DIORAMAS
27. Recognition
Legitimate. Alhamdulillah
I breathed a sigh of relief when a kyai sitting next to the penghulu said a prayer after stating that the qabul ijab between the Ardi mas and the pengulu was declared valid. Making mas Ardi and mbak Mita officially become a legal husband and wife in the eyes of religion and government. A smile spread on my face as I watched Mita before taking turns to look at the father who was sitting between Ardi and Mita mas.
I looked at the look on his face and tried to guess what the man was feeling when he realized that his daughter had legally become a wife, and he has given up responsibility for Mita's mother to Ardi mas. Ah, however I pay attention and try to guess how the father feels at this time, still I will not know because the father is typical father who is so shrewd to hide his feelings.
“Congratulations, mbak.” I muttered involuntarily while watching Mita and Mas Ardi simultaneously hugging my mother and making my mother cry. This time I could not even hold back my tears as I watched the mother who took turns hugging and kissing Mita and Mas Ardi.
“If tomorrow when you get married you cry like this, the makeup artist must be raging at you, Al.” and I just remembered that Evan had been sitting right next to me when the man held out his handkerchief to me. “You know that the bridal makeup is called ‘mahakarya’ by the fairies?”
At first I thought Evan would not come because until the ruler arrived at my house and whose marriage contract was held, the man had not yet appeared. But, I even almost squealed when Evan suddenly appeared just as the qabul ijab was about to start and suddenly the man was already sitting next to me. Said that he came home late and could not come on time, so he reasoned that he did not even have enough time to choose the best clothes. The reason that made me laugh and watch the man from head to toe. I told you ‘kan that Evan Adiatma was included in the class of handsome men who are suitable to wear any clothes, so such a reason really sounds very made-up in my ears.
Really, Evan looks very handsome with a black batik shirt with a yellow pattern that somehow matches the dress I wear. Complete with glasses that always make me think ‘he's Evan-ku’. Astagah, now I even dare to acknowledge Evan as mine.
“If it can not be held how? All brides must be moved on the day of their own wedding, mas.”
“Still I won't let you cry on our wedding day. You should laugh, not cry.” Evan's unyielding words warmed my heart for a moment and did not dare to look back at him until I chose to turn my eyes the other way. Our marriage, it feels too early to hear Evan say ‘wedding kami’ as if we are really going to get married even though I have not given him an answer and Evan has not given certainty.
“Sometimes a person can be manic if too happy, mas.” My mumbling didn't stop either. Evan approached Ardi mas and Mita mbak who was seen talking to mbak Zaira, one of my relatives. And one of the things that makes my judgment of Evan always go up is that the guy looks so familiar to the people around me. Even with Mita, Evan looks as if he is meeting an old friend despite the fact that Evan has only met Mita once.
“Congratulations to mbak Mita because she has become a wife, and mas Ardi who has become a husband.”
Even now, Evan is so natural mbak Mita and hugging mas Ardi a sister of the two happy newlyweds, she is the sister of the couple, and I played the lucky girl that Evan brought to his family. Really, this man was very familiar even with the Ardi mas who had just met him for the first time.
“So, when will your plans catch up with us?” asked Mas Ardi who made me almost choke on my own saliva, while Evan just laughed a little.
“If I want as soon as possible, mas. If Alia, I'll persuade you to marry me next year.”
“That alia has a hard head, Van. It's hard to persuade him.” Timpal mbak Mita just as I was about to interrupt.
“I have a sure way, mbak. Now the most important thing is Ardi and Mita blessing us both first. Later about Alia, let me take care of.”
“Mas,”
It's true that Evan said something as serious as the proposal and the wedding was so casual as if the man was talking about pinkik on the weekend. But not once did I see a flash of joke there even though sometimes Evan said it accompanied by a small laugh. And that kind of thing just made my heart break and start speculating about myself. About me not being ready for a relationship as serious as marriage or me still not sure how Evan feels about me?
‘You've known her for months and you two are in constant communication all the time, Alia. What makes you doubt?’
‘Which other part makes you uncertain that Evan is the man who will accompany you to the end of your story, Alia?’
Maybe I need a little more time until I'm sure. Until I was completely sure of how I felt, I was also completely sure of how Evan felt.
* * * * *
At 11 past 3 minutes when the online taxi I was riding stopped right in front of the gate of a building that looks striking compared to the surrounding buildings. The building I visited eight months ago, and the building that started my story until this moment. Gamelofts. The building that was my first meeting place with Evan, also the unobtrusive building made me take a deep breath to expel my nervousness as soon as I stepped into the parking lot and continued forward until I reached the entrance.
Well, yeah, of course not without reason I suddenly ordered an ojek online and drove from my house to the gameloft office even though my body was still tired because of the wedding event mbak Mita and mas Ardi yesterday afternoon. Actually I had planned to sleep until dhuhur before exactly 10 o'clock last night I remember that last night Evan asked me to meet him today because the man needed to talk some things with me and him too busy to meet me at the coffee shop.
“We will talk tomorrow.” initially I intend to tell Evan about the mother and father's agreement about the man's proposal after the wedding of Mita and mas Ardi. But the truth is, I didn't even have the time and courage to talk about it with Evan while the guests kept coming back and forth and made me a very busy host.
“But mas,”
“Not because I don't want to listen to you, Al. But we need time and space to talk. And we won't get it this time.”
“I only have two days in Jogja and Sunday afternoon I should have returned to Bandung, mas Evan.”
“Iya, I know. Can you come to the office tomorrow? I can't leave because there's a meeting and I don't know when the meeting ends.”
“Ke office?” many doubt. And of course I don't forget that Evan works at gameloft and gameloft is not a place I want to go to because it really does have a bad influence. Yes, especially if it is not the fact that Rajendra Yudhistira also works in that place?
“You're afraid to meet Jendra when you come to the office?”
“Do I have any other reason?” and instead of being offended, Evan laughed and pinched my left cheek.
“Look, tomorrow you ask the receptionist where my room is, then ask Sena to take you to my room. You just wait there until I come.”
Really, it's not that I don't want to see Evan and demand that he always see me. I really don't mind seeing that guy anywhere he doesn't belong in his office. Anyway Jendra works at the same place as Evan and the possibility of me meeting that guy will always be there. It's not that I haven't been able to forget Jendra that I have to be this scared just because I'm about to enter the gameloft building.
Yes, however, the pain is still there and can be painful even with just a little scratch and touch.
* * * * *
