FROM THE WEDDING HALL

This evening, the rain never stopped. Since returning from Martha Hall, Nesia has chosen to stay home while preparing to wait for Vino's arrival, with a bit of worry because the rain was still falling even though it was not so heavy.

Nesia worried because tonight, Vino intended to invite Nesia to his house to meet his parents. Introducing that Nesia was his girlfriend.

"Vin, but I'm worried if I have to go to your house," Nesia said this morning with a tone of objection when Vino expressed his intention. At that time, Vino was taking Nesia to her workplace as a cleaning employee at Martha Hall.

"Nesia, what's worrying you?" asked Vino with a slight smile.

"I'm not ready if they don't accept my presence. You know who I am and what my background is, right?" Nesia asked pleadingly.

Vino smiled.

"I know. And you also know that I've never made a big deal about any of that, right?" asked Vino, looking at Nesia, trying to reassure her that their relationship would be delicate.

"I know you can accept everything. But what about your parent? What about your family?" asked Nesia.

Vino was silent for a moment.

"But we can't stay in a secret relationship like this forever, right, Nes? Sooner or later, we have to tell Mom and Dad that you have a girl who you love and who loves you. I want us to get married so you don't have to work here anymore," Vino said.

Nesia was surprised.

"Do you think my job is despicable?" Nesia asked carefully.

"No! Of course, it's not. It's just that working here is too hard for you. Later, after we get married, I won't let you be here anymore. Your job is only to take care of the house and me. For the rest, let all the responsibility of earning money rest with me." Vino gave Nesia great hope.

Nesia smiled at Vino's words. Then, the girl nodded in agreement with Vino's invitation to meet his parents.

But until twilight had started to run out and the day turned into night, the rain did not stop. Even with Vino, who promised to come, half an hour had passed, but the man did not show his nose.

"Who are you waiting for, Nes?" asked Tita when she saw Nesia sitting nervously in the living room of the rented house.

Nesia smiled.

"Waiting for Vino. Did you come home late, Ta?" Nesia asked to cover up her restless heart.

Tita smiled.

"Yes, there was Mrs. Sandra and Mrs. Dina who suddenly came to invite me to lunch," Tita replied, putting her work shoes on the shoe rack.

"Mrs. Sandra? Who is she?" asked Nesia.

"Mrs. Dina's aunt. I'll go in first, okay?" said Tita, who entered her room at the back.

Nesia again fidgeted alone, waiting for the rain to stop. Ten minutes later, when Nesia had almost given up waiting for Vino's arrival, a car was seen entering the yard.

Nesia was still waiting, and she smiled when she saw that it was Vino, the man she had been in a relationship with for the past two years.

"Sorry, Nes. The rain didn't let up, so I'm late," Vino said when he arrived in front of Nesia, who greeted him with a face full of regret for making Vino like this.

"You shouldn't be this reckless when it's raining. You can do it another day," Nesia said as she held out the towel she had taken when Vino arrived.

The young man accepted the towel to dry his slightly wet hair.

"It's okay. I promised you, so I have to keep it. I don't want to delay any longer," said Vino, who returned the small towel to Nesia.

"What if you get sick?" Nesia asked again.

Vino smiled. "It's okay if I am sick. Shall we go now?" asked Vino, which was answered with a nod by Nesia.

They left for Vino's house even though the rain had not stopped. Along the way, Nesia was primarily silent. Her mind was rattled by many things that disturbed her mind. She didn't answer some of Vino's questions because she daydreamed.

Nesia's heart, which had been uneasy, was beating even faster when the car driven by Vino entered the courtyard of Vino's large house. When she was about to get off, Nesia hesitated. She was afraid that she would be rejected by Vino's family, even though he tried to assure her that his family would be okay with her situation.

"Come on in, let's go!" invited Vino, extending his hand to Nesia.

For a moment, Nesia hesitated. However, she welcomed Vino's hand a few moments later and followed him into his house.

"Wait here for a moment, okay?" said Vino, telling Nesia to wait in the living room. Then he went in, presumably looking for his parents.

Sure enough, not long afterward, Vino came again. This time with a middle-aged woman whose face was less than friendly. She even looked at Nesia with scrutinizing eyes. Nesia immediately stood up and nodded to the woman with a warm smile.

"I'd like to introduce you, Ma'am. She is Nesia, my close friend who I told you about yesterday. And Nesis, this is my Mom," Vino said, introducing the two women.

"Good evening, Ma'am," said Nesia, nodding and extending her hand to ask to shake Vino's mother's hand.

Unfortunately, Nesia's hand went unheeded. The woman left Nesia's hand hanging, so Nesia became awkward and embarrassed and pulled her hand back. Meanwhile, Vino, who saw this awkwardness, immediately approached Nesia and invited her to sit down.

"So, is your name Nesia?" a woman in a reasonably neat outfit looked at Nesia, who looked down awkwardly because she felt intimidated.

Nesia nodded with her heart fluttering.

"Where are your parents from? Or where are they working? A company? Have their own business? Or... maybe an ordinary person or even a laborer?" asked Mrs Tuti, the woman who had been intimidating Nesia sarcastically.

"Mom, why are you asking like that?" asked Vino, the man sitting near Nesia awkwardly.

"Vin, is Mom asking the wrong question? You've always praised her as a beautiful and virtuous woman, right?" Mrs Tuti looked Vino squarely in the eye.

"But, Mom?" Vino was about to interrupt her following sentence.

"I'm an orphan, Ma'am," Nesia looked up, meeting Mrs Tuti's eyes with surprising boldness.

Mrs. Tuti and even Vino were surprised to hear Nesia's spontaneous answer, spoken without hesitation.

"Nesia?" exclaimed Vino, looking at Nesia.

"Orphan?" asked Mrs Tuti with wide eyes.

Nesia nodded.

"Yes, I'm an orphan who has lived in an orphanage since I was a child," Nesia answered firmly and confidently.

"Nesia?" Vino called back to prevent Nesia from speaking further.

The girl turned her head, looking at Vino with a soothing smile, making Vino immediately attacked by an overwhelming sense of guilt.

"It's okay, Vin. I don't want to lie because something that starts with a lie will not go well," Nesia said softly.

Mrs. Tuti sneered at Nesia's sentence.

"Vin? So this is the woman you always said was beautiful and kind? Who turns out to be nothing more than an orphan whose origins are unclear?" asked Mrs Tuti sarcastically.

"Mom? But Nesia is a good girl," Vino snapped.

"So what if she's a good girl? Do you mind what Mom says? Listen, Vin. I will never accept a woman of unclear origin as my daughter-in-law. Period!" said Mrs Tuti, then rushed back inside, leaving Vino and Nesia, who were blown away by Mrs. Tuti's insult.

Yes, Nesia's fears had come true. Nesia's mind went blank as if she had lost her orientation.

"Nes? You're okay, right?" asked Vino when he saw Nesia stunned.

The girl was still silent.

"Nes? Answer me, Nesia!"

***