REDAMANCY - Love's Timeless Path

40th Note

"Hi Ma." I greeted my mother, who was waiting for me in the living room, letting the middle-aged woman hug me tightly because I knew I hadn't been home in nearly a few weeks and had been living in the apartment. The scent of home—a warm, familiar stew of spices—hit me the moment I stepped through the door. My homecoming hug with her was tight, a desperate attempt to anchor myself after weeks of swirling uncertainty.

"There you are, darling," her voice thick with concern. "Are you alright?"

I nodded while showing my sweetest smile.

"Papa mentioned some trouble at work," she said, clicking her tongue in familiar disapproval. "That whole extended family of yours, a nest of vipers, I tell you." She scoffed and pointed at Papa, who wouldn't stop laughing.

I let out a laugh. "Why do you say that?"

"That's for sure, right?" Mama sat down on a chair at the dining table and told our household assistant to prepare the dinner that I really missed.

"Masak apa mbaaak?" I gave a hug to our housekeeper, who had been with us for over a decade. "Kangen deh, sama orang-orang rumah, tadi Mas Dani langsung seneng lihat aku pulang."

"Of course, kami kangen sama mbak Haira. Ini masak, a stir-fried dish of seafood and vegetables, accompanied by corn fritters, sama apa ya ini tadi bahasa inggrisnya susah."

I dissolved into giggles. "Kenapa harus pakai Bahasa Inggris sih?" I asked excitedly as I picked up a corn fritter before sitting in one of the empty chairs.

"Biar keren kaya mbak Haira sama Mas Jendra kalau ngomong, was wes wos pakai Bahasa Inggris."

A jolt shot through me as she mentioned Jendra's name. It was the last thing I wanted to hear. However, since I hadn't disclosed to my family that I had asked to break off our engagement, I just laughed it off.

It would also be a miracle if Tante Juli, Jendra's mother, didn't tell Her Majesty Ayu Andayani, aka my mother, about my decision. I recalled how Jendra used to get his mother to set me up with him, so I knew it was difficult for him to hide anything from her.

A wry smile played on my lips as I stirred my food, hoping it would wash away my depressive sentiments.

"However, I miss having a conversation with him while playing chess." Papa chimed in while biting into a corn fritter.

"Yeah, when was the last time we met? I forgot." Mama added her two cents while looking at me. "How is he?"

My fork hovered mid-air, the urge to answer slamming into me like a physical blow. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to speak calmly. "Jendra's under the weather," I said, choosing my words carefully. "Work seems to have finally caught up to him."

Mama's eyes widened, a flicker of concern chasing away the remnants of her afternoon gossip. "That poor boy," she murmured, her perfectly manicured hand reaching for her phone. "I should check in with Juli later, see if there's anything we can do to help."

Panic clawed at my throat. "No need, Ma," I interjected quickly. The last thing I needed was my mother meddling. The image of her disappointed face, or worse, her fury if she learned the truth, sent a shiver down my spine. There were two terrifying possibilities: either they would blame me for the breakup, or it would fracture the fragile peace between our families. Just thinking about it made me want to crawl under the table. "I can pass on any messages you have later."

Papa tapped his chin thoughtfully. "That's a shame. I imagine his family's worried sick. Tell you what, I'll send over some good meals for him tomorrow. It always helps when you're feeling under the weather, wouldn't you agree?"