di sudut ruangan ber-AC dan sepuntung rokok.

"Ibu ndak nyangka kalo itu anakmu Nggar. Mbak Putri belum sampai nikah, kamu udah mau punya anak"
"Maafin Langgar, Bu. Langgar khilaf. Kita tunggu sampe resepsi Mbak Putri selesai ya, nanti kita bahas lagi"
"Panggil Bram ke kamar Ibu ya, nak"
"Iya Bu" Langgar menuju selasar gedung pertemuan, matanya mencari sesosok tinggi adiknya sambil menyulut rokoknya menjauhi ruang rias Ibunya. Pikirannya menerawang melewati kelibatan tamu-tamu asing di sekitarnya. Sebagian besar adalah tamu dari mempelai pria; kakak iparnya.



------12 jam sebelumnya....
"Aku cuma mau bilang, Mas Edi beruntung bisa nikahin Mbak Putri. Dia itu bener-bener berharga buat keluargaku Mas. Dia teladanku dan selalu njagain aku sama Mas Langgar dari kecil. Mudah-mudahan Mas Edi tau apa yang akan kalian segera temui setelah pernikahan ini. Aku titip mbakyu ku ya Mas, tolong dijaga dan dilindungi."
"Pasti Bram. Aku sadar bahwa Putri wis akih berkorban demi hubungan kami, sing mustine aku banyak bersyukur dan berterimakasih sama Putri. Insya Allah kami akan baik-baik saja, doanya ya Dik"
Putri sudah dipinang dan pernikahannya akan berlangsung kurang dari 10 jam lagi. Bram dan Edi masih asik berbincang di taman belakang rumah Bapak. Puntung demi puntung rokok memenuhi asbak di antara mereka, hingga larut malam.



"Dik, Ibu manggil kamu di ruangannya" Langgar menemukan Bram berdiri mematung menghadap tembok dengan sebatang rokok di jarinya. Ia meniupkan asap dari mulutnya menjauhi wajah kakaknya.
"Mas udah bilang soal Delia ke Ibu tho? Ibu percaya kalo itu anakmu, Mas?"
"Bram, aku ndak tau mau sampe kapan kamu begini. Mas ndak mau anak itu digugurkan. Harus sampai Delia melahirkan baru kita tau itu anakmu atau anakku" Langgar menatap adiknya serius
"Kenapa Ibu manggil aku, Mas?" Bram mematikan rokoknya ke sudut kanan bawah dinding tempatnya menatap kosong.
"Embuh, Delia mungkin. Sana temui dulu" Langgar menatap arah keramaian di balik punggung Bram




-----24 jam sebelumnya......
"Bram! Mbak Putri ndak paham sama kamu dan mas mu. Kalian wis podo dewasa tapi koyok bocah! Mbak mau acara ini baik-baik aja. Kamu sama Langgar mestine bantu aku dong, Dik. Jangan malah berpolah tingkah begini"
"Maafin aku Mbak, aku sama Mas Langgar udah janji akan behave paling ndak sampe resepsi selesai" Putri meringis membersihkan luka memar dan darah di sekitar bibir dan hidung adik bungsunya. Mereka terlibat baku hantam beberapa saat lalu perkara kehamilan Delia. Delia mengaku itu adalah anak perselingkuhannya dengan Langgar, sementara Bram tercampur aduk hatinya antara kesal dan kecewa serta sedih.
"Sudah tak kasih obat ini yang memar, nanti malem juga baikan. Jangan bilang Mas Edi ya, takut kepikiran. Jangan bilang Ibu juga soal ribut ini, Mbak ndak seneng bikin Ibu sedih lagi"



"Ibu manggil Bram?" Sang Ibu menoleh cepat dan menepuk kasur empuk di sebelah kursinya untuk menandai Bram segera duduk di sampingnya.
"Kamu kenapa sama Mas mu, nak?"
"Ndak apa-apa Bu. Kenapa kok Ibu tanya begitu?" suara Bram lembut meyakinkan dirinya sendiri bahwa luka dan perasaannya tidak muncul ke permukaan.
"Ibu cuma punya kalian berdua sekarang, Mbak Putri sudah dibawa Mas Edi. Minta tolong yang akur ya nak sama Mas Langgar. Siapa yang urus Ibu Bapak kalo kalian isih ribut terus soal apa-apa. Dari awal Ibu wis ndak seneng karo Delia itu. Ndak sopan anaknya, eh, ndelalahe bener toh malah mecah belah anak-anak Ibu....."
"Ibu..." Bram memotong lembut ocehan Ibunya, "Ibu, ini bukan soal Delia kok. Bram kemarin jatuh, justru Mas Langgar yang nolongin dan Mbak Putri yang ngobatin. Bukan apa-apa Bu. Delia memang dari awal seneng sama Mas Langgar, bukan sama Bram. Ndak ada yang salah. Ibu tenang ya, Bram sama Mas Langgar akan selalu jagain Ibu kok."
Ibunya tersenyum getir, mengangguk dan mempersilahkan Bram keluar kamarnya.




------2 hari sebelumnya....
"Ini anakmu, Nggar, not Bram's! Aku selingkuh dari Bram waktu dia Bandung malem itu. Dan aku sama-sama unconscious, aku lagi stress sama tugas kuliah dan kamu bantu aku waktu itu"
"Del, aku udah bilang kan kalo Bram yang akan tanggung jawab! Dan aku nggak yakin itu anakku, kita harus tes DNA"
Bukan semata-mata ingin buah hatinya, tapi ia tau perasaan Bram yang tidak ingin kehilangan Delia, terlebih karena kakaknya sendiri. Mereka terdiam sepanjang perjalanan pulang di mobil, mendengarkan alunan musik instrumental dari CD di mobil Langgar. Lagu kesukaan Delia; musik klasik.
"Aku udah bilang, kalo dari dulu aku naksirnya sama kamu, bukan sama Bram"
"Kenapa akhirnya kamu mau pacaran sama dia?" Langgar membuka jendela sambil mematikan AC di dalam mobilnya, menyulut rokoknya
"Aku cuma mau bikin kamu cemburu. Dan Bram belum tau soal anak ini, nanti aku yang kasih tau dia." Delia membuang wajahnya keluar jendela. Tangannya ingin meraih rokok yang sama, namun ia teringat pada apa yang sedang dikandungnya; calon bayi.
"Nggak usah, aku aja yang ngomong sama dia" seperti biasa, percakapan dimenangkan dan diakhiri oleh keputusan Langgar.

A proposal (part seven)

"I don't believe in marriage"
"I'll convince you of it. I am right now actually. It's the third time I'd say it; would you marry me?"
"Why?"
"Answer first! And I hope the long pause brings something relieving"
..................
 
"Will you propose to me again if I say no this time?"
"You bet I will, it's always unconditional to marry you"
"Let's give it a shot, I've been trusting you for years, I will be again in the future"
"Would you marry me?"
"I do"


-the end-

when men's got a girlfriend....

.......they'd change


1. they ignore boys nights out. Going out with a girlfriend apparently is the most fun a boyfriend can do on weekend. Not just about having the pleasure in that boyish way, but also letting out the real emotion to the opposite sex who'd respond to their inner sensitivity with good hugs and feelings, instead of a punch in the shoulder saying "oh, you can go thru this shit, man!".


2. they spend more money for cheesy thing. Flowers, chocolate, cards, surprises and gift voucher. Making the girlfriend happy is always a self-satisfactory. Not only expecting something in return per se, but also seeing the loved ones smiling and happy is an achievement too.


3. they become drama kings. They can have a mood swing and become an insecure bitch just like girls who're having their PMS. Guys can be so envious and highly tempered when it comes to girlfriend thing. Most of them can put everything under control, but some will always show affection, possession, vulnerability and emotions deliberately, in public.


4. they improve their self-esteem. No matter what. Having a significant one makes a guy feel more confidence because they're trapped in mind that there is always this one particular person who'd accept and love them for what they are. They can go chin up amongst all the single (or not) other guys and implicitly shout "I've got this hot loving girl with me, dudes!" to the world. Or.........


5. they turn out to be a jerk. If one can get a girlfriend easily, then getting a two or three must be really adventurous and challenging. How? It's the nature of boys to keep answering the 'how' meanwhile women are busy finding the 'why'. Besides, 'how' is just as much explorable as 'why' but in a bit manly manner.

A proposal (part six)

"Man, seriously? You gotta let her go. There's no one in this world who would reject a proposal TWICE! Considering how long you have been dating her, and all the things you've gone through with her"
"Come on, I gotta need to be reassured that the third time will work. I gotta take some days off to think of how can I convince her"
"You want to do a third one? A bloody third proposal? You are nuts!"
"I've been told that I am. So why bother giving up?"
"What's in her mind? Have you read?"
"I've been reading a lot, and I've been wrong too. I don't think I need to read more. I gotta feel what she feels so I could understand what she wants, and again, convince her of what we can achieve together. I know she wants to be with me too, I just need a reason to get her more attached."
"How?"
"I told you, I need days off to think of how"
"You're sick enough to take your own time. A third proposal. Why don't you just give herself up? She's losing something perfect"
"No, no. If she's that hard to get, then she's worth the fight, and she deserves the keep. I'm not giving up, not now, I hope will not ever"
"Yeah man, you're gonna push your own luck for that. I have been seeing you try very hard, I haven't seen hers"
"Oh, you can't see hers. You need to feel what I feel to know what you don't know"
"Nah, I'm not interested in her. You're just her type, and I think she's yours. I just wish you a good luck"
"Thanks man! I'll keep you posted, so you'll know what I've done wrong... or right!"