Today, at exactly four in the afternoon, Aria's family left for the airport to pick up Aria's mother, who was returning home after performing umrah in the holy land. A mixture of emotion and worry was visible on her children's faces as they went to meet her.
Their car soon headed to the airport as one group led by Bima. The car was cramped, but their faces shone with happiness and excitement as they waited for their beloved mother's return.
They all arrived at the airport at five in the afternoon. Working together, they went to pick up Aria's mother without telling Aria, who was at the office. Just as they had planned from the beginning, they always arranged their mother's departures and returns so Aria wouldn't know—and they hoped he also wouldn't find out that his own mother had used his savings.
"Leli!" someone shouted from a distance, calling out to her daughter. It was Aria's mother, who had already spotted her family arriving. Leli immediately went over to her mother, followed by the others, and hugged her with joyful expressions on their faces.
"Mom, how are you? You're healthy after the umrah trip, right?" Bima asked as he hugged her and checked on her condition.
"I'm fine, Bim. Nothing went wrong over there, and thank God, I arrived here safely," Aria's mother replied.
"Let's go home, Mom," Leli said, followed by the others as they carried Aria's mother's many bags. It looked like she had done a lot of shopping and brought plenty of souvenirs for her family and neighbors.
When they arrived home, Aria's mother immediately hurried off to bathe and perform the Maghrib prayer, while Bima left the shopping bags in the living room. Everyone gathered, from her children to her grandchildren, who couldn't wait to open the souvenirs she had brought back.
Aria arrived home after work and immediately went over to hug his mother. He was confused about why everyone had gone to pick her up without telling him that his own mother was coming home. But Aria didn't mind. Seeing his mother arrive home safe and healthy was enough to make him grateful.
Aria went straight to his room and lay down, looking exhausted from work. He turned on the fan, and a gentle breeze filled the room. He picked up his phone and told Raina that his mother had arrived home safely and was in good health.
"Sweetheart, Mom is home safe and healthy. Now we just need to decide when we'll come to your house again, okay?" he texted Raina before immediately falling asleep.
By nine that evening, Raina still hadn't replied. Aria took some clothes from the closet and went to shower because he felt hot and uncomfortable.
Splash! Water poured over Aria's body, washing away the grime from the day's work that had left him looking exhausted. He took some body wash and scrubbed himself, then brushed his teeth—he drank coffee so often that he had to brush them frequently. After showering, Aria returned to his room and got dressed, glancing at his phone every so often, but Raina still hadn't replied. Maybe Raina was already asleep, he thought. That was why she hadn't answered his message.
His phone buzzed. Aria looked at the message from Raina that had just come in.
"Thank God, Babe. Your mother is finally home. I've been so impatiently waiting for her to arrive because our wedding ceremony is only two weeks away."
Aria suddenly remembered that he had given Raina's mother only ten million rupiah, while their wedding was just two weeks away. He was worried. How could his mother have forgotten to tell him about the missing fifteen million? Had she already set it aside to bring to Raina's house? He hurried to the living room to discuss it with his mother and saw her still sitting there watching television.
"Mom, when are we going to Raina's house to deliver the rest of the wedding money we promised her family? Our wedding ceremony is only two weeks away, and Raina also needs to buy the things we'll need for the wedding," Aria said carefully, trying not to hurt his mother's feelings.
"Hmm, yes. There is actually something I want to tell you, but please don't get angry," his mother replied nervously. "The savings of yours that I kept were used to buy souvenirs while I was in the holy land. Your sister and brother didn't give me any spending money, so I used your money for my expenses and shopping while I was there."
Aria was instantly stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief at what his mother had said. How could the savings he had entrusted to the mother he trusted completely have been used by her herself? How could the portion of his salary he had saved little by little be gone just like that on his mother's shopping in the holy land? Aria didn't know how to tell Raina about the problem he was facing or how he could get a loan for the rest of the wedding money he needed to give Raina and her family. He fell silent, rubbing his forehead, then went into his room without responding to his mother's words, which had deeply disappointed him.
In his room, Aria lay down while thinking of a way to replace the money his mother had used so he could bring it to Raina's house. Raina would surely be angry if he told her the truth—that the money had been used by his mother and their wedding ceremony was only two weeks away. How was he supposed to find the shortfall when his mother had already spent all his savings?
The next morning, I went to work as usual, still thinking about how to replace the money my mother had used. I had to be honest and tell Raina that I was working on getting the money, and I hoped she would understand.
Raina contacted Aria and asked when he would come to her house again with his mother and family, considering that their wedding ceremony was only a short time away. Raina felt embarrassed at the thought that everything they had planned might be ruined by Aria's family, who always made her suspicious.
Maybe it would be better if I asked Aria to meet me so everything could be made clear. Aria promised to meet me at our usual place, the city park, after work that day. At five in the afternoon, Aria and I met at the city park, but Aria's face looked pale, as if something had happened that had shaken him.
What had really happened? I hoped everything was all right and that no problems would come our way that day. I prayed silently.