Halal Love of the Senior
Not the First

"I'm Mas Adi's first love." Sekar Ayu said it confidently. He showed a proud smile to Adelia.

"Oh, Ma'am Sekar who used to refuse a proposal because Mas Adi is not yet established, Mas." Adelia gave a sharp reply while looking at her husband, asking for an answer.

Sekar Ayu gasped at Adelia's words. His white face instantly flushed, between enduring embarrassment and anger.

"Dad." Adi shook his head, preventing his wife from saying anything more hurtful.

"Why, Mas? That is the truth. Do what's covered up."

"It was my parents who refused, not me," Sekar Ayu refuted with a hunting breath for restraining emotions.

Adelia smiled cynically at Sekar Ayu's rebuttal. As she wanted to open her mouth back, Adi held her back.

"Ai, that's enough," Adi said in a soft tone.

He squeezed his wife's hand, gesturing that they should restrain themselves and emotions. She wanted Adelia to trust her completely. Despite holding back the feeling of arrogance, Adelia still obeyed her husband.

"Strong, it's true that you were my first love. However, my love has been gone since your family rejected my proposal. That means we are not meant to be friends. Because if it's our destiny to be a match, somehow we'll be together."

"Adelia, my wife, God willing, is my last love. Although not the first, but Adelia has stolen all my heart and love. Thank God, God has made us fools in unexpected ways."

Adi smiled and then kissed the back of Adelia's hand that she held.

"Alhamdulillah, Adelia wants to accept me for who I am. I also accept it as it is. We accept each other's shortcomings and advantages."

"I'm happy with Adelia and my life now. I'm sorry about what happened to you. I sincerely pray that you find a godly man who will be your husband."

"My message, never choose a husband again because of wealth, choose because of religion and morality. Even without abundant wealth, God willing he will surely make you happy and can glorify you as his wife."

"What happened to us in the past let it be a memory, or if it needs to be thrown away. Let's walk each one like before. I'm with my life and you're with yours."

"No, Mom." Sekar Ayu shook his head repeatedly.

"I still love Mas Adi. I want to be Mas Adi's wife. I want to make amends first."

Adi smiles. "I have a wife, Sekar. And, I can't possibly squeak my wife. I love him with all my heart. The wife God chose for me."

"I'm sure what you feel is not love. You're just obsessed with me, let alone looking at my life right now. Our story's been a long time since my family and I came home from your home."

Sekar Ayu shook his head again. "I really love Mas Adi. My feelings have not changed. Because I obeyed my parents I had to marry Anton."

Adi smiled back. "If Anton had not been rude and had not cheated on her, you would still be married to her right? You must be happy with your family and your children."

"That-that's." Sekar Ayu was at a loss for words to reply Adi. In his heart, he admitted that what Adi said was indeed true.

"What am I really saying?" Adi reaffirmed.

"But the reality is not like that, Mas. I'm divorced from Anton. Adi has also turned away from me."

Adelia laughed mockingly. "Mas Adi turned away from Mbak Sekar? It's true to say, Ma'am. Since Mbak Sekar's family rejected Mas Adi it should have been Mas Adi forget Mbak Sekar. Selfish Mbak Sekar if asking Mas Adi still love Mbak, while Mbak Sekar is married to another man. Women are only in this world."

"Ai, I've." Adi again prevented his wife from talking more. "Don't get emotional."

"Some, I'm sorry if any of Adelia's words hurt your heart. However, it is true what my wife said, since that day I have forgotten my feelings for you. Even if, for example, to this day, I am not married, it does not mean that I will marry you even though you are divorced from your husband."

"Why is that, Mum?" Sekar Ayu stared at Adi intensely.

"Because we are not a match, Sekar."

"How does Mas Adi know that we're not fools?" Sekar Ayu's forehead shriveled even more.

"Because the reality is like that, Sekar."

"But God will not change man's destiny if man will try to change it."

"Yes, but that's another matter. We are not a match, Sekar. Realize it. Do not try to fight against God's destiny. Don't force yourself against it because you'll hurt yourself."

"I'm sure you'll find someone who can love you sincerely and also make you happy. Make the past a valuable lesson and experience."

"So, I've really no hope anymore, Mas?" ask Sekar Ayu with a sad face and teary eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sekar. I love Adelia very much. I can't possibly open my heart to anyone else, let alone give false hope. I don't want to hurt Adelia who sincerely accepts me for who I am."

"We can still be friends, right?" Sekar Ayu asked expectantly.

Adi shook his head while smiling. "Sorry, Sekar, I don't want to plant seeds that might ruin my home. With me being friends with you, it means I hurt Adelia's feelings. Like I said, I don't want to hurt him. Because I promised to make Adelia happy when I married her."

"I don't mean to break the friendship, but this is better, for the good of us all. We can still say hello when we accidentally meet like today. Without having to make friends or connect every day, we are still brothers and sisters."

"I became even more sorry for ever rejecting Mas Adi. It must be very happy to be Mas Adi's wife who always glorifies the wife," lamented Sekar Ayu with a sad face.

"Nothing to regret, Sekar. It's all been happening. The past let it pass. Stay now we ahead of the day and the future with a new spirit."

"I never regretted what happened. I'll just take the silver. Because of that refusal, I was able to meet and marry Adelia." Adi tightened her hand on Adelia.

"Mas Adi, can say that because Mas Adi is happy, while I do not feel happy at all," said Sekar Ayu.

"really? Were you never happy when you married Anton? Don't lie to your heart, Sekar. If you had lived happily, you would have forgotten me and never regretted rejecting me."

"Now we are living each other's lives. Thank you for giving me the color of my life in the past. Thank God, I'm grateful that it makes my life more colorful, especially with Adelia's presence, the color becomes more beautiful."

Adi looked at the watch that was coiled around his wrist. "It's late, we'll go home first. If you still want to be here please. Don't come home too late, it's not good for a woman to go at night without her mahram. Assalamualaikum."

"Wa'alaikumussalam" replied Sekar Ayu slowly.

Adi took Adelia away from the coffee shop. He clasped his wife's hand tightly and walked without looking back. He had long forgotten his past, his first love.

Sekar Ayu was still sitting at the coffee shop. He saw the departure of Adi and Adelia with a pain in his heart. It is true what Adi said, regret is useless because everything has happened and cannot be repeated.

He was happy with Anton at the beginning of their marriage. He's building a beautiful dream with Anton. However, everything changed after one year of marriage because she was not yet pregnant. Anton used to call her barren because she wasn't pregnant. Anton, without thinking about his feelings, said he would look for a woman who could give him a child. Since then maybe Anton started cheating.

Sekar Ayu to check her fertility to the obstetrician, and she proved fertile. Every time he asked Anton to see a doctor, so they knew why she wasn't pregnant, Anton always refused. Anton strongly believes that the problem is Sekar Ayu, not him. Therefore, Anton is often angry and rude if Sekar Ayu take him to a specialist andrology or allude to it.

Sekar Ayu let out a long sigh and exhaled violently. He picked up the device in the bag and called someone.

"Please immediately find me someone who can investigate and find out any info" he said after the person he called answered his call. As soon as he finished talking, he hung up the phone.

"I will change our destiny, Mas Adi," he muttered with a sly smile adorning his lips. He then sipped the coffee that Adi had paid for.

"You're well established and successful now, Mas. Your appearance is very different from back then. Surely father and mother will accept you this time." Sekar Ayu got up from his seat and left the coffee shop.

Meanwhile somewhere else.

"Mas, why the hell can't I reply to her talk, Ma'am Sekar?" adelia protests after they're in the car.

"Make what, Ai? Want to be a spectacle of people there?"

"But that was his talk as if he was just a woman in this world, making her very upset," Adelia said.

"Let him say anything. What matters is that Ai is not hooked. I want to protect Muruah Ai. Do not be humble just because you are provoked by emotions. Face it elegantly, Ai."

"If he won't give up how, my dear?"

"We pray that God will open the door of his heart. We also ask God for protection from all things that are not good. Let's just think of something positive, Ai."

"But I'm scared, Mom." Adelia looked at her husband.

"Fear why?" Adi cringing.

"I'm afraid Ma'am is as reckless as Restu."

"Calm down, Ai. Everything will be alright."

Adi laughed a little. "Why be upset? What matters is that my heart and love are only for Ai. God willing, I will not turn away from Ai."

Adelia's cheeks met red upon hearing the sweet words of her husband.

"Ai, must believe since I said kabul equally papa, at that time I promised to always love, happy and protect, Ai. Marriage is a great covenant, Ai. Marriage is not a covenant to be played with."

"Yes, I believe in Mas Adi. I don't believe in the same Bro and Lisa."

"Have not discussed Lisa, Sekar or any other woman, Ai. Better to discuss something more useful."

"What is it, Mom?" Adelia turned back to Adi.

"About us, maybe." Adi glanced at Adelia while smiling.

"Oh yeah, I remember something, Mom."

"Remember what, Ai?"

"The terms for Umrah have been sent to me yet, Mas?"

"Astaghfirullah, I forgot, Ai. Tomorrow morning, at dawn, remind me to call dad."

"Why not now, Mom?"

"It's over at 09:00 p.m., Ai. Must be the same mommy's sleeping."

"Oh yes." Adelia patted her forehead for forgetting.

Adi chuckles at the funny behavior of the wife.

"Mas Adi, why laugh? What's so funny?" adelia asked with a astonished expression.

"Ai, it was funny just pat the eel."

Adelia clucking. "Ck, rich times are funny."

"In my eyes it looks cute and cute, Ai." Adi laughed again.

Adelia sneered without replying to her husband. He looked at the street while listening to music from songs played on the radio.

...Towards...

...Your happy days...

...I choose 'to be quiet in my bike...

...When they laugh over my pain...

...About, about my love...

...Who has left me...

...I don't give a shit...

...Really don't care...

...This is my way of life...

...It's me, you hold my heart...

...Keep it in the depths of your heart...

...Not left for me...

...All the flavors in the chest...

...S'ambi abode, endless story...

...Now I stop hoping...

...Farewell this time to me...

...It will be an endless sad story...

.........

...(.(.Glenn Fredly - Endless Sadness)...

"Mas" call Adelia to her husband.

"What, Ai?"

"Mas Adi, used to feel the rich lyrics of this song is not fitting to be left married with Mbak Sekar?" adelia asked while looking at Adi.

Adi raised his shoulders. "Of course, Ai. I've forgotten."

"Masa Mas Adi does not remember how sick it hurts to be betrayed? I just feel like it still hurts to remember" said Adelia.

Adi smiles. "My principle for what to remember makes sad. Especially just a love issue. Sadness, pain, disappointment must be there at that time, but I do not want to dissolve in sadness. I kept trying to get up and was busy working so that no one could turn me down again because I still had nothing. Thank God, I was met with Ai who did not demand materials, even though Ai's family was not ordinary people."

"Keep if not ordinary people what, Mas? An alien?" Adelia laughed amusedly.

"There are still descendants of blue blood. Mom and dad are all office."

"Mas, try slicing my hand out red blood what's blue?" seloroh Adelia's. "Our blood is both red. We both eat rice, it's no different from the others."

"This is what I like most, Ai. Not arrogant, low profile." Adi praised his wife.

"That's all, Mom?"

"Yes no. Everything from Ai I like. I said what I like the most."

"If the most liked Mas Adi from Mbak Sekar what?" Adelia suddenly asked her husband.

Adi frowned. He was surprised by his wife's question.

"Make what? It doesn't matter, Ai. It's the past." Adi refused to answer his wife's questions.

"And I want to know, Mom."

"If you know what to do, Ai?"

"Yes, don't do anything. Just curious. Ma'am Sekar is beautiful, white, his body is also good, what is it that makes Mas Adi interested?"

"Ai, more beautiful and sexy. Just now to praise Ai like a model, right."

"Ck, it's because I'm taller than Mbak Sekar, Mas."

"Have not compared yourself again with Sekar. Ai, being my wife, is definitely the best for me. I'm fully owned, Ai. Don't ever doubt that."

"Yes, Mas. Thank you for choosing me." Adelia looked at her husband full of love.

Adi smiles. "God has moved my heart, Ai. It was not I who chose, but God who chose Ai became my soul mate. Ai, it's not the first, but God willing to be the last for me."

Adelia's smile expands. "I love you, Mas Adi."

"I love you too, Ai."

...---oOo---...

Jogja, 151021 23.00