“What solution, Uncle? It’s obvious my marriage is falling apart. Honey Hanan wants a divorce! What else are you demanding from me, okay?! Acting like you’re the only one whose feelings are hurt—the one who’s more hurt here is me, Uncle!”
Just then, the sound of a car engine could be heard. The gate opened, and the car entered the garage beside the house.
Auntie Erna and Uncle Solihin turned toward the window and saw the car.
“There he is! You two can talk to him directly. Do whatever you want with him!”
Uncle Solihin was extremely impatient. He rose from the sofa and hurried onto the porch. The middle-aged man stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for Hanan.
“Un—Uncle.” Hanan was startled. He closed the car door.
“Get over here!”
Hanan immediately approached. He extended his hand, but Uncle Solihin did not accept his greeting.
“I want to talk to you!”
“Let’s talk inside, Uncle. Come on,” Hanan invited him, pointing toward the open door with his thumb.
Uncle Solihin narrowed his eyes, then went back inside the house. Hanan followed him.
The man could not hide his shock when he saw Auntie Erna and Maudy sitting there, waiting.
“Hanan, Auntie really doesn’t understand you! Why are you playing with Alya’s feelings, okay?!” Auntie Erna glared at him.
“You didn’t just play with Alya’s feelings—you also humiliated our family!” Uncle Solihin cut in. The middle-aged man sat back down beside his wife.
“Look, Honey! Do you see how much chaos has happened now?! This is all because of you!” Maudy snorted angrily.
“Uncle, Auntie, I’m sorry. But how is Alya doing now? I can’t reach her.”
“Oh, so you’re more worried about her than me?” Maudy interrupted, her voice full of emotion. “Honey, I’m not doing okay either! Do you get that?! How can you ask about another woman’s condition right in front of your own wife?”
“Can you be quiet for a minute, babe?! Let’s deal with things one at a time!”
“One at a time? How, Honey?! I’m tired of dealing with you!”
“Hanan, so what happens now? I’m truly humiliated. The entire village already knew about your wedding plans. Now Alya is probably going to become the subject of gossip because the wedding was called off. And on top of that, everyone will be wondering why Alya didn’t get married.”
“That’s easy! Just find some single man to marry Alya. Do I need to find one for you?” Maudy interjected.
“Babe, please. Just be quiet.”
“Oh, please. Just say it—you don’t want Alya to marry another man, do you? You’re so greedy! Remember, Honey. You already have a wife. Don’t dream about marrying Alya!”
“Now, young lady… Hanan. Let Uncle speak first. Actually, I’ve tried several times to find Alya a match, but… it never worked out. They backed off when they found out her age. That’s why, when Hanan proposed to Alya, our whole family was so happy. But… we never expected things to end up like this. We truly feel deceived. We also feel humiliated.”
After hearing Uncle Solihin’s explanation, Maudy furrowed her brow. “How old is Alya, anyway?”
“Thirty-two.”
“What? Wait, didn’t Alya and Honey Hanan go to the same school?” Maudy was stunned.
“Alya was held back several times in elementary school, so she ended up in the same class as me in middle school,” Hanan replied flatly.
Maudy burst out laughing. “Oh my God, so she’s not just poor—she’s stupid too! How could she call me Sis when she’s actually older than I am?!”
“Babe, don’t be like that. She was showing you respect. Please… show her some respect too.”
“Ugh! That homewrecker is beneath our respect!” Maudy clicked her tongue angrily.
Hanan ignored his wife. He turned to look at Alya’s uncle and aunt. “I’m truly sorry, Uncle, Auntie. I really love Alya. I want to marry Alya. But…”
“God forgive me. Auntie really can’t understand you, Hanan. How can you say you love another woman in front of your own wife? Auntie can’t allow this. From now on, act as if you never knew Alya. Come on, dear. Let’s just go home.”
“Auntie, wait. I—”
Maudy grabbed Hanan’s arm as he moved to follow them. “Forget it, Honey! Stop making a scene! It would be different if Alya even wanted you! She did before because she didn’t know you had a wife! Now go ahead and try, if you can! I’ll kiss your feet if Alya actually agrees to become your second wife.”
“That Hanan! He’s really making me mad!” Auntie Erna clenched her fists.
On the motorcycle, the middle-aged woman kept complaining the entire ride home.
Uncle Solihin was also at a loss for words. He had originally wanted to confront Hanan and teach him a lesson, but nothing had come of it. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to throw a single punch at the man, much less curse him out. The frustration had gone straight to his head.
“Whatever happens, don’t let Alya fall for another man like Hanan! He’s such a headache! Hey, why are you so quiet?” Auntie Erna patted her husband’s shoulder as he focused on driving the motorcycle.
“Be quiet, woman. I’ve got a headache.”
“Oh, so you’re the only one with a headache? I’ve got one too!” Auntie Erna hit Uncle Solihin’s shoulder again.
Suddenly, Uncle Solihin slammed on the brakes, sending Auntie Erna tumbling forward.
“God forgive me! Be careful when you brake! I’m lucky I didn’t fall off too!” Auntie Erna grumbled as she pinched her husband’s waist, making him cry out in pain.
“Serves you right. Whose fault is it for not being careful?”
Uncle Solihin glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, did you hear what Hanan’s wife said?”
“What did she say?”
“On the way out, I heard her say this: ‘Go ahead and try, if you can! I’ll kiss your feet if Alya actually agrees to become your second wife.’” Uncle Solihin imitated Maudy’s voice, then continued, “Could she possibly be willing to share her husband?”
“Oh, don’t make things up!”
“I’m serious. What do you think if she is?” Uncle Solihin asked for his wife’s opinion, then continued. “Hanan is rich. There’s nothing wrong with a rich man having two wives.”
“Don’t say weird things, dear. Do you actually want Alya to become a second wife? Alya is practically our own daughter. Would you really do that to her? People will gossip about Alya afterward.”
“Well, instead of Alya becoming an old maid, it might be better for her to become a second wife. There’s nothing wrong with polygamy, right, dear?” Uncle Solihin said.