argument with Reiji in our apartment.

Irsyad and I went to the Botanical Garden, after we promised to meet at the parking lot of his apartment building. Irsyad invited me to stop by her apartment first, and I refused her invitation subtly.

And without forcing Irsyad to appreciate my rejection. He then immediately asked me to get into his car. Afterwards Irsyad invites to ‘look for fresh air’ outside Jakarta.

Then the Botanical Garden in the Bogor area was immediately scattered in my brain, which I then stuttered to Irsyad, and he immediately agreed to my idea.

---

“Sister Irsyad snobs...” I responded to Irsyad saying that he saw and felt that I was not happy.

“I have not been friends with you since you were little, but to know if you are happy or not, I can clearly read it, Li.”

Irsyad said again.

“Oh yes?. There is a writing ‘Malia unhappy’ indeed on my face?...”

Then I responded again to Irysad's words by trying to joke, but bitter I taste.

Irsyad who seems sensitive to the level of my happiness at this time, why is he insensitive to my feelings for him first?....

“What happened to you, Lia?...”

And my jokes don't seem to work on Irsyad.

“What happened to me?” I muttered, asking irsyad.

“You changed, Lia.... Don't you think I'm not aware of that. And the change in you that I see now, I never imagined before..”.

Irsyad was like he wanted to reveal everything about me right now.

His gaze told me about it, when he stopped his steps when we were both walking in a park in a botanical garden area built in 1884.

“Feelings of Irsyad's sister anyway. I'm still the same Malia..”.

I responded to Irsyad's remark with still a knotty smile.

Then I turned my gaze towards the front, and swung back at my feet to take a leisurely step.

I didn't want Irsyad to realize this smile I was forcing.

Didn't want him to realize if I was wearing the mask ‘ alright’ in front of him now, then he revealed the mask I was wearing, then cried in front of him. The crying of fate that holds me in an arranged marriage, although actually for about five months my marriage and Reiji was not bad.

At least before the fact about the woman Reiji loved in the past whose traces he brought into our new life, and before Irsyad came back to my present life. And what relationship is really building between me and Irsyad right now, over our intense meetings in recent times, including today.

“Malia I used to know was a spirited girl, with no sluggishness in her face ... And I imagine if that excited, cheerful and sometimes naive girl I knew became a more passionate person later ---”

I pulled higher the corner of my lips to hear Irsyad's words just now.

“But in fact, now let alone the naivety of being at the highest peak of your desired career. The fire of the spirit that I used to see from a Malia Leonard seemed to be very dim already ..”

“Kak Irsyad dah macem motivator who is encouraging someone who is down –“ I back joking, and chuckle later.

“You are not happy, and you are trying to hide it ..”

But Irsyad looked seriously talking to me.

“Trus kak Irsyad has no intention to find a girlfriend or wife? ..”

I'm trying to shift the subject. As I have always done, if Irsyad's conversation leads to the state of the marriage that I'm in with Reiji right now.

And really right now I'm forgetting my problem with Reiji, and let it be stored in the – apartment where I live and Reiji. But then, Irsyad's answer made me freeze.

As if the topic of conversation that became my diversion over the previous Irsyad discussion became a boomerang that broke my heart.

“One – only woman I imagined and hope – please be my wife, have received an arranged marriage to a person she does not love.”.

I was silent, when I and Irsyad were pausing, then he took a picture of me with his – DSLR camera. I absorbed the word – said Irsyad just now.

The next moment I froze.

Because then I realized, if the woman he was referring to was me.

Where Irsyad's hands know they've been holding mine.

And it felt, I refused to clap Irsyad's hand that grasped my hand.

For a moment I forgot, if I was a married woman, who shouldn't have let another – male hold my hand.

But how?.. I miss Irsyad's hand grip that I have felt several times, even though we do not have a special relationship.

“By only meeting like this – even though I know you are married, I am already happy, Lia. But I really wish I could be happier if you marry me --“

And heart... It stopped beating.

---

“Where are you from?.”

That one-liners question greeted me when I got to the apartment after I spent most of the day with Irsyad.

And I saw that the apartment that was where I lived and Reiji was not as neat as usual. There were drink cans scattered on the floor, as well as a balcony door that was wide open.

I think Reiji forgot to close the balcony after he might have been there somehow for how long, before he went back to the room and I think – and I expected in fact, if Reiji had fallen asleep.

Just – eyes to avoid Reiji's interrogation of me who's been gone most of the day.

But Reiji was not asleep.

And when I was about to close the balcony door, I was really surprised by the balcony door that was held back when I moved – following the voice of Reiji who asked me where I was from with his tone flat while looking at me, but he still sat in his place.

“I told you earlier, see you!” I replied indifferently to Reiji.

And I heard Reiji muttering. The murmur was slow, yet still audible to my ears, and Reiji's murmur also sounded trivial and a little cynical.

“Which cement?”

“I also know you don't know.” I answered in passing.

“Lia, I'm talking to you again!”

And the tone of Reiji's voice I heard became slightly up.

But I did not care, and I set foot into our room as I said indifferently to every word Reiji said.

“Temen you mean it, Irsyad his name?—“

Up to one sentence of a ketus question that came out of Reiji's mouth made me immediately turn my body and look at him.

I was really surprised to hear Reiji mention Irsyad. How did Reiji know about Irsyad? ..

And I also felt awkward, when I heard the sentence that was a question from Reiji just now.

While my brain was thinking about how Reiji found out about that man from my past.

“Si Male Im-pi-an Malia?!”

And I finally found out, where did Reiji find out about Irsyad, after Reiji said that.

From Avi.

Who else?.

Only he knows about Irsyad being the man of my dreams all along.

“By the way is Avi with you?!” I shot Reiji with that question.

“Only that, Irsyad the man of your dreams!”

And it's true that I thought, Reiji found out about Irsyad from Avi. Because Reiji didn't deny my direct words to Avi who told him about Irsyad.

It's just that I was thinking, why did Avi know the story about Irsyad to Reiji?...

Has Avi read my gels that still have a taste in Irsyad since I told her about the man of my dreams who resurfaced?..

But why didn't Avi ask me first, to tell Reiji about Irsyad?....

Is it because Avi realized that I still have a taste for Irsyad, and he told Reiji in anticipation?.

And then after, what?....

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