What a Beautiful Divorce
85. Patternless

“Welcome to my house,” said Mr. Akum.

Mr. Purnomo, Ronal, Prapto, and Nimo looked at each other alternately with astonished faces, but they did not have time to ask questions because Mr. Akum immediately invited him into the house.

From the outside, the wall of the main room of Pak Akum house is full of various paintings. Mr. Purnomo entered at the very last and his steps came to a halt when he saw a piece of cloth displayed between two rustic-themed paintings. From the color and shape, Mr. Purnomo could tell that the cloth must have been made naturally. But who made it? Mr Akum?

‘Obviously not Akum,’ Pak Purnomo said inwardly. ‘The shape and color selection do not indicate that this is the work of a man. It's a woman's making. Wife Akum?’

Mr. Purnomo did not answer his own question. He caught up with Prapto and the others, who almost disappeared behind the turn in the middle room. After the turn, they arrived in front of a large door. Mr. Akum knocked on the door. All who stood behind Mr. Akum looked at each other again.

“Pak .. .” Prapto did not continue his words, because Mr. Akum had entered and signaled with his hands for them to follow. But Prapto was more astonished, for what Mr Akum knocked on the door if he himself would open it?

Unexpectedly, the room behind the door turned out to be spacious and full of wooden skeletons hung with cloth. All who entered the room, except Mr. Akum, turned their bodies many times looking at the fabrics with amazed eyes.

“Learnest. Very beautiful,” muttered Mr. Purnomo while continuing to sweep the fabrics in the room with his view. Mr. Purnomo only averted his eyes when Ronal patted his shoulder, inviting him to follow Mr. Akum who continued to the end of the room.

At the end of the room, which had been blocked by cloths, was a woman whose hair had fallen to her back. Prapto and the others stopped about ten steps away from the woman, who was as if unconcerned with the arrival of people and kept a look at the cloth in front of her, which from its shape had not long finished was given color.

Mr. Akum approached the woman. “Three of my five friends need you, Rena, about things related to your skills and their village.”

“In the meantime, Bang,” replied the woman called Rena without turning her head. “It has been more than an hour I have not also found a suitable picture pattern for this fabric.”

“Okay,” says Mr. Akum. He took a few steps back and watched.

“Your sister, Kum?” ask Mr. Purnomo who just stood next to Mr. Akum.

“Iya, Pur. Her name is Rena, forty-five years old. Since getting divorced five years ago, he has lived with me and spent more time in this room.”

Mr. Purnomo nodded. He then stepped onto the table where Rena was sitting, making Pak Akum and the others frown their foreheads.

Rena turned her head to the left, looking at Mr. Purnomo with an annoyed face. Momentarily met Rena's angry gaze. Mr. Purnomo took the paper on the table, grabbed a pen in his shirt bag, and then wrote it down.

Shortly afterwards Mr. Purnomo lifted the paper he had just drawn near the cloth in front of him and said, “Smooth red color should be balanced with a pattern that gives rise to a little contrast, but not rough.”

“Eh!” Rena exclaimed in shock. His grin slowly dissipated, changing with a gentle smile of gratitude. His gaze again met with the eyes of Mr. Purnomo. Now it is clearly seen by Mr. Purnomo how the middle-aged Rena is still beautiful, and the wrinkles of age on her face only make her beauty look more distinctive.

Mr. Purnomo smiled. “So, have we been able to talk about our arrival destination?” tanyakanya.

Rena smiled back and stood up. He asked Mr. Akum to take Prapto and the others to the living room while he made a drink.

Shortly after, Rena arrived in the living room. He sat next to Mr. Akum after serving drinks. Pak Akum then introduced Prapto and others to Rena.

“Thank you for the help earlier, Mas Purnomo,” said Rena. “What are the goals of Mas Purnomo, Prapto, and Nimo coming here?”

“The result of that skill will be found in the business market, Ms. Rena. But the most important, and also the main goal of Kejora village is to maintain the process of making cloth manually, to reduce environmental pollution as is done by most modern clothing industry now, to reduce environmental pollution,” says Prapto closes his explanation.

“I'd like to teach in your village, Prapto. The business prospect is actually not a problem for me, because I can market my fabric independently.

“But if to stay in your village it feels impossible. Need a stronger reason than teaching to decide to move.”

Mr. Akum smashed the coffee cup he just had. “Think about it, Ren. Didn't you ever say you wanted to spread this skill that almost no fan of it? Mumpung in his village Prapto many enthusiasts, why should be missed this opportunity? Don't worry about me and your sister-in-law, we'll take the time to visit you later.”

Bu Rena shook her head slowly. “But, Bang, that reason alone is not enough for me to decide to move, while the Kejora village chief requires me to become a villager if I teach there.”

Feelings of silence for a while. Nimo beckons Prapto to find an idea before it's too late. Prapto took his phone off the table and stood up. “Before, Ms. Rena, Mr. Akum, there was a call from the head of my village,” he said.

After he was on the terrace Mr. Akum, Prapto picked up Mr. Oscar's phone.

“Halo, Nak Prapto, I've read your message,” greet Mr. Oscar from across the phone.

“That's it, Mr. Kades. Bu Rena is stubborn,” answered Prapto.

“How is Purnomo's response?”

“Pak Purnomo is silent, Mr. Kades. I saw Mr. Purnomo only looking at him when Ms. Rena spoke and nodded. Why did this plan not just say to Mr. Purnomo from the beginning, sir?”

I heard Mr. Oscar laughing. “The purnomo will not like to be betrothed, Nak Prapto, and he is also stubborn. If he knew, he might have preferred not to sell the painting rather than be betrothed.

“He told me that he wanted to marry again but did not want to go through the matchmaking path, so I looked for a way to help him. And this way can help get teachers to make natural fabrics that will settle in our village.” Oscar laughed again.

Prapto shook his head. “So, what should I do now, Mr Kades?”

“Take it easy. We're just helping. If Purnomo is interested in Rena, he will definitely try to make Rena want to become a Kejora village citizen. But if Purnomo's not interested, we can't force him. We will find another teacher and let Purnomo find his own wife from now on,” said Mr. Oscar. “But usually if Purnomo is silent while paying attention, it means he is looking for sense, Nak Prapto.”

“Alright, Mr. Kades. I'll be in the living room again.”

After Mr. Oscar hung up, Prapto returned to the living room. The atmosphere of the living room was still quiet as he sat down. Prapto then took a cup of coffee and sipped it.

“How about you, Dik Rena,” said Mr. Purnomo. “Because in this short encounter I have read your personality and attitude through eyes and facial expressions, then I decided that I will marry you so that you have a reason to settle in the village of Kejora.”

The unfinished coffee swallowed by Prapto will be sprayed if he does not quickly cover his mouth with his hands. While Ronal, Nimo, and Pak Akum widened open agape.

Bu Rena himself shocked nine hundred thousand languages to look at Mr. Purnomo. His cheeks were reddened by blushing. His eyes did not blink.