Mag-log inOur place was hit by an earthquake. I was crushed by a slab of stone, but my wife, leader of the rescue squad, abandoned me in favor of her true love. She said, "You're a soldier. You can live with a little injury. Felix can't. He's always been weak, and he needs me." I was saved, eventually, and I wanted to leave my wife. I agreed to the chip research that would station me in one of the National Science Foundation's bases deep in the mountains. My leader was elated about my agreeing to this research. He grasped my hand tightly. "Marvelous. With you in our team, Jonathan, this research won't fail! But… you'll be gone for six whole years. Are you sure your partner's fine with it?" I nodded. "She will be. I'm serving the nation here. She'll understand." The leader patted my shoulder. "Good to know. The clock is ticking, so you'll only have one month to say your goodbyes. That enough for you?" I smiled. "More than enough."
view more"Ugh!" Suara lenguhan panjang terdengar memenuhi ruang kamar saat Andi menyelesaikan permainannya.
"Enak," ucap Andi, merasakan nikmat yang tiada tara. Namun berbeda dengan Febby yang tidak merasakan klimaks sama sekali. Wajahnya menyiratkan kekecewaan mendalam. "Sudah keluar Mas? Kok cepet banget, ngga sampai satu menit. Perasaan baru masuk." Febby mengeluh sambil menghela napas panjang. Sudah sering dia mengatakan kalau dia tidak pernah puas dengan permainan suaminya. Dia juga tidak pernah merasa ada yang keluar dari bagian inti tubuh, yang menandakan dia belum mencapai puncak. Namun Andi seolah masa bodo. Yang penting nafsunya tersalurkan. "Aku lelah. Tadi itu aku udah berusaha untuk lama, tapi malah keluarnya cepet." Selesai melampiaskan hasrat, Andi berbaring di sebelah istrinya tanpa merasa bersalah sama sekali. Raut kesal dan kecewa terlihat jelas di wajah Febby, yang selama dua tahun menjadi istri sah Andi. Selama dua tahun itu dia tidak pernah merasakan klimaks saat berhubungan dengan suaminya. Kenikmatan hanya dirasakan oleh Andi, bahkan Andi tidak pernah membuatnya nyaman di atas ranjang. Andi juga kurang perhatian, hanya memikirkan diri sendiri. Pernikahan dua tahun terasa semakin hambar bagi Febby. Namun tidak ada yang bisa dilakukan. Toh Febby yang memilih laki-laki itu menjadi suaminya dan mereka sedang menjalani program kehamilan. Ya, Andi dan Febby sudah didesak oleh kedua orang tua mereka agar secepatnya memiliki anak, tetapi sampai detik ini tidak ada tanda-tanda Febby mengandung buah cinta mereka. "Kamu mau langsung tidur Mas?" tanya Febby pada suaminya yang baru saja pulang kerja dan meminta dilayani. Selesai dilayani, Andi berbaring di ranjang sambil memejamkan mata. "Iya, aku ngantuk. Kamu masak makan malam aja dulu. Kalau udah mateng semua, bangunin." Febby menghela napas panjang, turun dari ranjang lalu memakai pakaian satu per satu. Matanya melirik Andi yang terlelap, padahal baru saja kepala suaminya itu bersandar ke atas bantal. Tidak ada ucapan terima kasih. I love you. Atau gombalan yang keluar dari mulut Andi, membuat Febby merasa tidak dicintai sama sekali. "Mandi dulu dong Mas, masa langsung tidur." "Hem," sahut Andi datar. Selesai memakai pakaian, Febby melangkah mendekati pintu lalu keluar. Sedangkan Andi sudah jauh mengarungi mimpi. Langkah kaki Febby dihentikan oleh ibu mertua di ambang pintu dapur. Wanita paruh baya itu menatap wajah menantunya yang lesu sambil mengerutkan kening. "Kamu kenapa, Feb?" "Ngga apa-apa Bu," jawab Febby, pelan, melanjutkan langkah kakinya mendekati kulkas. Ratih mengikuti Febby ke dapur, membantu menantunya menyiapkan bahan makanan. Sejak kemarin wanita paruh baya itu menginap di rumah kontrakan dua kamar tersebut. Satu bangunan rumah yang baru dua bulan ditempati itu berada di komplek perumahan Melati. Rencananya Andi ingin mencicil rumah yang mereka tempati sekarang agar tidak bayar kontrakan lagi. "Suami kamu mana, Feb?" tanya Ratih. "Mas Andi tidur Bu. Katanya capek," jawab Febby seraya mengeluarkan bahan makanan dari dalam kulkas dua pintu. Beberapa jenis sayur dan ikan segar dia letakan di dekat wastafel untuk dibersihkan. "Kamu udah konsultasi lagi ke Dokter Kandungan?" tanya Ratih pada menantunya. "Udah Bu, katanya aku sama Mas Andi harus sering minum vitamin biar subur. Aku udah dikasih resep vitamin itu. Semoga aja ada kabar baik bulan depan." "Amin," ucap Ratih. "Selain berkonsultasi ke Dokter, kamu juga harus pergi ke Dukun beranak. Atau ke mana kek. Biar kamu cepet isi." "Udah Bu, tapi emang dasarnya belum dikasih aja. Kalau memang belum rejekinya, ya mau gimana lagi." "Kalau gitu, coba kamu konsultasi ke Dokter lain. Misalnya ke Dokter Dirga. Dia sepupunya Andi. Siapa tahu dia bisa bantu kalian. Kasih saran apa untuk membantu mempercepat kehamilan kamu." Febby terdiam. Sebenarnya sudah beberapa kali mereka gonta-ganti dokter, tetapi tidak ada perubahan sama sekali. Beberapa dokter juga menyarankan untuk memeriksa kesuburan satu sama lain, namun Andi selalu menolak dan mengatakan kalau dia sehat. Sementara, selama berhubungan Febby tidak pernah merasa puas. Bahkan durasinya hanya sebentar, tidak sampai tiga menit langsung crott. "Lebih baik kamu coba dulu saran Ibu," ucap Ratih yang selalu mendesak Febby agar cepat hamil. Andai kehamilan bisa dibeli, Febby akan membelinya agar bisa secepatnya memberi gelar ayah pada sang suami. "Kalau kamu ragu, mending komunikasikan dulu sama Andi. Biar kalian lebih yakin. Ibu sih percaya sama Dokter Dirga. Banyak kok pasien dia yang berhasil hamil." Febby menghela napas panjang. "Nanti aku coba bicarakan sama Mas Andi. Kalau dia mau, besok aku dan Mas Andi ke tempat praktek Dokter itu." Ratih tersenyum, "Nanti alamatnya Ibu kasih ke kamu. Kamu dan Andi langsung ke sana aja. Nanti Ibu bikin janji biar kalian ngga antri." "Iya Bu, makasih." Saat sedang berbincang, Andi datang mendekati kedua wanita di dapur. Pria yang memiliki tinggi 170cm itu duduk di depan meja makan dengan lesu. "Bikinin aku kopi," katanya memerintah Febby. "Tunggu sebentar Mas. Aku lagi masak." "Ck! Aku maunya sekarang!" Andi mengeraskan suaranya, membuat Febby terhenyak kaget. Ratih dan Febby saling tatap, Ibu mertuanya itu memutar bola mata meminta Febby menurut saja. "Biasa aja dong Mas, jangan marah begitu," sahut Febby kesal. "Kamu ini. Suami minta kopi malah nanti-nanti. Utamakan melayani suami dulu, baru yang lain! Gimana sih!" cecar Andi memarahi Febby. Ratih hanya diam, tak membela menantunya ataupun menasehati Andi. Baginya pemandangan seperti itu sudah biasa terjadi. Dia pun mengalami di rumah. "Sabar Mas." Terpaksa Febby menunda masakannya dan membuat kopi untuk Andi yang sudah tidak sabar. Dengan perasaan kesal, Febby meletakkan kopi hitam pesanan suaminya ke atas meja. "Mau apa lagi Mas? Sekalian aja, aku mau masak." Andi melotot, menatap istrinya seperti ingin menelan hidup-hidup. "Kamu ngga iklhas?" "Bukan ngga ikhlas Mas, aku kan cuma nanya sama kamu. Kamu mau apa lagi? Biar aku ambilin sekalian." "Ngga ada, aku cuma mau kopi." "Ya udah," sahut Febby pelan. Ia kembali melanjutkan memasak makan malam, meski perasaannya kesal. Sikap dingin Andi sudah berlangsung lebih dari satu tahun. Tanpa alasan yang jelas, Andi tiba-tiba jadi kasar dan bahasanya tidak pernah lembut seperti dulu. Febby curiga suaminya memiliki wanita idaman lain di luar sana, namun ia tidak pernah mendapatkan bukti apapun perselingkuhan itu. Suasana hening. Di ruang dapur yang tidak luas itu hanya terdengar suara dentingan sendok dan panci. "Mumpung ada Andi di sini. Ibu ngomong aja langsung sama kalian berdua." Ratih membuka pembicaraan di ruang sunyi itu. Andi mendongak, "Ngomong apa Bu?" tanyanya datar. "Ibu mau ngasih saran, gimana kalau kamu dan Febby konsultasi aja ke Dokter Dirga. Sepupu kamu itu. Dia kan Dokter kandungan terkenal. Kebetulan dia buka praktek di Jakarta. Kalian bisa ke sana. Kalau kamu mau, nanti Ibu bikin janji sama dia. Biar kalian ngga antri panjang. Maklum, pasien dia kan banyak." Andi manggut-manggut. "Oke, aku setuju. Aku dan Febby akan ke sana." Ratih tersenyum. Ia tatap menantunya yang tengah sibuk mengaduk sayur di dalam panci. "Kamu dengar kan. Suami kamu setuju. Kamu juga setuju kan?" tanya Ratih pada menantunya itu. "Iya Bu, aku setuju," jawab Febby.The lack of buns and water in my suitcase did not miss Natalie. Stunned, she asked, "Did you gobble up our lunch, Jonathan?"I stared at her surprised expression. It was amusing, but I answered, "No. I'm not that big of an eater. I gave them away."Natalie grunted and went back to packing. I thought she was upset, so I tried to comfort her, but then she turned around. "She… Well, I was wondering if you wanted to help her."I shook my head. "I cannot help her, nor will I do anything of the sort. She is someone else's wife now. A stranger. I gave her food and water because that's what all decent people would do."Displeased, she pouted. "And you call yourself an ex-soldier. You have no sympathy at all."I smiled quietly.…The next day, Natalie told the relevant departments about Lorelei and asked for some help for her. The leader was surprised to see her. "But she's your fiance's ex-wife. Are you sure about this?"Natalie nodded. "It doesn't matter who she is. I can't just leave
When I left the next day, I ran into Felix. He was… barely neater than a homeless man. His face was covered in grime, and his hair was a disheveled mess. He lost that familiar arrogance, replaced by intense discontent for me."Why are you so lucky, Jonathan? How'd you even get a better woman after Lorelei? This is unfair!" He was yelling at me as if that would infect me with his misfortune."Easy, because I'm worth it. I deserve the best the world has to offer, get it?"I'd been hearing stories about him over the last couple of days. The production team fired him because of his attitude problems, so he spent his days drinking himself drunk.He was banking on Lorelei's promotion to help his career, but then Lorelei got fired as well. That made him explode. Felix started staying out all night, and even if he came back, he would yell at Lorelei and beat her up in his drunken fit.Lorelei got pregnant not too long after, but her long-term malnutrition and lack of checkups led to a mis
Well, that was sad. I never thought she would run into this kind of disaster. Still, that was none of my business. She was paying the price of her stupidity, and it was steep, from the looks of it.It was a crucial time for the research, and the whole team was never as serious as it was. Everyone was looking forward to success.I spent all my time in the lab now. Yes, even when I slept. I was going to close my eyes, but then my ears caught the sounds of footsteps.My heart started to race. Though I knew full well I was safe in the lab, my heart kept telling me otherwise. We could not afford any deviation now.Just when I was about to capture the intruder, a blanket fell on me. It was a gesture from Natalie. My heart calmed down.Natalie tiptoed around and tucked me in, then she sat by my side and talked to herself. I overheard all her little secrets, including the crush she had. Alas, it bore no fruit.I had no idea that someone had her eyes on me all this time, but then again, I
We finally got divorced a month later. Everyone was happy for me. They congratulated me. "Let's go out for a feast tonight. Been a while since we had a proper meal.""Dinner's on me!" said our leader.Three months had gone by since we last had a gathering. This time, I had more friends with me. Of course, drinks were always a mainstay, and everyone got tipsy by the end of it. They needed help just to get back to their dorms.I followed them, forlorn yet expecting something. Then someone behind me patted my shoulder. I turned around only to be greeted with a beaming Natalie.She said, "Congratulations. You got out of a toxic marriage."I smiled dryly, but I said nothing. Natalie caught my look and asked, "Are you… sad?""Yeah.""Because of Lorelei?"I nodded. I spent five years in love with her. It was not going to be easy, forgetting her. A sigh escaped my lips. "I can deal with this later. The research comes first."Natalie nodded. "Yeah, you can and you should. Tell you what
The next morning, I handed in the divorce papers to my leader. He took it promptly. "I'll see to it myself that this is dealt with. Just wait for the good news."I nodded and got back to research. We were making headway, and it wouldn't be long until the project bore fruit. The nation would have more power on the international level once we succeeded. That, to us, was the best prize anyone could hope for.Natalie and I spent most of our time in the lab. Our colleagues kept telling us we were a match made in heaven. We were the same, working ourselves to the bone just to win a competition.…Another week went by, and my leader came to me again, though I could see the worry on his face this time. "Are you really, really sure you talked it through with Lorelei? She went ballistic when she read the letter."Right after the divorce papers hit her, she started another scene at my old workplace and demanded to see me. My leader swore her shouts were starting to give him headaches, so he
We met another group of researchers when we got to the workplace. A lady came up to us and extended her hand to me. "It's been a while."It took me a while to realize who she was, and I shook her hand quickly. "It has."The lady was Natalie Goldstein. We went to the same university and majored in chip development together. We'd been rivals since then. It was a surprise seeing her here.Natalie told me what she'd been up to since graduation. She started this job and eventually rose to where she was. This time, she was going to lead this research. I knew that look she was giving me—admiration, happiness because of the reunion, and rivalry."Guess this is our next battle, then."I smiled. "I look forward to it."We started our research the next day, and it was demanding. Most of our time was spent in the lab.…Then, one day, when I was going to get to work, my leader came to me with a letter. "Are you sure you said a proper goodbye to Lorelei, Jonathan? She's raising hell at your






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