Virgin Widow
Eps. 4

My tears spilled as I gathered before Mother and Abak, I slowly grabbed her hand to kiss. This sadness deepened the memory of all the mistakes and memories I had been through with them. My body trembled, while the tears kept flowing, this hand that I smelled felt rough and increasingly wrinkled. This old hand always caresses and guides me, and soon this hand will also hand me over to be caressed and guided by others.

Mother and Abak hugged me alternately, the sense of haru increasingly enveloped the soul as Mother whispered, “Son, I miss you and your future husband. Be a servant to him, and you will get the same from him. Be clothes for your husband, as good as jewelry is the wife of Salihah. Never make your husband angry, for the anger of the husband is the curse of God. Today and beyond your paradise has moved into the palm of your husband.”

This noble lady was shriveled in a stifled cry. My body was shaken in his arms, all the eyes that saw also felt the novelty, some even cried with me and Mom.

Abak's embrace was no less warm than Mother, several times I wiped her tears with the tip of the hijab. Abak who has always been strong and never once have I seen Abak crying like this. Abak's voice stuck in his throat but was forced to speak.

“Well, Abak rida to you and your future husband. Be a servant who obeys his priest. Today Abak transferred Abak's responsibilities to your husband. Obey his orders, keep his dignity and pride, do not occasionally make him disappointed. For now and on he is responsible for you the world and the hereafter.” Abak wiped his tears and wiped my tears with his fingers.

Slowly Abak kissed my forehead for a very long time, his hands held his cheeks while his eyes were fixed to my eyeballs. When the tears came back, Abak shook his head as a sign that I should stop my crying.

Bi Anja helped me stand up and tidied up the powder that had faded from the tear spill. Bi Anja's face was covered with cloudy, her eyes reddened, maybe Bi Anja was crying too. Just like Mom and Abak, Bi Anja must be very sad to let me go. All this time our closeness was not only because she was Uncle Hasan's wife, but she was also my best friend. With an age range that is not so far adrift. Before Bi Anja married Uncle Hasan we were a group in the management of mosque teenagers.

A moment before I got to where the man was sitting, I was transfixed, my blood was getting more and more flowing which made the heart beat fast. The man ...the man who had always come to the halfway house I managed. He often brought children gifts such as books and bags. Why is his face different from the picture? I wanted to instantly compare the photo with the real one, but it was impossible since I was already in the midst of the guests.

Never before has this man's shadow crossed my brain, but every night I always look at his picture. Maybe it was because we hadn't interacted in person, so I didn't realize he was in the picture. Every time he finished handing over help, I just came. We never say hello if we cross our heads. Once I saw his face far away when he said goodbye to Hamid, my friend at the halfway house.

“Hey, the bride-to-be should not daydream.” Bi Anja tickled my waist and told me to sit next to the man.

It is not an easy thing to pronounce the ijab qabul, because the sacred time requires courage and earnestness. Penghulu gave an example of what Abak and Zaid would say, then the ruler led Istighfar continued to read Alfatihah.

“Bismilbornrahmanirahim.” Abak's hand shook Zaid's hand, Abak looked calm. “I marry and marry my biological son Hafsah Ankum to you Zaid Ahmad bint Rahmadi with a dowry a set of prayer tools and a gold ring two grams in cash,” the sentence flowed from Abak's trembling lips.

“I received marriage and marriage of Abak Hafsah Ankum's biological child with a dowry a set of prayer tools and a gold ring two grams in cash.”

Rumbling voice says legitimate.

Alhamdulilbornabbil alamin.

I kissed Zaid's hand, I kissed him with wisdom. There's a strange vibe running through the heart space, is this love? Zaid looked at me meaningfully, my ring finger he put the ring on then I did the same. Wanting to linger stared at the face of the man who had chosen me to be his right but the embarrassment and nervousness brushed aside all desires.

“Welcome into my life, O woman who always keeps her eyes on me. Thank you for being a jewel to me, lady salihah.” Zaid clasped my fingers tightly.

My face met red, Zaid's deathly seduction catapulted my soul into nirvana. The favor of my Lord which I can deny. A handsome man with piety and gentleness, sent specially to be my protector today and beyond. Among the happiness that began to blaze in the heart there was a joy that accompanied.

I fear not being able to be a wife who does not leave her bed, takes well the gift of her husband, obeys him, and will not leave the house without his permission. And not putting people my husband hates in the house. May Allah hear my prayer spoken with happy tears.