Chapter 20

Dinda sat in a room, where on each wall of the room were displayed posters about deadly diseases, HIV, Aids. It made Dinda even more uneasy at the thought of her husband who had the same pain.

A Doctor appeared from behind the examination room. Followed by Agus who walked behind him.

"Please sit down, Mr. Agus!" said the Doctor who was now sitting on the bench in front of Dinda and Agus.

"Mr. Agus been drinking ARV regularly all this time?" The doctor stared at Agus.

Agus hesitated to answer. It was silent for a while. "I rarely drink ARV," Agus replied in a low voice.

Immediately Dinda, who was sitting next to Agus, was shocked. So far, she thought that Agus routinely took the medicine.

"According to the inspection just now. I concluded that Mr. Agus was experiencing symptoms of secondary syphilis. With symptoms of rash, heat, sore throat and weight loss, and swollen lymph nodes. That's right, sir?" said the doctor reassuring his diagnosis and looking fixedly at Agus's pale-looking face.

"Doesn't this husband of mine have HIV, Doc?" asked Dinda in a quivering voice.

"That's right, mother, but usually an HIV sufferer can experience comorbidities like the disease that Mr. Agus is currently experiencing. Usually, this syphilis disease is suffered due to poor or inappropriate sexual behavior," explained the doctor turning his gaze to Dinda.

While Agus just silently lowered his face. His lips were covered with a body that felt limper. The ugly reality always befell him barrage making him almost desperate.

"But all can definitely be overcome anyway, ma'am. It's just that during the healing of Mr. Agus and his wife, it is better to postpone having a conjugal relationship first. Because currently, Mr. Agus is recovering," explained the man in white uniform to Dinda.

"Fine, Doctor!" replied Dinda sounding listless. Meanwhile, Agus was already speechless.

"I will make a prescription for Mr. Agus. Dinda's mother can make up for it at the hospital dispensary." The doctor wrote down the prescription for Agus.

"Okay doc, thank you!" Dinda grabbed the note that was on the table with her hands shaking.

After finishing, Dinda and Agus immediately left the Doctor's room to the hospital dispensary. Agus and Dinda are still waiting in line at the dispensary counter. There was no conversation whatsoever. Agus and Dinda fell silent on each other's thoughts.

Dinda can be seen wiping away the tears in her eyes many times. The woman's heart is now completely crushed. The problem of one is not over yet now that the other problem has come.

Agus, who was sitting next to Dinda, continued to fall silent. Even his pale face now looks even more alarming. The disease slowly took away everything Agus had.

"Mr. Agus prawira! Mr. Agus prawira!" called a female voice from inside the dispensary counter.

Dinda, who heard it, immediately headed for the dispensary counter.

"This is a recipe for Mr. Agus. In the drink, as directed, yes, ma'am!" explained the tosca hooded woman thrusting a bag of medicine to Dinda.

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Agus smoked a cigarette that was halfway there. He leaned his body against the end of the bed. His face looked so chaotic and ruined.

For almost three hours Agus locked himself in his room. It was still ringing clearly in his ears about the diagnosis of his illness that the hospital doctor told him.

His heart sank, even more, when the Doctor said that for a while he was forbidden to have sex with Dinda. Agus is even more afraid that later Dinda will leave him and seek an outlet with another man.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, Dinda still kept curled up in her room. Thinking about her fate after today, about her dream of having children.

"I shouldn't be like this, I should be there when my husband is in a state of difficulty or pleasure. Surely at the moment Agus is down and needs my support. And I have to be there for him." Dinda encourages herself to stay strong throughout her marriage to Agus. It doesn't matter if Agus is currently quite seriously ill.

____

Tok! Tok!

"Baby, I want to go in?" Dinda said from behind the closed door of Agus's room.

There was no response from inside the room. Dinda turned the doorknob off the room and walked in.

Dinda walked up to Agus who was enjoying cigarettes. His hair was messy and his thin body, made Agus look very unkempt.

"Baby, it seems that we haven't left for a long time. How about we go watch it!" said Dinda as she sat beside Agus.

Agus did not answer. Did not turn to Dinda who was beside him in the slightest.

"Baby!" Dinda tried to persuade.

"Marry with Doctor Firman!"

Dinda was surprised to look resentfully at Agus.

"What do you mean, Agus?" Both of Dinda's eyes were heated by tears.

"Marry doctor Firman, Dinda, and leave me!" said Agus turning to look at Dinda.

"You're crazy, Agus! How can you think that way? Do you think I am the goods?" Dinda ranted the cell. "No, I won't do that silly thing!" retorted Dinda angrily.

Agus's face turned sad. "Dinda, I am not a good husband for you. Even to take care of yourself alone I can't afford it. The longer this disease will kill me." Agus cried. "Marry doctor Firman, he is a man who has a sincere love for you!"

"I don't care. Until whenever I won't leave you, Agus!" Dinda dropped her body into the arms of a crying Agus.

"You have the right to be happy Dinda. You don't have to spend your time living with a confident man like me, who will soon also die." Agus cried, but he couldn't let go of his embrace on Dinda's body.

"I don't care, I will stay beside you. Whatever happens!" replied Dinda seriously.

The sound of apartment bell sounded. Dinda got up from Agus's arms. Then wiped away her tears.

"I open the door first!" she said before leaving.

The man in the black suit stood in front of the open door. Smiled at Dinda.

"Who are you looking for?" asked Dinda, feeling unfamiliar.

"I want to see Mr. Agus," the man replied.

Dinda stared curiously. "What is there to do, sir?" asked Dinda.

"It has been three months since Mr. Agus paid the rent for the apartment. Does Mr. Agus still want to continue it or not?"

Dinda was taken aback. She knew very well that Agus no longer had any savings. Then how could he pay the rent for the apartment.

"How much is it?" asked Dinda.

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Continued...