Fly 18
The sound of an engine in the garage woke Quitta.
She was sitting in her chair before sleep took over half of her consciousness. The phone, which was in her lap, slid smoothly onto the tiled floor below. Quitta immediately checked to make sure her phone was fine.
Half past eight at night. Anastasia just got back from her boutique. She looked tired and gloomy. There's a big problem going on.
When Anastasia came through the living room, Quitta was already sitting in front of the television that wasn't on.
"Mom, I need a moment, there's something I want to talk to you about," Quitta said quickly, holding back Anastasia's steps who were about to go to her room.
Anastasia turned to face Quitta. Although tired, she can compromise. After all, she had something to discuss with her daughter. It's better to talk about it right away than to keep it under wraps.
"About what?" asked Anastasia, walking towards the chair.
Anastasia can guess what Quitta will talk about because she also wants to discuss the same thing.
Quitta didn't speak right away, she waited for Anastasia to sit down so she was comfortable talking, and her mother was comfortable listening.
"I got this from my friend." Quitta handed her a pamphlet containing information about the opening of the cooking class.
Quitta got it from Takka. Uncle Takka is a chef who graduated from a world-famous culinary university and now manages one of the most famous all-you-can-eat restaurants in Jakarta. This afternoon Takka gave her the pamphlet after Quitta found out about Takka's uncle and told him of her interest in cooking.
Anastasia is wrong. Quitta wanted to talk about different things with her. Emotions that had begun to subside an hour earlier hit her again. She tore the pamphlet in her hand and kneaded it until it was shapeless.
"Mom!" Instantly Quitta screamed.
But her screams are defeated by Anastasia's cold voice.
"As long as I'm alive, I won't allow you to do this!" said Anastasia, getting up from her seat and walking towards the room.
Quitta stood up and replied to Anastasia's words.
"I'm not asking permission! I'm just saying this to let you know that I won't give up on what I want!"
Anastasia stopped in her tracks and turned to face Quitta. Her heart ached. Not only because of Quitta's words but the memory of someone she hated suddenly flashed. She felt deja vu, the words Quitta spoke were the same as her ex-husband used to be.
Dewa Mahendra.
A man who has broken her dream to become a woman who can love and be loved by the man of her choice. The only man who ever made her happy and hurt.
Quitta's words were the same as Dewa's words a few years ago when the man preferred to pursue his dream of becoming a chef rather than be beside her accompanying her in her ups and downs.
The sacred marriage vows he spoke seemed meaningless. Even though Anastasia tried to make peace and waited for Dewa for three years, the man never came back. What came was only a divorce certificate by a lawyer appointed by Dewa to take care of the divorce. Having not healed the wound that Dewa made earlier when he left her, Anastasia is hurt again. A wound is so deep that she hated Dewa for the rest of her life.
"If you want that much, then you're ready to lose me. I'd rather die than see you do it!" said Anastasia with bitterness.
"Please act mature!" Quitta shouted, the tight feeling in her heart pushing her to do so.
"I'm not doing anything negative or detrimental to you. Why do you always oppose my desire to become a chef? Why?" Quitta's crying was unstoppable, all the things that had been hidden for so long pushed out.
"Why do you always manage my life as if you own it? Being a parent doesn't mean being in full control, I also have the right to determine my path in life Mom. Please listen to what I want and what I don't want, I want to be a chef, I don't want to get married at a young age, and I want to be free to meet Dad, but ... No! Now I won't demand that, just let me be a chef, and please cancel my engagement with Ghaza, that's enough." Quitta said pitifully.
Hearing Quitta's words made Anastasia's anger even more unstoppable. Various events made her slump back in her mind. When Dewa left her five years ago, and today when she got word from her assistant that Ghea Judith, a VIP client who is also Quitta's future mother-in-law, withdrew her investment in her boutique. Her suddenness of reasoning was evasion.
Anastasia doesn't let her pride get stepped on. Full of annoyance she went to Ghea's house, luckily Ghea did not avoid her. But even if Ghea doesn't want to meet her, Anastasia is ready to make a fuss to disturb Ghea's family, so that all her annoyance and embarrassment will pay off. Even doing that alone won't be sufficient to recover the losses suffered.
But it was nothing compared to what she would hear later.
"I also really don't want our good relationship to end like this. But I have to be honest, my son is no longer interested in your daughter. He said he likes someone else and can't keep pretending to like Quitta. So I have no reason to continue to invest my capital in your boutique."
Like a flash of lightning during the day, Anastasia froze in place. Her body felt cold and her head was spinning.
Not only saying that Ghea then continued.
"I also just found out that the girl Ghaza likes asked him to treat Quitta well. But Ghaza's kindness and concern were misinterpreted by Quitta so Ghaza prefers to stay away from her."
Anastasia is getting frantic. The pain she feels is not only for herself but for Quitta, her poor daughter whom she has forced to maintain her prestige.
Anastasia is too angry to speak. She brought the anger and irritation that surrounded her away from Ghea's residence. It was enough for her today's events as a reminder for her not to have anything related to Ghea or her son, Ghaza.
Anastasia took a deep breath. Her eyes were closed, counting the seconds that ticked endlessly.
"About your engagement, I agree to call it off."
Anastasia's words made Quitta speechless, not expecting that her mother would agree so easily.
"Then about school or cooking lessons, as long as I'm alive I won't allow you to do that!" Anastasia added before she finally left for her room.
Quitta didn't budge. She felt disappointed, for the umpteenth time life never went the way she wanted. Deep down, Quitta wanted otherwise. Her feelings for Ghaza cannot be lied to, she likes the boy and is willing to keep her dream of becoming a chef as long as she can with Ghaza.
Although she tries to accept Farah and Ghaza's relationship, she hopes that their relationship will not last. The evil side in her is not willing if they have to be happy on top of her suffering.