11: INTERFERER

Dirga exited the café, which had been his favorite for several years. Not far away, the sky rained in torrents, and the wind seemed to warn that it would blow harder in the noon before evening. Dirga looked at his lover, who was still sleeping, thought about what was on his mind, and decided to take Andien to his unit instead.

When Dirga arrived at the apartment parking lot, he took out his cellphone, opened a short message app, and typed a message for the recipient there, whom he loved.

[Me]

El, what are you doing?

[Eldra]

Play games, Uncle.

[Me]

Play with Anne and Cantika as well, El.

[Eldra]

I had it earlier. Now Anne and Cantika are still sleeping.

I have just been allowed by Ummah to play on my cell phone.

[Me]

Ummah is there?

Andien refers to his mother and father as Ummah and Abah, and her children do as well.

[Eldra]

Yes, Uncle. Ummah and Abah are here.

[Me]

El, I'll take your mom home later. Now she’s sleeping. She said she was tired and dizzy, so she went to bed first and then came home. OK, El?

Dirga sent Andien’s photo to Eldra so he wouldn’t worry.

[Eldra]

She didn’t bring her car, Uncle. Her car is broken.

[Me]

I know, I’ll take her home later. Could you please tell Ummah and Abah, El? As soon as she wakes up, I will ask her to tell them.

[Eldra]

Uncle, please look after my mom.

[Me]

Certainly, son!

[Eldra]

All right, Uncle!

[Me]

Thank you very much, son.

[Eldra]

You're very welcome.

Dirga put his cellphone in his pocket after locking the screen. He couldn't bear waking up Andien, who was fast asleep. But seeing her sleeping in such an uncomfortable position also made him uneasy. Finally, Dirga turned off the car engine, stepped out of the driver's seat, slipped the key card into his shirt pocket, and opened the door to get Andien out.

He couldn't understand her, even Andien was still fast asleep in his arms.

"This is extremely dangerous; she is very soundly. What if she hadn't been with me before?" He said slowly, shaking his head.

Dirga was greeted by one of the building's security guards as he entered his apartment building.

"Good day, Mr. Dirga. Do you need assistance, sir?"

"Yes, could you assist me in opening my unit?"

The three of them boarded the elevator that would take them to the Dirga unit on the seventeenth floor.

"I'm sorry, sir. What's the matter with her, sir?"

"She's exhausted. I've tried to wake her up, but she's still sound asleep."

"Is that so, sir?" the security guards asked again, suspicious of Dirga.

"You don't have to think negatively of me. Have I ever been rude or unsettling while I've been here?"

The security guards laughed softly. Become awkward.

"Pardon my impudence, sir."

Uncomfortably, he scratched the back of his neck.

The elevator door opened as soon as it arrived at the destination floor. Dirga emerged from the iron box first, carrying Andien. When he arrived in front of his unit, he asked the security guards to assist him in opening the door. The security guard excused himself from leaving the unit as soon as the door opened, leaving Andien and Dirga alone.

Dirga entered his room and placed Andien, who was still motionless in her deep sleep. He went to put his sling bag on his desk after ensuring Andien was sleeping comfortably, and that's when he received a video call from a number he didn't recognize.

He chose to leave the room rather than disturb Andien. He sat on the living room sofa before sliding his phone's green button.

Surprised!

Who wouldn't be surprised to see the face of his future wife's mother on his cellphone screen?

"Good day, ma'am..." Dirga spoke nervously, his voice stuttering and trembling.

Shouldn't he have anticipated receiving this call? What parent can rest easy knowing their daughter is sleeping and being cared for by a man they've never met? Don't blame Dirga, who has very limited dating brain capacity.

"Good day! Who are you? What happened to my daughter?" Rosi on the other end responded.

Rosi didn't know Dirga because she and her husband, Hamdan, were in Singapore last Saturday for a health check following Hamdan's neurosurgery surgery last year following a stroke.

"Ma'am, I'm Dirga. You might remember Mrs. Anggita, Mr. Anggara's wife. Ma'am, we used to be neighbors in Lenteng." Dirga tries to explain himself, hoping to calm Rosi down a little.

The middle-aged woman wrinkled her brow, trying to recall the figure mentioned by the young man behind her cellphone screen.

"Oh my God... Are you the son of Mrs. Anggara? Is this Irgi's younger brother?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Dirga, where is Andien?"

Dirga rose from his seat and went to his room.

"I wanted to take her home right away, ma'am. But by the time I got in the car, she was fast asleep. She previously stated that she was dizzy and sleepy and that she had stayed up all night for the previous three days. Because it was also very dark outside due to the rain, I brought her here to rest first."

Dirga showed Andien, who was fast asleep on his bed.

Rosi looked at her daughter and saw that she was fast asleep. As she always does when she doesn't get enough sleep for several days. Rosi could only shake her head at her daughter's behavior, which allowed her to sleep so soundly despite being with a man. Wasn't she concerned that something bad had occurred?

Dirga exited the room and closed the door slowly.

"Andien isn't usually like that," Rosi lamented.

"Perhaps because she's very tired, ma'am."

"So she went to Jakarta to meet you? She stated that she wants to meet Arga."

"I accompanied her earlier, ma'am. With Ian as well."

"Ian? Andien's twin?"

Dirga laughed.

"He is, ma'am."

Because they were born on the same day and in the same hospital, Ian is frequently referred to as Andien's twin. The only difference is the time of birth.

"I'll take her home later, ma'am. I can't bear waking her up."

"Don't mess with my daughter! Tell her to call me as soon as she wakes up."

"Definitely, ma'am."

"Make sure you take her home! We're just waiting. Don't be too late, or I'll report you to her father and have you slapped for bringing her in such a manner!"

Dirga noticed a tone of concern as well as the trust that Rosi had bestowed upon him. Dirga spontaneously smiled in response to the sentence directed at him.

"Okay, ma’am. Please forgive my impoliteness. When we arrive in Bogor, I'll explain to Andien's father why I was late dropping her off. I apologize once more, ma'am."

"Okay. Good day, son."

"Good day, ma'am."

The phone's screen went dark once more. Dirga had just realized something, "I was called son?" he asked himself, smiling. "Oh my, I feel so happy for such a small thing!" he exclaimed.

***

Dirga returned to his room, smiled at Andien from where he stood, and then stepped into the bathroom after taking short cargo pants and a fit-body black T-shirt from his walk-in closet.

Dirga climbed onto the bed and lay down facing Andien after finishing his afternoon prayer. He held Andien's hand before falling asleep, exhausted from working overtime for days and unable to control his drowsiness.

Andien looked at the man sleeping peacefully in front of her, then to her hand, which he was still holding in his sleep. Andien slowly lifted her body, kissed the back of Dirga's hand, and then drew her hand away. Dirga awoke when she got out of bed.

"Baby..." Dirga called her, his voice hoarse as he awoke.

"Hi, sleepyhead. Already up?"

"Hmmm"

"I'll pray first, ok? It's already 5:00 p.m. Are we in your unit?"

"Yes. It was raining outside. That's why I brought you here."

"It's fine."

"Take a shower, baby. There's a clean towel inside."

Dirga got out of bed and went into his walk-in closet to get clothes for Andien.

"Just wear this, even though it'll be too big," he said, handing her a long-sleeved khaki top made of soft knit fabric and wash blue jogger pants.

"Just the top, baby," Andien inquired. Dirga agreed with a nod.

"Baby, your mother was called. Don't forget to call her back so she's not worried. I'll take you after dinner."

Andien nodded as she walked into the bathroom.

Dirga exited his room and entered the living room while Andien was cleaning herself. The unit is not overly large. There are two bedrooms, a cook room with a kitchen bar, a toilet, and a living room that also serves as a lounge. He put a carpet between the living room and the kitchen bar and filled it with various types of children's toys. There's a playground in his unit for a reason: his sister, Hana, and her husband, Edo, frequently visit and stay with their toddler in his unit.

Dirga was engrossed in the Lupine series when Andien approached and sat beside him. He was taken aback when he noticed his lover wearing his sweater. His sweater was too big for Andien, causing the collar to drop and exposing her stunning shoulders. Andien's shoulder-length hair, tied in a high ponytail with a few unbound hairs, gave the impression that she was truly testing Dirga's guts.

'How can that sweater make her that sexy?' Dirga's inner self.

Andien's appearance, combined with the smell of soap that greeted his sense of smell, caused him to question his sanity.

Andien, aware that she was being stared at, wrapped her arms around Dirga's waist and buried herself in Dirga's arms.

"Don't you think I'm stunning?" She stated naively.

"You're driving me insane!" Dirga exclaimed as she kissed Andien's shoulder and neck.

Andien released her embrace, lifted her face, touched Dirga's jaws, and brought their foreheads together. Dirga, unable to bear the closeness, kissed Andien's lips. Kiss her passionately.

No one held back, and the kiss was so deep and intoxicating for both of them that Andien didn't even notice she was on Dirga's lap.

'The unit bell goes off.'

They haven't stopped their activities yet.

'Once again, the unit bell rings.'

'The unit bell rings once more.'

"Shit!" Dirga cursed as he was forced to pull his lips away from Andien's. Andien just laughed.

"Would anyone like to come?" Andien inquired, moving from Dirga's lap to the sofa beside him.

"Borne, maybe. I asked him to bring some documents. Also, some food for us "replied Dirga.

Dirga rose from the sofa and unlocked the unit door.

"Honey, you've been taking too long!"

It turned out that the woman he hated the most had paid him a visit. Even at this point, the woman wrapped her arms around Dirga's neck and pushed him away with her forced footsteps.

The woman's eyes widened as she was about to kiss Dirga on the lips. Dirga had one hand on both cheeks.

"Whose lipstick is this? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She snarled.

Andien stood nearby, staring intently at the two people in front of her while holding back the heat in her eyes.