54 Good Times
SEPTEMBER 2018.
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It's been a year since Ludwina and Andrea had separated. Andrea had started to accept the fact that maybe Ludwina would never forgive him, but he really wanted to meet his wife just once, to try to convince her...
The email from the committee for the International Cybersecurity Conference in Bali arrived one morning. They invited Andrea to be one of the speakers at this prestigious event.
He was already known as the best security expert in the Asia-Pacific and the committee was very proud of how their event would be attended by an expert from Indonesia.
The date coincided with their 5th wedding anniversary. Andrea and Ludwina were supposed to have a party next month to fulfill their promise to Mrs. Inggrid, who really wanted to celebrate their wedding in a grand way.
Suddenly, Andrea's longing for Ludwina felt suffocating... He almost shed tears when he remembered their wedding in Bali five years ago.
In the end, he pressed the call button on his phone and called Mrs. Inggrid. Once a week, Andrea would call his mother and mother-in-law to keep in touch with each other.
They loved him and Ludwina very much and still hoped that the two wouldn't be separated.
They were the ones who convinced Andrea not to sign the divorce papers Ludwina had sent him and to wait. They encouraged him to continue giving Ludwina the space she needed to recover from her heartache...
"Mom, I'm going to Indonesia next month. I was invited to speak at a conference in Bali..." he said after exchanging news. Mrs. Inggrid sounded delighted. After one year, Andrea was finally going to return to Indonesia.
"In Bali? What date? Ludwina was also invited to speak at UWRF," said Mrs. Inggrid enthusiastically. She sounded very proud, "You two are amazing. I'm so proud of you!"
"Is that so?" Andrea quickly searched for information about this year's UWRF (Ubud Writers and Readers Festival) and found that Ludwina would indeed be one of the speakers there.
They would be in Bali the same week. He held his breath. How fortunate. This must be fate. Andrea smiled and said, "This is very good news."
His heart felt very light. Just as he had met Ludwina at the airport twice by chance, now the universe brought them to Bali at almost the same time.
If he was coming to Bali, it would be impossible for Ludwina to refuse his presence. Her dream was to become a speaker at UWRF. She must come to the event!
With enthusiasm, Andrea then wrote an email to Ludwina. This time, he wouldn't ask for her permission. UWRF was a public event, so was his conference. He only told Ludwina that he would be in Bali next month.
[I am invited to speak at a cybersecurity conference in Bali next month. Do you want to meet?]
He couldn't believe his eyes when an hour later came a reply from Ludwina to his email.
She finally responded!!
[I want to meet you, on the condition that you bring the divorce papers and sign them.]
Andrea's heart sank immediately, but he replied.
[Alright.]
The mattered was Ludwina was finally willing to meet him. He would think about the divorce papers later.
Andrea was very happy. He couldn't wait for October to arrive.
***
Ludwina received an email from Andrea when she was in Central Park, New York. She loved to be here reminiscing the fond memories of her college days and her time here with Andrea.
She met some Indonesians who recognized her and she took several photos together. Her heart was warm, warmer than the sun in New York that was approaching autumn.
Ludwina had to stay a month in the city because she was seeing a doctor who was researching a new treatment. Ludwina felt that she had nothing to lose at this time, as long as she didn't do chemotherapy. At this stage, she could accept anything...
Weeks passed and Ludwina finally had to return to Indonesia to attend UWRF. This was her first UWRF as a speaker. Who knew how many more UWRF events she could attend?
***
Adeline came to pick up Ronan, who spent the whole weekend with Andrea. Over the past few months, Andrea had been spending a lot of time with his child.
He was used to having Ronan stay at his apartment on the weekends and inviting him to do father-and-son activities together.
They liked the same kinds of food and their interests were similar, making Andrea feel as though he had a mini version of himself.
Sometimes, he wondered if he and his biological father were like this too. Whether Andrea was also a mini version of his father, he never knew, because his father never tried to contact him.
Andrea realized that he and his mother didn't look alike. Mrs. Annie strangely looked more like Ludwina.
Now that he thought about it, maybe that was what made Andrea like the girl so much when they met the first time. He was naturally attracted to Ludwina because she was very similar to his mother.
Men tend to choose women who were like their mothers, and women tend to choose men who were like their fathers. At least that was what he read in books.
If Ludwina really saw the figure of her loving and responsible father in Andrea, the man would be deeply moved. He really admired Mr. Kurniawan.
"When will you be leaving for Bali to attend the conference?" asked Adeline while enjoying tea in the living room. Ronan was drawing with crayons and it was raining outside. They were waiting for the rain to stop to get home.
"Monday. I want to visit my mother in Jakarta for a day before going to Bali. The conference lasts for three days."
"Wow... I haven't been to Bali for a long time. Ronan hadn't even seen it." Adeline looked nostalgic. "Do you remember the first time we went to Bali on a school field trip?"
Andrea nodded. That period was a long time ago. He and Adeline were 17 years old, almost half their current age.
"It was good times," he said.
Adeline smiled. "The best days of my life were spent with you."
Andrea looked at Adeline, trying to understand what she was trying to say. After all, he was a married man, he had always kept his distance from Adeline for the past year.
He didn't want to give Adeline the hope that they could get back together just because they already had a son.
Andrea loved Ronan very much, but he couldn't go back to Adeline because ever since she left him almost 9 years ago, he'd had countless ups and downs to forget about her. And then, he met Ludwina, who made him fall in love again.
Unfortunately, time seemed to stop for Adeline when they were 23 years old. She never moved on from Andrea because the reason she left was for the sake of the man she loved.
After all, she was pregnant with Andrea's child and had been raising Ronan alone for many years.
"The best days of my youth were spent with you," said Andrea softly. He looked at Adeline with a gaze of concern. "I'm grateful for the time we were together, and I'm very grateful that you take care of Ronan with all your heart. I was disappointed that you lied to me for 8 years, but I understand your reasons."
"My father will send you to prison on charges of rape. You know that my father was very powerful and well-connected. I didn't want him to ruin your future..." said Adeline in a choked voice.
In the past year or so, she and Andrea have never talked openly about their feelings or treated their past wounds. Today, for the first time, Adeline apologized.
"I used to feel that it was the best choice. Forgive me for being selfish and deciding everything on my own. I'm sorry I lied to you..."
Tears slowly streamed down from Adeline's beautiful eyes. Ronan immediately stopped drawing and went to his mother.
But Andrea was faster, he had approached Adeline and hugged her.
"Shhh... I know. I understand." He patted Adeline's back affectionately. "Those times have already passed. Let's just think about the future. I forgive you."
"Mommy, why are you crying? Did Dad make you cry?" asked Ronan quietly.
"No, Sweetheart. Your Dad didn't make me cry. He's cheering me up. I'm feeling better now..." Adeline released herself from Andrea's embrace and wiped her tears. She then embraced Ronan who approached her, "You both are wonderful men and I'm so blessed to have you in my life."
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From the author:
I feel sorry for Adeline... but, back off, girl! Andrea is a married man!
