What a Beautiful Divorce
1. Wedding Dresses

Prapto looks at the expanse of towering urban buildings without blinking. He was not so sure that this kind of life was what he wanted. A life where many people are competing with goals that are not at all impressed to make a living and survive, but rather greedy in the pursuit of money.

But the insistence of both parents made Prapto finally decided also to go to college. After graduation, he also got a job as a manager at one of the famous companies in Jakarta.

Many of Prapto's neighbors were amazed. The neighbors stated that they were very salute to both parents Prapto for the achievement of the career achieved by the child.

However, deep down in Prapto's deep heart, even deeper than the deepest abyss in the world, Prapto was not at all happy with his career, let alone proud, of it, not even a little.

The life that Prapto dreams of is not a luxury life in the city, where people race in search of money and titles that Prapto believes should not be displayed on a row of names.

Prapto himself did not want to use his bachelor's degree in economics. He did not want to be rich, not at all. But rich according to Prapto is rich who is happy, rich by doing work that he likes.

Prapto lit his cigarette. He smoked cigarette smoke deeply and then exhaled it with full shock. Prapto is twenty-five years old now, and his parents continue to urge him to marry his girlfriend Silvi.

Prapto is not unwilling to marry, nor does he love Silvi, but Silvi's desire to continue to be a career woman after they are married makes Prapto doubt whether the household will last happily.

“I love you, Prapto, and only you are in my heart. Even though I will continue to work after we get married, I will still cook and make coffee for you, before and after I get home from work, Prapto Darling,” Silvi said one day, when they talk about marriage.

In his heart Prapto did not believe in the words of Silvi at all. And more importantly, with his intelligent brain, Prapto understood very well that the words of his future wife were just sweet words that contained a lot of rotten.

There are a lot of things that I don't like about Silvi. Silvi says she can be friends with men. She also embraced feministism, which in that understanding is said that the position of women in the household is equivalent to the position of men.

Suddenly, Prapto's phone rings. The long-haired man passed through those ears then took his phone lazily. Prapto could guess the phone's ring must be from Silvi. Prapto phone also looks very lazy to display the name Silvi on the call menu, visible from the screen that suddenly becomes dim.

“Halo, Honey! Five o'clock in the afternoon we'll see the wedding dress, right?” silvi asked with a sweet tone of voice as usual.

Prapto was silent for a moment. He then answered briefly, “Ya, so Sil. I'll just wait in that shop later, Silvi. I can't pick you up. My work is much.”

Across the phone there Silvi cursed because Prapto turned off the call without saying see you or bye.

Rini, Silvi's officemate, signs with her right hand to stop Silvi from swearing. The feminist woman then got up to sit at Silvi's table.

“No need to curse! He'll bow to you after you're married. Is Prapto still talking about him wanting you to stop working after you get married? And also, is he still talking about men and women can't be friends?” ask Rini.

Silvi nodded. “Yes. He's still talking about both. But take it easy, I always refuse to agree. We are modern women who would not want to think of men as household leaders. Can't we make our own money and don't need to be led by our husband?”

The long-haired Rini nodded proudly with a haughty look on her face. “Absolutely. Goody! Only stupid women want to cook and clean.”

Before leaving to buy a wedding dress, Prapto stopped first to the house of one of his friends named Timo. Timo is older than Prapto, and Timo is married to a career woman. So, according to Prapto, Timo is probably the right man to ask about his heart turmoil.

Prapto parked his car in Timo's yard which was quite spacious. Then he knocked on the door of the house. “Timo! It's me, Prapto.”

The sound of footsteps came from inside the house, which was soon followed by the sound of the door being opened. The appearance of Timo's face that always seemed wise but empty a lot of it appeared. "Come in, Prapto!” bring him. “Or do we chat in pendopo only?’

“On pendopo only, Timo,” answered Prapto. Prapto then went straight to the pendopo in the park without waiting for a response from Timo.

“Wait! Do you want coffee or tea?” cheer Timo.

“Coffee only.”

In his heart Prapto swore, ‘Sial! I had expected that asking Timo about my marriage to Silvi was the wrong decision. My grandfather never once told me that he himself made a drink for his guests.’

After Prapto smoked for a moment, Timo emerged from behind his door carrying two hot cups of coffee.

“Minum! My wife still hasn't come home from work. So, it is very possible that this coffee made me taste bad, Prapto,” Timo said laughing.

Prapto did not respond to Timo's words. “Later in the afternoon Silvi and I will buy a wedding dress, Timo. My parents kept pushing me to get married. I love Silvi, but you'll know that I don't want to have a career woman's wife,” explained Prapto.

Prapto glanced at Timo for a moment. “I don't want to when you come to my house but the one who makes coffee for you is me,”.

“The time is modern, Bro. And the idea of a wife being a housewife is outdated. Silvi is beautiful, her job is well paid, just like my wife. At least you do not need to work too hard later because Silvi also works,” replied Timo with a wise face.

Prapto. He breathed his cigarette smoke upward as if it would pierce the ceiling of the pendopo. “The husband has the responsibility to make a living, Timo, and also the responsibility to his wife and children. Therefore, a husband must make a living, while his wife takes care of children and the house.

"What will my son be if his mother comes home from work in the afternoon? I won't leave my son in daycare, because it's not an act that reflects affection and responsibility, Timo.”

Timo felt insinuated again, but he still maintained his wise look while saying, “At least, Prapto, after marriage you can invite Silvi to compromise and tell him to stop working.”

Prapto was fed up because he did not get a solution at all from his theme. He wanted to leave immediately, but Prapto abandoned his intention when he saw a car stop in front of the gate of Timo's house.

It is clear from the pendopo that the driver of the car is a man. From the car came down Tini, Timo's wife. After Tini waved at the driver, the car passed.

Prapto grinning. He got an idea about a discussion that would make his friend lose the look of his wise face.