The Surrogate Father

Rosella Kitchen

"Anything else, miss?" asked the waiter resto to its customers.

"No, enough." The waiter returned the food menu and then quickly disappeared to prepare the order.

Kring ... Kring …

[Yes, hello?] in a weak tone, justify the position of his phone.

[Adelia, Where Are you now, son? Said an old man on the other end of the phone.

(I'm outside, Dad. I'm fine.]

[No, Son. You're sick. Let's go home, okay? Dad, wait.]

[Dad, I'm fine. I just had a little lack of appetite, and I was out to eat. So, let me stay here a little longer, okay?] Adelia's appeal to her father.

[Alright, you be careful, huh? Go home when you're done eating.]

[Yes, Dad. I love you, Dad.]

Tut! The call has ended. Adelia sighed deeply, looking blankly at the garden right in front of her.

How am I going to hide all this? How will I explain what I'm going through to my father and the Adiwangsa family? What if they can't accept it? What if .…

"Adelia Nidya Adiwangsa." The man's voice so straightforwardly pronouncing Adel's full name managed to shatter the wild reverie that had formed in his mind.

"Oh, Chan, you're finally here." Adelia threw a sweet smile decorated with a dimple on the left cheek, round brown eyes, a towering nose line, and long hair tied in a ponytail.

"Yes, sure. I'm coming for you, my wife."

"I'm amused to hear you call me that," Adelia retorted.

"Huh, why? The fact is that now you are religiously legitimate to be my wife."

"Hush! Keep your voice down! You want this one restaurant to know if I'm your wife?" Adelia grabbed Chan's arm and dropped it on the sofa beside her.

"Yes, sorry. I didn't mean it like that, I was just teasing you."Chan threw a fatal smile while looking straight into Adelia's eyes. Instantly magic began to attack Adelia, just like when the two first met. His heart beat rhythmically, watching the beautiful shape of the eyes in front of him, the sharp chin, and the soaring nose.

Ah, no. Focus, Del! Focus! You have to talk about all this with Chan, okay? Adelia's mind rebuked itself while shaking her head, trying to knock out the Wild Thoughts that were still left.

"I want to talk to you about something important" " Adelia's tone turned serious.

"The important thing?"

"Excuse me, sir and Miss. Anything else to add?" The Voice of the restaurant waiter broke the atmosphere that had started seriously.

"No, thank you," Adelia replied.

"Alright, so what do you want to talk about?"

"It's about us. I was so tormented hiding all this, Chan. Don't you want to help me get out of this?" Tears began to pool in Adelia's eyes, covering her round brown eyes.

Chan slowly touched Adelia's hand and grasped it gently. "I can understand your suffering right now, Del, but I still hesitate to tell you the truth about all this."

"Doubt? So, you're gonna keep torturing me? Come On, Chan! End this, I'm tired." Adelia's tears broke out and filled the restaurant room.

"Adel, please understand. Hold on a second. Our college has entered the sixth semester now, that means there are only two semesters left we will end everything, " Chan said to Adelia slowly. "I'm sure you're the woman—"

"Huek!" Adelia felt severe nausea in her stomach and immediately ran to the toilet, leaving an open envelope tucked in the bag's front pocket on the table.

"What is this?"Chan's curiosity began to increase. He grabbed the white envelope whose adhesive was no longer working. With a pounding heart, Chan's fingers began to open, and a pair of eyes began to translate the contents of the piece of paper in the envelope.

"Positive?"Chan widened his eyes, trying to convince the writing once again. "True, this is positive."At once, Chan's body was struck by lightning. On the one hand, he felt happy about becoming a father, but on the other hand, he was worried about how to explain this matter to his family and even Adelia's family.

"Chan ...." A soft voice from behind dispersed his reverie.

"Have you finished going to the toilet?"

"Yes, I have." Adelia clumsily sat back in her chair and tried to understand what was happening. "Chan, have you read it?"

"Yes. So, this is why you're urging me to end this charade as soon as possible?"

"Oh, um ... yeah. I have a baby in my stomach right now." Adelia's memory goes back to that time. Hard times and everything just happens.

...

Six months ago.

Gayamharjo Village, Sleman – Yogyakarta

"Emily, can you accompany me? The motorcycle is still ahead, the doors are not locked yet and everything is sleeping." Adelia shook Emily's body, hoping she would wake up and be willing to accompany her.

"Hem ... you alone, I can no longer walk a meter," Emily growled in a faint tone typical of asleep people and changed their sleeping position.

"Argh, you all suck." Adelia had to walk to do her night job.

Thump thump...

A young man was running towards Adelia. He quickly tried to close the door, but the young man burst into it even faster. After arriving inside the living room, he hurried to help Adelia close and lock the door.

"Hey you disrespectful. Who are you? Get the fuck out of here!"

"Hush shut up! The village thugs are on their way."

"Then why if they come? I have no business with them."

"Shut up!" The young man pulled Adelia's body from behind and silenced her mouth.

"I'm sorry I had to do this to you. Trust me I'm a good man, just calm down till the thugs leave!" Gently the whisper lulled Adelia.

"Damn, he got away." The voices of some thugs were heard in front of the House.

"Damn, you can't fight one person. Look elsewhere!" The thug's voice sounded increasingly distant.

"Huh, thank goodness!" A sigh of relief was heard from the young man's mouth.

"Nghh let me go!" Adelia withdrew herself forcibly from the man in front of her. "Who are you really? Why are those thugs after you?"

"I'm Chan, I think we're a group of college program here"

"Oh yeah? Why do I feel like I've never seen you?"

"I'm a popular student in college, if you don't know that then there's something wrong with you."

"Shut up, now quickly get out of this place!"

"Wait, please help me. The thugs were holding me in the middle of the street, he took my wallet and cell phone. They tried to hurt me but I managed to escape. That's why I'm hiding from them."

"But this is a women's basecamp."

"I know. But the situation was not safe, the thugs could have found me while I was walking. Please let me stay until tomorrow morning. I'm not going inside, just going in the living room."

Adelia thought hard, " Well you can stay here. But remember, only here!"

"Yes nag".

"My name is Adelia, not chatty".

"Yes yes. Oh del, can I have some headache medicine? Argh my head was very heavy because of the thug's blow earlier."

"I'll get it."

The clockwork continued to advance, the cold piercing the skin even more. With eyes that were only a few millimetres open, Chan switched places. He walked involuntarily towards the front room, sneaking between the mattress and blanket displayed there.

"Del, it's 07: 30. Hurry up, today's activities will start early!"

No answer. He must still be in dreamland. Without words, Emily pulled Adelia's blanket to wake her up.

Aaaaa! Emily's cry woke up all the ears that were nearby. He was surprised to find the figure of a young man sleeping next to Adelia.

"Adelia, who is she?"

"Aaaa!"Adelia shouted. She was surprised to see Chan beside her.

Everyone was in Adele's room. The commotion ensued. Chan hurried to justify the position of his clothes and then ran through the rows of women surrounding him.

A few days later, Chan was invited to attend a village meeting. At the meeting, the police were also present. "Brother Chan Dewangga Putra, are you sure you didn't commit the theft?"

Chan had no time to answer, and some residents made a row outside the room. "Calm down, mother. Tell me, what's the problem?" the village chief tried to calm his people.

"Students here have done things that are not appropriate, Sir. They had spent the night together in the house we had prepared for them."

Give them justice, Sir! True, this cannot be allowed! The cries of the citizens are getting out of control.

Jesus, what was my dream last night? Not finished one problem, come again another problem. Chan complained.

"Let's finish one by one. Brother Chan is it true that you committed the theft against the citizens as the police allege?" the village chief continues the trial.

"No sir, I didn't do it."

"We found your identity card near the scene. How did that happen?"

"I also had a stroke that night, sir. My wallet and cell phone were seized by the thugs. Maybe it was they who committed the theft."

"Wait. If it wasn't you who did it, then Where Were you that night?"

"Em ... I..."

"Were you with this woman that night? If that's true, is it alleged that you and this woman did something inappropriate?"

Shit. This is what comes out of the lion's cage into the crocodile's cage, batin Chan.

"Then which one is right? Brother Chan please answer clearly".