Zalina stepped into a fancy restaurant. She has reserved a table for her to have lunch with her mother. When she entered, Zalina saw her mother sitting at the table she ordered while enjoying a cup of herbal tea. Zalina rushed to her mother's Khanza.
"It's been a long time, Mom?" asked the beautiful girl, taking off her glasses. Khanza smiled when he saw her beloved daughter.
"Only fifteen minutes. Too much work in the office?" asked Khanza.
"Earlier, there was a guest. Hmm, Mother asked me to meet her this late afternoon. What's wrong, ma'am?" asked Zalina. Zalina and Khanza do not live together. Khanza lives in their old house. Meanwhile, Zalina lives in her apartment.
Zalina often asks Khanza to move. However, Khanza refused on the grounds that the house had many memories. Meanwhile, for Zalina, the house holds a lot of bitterness. Khanza lives in the house with Throne and her husband. Actually, Aruga, Arasy's husband, is already established and has his own house. But, since Khanza refused to leave the house, Aruga decided to renovate the house.
"I want to introduce you to Maxi, the son of Aunt Yosefa. Do you remember, Lin?"
Zalina took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She patted the back of her mother's hand slowly.
"Mom, this is the umpteenth time. I'm still young, I still want a career."
"Lin, you are now old enough to get married and have children."
"Mom, I'm only 28 years old. Nowadays, no more girls get married at 23. It's useless that you sacrificed a lot to send me to school if in the end the knowledge I had was in vain."
Khanza looked at her little daughter who had now grown into an adult woman who was so beautiful, elegant and so smart. It's also pretty well established. Unfortunately, Zalina always avoids marriage matters. The girl always has a reason to refuse. 5 years ago when she had just graduated as a law graduate, she said she wanted a career. After she worked and her career took off, the reason she was busy. And, now the reason she is still too young.
"Lin, you still hate men?" asked Khanza. Zalina rolled her eyes and sighed. "My dear mother, we better eat now. What would you like to order?" Zalina returned to divert the mother's question while waving at a waiter.
After mentioning their order, Zalina smiled while taking something out from her bag.
"This is for Mother. And I'm leaving this for my nieces and nephews."
Khanza opened the small box that Zalina had given her and smiled when she saw its contents. "It's so beautiful. It must be expensive, Lin." Khanza said while looking at the diamond necklace that Zalina gave her. "For Mother, nothing is expensive. Since childhood, Mother has taken good care of me and Mbak Acy. And now it is my duty to make Mother happy."
Zalina grabbed the necklace and put it around her mother's neck. "It's so beautiful now," she said. Khanza put the jewelry box and envelope filled with money into her bag. Zalina always does. Every time she met, She would definitely give expensive gifts and also leave money for Raja and Ratu, her nephews. For monthly money, every 1st she always sends a large amount of money to Khanza. Zalina knows very well how painful and sad it was for Khanza to take care of her and her sister first after her father left because of another woman.
"Sister Acy, is she okay, ma'am? How about her bakery?" asked Zalina. She deliberately asked how her sister was doing so that her mother would forget her intention to introduce her to her best friend's son.
"Your sister's bakery is quite advanced. Now, Acy has a trusted assistant so she doesn't have to come to the bakery so early in the morning and go home at night. Her time is now more at home and accompanying Raja and Ratu."
"Brother Ruga?"
"Yeah, as usual at work. They're fine, you don't have to worry. I'm more worried about you."
Zalina chuckled. "I'm fine, even very good. You don't have to worry about me. When the time comes for me to find the prince of my dreams, I will take him to you."
"Promise?"
"Of course I promise, ma'am."
After finishing eating, Zalina took her mother home and she herself immediately rushed back to her office. Zalina exhaled her breath roughly. She always felt her heart restless whenever Khanza talked about marriage. For Zalina, marriage is only a prison that curbs her freedom. And, for Zalina men will only add to the problem. "Without men, I can stand up straight," Zalina muttered.
Meanwhile in another place, Arista seems to be enjoying lunch with Herawati, the mother.
"Rarely do we get like this, Mam," said Arista.
"You have to pamper yourself more, Ris. It's true that children and husbands are important. But, as women, we also need something called 'Me Time'.
"But I'm worried about the new assistant. She's not just any household assistant. In fact, according to Natasha, she went to college."
"Are you worried that Damian will glance at you? Your thoughts are far away, Ris. Don't be weird. Negative thoughts will only frighten you and eventually, your face will start to show lines and wrinkles."
Arista laughed amused at her mother's words. Herawati is a very slang mother. Starting from appearance and others. No one would have thought that she was already 58 years old. Her appearance is always fashionable and elegant. Not inferior to young doctors who are only in their 30s.
"Yesterday, Mami met Aunt Karla. She said that the social gathering was finished, at your house? Your mother-in-law is a very hobby, social gathering. Hobby is gathering like that. If the activities are useful, it's okay. That's why, Mami is lazy if your mother-in-law invited me to join the social gathering. It's not that I am busy. But you know the surgery schedule. Not to mention I have to teach too. It's better if the time that I have is spent alone with your Papa Or with the grandchildren.Now, speaking of grandchildren, it's been a long time, I haven't seen Dominic and the twins. You're so outrageous, if your in-laws are nagging again, tell me. Sometimes, I like to get excited when she sees her behavior,. your in-laws, Ris.
It's because of you, I'm talking like this. Because you also give in more often. Sometimes it's okay, but if it's too often Papa and I never teach you to be weak."
