ASK MOTHER'S PERMISSION

After school, Kiara and Silvi go home together. Incidentally that day, Silvi brought her favorite motorcycle.

"We went straight home, sorry for my mother at home alone. Moreover, it's already late," said Kiara.

"Yes, I also want to go straight home. My stomach hurts," answered Silvi. "Put on the helmet." Silvi gives me a helmet for Kiara to wear.

Silvi drove her favorite red motorbike very carefully. Kiara sat at the back with her arms wrapped around her best friend's waist.

After a long journey, they finally arrived at their destination. "Finally arrived," said Silvi, stopping right in front of Kiara's fence.

Kiara got off the motorbike and immediately took off the helmet she was wearing. "Thank you! You be careful going home." Kiara hands over her helmet.

"Okay." After hanging the helmet that Kiara had worn on her motorbike, Silvi started her favorite motorbike again.

From the yard of her house, Kiara could smell the sweet smell of the cake being baked.

"Mom!" Called Kiara from her front door but there was no answer. "Mom!!" Kiara raised her voice slightly. "Why not open it up?! Where's Mom?" Kiara started to wonder in her heart. "I'd better go through the back," she muttered.

"Mom, why isn't the door opening?! I called Mom repeatedly and she didn't answer." Kiara who saw her mother on the back porch was relieved.

"I didn't hear you calling," her mother answered calmly as she arranged the cakes on the table.

"That's a lot of cakes, any orders?" Kiara asked seeing so many cakes on the table.

"Yes, she said it was a cake for a party. My mother's friend recommended it here. It will be picked up tomorrow morning."

"No wonder it's a lot. I'll take a shower first, my body feels sticky. It'll help later." Kiara left and went into the house.

A few minutes later, Kiara was back again with a fresh face and changed clothes.

"Eat first, there is your favorite fried chicken. After you finish eating, then help Mom."

Kiara immediately took the rice and fried chicken that was already available on the dining table. With Kiara eating voraciously, in just a few minutes, the rice and fried chicken had moved into her stomach.

"Let me put it in the jar." Kiara immediately helped her mother after finishing eating and washing the dishes.

"Be careful not to break it," said his mother.

Kiara began to carefully arrange the cakes into the jars. One by one the cakes piled up on the table began to be neatly arranged in the jar.

"Mom, tomorrow Bagas invites me to his Papa's event. Kiara was about to refuse but didn't have the heart. Bagas is very kind, I can't bear it.

"What event, you have to come with his family? You'll end up causing trouble there," said his mother, looking at Kiara.

"Said Papa's office event. They let me come."

"What do you want to wear there? There are no good clothes. There will be many people who come from the upper classes. You will be embarrassed."

"Bagas will buy me clothes. Can't bear to refuse." Kiara looked at her mother, it turned out that her mother was also staring at her.

"Kiara, Mom never taught you to ask for anything from other people. Even though we live in poverty, we only have enough to eat and pay for school fees, but don't let us ask people for mercy."

"Mom, why are you talking there? I never asked for anything, Bagas himself forced me to come. The witness is Silvi if you don't believe me," Kiara interrupted before her mother spoke at length anywhere.

"You can refuse Kiara, don't force it if you can't!" Her mother said curtly.

"I told me that I wanted to refuse but didn't have the heart, Ma'am, Bagas was very kind. He just asked to be accompanied to an event. Papa didn't want to. Yes, ma'am." Kiara asked her mother's permission with the saddest expression possible.

"No! Later you will humiliate Bagas's family," replied his mother.

"Mom, please. Just this once, I won't cause any trouble there," Kiara's face was made pleading in such a way for her mother to allow.

"I don't feel well," her mother looked at Kiara. "I'm afraid something might happen to you there."

"You're thinking too much? Just now, I'm afraid that something will happen. Don't worry, Mom, I've been able to take care of myself for 18 years. Bagas will take care of me there too."

"I'm still worried, you're my most precious treasure. If something happens to you, it's better if I just die," Her mother looked at Kiara with teary eyes. "I love you more than my own life."

Kiara got up from her seat, came closer, and hugged her mother from behind. "Mom is everything to me. Don't be sad, I don't want to see you sad. If you forbid me to go, I won't go. The important thing is that you won't be sad anymore."

"I'm just afraid something might happen in there. Sit down." Mother told Kiara to sit beside her. "Are you sure you want to go there?" Mother asked after Kiara sat down.

"If you don't allow me, I won't come," Kiara replied.

"I'll allow it but you have to promise me one thing," said his mother, silent for a moment.

"What ma'am?" Kiara's eyes lit up.

"Take care of yourself, don't stay away from Bagas. You're still a kid, you don't know how cruel this world is."

"So you let me?" Kiara asked to make sure she heard nothing wrong with what her mother said.

"Yes," answered her mother.

"Thanks, Mom, I promise I won't do anything weird there." Kiara hugged her mother, which was returned by a mother's loving hug to her child.

"When the show is over, you go straight home!" Said his mother again.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'm going with Bagas's family to his father's company event, not going to the battlefield. As soon as it's over, I'll go home."

"Yes, now we continue to arrange the cake so that it can be finished quickly." His mother immediately checked the cakes that were still in the oven.

...

"Bagas, have you talked to Kiara?" Asked a middle-aged woman who still looked beautiful.

"Yes Mam," answered Bagas.

"Does she want to come?" She asked again.

"At first she didn't want to but Bagas convinced him until she finally wanted to come."

"Why?" Asked his mother again.

"A small problem, Ma, just because you don't have clothes to wear. Tomorrow Bagas wants to buy him clothes after school."

"Just take it to Mama's subscription boutique, so Aunt Susi will pick it up later," said Mama.

"Yes Mom, Bagas's plan is the same. Let Aunt Susi decide what clothes are suitable for Kiara to go to Papa's event tomorrow."

"Yes."

"It's late, Papa isn't home yet?" Ask Bagas to change the subject.

"Not yet, maybe a lot of work in the office, especially tomorrow there is a big event," Mama answered sitting next to Bagas who had been watching a movie.

...

Elsewhere in a white-and-white room, a beautiful woman is sitting and playing with her cell phone. His face looked like she was contemplating something.

"Tomorrow I have to look more beautiful among the women who come to corporate events. Mr. Leo must be interested in me, the longer I know him the more I like him. I fell in love with him. But Mr. Leo is only interested in my body, for him, I am just a doll of satisfaction just lust." The woman was talking to herself in her heart, her eyes occasionally looking at the screen of the phone she was playing on. "I miss Mr. Leo, where is he now? Monika misses you," she muttered to himself.

The night wind that entered through the open window of the room seemed to be dissolved in Monika's longing. A hidden love, a one-sided love. Love or a selfish wish to have?