TWENTY
SEASON TWO ~ Couvade Syndrome

A beautiful sky enveloped the city tonight. The black sky stretched out without any clouds covering the gorgeous glittering stars. The full moon also reigns so dashing up there. Charming anyone who looks at him.

The perfect night for a happy occasion for Radit and Gea. Finally after the twists and turns of their love story which was also colored with a drama breaking up, this afternoon Radit bravely said akad on behalf of Gea in front of parents and witnesses. And tonight is the night of the reception held at one of Mas Alif's hotels.

Wrapped in a long maroon red dress in line with her veil, the color that became the dress code tonight. I was ready and in front of the mirror. While confirming the location of my hood a little, I also moved and took my handbag. Then I turned around a little, looking at my appearance from top to bottom. Hmm, it's ready.

“Mas! Let's go!” take me down the stairs one by one slowly. If only her movements could be slowed down, it would definitely feel like the princess was descending the steps gracefully.

Quiescent. Alif didn't answer me. I saw him standing looking at me next to the living room couch. “Mas!” my reproach.

“God's Passion! Beautiful my wife! Like the angel of heaven whom God has sent to accompany me tonight.”

Been married for many years, but still blushed too if praised blatantly like this. To cover up my misbehavior, as usual I would hit his arm. “Halah! Could you please!”

“Iya really Dear. I don't want to take you out now, I want to lock you up in the room.” Haish!! Alif is so flirty. Where are his eyes flickering next to that, what does it mean try?

“Yes, thanks for the compliment! But now don't be so flirty! Let's just leave, later to hunt late,” I said while pulling Mas Alif heading out of the house.

The journey I took was about thirty minutes. Then we arrived at the lobby of this star hotel. Because Mas Alif is the owner of this hotel, so it is not surprising that during the walk many hotel officers who bowed and greeted Mas Alif and I when passing by. Even when entering the elevator, when it found out there was me and Mas Alif, no one dared to come in too. I don't know, they're too respectful or scared. The difference is very thin.

Just when the elevator door opened, Mas Alif immediately pulled my waist and hugged her tightly. As usual, the possessiveness relapses like this. But instead of being uncomfortable, I am even happy that Mas Alif did that. It means he loves me and doesn't want to lose me. Ekhm! Sweetnessaa.

Inside the reception hall were many invited guests. From the excitement and the crowd that was some distance away I already knew that they were my friends. It must be so, always clustered and laughing together.

“Ke temen-temen yuk Mas!” invite me and point at a group of people who are busy telling that story.

“Iya.”

“Aseekk!! The old bride is getting sticky!” Just got welcomed with Iren.

“Asekk!! Who just got married but still feels single,” reply me.

“Aish! So bad you Na!” Lah, pout him.

Make friends laugh. Laughs mock Iren to be more precise. Her husband works as a pilot. So yes inevitably have to be ready often left flying. I feel like that LDR. They got married about five months ago, Iren said on Instagram. After that it is often DM-an, and so seriously their relationship.

All my girlfriends are married. Iren married the pilot. Rere is paired with a young businessman who turns out to be Mas Alif's friend when in Australia. Sita newly married fellow doctor. And finally Puput who initially refused his encounter with an ustadz but finally after half a year married, sticky also finally. She is now two months pregnant. Tika and Rere both have babies but are left at home.

That's for the girls. If it's men, I don't really know how their love journey. What is clear is Ucup still with the status of the stall. Nopal is still OTW towards his wedding day, aka already a proposal. If Indra just married one of his own subscribers. Bayu said he still wants to focus on his fifth book, still does not want to think about marriage. Maybe next year.

Then Fahmi the workaholic was still the same kind of Ucup, loyal to his single status. But when viewed from his aura, he was like he was struck by romance. If said Sita anyway, Fahmi kanya cinlok same koas child that he guided. Then for Revelation, his fate now can not compete with other women because he got a wife who said he was fierce. Though I think after we meet his wife Revelation is good. She is the one whose husband is afraid of his wife.

“Oh yes, you guys have not?” my many.

“Not yet. Will wait for the formation to be complete,” replied Abdul.

“Yes already, now we unplug! Same with photos!” as usual, Indra eagerly brandished the camera along with his favorite tripod.

Without much further ado, we immediately queue up to shake hands with the bride. Our large numbers will certainly cause a long queue. Moreover, plus new personnel, who is morning if not their respective partners. Mas Alif and I are in the back row, so wait a long time.

“Welcome to Dit! Ge's! Finally after a long and tiring drama, you guys got married too!” I said while talking to Gea and shaking hands with Radit.

“Iya dong Na. If until this year I have not been copied, get ready to find a replacement!” the Gea that I greeted with laughter.

“Congratulations to you! May it be a sadinah wedding, mawaddah, warahmah.”

“Amiiin!” We all know what Mas Alif said.

“OK! Everyone let's go on stage!” call out Indra suddenly. Directing all of us to fit within the scope of the camera lens.

Because the stage used is permanent, aka part of the design of the building. So don't worry about wanting as much as anything that goes up here. With me next to Gea, then Mas Alif next to Radit, then followed by other friends, then the photo session is ready to be done.

“OKE! I give you ten seconds!” indra said after setting the camera, then ran to his place to be photographed as well.

After the photo session is over, we all go down to eat. The long-awaited part when attending a wedding. We are divided into two camps, male and female. So for a while I was separated from Mas Alif.

“Come Put! Eat a lot!” I said while adding some menus on his plate. Given that pregnant women need a lot of nutritional intake.

“But yes don't many times too Na! Thought Puput it buto ijo what?” Salma.

“Hehehe..”.

“Oh yes Put, has any cravings yet?” ask Iren.

Looked Lupel stroked flat stomach covered with wide hijab. “Not yet Ren. Only morning sickness rich pregnant women usually.”

Well, after marrying an ustadz, gradually the puput began to change its appearance. Starting from the clothes covered first, then wear a veil yes even though it has not been’i, and now it is willing to wear a robe and a wide veil. It looks the same as Ustadzah. Thank God, he got a good soul mate and made it a good person as well.

“Iren wants to spend half a day, let the other bisankaya.” Iren could only respond to Rere's words with a mere whimper.

“Makanya Ren, her husband tuharajin do not get busy working mulu. Take a vacation where cake makes honeymoon,” my advice.

“Not that I don't want to talk about Na, but it's not that her schedule is creeping. Yes, it's a moment if he's on leave we can vacation.”

“Where are you planning a vacation to?” ask Astri.

“Ke Japan by Ren! Rich me yesterday, the place is great! Entar if you go home do not forget by-by”

“Yeeeu!” we all stared lazily at Rere.

“No plans to go abroad anyway. Want to go inside the country, explore the beauty of the country itself,” answers from Puput directly silence Rere. Makes us who are at this circular table laugh with satisfaction.

“Sip Put! Tos first dong!” I said as I pointed my palm at Puput for joy.

Well, at this table there are two new personnel. That is Sela, his wife Revelation who said fierce. Sama Anggi, Indra's wife. The two of them are no longer awkward with us - we have often been together. Sort of like arisan.

“Indra at home how the hell Nggi? Narcissist not the guy?” ask me to break the silence.

“Malah is worse. Every day make a daily vlog, so that's it. Every motion must be camera.” Called Mbak because his wife Indra is different two years younger than me and other friends.

“But it's style! I see already there are endorsers on youtube the same ig,” added Tika.

“Lumayan hek Mbak if it, hehehe,”

“Eh, uh! Dengerin the MC!” the word Sita refers to the stage where Radit and Gea became kings and queens a day.

We who have finished eating come to stand near the stage. Enter the atmosphere more precisely. Then I saw behind, more precisely from the men's table, they were busy pulling the arms of Ucup and Fahmi to join the show. And finally they both managed to be pulled here, leaving Mas Alif himself sitting at that table.

“Oke, everything is ready that made to get the flowers?!!” The host asked, and was responded to by the enthusiastic exclamations of the guests.

“Well, are the two brides ready to hold the bouquet of red roses?” Radit and Gea, who turned our backs, held their flowers. Indicates that they are ready to throw it.

“Flower will be thrown in one, two, three!!!”

Just when the last count of the host makes a noise of the building. Those who intend to get a bungan seem to be trying to reach it. While me and the other friends can only laugh at the struggle. Until finally someone lifted the bouquet of flowers up high behind the crowd. I wonder who got the flowers.

“Ha?!!” my shock was inversely proportional to Tika who was ready with her sour face. The reason that got the bouquet of flowers was none other than Abdul! Well, as I thought. Tika approached Abdul and grabbed his ear. Tom and Jerry's argument was ready to start apparently.

*****

The show went well and was fun. Until it does not feel that event after event is finished. Many guests started to go home. No exception with me and Mas Alif. Arriving at home I immediately changed clothes and laid myself down, Mas Alif too. What an exhausting day.

I faintly heard the sound of water burning from the direction of the toilet. I immediately opened my eyelids that still felt heavy to wake up. I saw the wall clock showing at three in the morning. Must be Mas Alif again wudhu want to pray tahajud.

“Mas! You all right? How pale is his face?” I asked after finding Mas Alif out of the toilet with a pale face.

“Not knowing, suddenly very nauseous,” make it clear.

“How much you got wind.”

“Hmm.”

Immediately I helped her to lie down again on the bed. “Mas, you wait a minute! I made an herbal drink first.”

Without waiting for the approval of Mas Alif, I immediately went down to the kitchen and made an herbal drink for him. Looks like he got in the wind. All I make porridge so add more body.

It wasn't until half an hour that I was done and ready to take her to the room. Arriving at the room I did not find his presence again on the bed. “Mas! Where are you?”

There was no word, but I heard a voice from inside the toilet. So I immediately put the tray I brought on the nightstand and headed for the toilet. I saw Mas Alif vomiting again in front of the closet, I immediately approached him and massaged his neck.

After helping Mas Alif in the toilet, I laid Mas Alif's body again. Then help her to drink the herbal drink I've made. But not yet drunk until the toilet, but he had run again to the toilet and vomited yeast.

“Yes Allah! Why are you Mas?” muttered.

Not out of sense, I immediately called my mother-in-law to ask about Mas Alif's condition.

“Assalamu’alaikum Ma!”

“Wa’alaikumsalam, Mama you are still sleeping this son. What's the matter? How to watch clock call?” it turns out my father-in-law picked up the phone.

“This Pa, Mas Alif kok suddenly vomited a lot huh? Though last night she was fine Pa.”

“Hmm, why yes? He's never been rich before. What's the vomit many times?”

“Iya Pa, this is the third time even.”

“Then it is not in the wind richly.”

“Well that's Pa, I got confused myself.”

In the middle of calling me with papa, it looks like Mas Alif has come out of the toilet and is ready to lie down again to the mattress.

“Wait a moment! Don't Alif be as rich as Papa was?”

“Means Pa?” Not only was I confused, Mas Alif's forehead also frowned in confusion. Understandably, this call I loud speaker so it is appropriate that Mas Alif can hear papa's voice.

“Gini Nak, Papa used to be rich too. Suddenly I vomited for no reason. And it turns out that your mother was pregnant. Yes contains the Alif.”

Just reacting to this statement from papa made me and Mas Alif surprised. “Kok can be Pa? Isn't it that pregnant Mama who vomits should be Mama?” ask Mas Alif after taking over my phone.

“Papa also does not know Lif. But it is a fact.”

After that Mas Alif said hello and hung up the phone. Then I returned the herbal drink for him to spend. Simultaneously, I opened the internet to search for articles about the state of Mas Alif.

“Mas,” call me.

“Hmm,” he replied while eating my homemade porridge.

“It turns out that Papa was talking about has a point. And it has become a common thing if the husband is the one who experiences morning sickness.”

“Hah? Mass?” Unbelieving, Mas Alif immediately grabbed my phone and read it himself.

“Couvade syndrome,” murmured after reading an article explaining the current condition.

“Honey!” Mas Alif then held both of my shoulders tight. The happy sparkle was clearly visible from the look in his eyes. “If this is true, then you are pregnant dong?”

“Ah, Mas time anyway?” I still half believe.

“Try you remember the last time came the month when?”

“It should be right after we came home from Bali last month anyway Mas,” I said while trying to recall.

“Nah right! You are one month late!”

Mas Alif then got out of his bed and took something in the desk drawer. I've memorized it, a pregnancy test kit. I kept some to check on my condition. But for these two years, God has not yet placed a child in my womb. Is it possible now is the time?

Seeing Mas Alif was so excited like that, I could not bear if I had to end up disappointed for the next time.

“Already! Worry not! If the negative result means that it has not been our windfall,” said Mas Alif while sharing his sweet smile.

With hopeful steps I went into the toilet and tried to test if it was true that I was pregnant. And in the blink of an eye, the tool showed two red lines. TWO RED LINES!!!

With a very happy heart I immediately cleaned the device and went out the toilet.

“Mas!!! look at this!” I showed the tool to Mas Alif.

And a second later, Mas Alif's cry broke out. He hugged me tightly even to the point of holding my body high. “Alhamdulillah! Alhamdulillah! Honey!!! You are really pregnant!” cheers Mas Alif in the midst of his newness.

I was like that too, just as much as Mas Alif. I give thanks to the Divine Robbi who has sent down my blessings to me and Mas Alif. “Yes Allah! Thank you for trusting us back to receive the sustenance of a child. God willing, I will guard him with all my heart,” I murmured in my heart.