A pair of twins

005 A pair of twins

Ardan shed tears, remembering his first and last meeting with his older brother's second wife. He had only seen her once and had only greeted her once when the two of them were married. That was all. His chest ached, and regret arose in his heart. If only at that time, he could spend more time and talk more to his sister-in-law.

"Mrs. Aisyah, Mr. Arga's wife died at the crime scene, but the child in her womb was saved," said the doctor, saying something that shocked Ardan.

''Child?!'' exclaimed Ardan, screaming in surprise.

''That's right sir, Mrs. Aisyah is pregnant. "Twins, the pregnancy is already full term," the doctor answered with a happy face.

"Where are the children now, Doc?" asked Ardan very excitedly.

"It's in the NICU room," answered the doctor with a slightly pitiful face.

"How are they, doc?" asked Ardan worriedly.

''Still under monitoring. Mr. Arga must also be immediately moved to the ICU," the doctor explained.

"Then just move it, don't worry about the costs!" exclaimed Ardan, "I can cover all the costs," he continued confidently.

''Okay, Mr Ardan. But, before that, there is something that Mr. Ardan must know and understand first," said the doctor, with a very serious face and careful in speaking.

"What is a doctor?" asked Ardan, with his face increasingly pale.

''Mr Arga's condition,'' the doctor answered briefly.

Ardan was silent, he looked at the doctor who was talking to him carefully. From what he saw earlier and also the doctor's expression now. Ardan, with a very heavy heart, finally surrendered and prepared his heart. He could already feel that something bad had happened to his older brother.

Even so, he is still an ordinary human being who always wants to get rid of the bad things that are on his mind. He still really hopes that his brother can survive and get through all of this.

''I'm sorry Mr Ardan... We doctors are just ordinary people who don't escape mistakes. Without intending to bypass the power of God, sorry, if I have to say this," said the doctor with a serious face, "In our assessment, the team of doctors who handled Mr. Arga's condition. Mr. Arga will find it very difficult to get through... Most likely, Mr. Arga will find it very, very difficult to get through tonight," continued the doctor, very careful with his words. ''So our advice is, listen to whatever Mr. Arga asks... Because it could be his last request... That's all we can say, we're sorry. We have given the best effort we can," added the doctor with a calm face, while looking at Ardan's reaction.

The blood in Ardan's body felt dry, his face was pale, and his legs felt like he couldn't stand straight. Ardan was disappointed and regretful when he heard the doctor's words saying that there was no longer any hope of life for his older brother. Various mischief that he had done as a child until he became an adult all overlapped in his mind. The older brother who had raised him alone, without their parents, since Ardan was eight years old, would soon leave him.

*****

Knock Knock Knock

There was a knock on the door in a simple, traditional Banten-style house covered in modern touches.

''Assalamualaikum...''

A greeting was heard after the sound of a knock on the door.

''Wa alaikum salam wr wb...''

A woman's voice answered the greeting from inside the house, she immediately ran towards the living room door to welcome the guests who had arrived.

''Yes...'' Aruna said kindly as she opened the door.

Ardan's face sadly looked at the face of the young girl who was now an orphan.

Aruna looked at the face of the strange man who came with great scrutiny and asked because she didn't recognize him. Aruna didn't open the door wide and had held it a little. She was alert because she didn't recognize the man who had come in the afternoon before Maghrib.

"Why didn't you open the door?" asked the man, frowning, "You blocked it... I can't get in," the man complained then.

"Sorry... Who are you?" asked Aruna, frowning, trying to be as polite as possible. Even though she was annoyed by the rude behavior of the guests at her door, Aruna thought about that time.

"I'm Ardan," answered Ardan briefly.

"Sorry... Who are you looking for?" Aruna asked again, still trying to maintain her polite attitude towards older people.

''I'm looking for Gavin,'' he answered again briefly.

"Gavin isn't here, he's out," said Aruna in response.

''OK, but... why are we talking outside?! '' the man exclaimed in a slightly high tone, ''Let me go in first!'' he said, commanding.

"Sorry... I can't, sir," Aruna refused firmly, "I don't know who you are," she added.

Aruna didn't want to say that she was alone at home. She was afraid that this stranger would act recklessly if he knew she was alone.

''I'm Ardan! You don't remember?!'' the man exclaimed reassuringly, ''Come on, let me go in first, I have something important for you too,'' he continued again, sounding like he was starting to get annoyed because he wasn't allowed to come in.

"Sorry sir, you can't!" shouted Aruna again very firmly, this time, "You can't come in, you're a guest, you have to be polite!" shouted Aruna again, firmly rebuking Ardan.

"Damn, this kid!" exclaimed Ardan, patting his forehead on his heart, "I'm Ardan..." said Ardan, slightly suppressing his voice but trying to be friendly, "We already met when my brother married your mother," Ardan explained later.

Ardan was starting to get annoyed with Aruna's attitude because not only was he very tired because he himself hadn't slept in the past few days. Plus, he was also in a hurry about his older brother's business. However, the girl who put up a warning sign in front of him was stubborn and refused to budge.

Aruna knew that the man in front of her was starting to get angry, but she remained unperturbed. She will not be afraid because she feels she is not wrong. What's more, what she is facing is a man who she thinks is a stranger.

''Really?!'' Aruna exclaimed firmly, probing, ''Let me take a look at your ID!'' she exclaimed again in order.

''What, you!'' shouted Ardan irritably with his eyes bulging.

Aruna was surprised to see Ardan's eyes glaring at her. What's more, Ardan's body was tall and muscular. Not to mention his messy, long-haired appearance and his face covered in a fairly thick mustache and beard.

Ardan was furious but he immediately understood that the girl in front of him was currently alone, and Ardan was considered a stranger to her. Ardan raised a thumbs up with her vigilance as a woman. But, he thought this girl was too brave. It would be dangerous if it was true that he was a foreigner with evil intentions.

''This is it, look!'' Ardan exclaimed, holding out his ID card, ''Muhammad Ardan Wiryawan, how is it?... Can I come in now?!'' he said again, pointing to the name on his ID card.

''Eh!... Wait! Wait a minute... Don't be careless!" exclaimed Aruna, immediately responding to Ardan's words.

''What else?!'' exclaimed Ardan, asking curtly, ''Come on, hurry up!" he shouted again in a harsh tone this time.

"Still not convincing!" exclaimed Aruna, answering Ardan firmly.

''What else?!'' Ardan exclaimed with a sad, surprised face this time. He was annoyed but couldn't be angry at the young girl who had lost her mother.

"Your face isn't the same," said Aruna loudly, pointing at the ID and looking at Ardan's face.

''That's my photo...'' said Ardan, insisting on convincing Aruna, ''It's only natural that it's different... That's an old photo. I'm an adult man now. That's my ID card for life, girl. From the start, that ID card never changed the content inside...''

"The one on the ID card is quite cute, but your face is scary..." said Aruna, surprised by her words. She reflexively closed her mouth immediately.

''Of course, the photo of when I was in high school will be different from the appearance of my face now?!'' Ardan exclaimed, complaining with an angry face.

''Ouch, I slipped!'' Aruna exclaimed to herself as she looked at the man in front of her, still with her hand covering her mouth. "Runa you fool... But... that doesn't matter, he's visiting but he's being obtrusive... That's not polite!" Aruna continued, inwardly justifying her actions, and didn't want to apologize.

''Oh my...'' said Ardan with a harsh sigh, ''What dream did I have last night?... I've been called Sir, and now I'm being told that my face is scary,'' Ardan complained in response to Aruna, who was still shocked by her own actions.

"Sorry sir, I didn't mean to," said Aruna, reflexively apologizing when she heard Ardan's complaint, "That was an honest expression of my heart, but I didn't mean to offend you," she continued innocently.

"Are you going to apologize or do you want to add to the teasing?!!" exclaimed Ardan, harshly confirming this to Aruna.

''No, sir!'' exclaimed Aruna, immediately shaking her head, ''No, really... I didn't mean to tease you at all...'' said Aruna convincingly with her innocent face, ''I swear!'' exclaimed Aruna again, denying it, with a nervous face, but she still answered firmly.

''That's all right... Just stop with that!'' Ardan exclaimed, ending his strange argument with Aruna, ''Now I have more important things to do. "You, and Gavin too, but Gavin isn't there... Well, that's enough with you," said Ardan, explaining.

"Yes... But, sir, I'm not sure whether it's you or not?" Anindira asked again with a firm face, "The photo on the ID card is very different, sir," said Aruna, explaining carefully this time.

"My God..." said the young man irritably, "You're being too suspicious..." shouted Ardan in an angry tone.

"I have to, sir!" shouted Aruna, replying, "The important thing is that I'm not accusing you. But, being alert is mandatory... I'm a woman, sir," she added, explaining what she had done correctly.

''Yes, that's it...'' said Ardan after sighing to lower his emotions which had risen earlier, ''Then, what should I do? So you can be sure... There's no way I have to shave my beard now, right?! Ardan said challenging Aruna.