Stay or Leave

Ayunda walked out of the room where Bella was being treated with teary eyes.

Arriving at the hospital lobby, someone tapped him on the shoulder and reprimanded him.

“Ay, are you here?” ask that someone

“Ah yes, I have just visited Mas David’s wife after giving birth,” Ayunda said, quickly wiping the tears that trickled down her cheeks with the back of her hand.

“You want to go home, let me deliver” someone offered.

“No need, thanks for the good intentionsbut I will go home alone” Ayunda said.

“Ah, what are you doing here yourself?” Ayunda asked someone while changing the conversation

“I want to deliver this” someone said while showing what he was carrying.

“Who’s in the hospital?” asked Ayunda curious

“You don’t know, Leona has been sick since yesterday” Akmal replied.

Well that someone is Akmal.

“Really, why didn’t anyone tell me,, come on, I want to see him too” Ayunda said

“Your sister doesn’t want to make you worry,” said Akmal.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

then finally, the two of them walked together to the treatment room where Leona was being treated.

They did not realize that David was also there and witnessed their intimate conversation.

David who saw that clenched his fists and immediately followed Ayunda and Akmal. David’s intention to take his wife home instead saw a pair of ex-lovers chatting in the lobby and it made David burn with jealousy.

Doesn’t David realize how Ayunda’s feelings are clearly being seconded by him.

he just saw Ayunda just chatting normally already jealous especially Ayunda.

Ayunda and Akmal have arrived at Leona’s treatment room. There was Lisa and also Leo.

“Sis” said Ayunda and Leo who heard his sister’s voice immediately turned around

“Youre here?” ask Leo

“Yes, Bella gave birth,” Ayunda said briefly

And Leo didn’t ask any further.

“Leon why are you?” Ayunda asked her sister who was already sitting on the sofa in the room next to Akmal.

“High fever from yesterday” replied Leo

“Hey, you’re here, Ay,” asked Lisa, who had just come out of the bathroom.

“Yeah, why didn’t you tell me if Leona was being treated,” Ayunda grumbled

“Not yet Ay” said Lisa as she approached Ayunda who was beside the patient’s bed.

Everything was quiet again, until suddenly a knock on the door came from outside.

Knock, knock,

“Let me open it” said Akmal who immediately got up from his seat to open the door.

It’s definitely not a doctor or a nurse.

Akmal opened the door

“I want to pick up my wife,” said someone who turned out to be David, Ayunda’s husband.

“Please come in,” Akmal said, letting David in.

Then David came in.

“How are you?” David asked his best friend Leo.

“As you can see,” Leo replied flatly.

Friendship relations that used to be fine are now strained.

“Please have a seat” Akmal said interceding

“Thank you” David replied and sat down in front of Leo

Meanwhile, Ayunda was silent there with Lisa. Ayunda did not look at the three men who seemed to be shrouded in cold air. Ayunda only focused on looking at Leona as well as Lisa.

The room was silent, there was no talk like before, before David’s arrival.

Until finally David opened his voice again.

“Honey, let’s go home” said David to Ayunda

“Heem” Ayunda only mumbled to answer her husband’s invitation.

“Sis, Lis. I’ll go home first,” said Ayunda to her brother and sister-in-law which Leo nodded.

“Be careful, Ay, thank you for visiting Leona,” said Lisa sincerely

“No need to thank me, isn’t Leona also my daughter?” Ayunda said

“Ah, yes, please save this,” continued Ayunda while handing over the gift that was to be given to her honey but was rejected by her mother-in-law.

“Yes,” answered Lisa without asking Ayunda anything because she knew very well what it was.

After saying goodbye, Ayunda and David left Leona’s room.

They walked like strangers who didn’t know each other. David in the front and Ayunda in the back.

Usually when Ayunda walks behind David, David always admonishes her to walk beside him and holds his hand to be held. But now,,,, everything has changed.

***

David and Ayunda were already in the car to go home. The two of them were still equally silent.

The husband and wife who used to always smile warmly, strengthen each other, understand and care for each other are now like a pair of strangers.

Everything that was warm and filled with laughter has now turned cold like the poles. somehow the warmth slowly disappeared defeated by the ice chunks that entered both Ayunda and David. whether it’s Ayunda’s fault for allowing a third person into the household, or David’s fault for not being fair to both of them or even Mrs. Ratih, David’s mother, Ayunda’s mother-in-law, who keeps urging her son to have children and remarry.

I don’t know, I think it’s all their fault. Or is this what is called a test and a trial in the household?

Or is this destiny too?

It doesn’t feel like David’s car has arrived in the yard of his house now.

After the car stopped, Ayunda immediately got off as well as David.

Ayunda entered her room followed by David behind her.

Ayu, who may have gotten used to being without her husband, now also doesn’t care about her husband who follows her from behind to her room.

Ayunda went into the bathroom to clean herself while David sat on the sofa waiting for his wife to come out of the bathroom.

in the bathroom, Ayunda spilled the tears she had been holding in the hospital and on the way for her husband’s attitude that seemed to no longer care about her.

“God, will I be strong enough to endure this test, I’m sickI’m not strong, can I just give up?” Ayunda muttered as she looked into the mirror to see herself.