Love Redux: Fated to the Handsome Doctor

“Oh no….” Once again, Lara slipped. The gravel in this alley was indeed quite sharp. She’d been walking around the market all day, but still couldn’t find Bi Yani’s house. “Where is it, her house?” she guessed, but to no avail.

She went over the address she saw on Bi Yani’s job application form when she applied to be her maid. It should be here, in the Duku village. Somehow, the house listed didn’t exist. “Is Bi Yani a ghost or something?” she muttered. The house number 40 written on the form was an empty house.

The house was even overgrown with weeds, and its walls seemed rotten, covered in moss and fungus.

The sun slowly rose, and the atmosphere became quite hot. Her shadow was almost non-existent, meaning it might be close to noon now. “Hhhh….” she sighed. Feeling desperate.

She didn’t tell anyone that she was looking for Bi Yani’s house, so Seno wouldn’t suspect. That man didn’t even come home yesterday. She could even guess where her husband was. The pain surged through her heart again, but she had to stay composed. She couldn’t be swayed by her negative thoughts.

“Maybe Seno is just working overtime, right?”

She comforted herself. Anyway, her heart had to feel at ease, or else, she was worried this fetus would also be shaken.

“Where could it be?” she looked left and right, trying to find additional clues. The residents might be resting. This village was close to the traditional market area, but the atmosphere was very different.

No residents seemed to be passing by except when near the market. Otherwise, it was empty. The village seemed uninhabited.

“Huh….” The narrow alley where she stood was now beginning to reflect the hot air. The streetlights hanging above, of course, hadn’t emitted their light yet. But everything was making her body burn even more.

Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps, as she was still staring blankly at the job application form again. The footsteps got closer, she couldn’t ignore them.

“Who are you looking for, Ma’am?” she asked kindly, as she was still trying to find additional clues or any possible mistakes.

“Oh, hello, Ma’am. I’m looking for Bi Yani’s house.”

“Bi Yani?”

“Yes, her name is… Yani Nurlaili,” she said after reading Bi Yani’s full name on the form. She didn’t even remember her full name.

“Yani Nurlaili?” The middle-aged woman tried to remember for a moment. Did she know Bi Yani?

“What are her characteristics?” she asked again. Maybe, she didn’t really know Bi Yani either.

“She’s about 50 years old. Round face, a little gray hair in the front, shoulder-length black hair, slightly hunched walk. There’s a mole on her lower lip, Ma’am. Her voice is quite loud. She’s also polite,” she said enthusiastically. She really wanted to find that woman soon.

“Is she married?”

“Looks like it,” she read her form again. It was written there that Bi Yani was indeed married. But, she had never met her husband or heard about his story.

“Ah! Maybe that’s Bu Farhan. Bu Farhan’s address should be here, but that was about 5 years ago when ….”

“When what, Ma’am?” she was curious about the continuation of her sentence. It seemed there was something she didn’t know.

“When her husband still had a job, Miss. Now, well… um, it’s not nice of me to say,” she said again. She became suspicious. What’s going on here?

“Why, Ma’am? Bi Yani works with me. May I know the reason for her relocation?” she pressed. She became more curious about Bi Yani’s story.

“Hhh….” The woman sighed heavily before continuing her conversation. “This is between us, Miss. Her husband is unemployed and has a lot of debt. The house was seized by the bank. Now, they’re renting in the next alley,” she said.

She was stunned. She didn’t expect that Bi Yani actually had such problems. “Then, their children?”

“Bu Farhan doesn’t have any children.”

“Oh, I see,” Now she understood why Bi Yani never talked about her family.

“I happen to have some free time. Let me take you,” she said, smiling at her. Her chubby body with the hair rollers still attached to her bangs. Her appearance was like a landlady in old movies who loved curling her hair without knowing the time. She was slightly amused seeing her. A very unique and funny woman.

“Thank you, sorry to bother.”

“Ah, no problem. I’m actually exercising. Burning fat,” she joked.

She laughed. They continued their journey to the Durian village not far from there. “Walk?” she asked. She nodded.

“It’s close!”

She followed her steps towards the narrow alleys that connected one village to another. She thought their journey would be tiring, but it wasn’t. Bi Yani’s residence was indeed close.

“That’s her house painted green,” she said, waving her hand. “I’ll take my leave.”

“Thank you, Ma’am,” she said, returning her wave. Finally, she could meet Bi Yani and ask about the truth of her dismissal.

However, before she could start asking, a scream and commotion startled her unimaginably.

“You, Bitch?!”

“Argh!”

She froze when she heard the shouts and curses. Suddenly, her body trembled violently, and she sat down unconsciously.

“Mas! Wake up! We’re old! Please, repent!” shouted Bi Yani. She was sure it was her voice.

What’s happening there? How should she help her?

She heard the sound of breaking glass being slammed harshly there. “Oh, no!”

She wanted to run and intervene, but her legs suddenly felt weak. She remembered her father’s harsh curses even though he never hit her. It made her scared and didn’t want to go to that battlefield.

But, if she don’t go there. What if Bi Yani is in danger?

“I have to go there….”

Her breath was ragged, but she tried to be strong. She fought against the fear within her with positive suggestion. This is for Bi Yani. She’s going there.

Finally, she managed to step towards the green-painted house. The sound of broken glass became louder, this time with cries of pain. Bi Yani! Bi Yani must be badly injured now! Oh no! She can’t run away!

“Bi Yani!” she shouted, trying to divert her husband’s attention.

She immediately ran, panting heavily, her legs hurt. She had to reach the doorstep and pull Bi Yani out of the hell of her marriage. The middle-aged woman had to run and save herself. She had to help her.

“Ah!”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Lara’s foot slipped, she almost fell. Fortunately, there was a small fence she could reach to balance her body. She stood up again and tried to walk quickly towards Bi Yani’s house.

But before she could get there. Someone’s voice that she knew very well suddenly surprised her at just the right time.

“Lara! What are you doing here?”

She couldn’t hold back her tears. Immediately, she went to him and asked for help.

“Call the police!”