Unsaying Words
CHAPTER VIII - Rina's Decree (2)

Chris did not come home that night. So too with the next night. After 2 consecutive nights of her husband not coming home, Rina decides to go to her in-laws' house without telling Chris.

The weather was clear that morning but it was cool. Rina parked her car in the spacious yard and after getting out of her car, she left, he deliberately walked slowly and took the time to enjoy the view of various types of flowers that lay along the road to the terrace of Chris' mother's house. Everything looks well-groomed and beautiful.

Lina wondered how long and what effort it took for her in-laws to take care of the flowers to look as beautiful as they are today. Despite knowing that Chris' mother had a gardener, but specifically to plant new plants, make cuttings and replace media for certain plants, her in-laws always did it themselves. He said there is a satisfaction in being able to grow and care for a plant with his own efforts. We will also appreciate something more than we produce ourselves.

Her mother-in-law's message was still ringing in Rina's ears to this day.

"Rina!"

Her in-laws call made Rina turn her head and smile cheerfully. Her mother-in-law looks fresh out of her glass house while carrying various gardening equipment. He immediately approached his father-in-law to help him carry the equipment.

"Tumben's here? Where's Chris?"

Her Sumringah-in-law asked as she walked towards the terrace of the house, and took off both of her gloves.

Usually Chris and Rina will try to take the time to come on Saturday or Sunday. Almost never they visit on ordinary days like this, which certainly makes Chris' mother happy because it does not feel lonely. Although living with stepchildren, but the atmosphere of the house will be quiet in the morning when they have all left for the office or school. So he will find busyness, one of them by caring for his plants.

"Alone, mah."

The mother who had eaten the salt acid of life immediately realized something was wrong from her daughter-in-law. He also told Rina to put the equipment she carried on the terrace table and immediately invited her to enter the house.

"Mba Sum, please provide hot tea. Two, for Lina too."

The mother then told her daughter-in-law to sit first in the living room, waiting for her to go to the room to change clothes and clean herself.

While waiting in the family room, Rina also looked at various photos displayed on one of the walls that she had viewed dozens of times when she visited this house. Various photos of Chris ranging from babies to adults hang neatly there. When Chris graduated from school, graduation, until then the view of Rina stopped in one of the photos she had just seen the first time.

It was a picture of his family. In the photo, he and Chris stand side by side, flanking their mother-in-law sitting in the middle of them. Her father-in-law's face looked happy, as did Lina and Chris who were smiling broadly at the camera. This photo was taken a few weeks ago, just the day before the incident occurred and since the incident that night, they have never come again to visit this house.

Unknowingly Rina rubbed her fingers on the surface of the photo and smiled. He recalled the funny memories of when they took this family photo. After taking the first photo, the photographer suddenly asked Chris to take off his shoes. Of course Chris refused, when then the photographer showed the results of his previous shots. There's nothing wrong with the pictures, but the proportions are ridiculous. Chris' body seemed to be towering among the 2 women who looked like dwarves beside him. Eventually he relented to take off his shoes, even slightly bending his legs so that they get a balanced proportion inside the camera frame.

"Funny at that time?"

Suddenly his father-in-law was already standing next to him with a smile.

"The boy was really his brother's moons. Just that time, he was seen dead lice facing their throats."

While chuckling, Chris' mother sat down on the sofa and told Rina to sit next to him.

When Rina was already sitting on the sofa, her in-laws suddenly took both of Rina's arms and held her tightly in her lap.

His eyes looked shady as he asked, "So, what's the matter with you guys?"

Looking at her clear-eyed father-in-law, Rina almost shed her tears but she decided not to cry anymore. After all, from the beginning, the cause of this mess was her. Chris and his mother are dragged down by his personal problems.

"Mah..."

Be careful he starts. Lina lowered her head deeply, not daring to look at her in-laws. He feels very guilty.

After strengthening her heart, Lina looked at her mother-in-law back and said, "Rina decided to part with Chris."

The real mother had expected this to only be able to take a sharp breath and release her hand from Rina. He then took a sip of the tea that had been available slowly and solemnly closed his eyes, trying to be able to enjoy it even though his sad heart made the tea taste more bitter than usual.

Seeing her in-laws stay silent, made Lina feel her defense was starting to crumble.

"Mah..."

Without looking at her daughter-in-law, the mother sipped her tea back and asked, "Why? What cause?"

Just this time Lina heard her mother-in-law's tone of voice that was firm and rigid. Before she started talking, her in-laws suddenly turned to her and asked a question that Rina had never expected.

"Is Chris cheating?"

"Huh?"

The mother held onto both of Rina's hands tightly and her eyes began to glaze over.

"Tell Rin, is Chris cheating on you?"

Automaticly Rina immediately shook her head strongly.

"You sure?"

Again Lina could only bow her head many times to answer her in-laws.

Satisfied with her daughter-in-law's answer, the mother let out a sigh of relief and then said lightly, "Then, your problems should still be solved."

Goong!

***

Rina finally tells about her quarrels with Chris, which indicates a mismatch between them. He also does not want to bind Chris forever to him, considering they both married without love. As much as possible Rina did not tell the details of the events in her household, because after all these things were a disgrace to her and Chris. Enough that only the two of them knew.

He also said that it was time for Chris and himself to take their respective paths, considering that there was no longer anything that binds the two of them. Lina honestly said that her father had gone home a few days ago.

Hearing this information, her mother-in-law was surprised not to be upset. He was a little angry at his daughter-in-law.

"What?! Why don't you tell mama?"

A little nervous, Rina tried to explain to her in-laws.

"Sorry mah, at that time Rina was not able to think clearly and directly take care of her funeral on the same day."

As his mother-in-law asked, "Chris knows?"

"No."

Her mother-in-law sighed loudly, "Rinaaaa!"

Lina could only close her eyes, preparing to face her in-laws' anger.

For a moment, the in-law was seen sighing deeply and trying to calm himself down. He wouldn't do that if he had to scold his son-in-law who had just lost his father a few days ago. After feeling calmer, he again grasped his two daughters-in-law's hands that felt cold. What a pity this girl! He knew a little about the story of the Rina family from the story first, and knew that now this woman had no one else.

"Ri." Her parents started the conversation.

"You want to tell a little story."

Hearing her mother-in-law's gentle tone of voice made Lina finally dare to raise her face. After that, Chris' mother turned her gaze forward and sighed softly. His eyes looked bright, trying to recall his past.

"Do you know why you got divorced from Chris' dad?"

Lina shook her head. During their marriage, Chris hardly ever told anything about his family. All information about her husband, obtained from Rich or Rina directly from her own mother.

Her mother-in-law looked back at herself and said with a smile.

"Mamah divorced from Chris' father because of his own mama's stupidity."

Rina was speechless, waiting for the continuation of the story from the old lady beside her.

Her in-laws removed her grip from Rina and clasped her own two hands. A look of regret was drawn on his face as his eyes reverted back to the past.

"You remember, when we first met, you told me that if you had a daughter, she would be like you?"

In silence, Lina nodded.

"Your mother had a miscarriage."

When he said that, his eyes seemed to be glazed over.

This information of a very personal nature made Rina quite shocked. He could only be silent, hoping that his mother-in-law would continue the story.

"At that time, my age was no longer young. Chris is also in his teenage years. This second pregnancy is because the mother who still wants a daughter."

Her mother-in-law paused her speech. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"A risky pregnancy, especially at the age of mamah at that time. Chris' father even the doctor had actually rejected the possibility, but mamah forced. Until finally the content of mamah is not strong and bleeding occurs. Weakened health conditions also make the mother's uterus must be removed and will never be able to get pregnant again."

Unexpectedly, Rina saw her in-laws shedding tears while telling a story. He immediately took a tissue and wiped his mother-in-law's cheeks.

Taking tissue from her daughter-in-law's hand, the mother wiped her own eyes. He continued his story while looking at Rina.

"The incident made the mother close herself from Chris' father. Mom is really depressed, which makes you unable to think clearly. At that time, you just want to be able to blame others and the closest is Chris' father."

He looked down at his hand, before rubbing his nose with a tissue.

"If you knew, Chris' father was the most patient person I'd ever met. But it turns out, one's patience has its limits."

After her tears dried up, her mother-in-law turned to look at Rina and clasped her hands back.

"The thing you learn from this experience is that when you have problems, try to see things using your common sense, not your emotions."

"When you're upset, ask yourself if your decision is right or wrong? In the past, mamah made the wrong decision by leaving Chris' father who actually backfired for mamah."

Her mother-in-law squeezed Rina's hand and continued, "When she decided to return, her body turned out to be no longer the property of mamah even though her heart was still."

"The most hateful thing about marriage is infidelity. So despite knowing it's mama's fault, because mama, but mamah still can't accept it."

"Fighting in the household is common. Of course it will leave a wound, but over time the wound will heal and disappear. But hurt by infidelity, she might heal but it will never disappear. The scars will always be there, and still leave pain in them. Of course, that's what happens to Mom. Everyone has different limits of tolerance."

Her in-laws then looked at Rina in the shade and said, "Now the question is, whether the wound you obtained during your time with Chris will leave a mark that still hurts, which still hurts, or can it heal and disappear over time?"