Elegi Of Rose
Chapter 21

"You have to tell me what's happening with you," Herland's pale green eyes looked at her seriously. His boyish look always amazed Ayu ever since because it had always made people want to trust him. Not that they shouldn't, of course. His cool attitude polished his personality perfectly. And though he's not as tall as Roni or Roy, Ayu knew women dig him-especially when they replace out he's a doctor. "Yu," he urged once again. They were outside at the terrace of a restaurant back in the city having lunch.

"I'm married." She hadn't honestly figured out how to tell him so she decided to say it out front.

Doubt initially crept up his face, then disbelief and then his mouth slightly opened. "You have to be kidding me."

"No, I'm not. I'm really legally married." She used to play jokes on him years ago and she kind of regretted it now. It was hard to make people believe you when you were finally telling the truth. "When?"

"About one and a half week?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Some strands of his straight blonde hair fell in front of his eyes as he leaned forward to look at her intently, studying her eyes to see if she was actually serious. "I never intended to."

Hurt flashed across his features and he said, "Why?" Now, she could tell he finally believed her.

"Because it's not like any marriage," she said slowly.

"Explain," he stated seriously, his eyes boring into hers.

Ayu took a deep breath and narrated her whole story. When she was done, Herland was already on his feet, his face angry. It was the first time she saw his face flush with so much fury and Herland rarely had his emotions to the extremes. With narrowed eyes, he sat back on his chair and said, "Why the hell did you agree?"

"I can't let my father go to prison, Hern," she explained in a neutral voice. "And," she stopped him before he could say another word, "it's just for another six months. So don't worry, I can handle this."

"You should have called me," he reached out to hold her hand. "I could have helped."

Ayu shook her head. "No, you couldn't have. The contract was already made even before they told me."

Herland looked at her seriously for a long time and then that smile she knew very well crept up his face. "So..." he leaned back against his chair. "How's married life?" he teased.

Ayu couldn't hide her smile. He was trying to make light of things as he always did. "It is hell," she answered in the same teasing manner.

"Seriously?"

"Nah... it's fun but of course, it's not like a normal marriage."

"How could it be fun?"

"Roy and I fight a lot over small things and I enjoy it most of the time."

Her friend laughed. "Because you always win?"

"Most of the time, yes."

Then he frowned. "But he doesn't do anything stupid, right? Nothing to be alarmed of?"

"No, of course not. He's quite a gentleman." She didn't know why she was defending Roy all of a sudden.

"I missed you, Yu." His sudden change of subject almost lost her.

She cleared her throat and said, "Yeah, me too."

"You know, you should have accepted my proposal a year ago. If you did, you won't be married to a stranger," he said it teasingly.

"He's not really a stranger anymore." God, she should stop defending her stupid, arrogant husband.

"Are you sure? He could be doing something while you're gone."

"He's working."

"Then why did you have to meet me a long distance away from your home?"

"I... needed a walk," she reasoned.

"Yu, is he keeping you inside his home against your will?" another flash of anger crossed Herland's face.

"What? No, of course not!" She was not going to tell Herland about the problems she was having with Roy. He was already mad as it was. "Let's not talk about me and my transient marriage. Tell me about you. What have you been doing? Dating someone?" she pointed her fork at him.

"No, no someone..." he looked at her meaningfully. "I've been waiting for you to reconsider and I guess I have to wait for another six months." He gave her a boyish grin that made his pale green eyes glitter.

Ayu sighed. "Hern, my answer a year ago stands firm."

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"You told me you were not ready. If you'll not be ready six months later, I can wait some more time. I know Roni will understand... hell, he was the one who told me to-"

"Let's not talk about Roni, please."

"What? Why? It's been two years, Yu. God, the man's probably not coming back."

"Don't say that. He was your friend. He is still your friend."

"Yeah, I know that. And he decided to leave you a day before your wedding. You've forgiven him, but you can't still get over him." He could have received a blow from her if he said it a year or two ago, but now, she was not anymore as affected.

"I can't ever forgive myself to what I did to him, you know that. I don't know if I still love him, all I know is that I'm not fully ready yet."

"That's why you never went to see him?"

"Maybe."

"But you've married Roy Straydog."

Her eyes squinted at him. She knew he was doing it deliberately. "It's Punda."

"Whatever."

"And it's different with him, okay?"

"Does he know about Roni?"

"No, I don't think he does." It just occurred to her that Roy may have had an idea. Maybe her father told him? But she had made her father promise never to talk about Roni with anyone a long time ago. "Are you going to tell him?"

"No. We'll be separated in six months. There's no need to tell him anything." She brushed away that little pang in her chest because for some reasons, she didn't want to entertain any kind of emotions that involved her husband. It will make things complicated.

"If you say so..." Herland shrugged and attacked his already cold steak. Their mood was already spoiled, much to her own fault.

"How was Africa?" she asked after a while.

His face seemed to glow as he said, "We're having progress in our own ways. The children are a long way from getting over malnourishment, but they're getting better."

"I'm glad to hear that. They're lucky to have you people around to help them."

His answer was interrupted by the sudden ring of her phone. Ayu knew where the call was coming from before she saw the screen. She punched the red button and continued eating.

"Aren't you going to answer that?"

"Nah... it's just Roy."

Herland frowned. "That could be an emergency. Does he know you're with me?"

The only emergency that can happen is when he gets near me, Ayu said to herself. "No, he might be checking up on me. His family's coming over later so..." she trailed off. She did not bother to answer his last question.

Herland just nodded and her phone rang again, followed by a text message that said: ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE.

"I think I should get this after all," she excused herself and walked way out of earshot and answered the phone.

"Where the hell are you?" Roy's angry voice demanded. "How the hell did you get out?"

"I'm shopping," she lied. And you can look at my bathroom window to know how I got out, she added mentally.

"Shopping..." his voice was tinted with different colors of doubt now, "for what?"

"Food-for later." She mentally patted her back in congratulations for her quick mind.

"Where?"

"Uhh... the grocery store, of course!" she made it sure her voice sounded like she found his question stupid. "What grocery store?"

"The one I'm at right now..." she cringed.

"Ayu..." his voice sounded dangerous now.

She blurted out the first name of the grocery store she could think of.

"Stay there and wait for me," he said, "and you better be there when I get there." And then the line went dead.

Ayu quickly ran back to Herland. Her friend looked up at her flushed face as she said, "Bring me to Food Emporium. Now!"