TWENTY
SEASON TWO ~ When Fever Hits

"Geez-uhuk!" I felt my throat very dry. My hands fumbled over the nightstand, was there any water. Apparently there is no.

I decided to get some water in the kitchen. "Oh God!" I was just standing, but my body was gone. It makes me fall into the bed. Why these? Suddenly my body was very limp, and also my head was very dizzy. It was as if everything in front of me was spinning. By limping and holding on to the wall, I tried to get into the kitchen.

Long time indeed, coupled with my room which is on the second floor. Makes me have to try harder to get down the stairs. Finally, I reached my footstep into the kitchen. Then I took a glass and took some water from the dispenser.

Tarr!!!

I don't know why my hand felt so weak, until the glass I was holding suddenly fell and split apart.

"Astaghfirulloh!" I held my head that felt tight. This dizziness became even more when I forced to stand up. As a result, I could only sit limp next to the pantry.

"O Allah Nala!" The sound of Mas Alif's screaming resuscitated me. I felt my body lift up and be in his arms. There's not much I can do with my already very weak body. I could only put both my hands around his neck and dip my head in the chest of his field.

A moment later I felt my body slowly falling down on the bed. Then Mas Alif put his palm on my forehead, his face now looked even more worried. "You're hot, baby. We're going to the hospital, right?" bargained for. But I reply with a weak head.

"Did I call a doctor to come here?" he murmured, but I could still hear it.

"Not to Mas. I'm not doing anything. Just a normal fever because of exhaustion."

"You sure?" ask her again and I answer with a nod of my head.

I saw him stand up and pull out his cell phone from his pocket behind his suit. Looks like I'm gonna call someone. Her worm-like behavior overheated, walking back and forth while checking her phone several times made me smile a little. If only I were healthy, I would laugh at him. But now? Let alone to laugh, to sit I think I still need help.

"Assalamu'alaikum Ma's. This is Nala's fever again, how's it going?" Apparently Mas Alif called his mother. His style asserted, then nodded his head seemed to have understood what was said by mama.

Not long after that he hung up the phone, then walked back to me. "You wait here!" He immediately slid out of the room. I don't know what he's gonna do. I just resigned.

After a few minutes he had returned with his hand carrying a tray containing a basin of water, a small towel, plain water, porridge, and some medicines. He painstakingly compressed my forehead with warm water. After that he sat me down and intended to feed me a bowl of porridge.

"Here open his mouth, aaaa!"

"I ate myself." I tried to reach for the spoon, but Mas Alif was more deft than me. He raised the spoon high, making me unable to reach it.

"No way. You are sick again. Let me keep you" he said indisputably.

"Yes, yes."

"Well, let's go now!" I finally accepted the bribe after the bribe given by Mas Alif. The intake of porridge and compresses from Mas Alif makes my body feel better than before.

"Wahh is over! Whose wife is this? Very clever!" he said, ruffling the top of my hair.

"Ish Mas! I'm not a kid know!"

"Yes. You are so cute and adorable!" I take this as a compliment. "Well, now take the medicine." He started taking some drugs.

The smell alone makes me nauseous. "Nothing syrup is it?" my door with my best face.

"She was not a child. How is it still syrup?" Hmm.. overturning my words earlier apparently.

"Yes already. Anyway I don't want to take that medicine," I said as I closed my mouth.

"Drink dong darling, let it heal." Even though Mas Alif persuaded me in various ways, my decision still shook my head while keeping my mouth shut.

"Why the hell Na? Don't be a wayward! Let you heal this quickly."

"I can't take my tablet!" I'm finally honest.

This is one of the secrets I keep as neat as possible. Only my family knows. Let no one else know that I can be ridiculed. So actually I can't take a tablet-shaped drug, always liquid. Whether it's syrup or tablets that are destroyed first.

"How do you usually drink it?" I know, in my heart must be Mas Alif laughing at me. Just look at the corner of his twitching lips. It was obvious that he was holding back his laughter.

"Destroyed first, keep putting it on the spoon. Then give it a little water."

"Yes." Yeah."

Mas Alif went down to the kitchen to fulfill my request. Then come back with the medicine that is in accordance with what I asked. I quickly took the medicine so it did not taste bitter, then drank a glass of water until the toilet.

Mas Alif then grabbed my fingers and held them tightly. The back of my palm is full of love. Makes me frown at being confused by this attitude of his. "Why Mas?"

"Why did you drop this, honey?" he asked with a sad look directed at me.

"A week without you, I can only entertain myself by continuing to work and carry out various activities. Don't know if it turns out to be this tired." Plus it was raining. Of course it is spoken in the heart, do not want to add to the nagging Mas Alif if you hear the reason that one.

"Next time don't be. If tired of rest, do not push yourself too much if you are unable to. Don't worry me!"

Don't worry me. The same words that came from his lips three years ago. Simple words that warm my heart. A simple sentence that showed how attentive he was to me.

"Hm." My eyes unintentionally saw a box sitting on my dresser. A box containing Mas Alif's gown. "Mas, sorry! I can't catch you later.

"You don't have to think about it. What matters is that you rest now to get well soon." His smile was out of tune with the look in his eyes which implied sadness.

"Yes, you are ready to pray Maghrib. After that go to the party," I said after seeing the wall clock that had shown at half-six in the afternoon.

"Know not Dear? Without you, I have no more spirit to go to the party." He kissed once again the back of my palm.

With some energy left, I hit his arm. "Don't dong Mas! It's an important event for you."

"But you're still sick gini rich, where can I want to leave you."

Next to my hand rubbed his cheek with love. "Look! I've been doing nothing. Thanks to your hands that have taken care of me" I said trying to convince him.

"Udah. I've been sniffing. Get ready quickly!"

Mas Alif breathed a tired breath and walked straight to the bathroom. With a heavy heart he left me to go to his inauguration party. Before that, he came back to me for a break.

"Unfortunately, my employees don't know how beautiful their bosses are" he joked, trying to cheer me up.

"Can you be! Go, go there! It's late again. What would his employees say if they knew the leader was not time-disciplined."

"Yes my beautiful and beautiful wife!" Once again he rattled the top of my hair. Makes me roll lazy eyeballs.

"I've called mama to get you here."

"Yes." Yeah." I already knew because I heard the conversation on the phone.

"Don't forget to rest!"

"Yes." Yeah."

"If there's anything don't hesitate to tell mom."

"Yes." Yeah."

"Well, if so I'll go first!" pamitnya while peeping my forehead. "Assalamu'alaikum!"

"Wa'alaikumsalam!" my answer. After that Mas Alif's body had already disappeared behind the door of the room that was slowly closing. It made me choose to go back to sleep before waiting for my mother-in-law to come.

*******

I woke up this morning on a clear day. The sunlight peeking at me behind the open window made me frown and frown to adjust the light coming into my eyes. Last night Mama and Mas Alif took very good care of me. Even though there was a bit of disagreement between them to decide who to sleep with, it must have been the mama who won. And Mas Alif ended up sleeping in the guest room.

The delicious smell of food filled my sense of smell. Tempting me to approach the origin of the smell. Slowly but surely, I walked to the wall. It's been pretty powerful, not as weak as yesterday afternoon. When I reached the kitchen I saw Mama and Mas Alif in the kitchen. I slowly approached them.

"Ma, this isn't most water, is it?" Mas Alif seemed to be stirring something in the pot.

"Indeed that kind of lif. If a little later it will be rice, not porridge!" Mama who was stir-frying her cooking a little with a question Mas Alif.

Two mothers and two children were cooking together. And I thought, Mas Alif is making me porridge. Seemed from him who had been busy stirring the pot. Unlike the busy mom there to make breakfast. From earlier I saw from the dining room no one noticed at all.

"It feels right!" mas Alif said after tasting his congee.

Mama who was originally frying was interested in the porridge made by Mas Alif. While carrying a spoon he approached Mas Alif. "Masa? Here's mama try." As her face turned sour.

The spoon that was originally to taste the porridge is now switched functions to knock on Mas Alif's forehead. "What gas! This authenticity! You want to marry her again?"

Mas Alif's face in pain made me want to laugh. And apparently my soft laugh invited the attention of mama and Mas Alif. They both came to me.

"Loh Nala's? You're coming down?" ask Mama.

"Yes Dear. You rest on top." I refused Mas Alif's hand to take me to the room again. It feels bored if all day confined in the room.

"Not Mas. I got bored in my room. Just look at you and Mama cooking."

"Don't Nak! You just take a break. Later if it is really healed then you can go for a walk again," said mom while stroking my shoulder. Lucky I had in-laws as good as my mom. Not evil let alone cynical like mama-in-law in soap operas hidayah my mother used to watch.

"Hmm. Yes, Ma." I finally received a helping hand from Mas Alif to go back to the room.

"You wait here! I'll bring you this porridge of love your husband made" he said proudly, patting his chest as we entered the room.

"Pulp your point?" The originally cheerful face suddenly pias heard my ridicule.

He pinched my nose without warning. "You're hurting!"

"The truth is so." My voice sounded stingy because my nose was still being squeezed by his hand.

"Oh that's it. Dare to cheat on your husband?" I slowly retreated back when I knew Mas Alif's face was like someone who had an idea in his brain. I guess if the idea he thought of was to possess me.

"Think!"

"Bwhaha! Ow hell! Forgive Mas! Hahaaha, ticklish tau Mas! Ahhaha!" Justright. He tickled me all out.

I am the one who can only laugh while trying to avoid the cage of Mas Alif's sturdy arm that still tickles me. I didn't realize there was a seat behind me. As a result, my foot hit the bed and made us both fall on the bed. Mas Alif's body was right above me. His hands were on the left and right sides of my head, holding his body back from hitting me. Our very close face makes my heart race faster. Our breath clashed because we were still breathing heavily.

"Geez, what are you two doing?!" The sound of my mother's screams resuscitated me and Mas Alif. Suddenly I pushed his chest up from above my body.

Mama who stood beside the door while carrying a tray containing porridge and medicine immediately entered. Then put the tray on the nightstand.

"You're naughty, Alif!" said mom while hitting her body Mas Alif. "Had known his wife was sick, even wanted to be invited so!"

Oops! Misunderstanding happens.

"Now, Ma! It wasn't what Mama thought!" Want any alasana that Mas Alif gave, mama still hit his body.

"What's up! People were clear! Mama look with your own eyes!"

"Mama misunderstood that. Ask Nala yourself."

Hearing my name mentioned, I also chose to lock my body under the blanket. Pretend not to see any contention between the mother and the child. In addition to normalizing the heartbeat also hue my face, it was also for the calculation to Mas Alif because it had tickled me. Let him be scolded by Mom.

Let's know the taste!