Dusk At the End Please
Mother's Story (3)

After the Maghrib Fatimah prayer sat in his living room soup, he waited for two people who would give him an explanation. He was calmer after praying, trying hard with the reality he would face.

Sopia and Furqan sat side by side in different chairs, they were directly opposite Fatimah. The three of them were still silent, dissolving in their respective thoughts. Fatimah stared intently at the two of them alternately, the atmosphere of the house was immediately gripping.

Fatimah took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. He tried to neutralize his feelings.

"I'll just be a listener, please speak" said Fatimah breaking the silence.

Furqan looked prepared to explain, he stared fixedly at the face of the woman who had been his wife for fifteen years. A woman who is willing to be her mother when she is no one, willing to accept her for who she is, willing to fight with her from nothing, willing to leave her parents behind, always supporting and praying for him until this is how he is now.

His heart was sliced to remember all his struggles with the wife who faithfully always accompanied him. It never occurred to me to cheat and betray his wife, but circumstances forced him to do so, marrying a woman who claimed to be pregnant with her child due to an unexpected event, the woman he married was his best friend.

"I'm sorry Akang, Dek", he said in a trembling voice. Fatimah still faithfully listened to the continuation of her husband's words.

"I hope Adek is willing to accept this polygamy" he continued in a still trembling voice. Fatimah sounded out breathing.

"I'm sorry Fatim, the man who married me is your husband" Sopia said.

"But one thing you should know we love each other" he continued without hesitation.

Fatimah took a deep breath again, trying to remove the tightness in her chest.

"I'm sorry if I lied, actually our marriage is almost three years old and we have been blessed with a very beautiful daughter in accordance with Kang Furqan's expectations." Sopia explained.

Fatimah's heart was pounding even louder, Fatimah looked at Furqan with a sharp gaze. Furqan, seeing that, got up from his seat and rested at the feet of Fatimah.

"I'm sorry, Dek.hiks.." Furqan wept in the lap of Fatimah. Fatimah who had been covered in tears no longer held back her tears, finally her defense collapsed. Her tears continued to flow without a sound.

"I'm sorry Akang, Dek.hiks.." That's just the word that keeps coming out of Furqan's mouth, he doesn't know what to say much less to confess his betrayal to his wife.

"Fatim, speak up. I can't bear to see Kang Furqan like that, I hope you can think realistically. Maybe it is our destiny to live with the same man. Let's live together well. I am willing to be a second wife."

"I've thought of you like my own brother, you've always been in my difficult times, I'm so grateful to you for that. I love you as well as Akhtar, let's live together by loving the same man."

"What Kang Furqan is doing is not illegal, not only is the state allowing more than one wife but religion advocates it. He has saved my honor by marrying me, he's a good man, responsible, caring and very understanding it's hard for me not to fall in love with your husband."

"O Fatim, I believe you understand more about the science of religion, and I don't think you want to sin by opposing the Shari'a?"

"I hope you're not greedy, Kang Furqan is too perfect for you to have alone. And again I reiterate that we have loved each other for a long time, maybe more precisely me, I who first fell in love with your husband, your husband, even when you were still living in the foundation's official house and I was happy it turned out that my love didn't clap one hand" Sopia spoke at length, she seemed mediocre as she confessed all her feelings, she said, his face did not even show any guilt for betraying his best friend's trust.

Fatimah who listened to Sopia's words felt the inevitable pain, she clasped her hands together, holding something that felt like exploding in her chest.

"Sopia, enough!", snapped Furqan who was furious at what Sopia was doing. According to him, their marriage has become a blow to Fatimah, especially if it must be coupled with the recognition of Sopia's love that sounds very excessive in Furqan's ears. She could not imagine how much pain Fatimah had betrayed her and her best friend.

Furqan who realized Sopia's outrageous speech raised his head to look at the wife who was still silent. Only tears spoke, how much she felt excruciating pain due to the betrayal of her husband and best friend.

"Sir..." Furqan called out to Fatimah. Furqan could feel Fatimah's body temperature heating up while her hands were cold.

"I can't decide right now. Now you better leave before my son comes back." Fatimah spoke out again.

"Sir..."

"Go Kang, give me some time to understand all this. I can't talk now about what you've done, I really haven't been able to digest it. So it is better for Akang to go and take Sopia" Fatimah said, cutting off her husband's speech.

"Fatim.." Sopia's speech was stopped because Fatimah chose to get up from her seat and passed to her room without caring for them both.

Crying was the thing that Fatimah could do right now, she smothered her own mouth with the pillow she was holding, not wanting her crying voice to be heard outside the room. The very painful thing, when we are hurt by a person who never imagined will give us a wound.

***

A week had passed, Fatimah was still undecided. Furqan and Sopia continued to send him messages, and Fatimah simply read them without giving a reply.

Furqans:

'Dek, forgive Akang. Let Akang explain all the reasons, Dek.'

'Dek, Akang knows this is very difficult for us, I hope you can be wise to face all of this. Everything has become our destiny.'

'Dek, let Akang see you, will you?'

'Grandpa, Akang has a reason to do all this and hide it from you. So let Akang explain it directly to you.'

'Dek, forgive Akang, Akang loves you so much, Dek.'

Sopia:

'Patim, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie to you'

'Fatim, I love Kang Furqan so much as you do, I know you love him so much too. Many people who can get along well live in a polygamous circle, including us. Insyaa Alloh we'll be fine.'

'Fatim, come on...during this you're more mature in the act. Pick up my phone or answer my message'

'Patim...'

And there are still many rows of incoming messages from the two of them that only Fatimah reads.

He has now decided what steps he will take. Monday morning, he had finished his duties, prepared breakfast, dropped Akhtar off at school and cleaned up the house. Fatimah took her gawai and sent a message to someone.

'I'm waiting at home now!'

Ting, message sent.

She is now sitting opposite her husband. Furqan was very happy when he got a message from Fatimah, he immediately drove his car from the foundation to his home with Fatimah.

"Dek, forgive Akang." Furqan began his conversation with an apology that did not get bored. Fatimah was still silent, she had not spoken when Furqan apologized to her.

"Dek, Akang knows this is wrong, forgive Akang, Dek. Really Akang did this forced, Akang was framed. Akang did not realize that the woman who slept in the official house when Akang overtime was Sopia. Until something that Akang did not realize happened and a few weeks later Sopia came and claimed to be pregnant." Furqan tried to explain the chronology.

"I'm sorry Akang, Dek Akang khilap. I have sinned against you. I hope Adek can accept this as our destiny Dek, Akang promises to be fair to both of you. I love you so much and Akhtar, I don't want to lose you both." Furqan said everything in a quivering tone, occasionally his hands rubbing the tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Kh..." Fatimah clucked at the words her husband had spoken.

"When love is cheating?" ask Fatimah ketus.

Furqan jumped to hear Fatimah's question, "Excuse Akang, Dek. Akang could not control himself", he replied softly.

"Love is a gift from the Almighty, we cannot choose to love whom, but faith and knowledge will lead us to love rightly",

"If knowing something hurts me, I'd rather not know it. My heart can not be lied to, Akang began to change since I gave birth to Akhtar and lately saw Akang often come alone with him I was able to put suspicion, I was suspicious, but I thought that because it would only hurt myself. Because, I think love is not the art of hurting yourself.Sometimes ignorance is better than fulfilling the ends that hurt",

"For so long, I've been trying to accompany Akang patiently, but when it's the result of enjoying it with others, hha..." Fatimah laughed when she said that.

"It's okay, it's not the soul mate of the name, because everyone has their own portion in someone's life, and my portion might just be to accompany Akang struggling." Fatimah covered her own air.

Furqan lowered his head even more, he had no power to look at Fatimah, the kind woman who had accompanied him but she betrayed him.

"I know Akang is my source of paradise, the Akang service that will determine whether or not I will enter Heaven. But sorry, the paradise that Akang offers right now is still too heavy for me to reach. I have not been able to Kang, Akang has not educated me to Ikhlas accept that. I won't give Akang a choice because I realize I'm not. I know Akang is a good man, responsible for every decision Akang makes. And I'm sorry, I chose to withdraw from this jihad field." Fatimah's breath choked, the pain that slipped increasingly pierced the heart.

"I just said, to stay honest in the future in the relationship, because the things that are hidden, will be devastating. No relationship will last long, if a sincerity is wrapped in cheating. No story ends sweetly if trust is nurtured with lies". Fatimah seemed to be trying to hold back from making a sound as tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

"But Dek, Akang loves you very much and Akhtar. I can't lose you both." Sela Furqan's.

"Can Kang, Akang can definitely. Time will make Akang accustomed to our absence, after all I have tried it. For several years we have been second to Akang. Although he and his son are willing to be the second, in fact we have always been the second. It might even be our last in order of Akang's priority."

"I won't ask anything from Akang, give me a year to improve in this house. After that I will take Akhtar with me. And I hope by then our farewell letter is out of court." Said Fatimah trying to calm down when saying it, even though her heart rumbled violently.

"Where are you going on Deck? This house is yours, we buy it in your name. If this parting is what you want, Akang will not force. I realize that Akang's mistakes have hurt you a lot. But Akang promises to still meet all the needs of your life. So please don't make Akang feel more guilty by leaving this house" Furqan said.

"There is no need for Kang, after today Akang's obligations are only towards Akhtar. I still have Kang's parents, I will bring Akhtar to Garut, I still have enough energy to be able to work to meet the needs of my life. If someday Akang wants to meet Akhtar please, I won't get in the way. Akang remains Akhtar's father and I will not oppose that nature."

"Now please drop my talaq on me, for the affairs of the letters, Abah and Umi, let me take care." Fatimah gave an ultimatum.

Furqan was astonished, he did not expect the meek woman who always said yes to him, now returned to being a firm, charismatic Fatimah. It used to be one that made Furqan interested in Fatimah.

"Kang take it easy, as long as I can I won't say anything to Akhtar, even though I am very disappointed in Akang, but I will always look at Akang from the good side of Akang, forgive all my mistakes and shortcomings while being Akang's wife and thank you for giving many lessons about life, one of which is about maturing yourself. By taking something that does not belong and receiving it with grace without having to judge and hate whoever the source." Fatimah Pungkas.

Furqan looked down further, the guilt of having wasted a woman as good as Fatimah was mounting. He was no longer able to do much but regret what had become his decision.