Just a Substitute
Chapter 30's

"You're not hiding anything from me, are you?"

The two looked up quickly, staring at Shanum with wide eyes. The woman before them was not just asking, but rather interrogating them.

Irwan quickly swallowed the food in his mouth.

"You mean? Hide what?" he asked with a confused look.

Shanum looked at the two faces in front of him, they looked clueless. He sighed, shook his hands and chuckled.

"Lupain. I'm going home." Shanum grabbed his bag, and rushed out.

"Eh. Waitaminute! Wait, Shanum!" Irwan prevented his superior's wife.

Shanum turned around while clutching his chest. Look at her husband's employees.

"It's like you ate with us, Sha!" doni shouted from inside the shop with his mouth full.

Shanum clucked, then turned around and again prevented Irwan.

"Wait, Shanum!" Irwan blocks Shanum's hand, preventing him from leaving.

"Why?" Shanum pulled his hand in annoyance.

"Why are you asking so much of us? Is there anything that makes your heart not calm?" irwan asked, he looked at the two Shanum beads that looked sad and agitated.

"You seem restless, like a person with a lot of thoughts. Remember, Sha. You're pregnant again, you can't think too much" Irwan recalled.

He had a wife at home who was pregnant, how understanding Shanum's sensitive and irritable feelings were. Irwan seemed to understand better than Raka.

Shanum sighed, he himself did not know what to do. Raka's behavior feels different, but the man can always convince Shanum when they talk. Shanum just kept quiet, would not be able to share his household story with other men.

"You guys have a problem, good to talk about. If there feels awkward, do not be harbored alone which eventually raises suspicion. Take your heart, Sha. The baby in your stomach will also not calm down if the mother is restless." Irwan seems to care about Shanum.

The woman's lips twitched, her eyes heated up wanting to cry, but she held it back with all her might so that water would not spill from her throne.

"Thank you, yeah. I want to go home first" Shanum said, not wanting to talk too much.

She turned and walked away from her husband's shop. He won't be returning home, nor will he be contacting Raka.

"Sha, will I take you?" haggard Doni who was already standing in front of the store.

Shanum turned around, and shook his head.

"No need. I'm going to take a ride." He resumed his steps while playing the phone in hand ordering an online motorcycle taxi.

A few moments wait, Ojek arrived. Shanum went to Lia's house to tell stories and share a grievance. He knew the girl was still working. There must be only the mother at home, but that's okay. That's common.

"Please stop at that cake shop over there, yeah." Shanum asked the carpenter to stop at his branch pastry shop.

Again, he hallucinated. It was like seeing Raka walking into a restaurant. Even if it was just his back, and never saw his looks. This time, Shanum doesn't care.

He goes into the store, buys some cookies as souvenirs for Lia and her mother. From inside there, he continued to pay attention to the restaurant where a figure like Raka entered into it.

Shanum recalled the clothes her husband had worn this morning. Not same. Shanum sighed, then came out and went back on his way.

He entered the yard of a house that was overgrown with flowers. Her best friend's mother loved all kinds of flowers. Shanum knocked on the door and said his greetings. Wait until the answer is heard from inside the house.

"Wa'alaikumussalaam! Just stop!" The voice of the middle-aged woman who had a distinctive shrill tone sounded faint.

Flocking, the door of the house opened, Shanum smiled welcoming the appearance of the owner of the house.

"Just, Auntie!" Shanum greets the woman, Lia's mother is always friendly towards him.

"Maa is Allah! I haven't come here in a long time. Auntie kangen, you know." The woman hugged Shanum, and invited him to enter the house.

"Yes, Aunt. Biasalah if already married is not as free as a virgin." Shanum chuckled followed the woman.

"Yes, really. Coincidentally Aunty had cooked quite a lot earlier. Don't know why Auntie's hunch says there will be guests, don't you know." They sat on the sofa, Shanum handed the cake he brought to the woman.

"You like to bother coming here. Bring me anything, but Lia's dad likes cake from your store, Sha." Lia's mother accepted the cake with pleasure.

"Alhamdulillah if you like. Lia still likes to come home at lunchtime, Auntie?" shanum asked, remembering his best friend who often went home at lunch.

"Still, Sha. The boy wants to eat the food outside. If he doesn't bring food from home, he will go home. Come back home too." Lia's mother glanced at the clock on the wall, already well memorized the schedule of her son coming home.

"Let's eat together, yeah. You haven't eaten, have you?" take Lia's mother with pleasure.

"Yes, Aunt. I haven't eaten yet, I want to eat here." Shanum chuckled, slightly relieved of his heart's anxiety.

They chatted while waiting for Lia's arrival, there was laughter coming out. Shanum really came to the right place, he was amused talking to the woman. Until the sound of Lia's motorbike was heard, then their chatter stopped.

"Assalamu'alaikum!" The loud sound of greeting, typical of a Lia.

"Wa'alaikumussalaam!"

Lia was stunned to hear the voice of her best friend. He hurriedly entered, and screamed to see Shanum.

"Shanon!" Lia hugged him, as if they had not met for a long time.

"Kangen knows. It feels like a long time ago we did not meet," he said spoiled.

Shanum chuckled, he was indeed more. Always overdoing it in some ways.

"I don't see you every year. Very cute, anyway," her mother Lia's lips said, but she smiled happily at their familiarity.

"Ih, Mom, just bother. I really miss Shanum knowing." Lia pursed her lips, glanced at her mother then hugged Shanum again.

"Yes, yeah. Okay, let's eat. It'll be cold vegetables." Lia's mother walks into the kitchen, she's like having twins if the two gather at home. Hilarious and crowded of course.

"Come, eat a lot." Lia's mother gave the plate to Shanum.

"Thank you, Aunt."

"Where is Jihan? Not yet home from school?" tanya Shanum remembered her sister Lia who was still in school.

"She's got an excrement at school, coming home later in the afternoon." Lia's mother replied.

They eat delicious. The woman knew, just like how Shanum had felt during his marriage. He wanted to ask, but was worried that it would offend.