Lately, strange things had been happening in the wealthy neighbourhoods. Tenuksia and her family appeared to be growing richer by the day. Expensive items suddenly adorned their home, new cars, exclusive furniture, and glittering jewellery around Tenuksia’s neck. Yet, none of the neighbours dared to question it. They seemed enchanted by Tenuksia’s wealth.
But not Marlina. Her sharp eyes noticed every change. Still, she chose to keep her suspicions to herself.
On a bright morning, Marlina decided to go to the farmer’s market. Holding a woven basket, she let her beloved cat, Kelabu, roam freely beside her. The market wasn’t far from the neighbourhood, buzzing with lively chatter and filled with the fresh aroma of produce. Vendors travelled from afar just to sell here, knowing their customers were from the wealthy elite.
While Marlina was busy selecting vegetables at one of the stalls, she overheard a group of women, her neighbours, talking in hushed tones in a corner of the market. Their whispers were low, but clear enough for her to catch.
"Did you hear? I saw Merilton last week," said a plump woman, adjusting her headscarf.
"Merilton? Marlina’s husband? Where?" another woman asked curiously.
The plump woman lowered her voice. "He was with a young woman, not Marlina. They looked... close."
Marlina froze. Her heart pounded at the mention of her husband’s name. She quietly positioned herself behind a nearby stall, listening intently without drawing attention.
"They went into a fancy restaurant in town. I think that woman was Orena," the woman continued.
"Really? But Orena is Marlina’s next-door neighbour. She looks like a businesswoman, maybe she was just discussing business with Merilton," another woman suggested, trying to dismiss the implication.
Before Marlina could hear more, Kelabu suddenly pounced into the middle of the market, chasing a rat that scurried past. Unfortunately, his antics caught the attention of a stray dog lurking nearby. The dog snarled and began chasing Kelabu aggressively.
"Kelabu!" Marlina screamed, dropping her basket. She rushed after her cat, who leaped wildly to escape the barking dog. The commotion instantly drew the attention of everyone in the market.
Kelabu leaped onto a chicken vendor’s table, knocking fresh chickens to the ground. The furious vendor shouted, "Hey! Your cat is causing trouble!"
Marlina apologized profusely while still chasing Kelabu. The situation turned even more chaotic when the dog jumped onto the table, sending goods flying everywhere. The entire market erupted into a frenzy, customers screamed, dodging the madness.
In the middle of the chaos, Marlina accidentally bumped into someone standing in the market lane. It was Orena. Orena held a fresh chicken in her right hand, her face filled with shock upon seeing Marlina.
"Marlina? What’s going on?" Orena asked, glancing at the still-chasing cat and dog.
Breathless, Marlina tried to compose herself. "Kelabu… was being chased… I’m sorry if I bumped into you."
Orena offered a small smile, but a flicker of anxiety in her eyes betrayed her. "It’s okay. Are you alright?"
Marlina nodded, but her gaze landed on the ten chickens in Orena’s plastic bag. "That’s a lot of chicken… Are you having a feast?"
Her question seemed casual, but she was fishing for information. Orena hesitated before replying, "Oh, I just don’t like making multiple trips. Easier to buy everything at once."
But Marlina caught the uneasiness in her tone. She knew Orena was hiding something but chose not to push further.
Kelabu finally leaped into Marlina’s arms, prompting the dog to lose interest and wander off.
"I have to go now," Orena suddenly said. She grabbed her things and hurried away without looking back. Marlina’s eyes followed her retreating figure, noticing a bag of candy among Orena’s purchases. Candy? For whom? Maybe for delivery boys or workers, she reasoned.
But a nagging doubt crept into Marlina’s heart. "What exactly are you hiding, Orena?" she whispered.
As the market gradually returned to normal, Marlina picked up her fallen basket and walked home with Kelabu by her side. But on the way, her mind kept replaying what she had overheard and Orena’s suspicious behaviour. Something was going on, something involving her husband and her neighbour.
Back at home, Kelabu immediately jumped onto the sofa, licking his fur. Marlina sat in the living room, hugging a pillow, deep in thought. The whispers from the market and Orena’s nervous reaction kept looping in her mind.
"I need to find out what’s really going on," she muttered to herself. But how? Did she have the courage to face the truth, even if it shattered her life?
Kelabu suddenly let out a loud meow, as if he understood Marlina’s thoughts. "Do you know something, Kelabu?" Marlina asked, smiling faintly. "If only you could talk, you’d tell me everything."
But she knew the answers wouldn’t come from her cat. She had to uncover the truth herself.
Little did she know, the truth was coming faster than she expected, in a way she never saw coming.
As she watched Kelabu’s playful antics, a small smile formed on her lips, but her heart felt heavy with uncertainty. "What is the connection between Merilton and Orena?" she whispered, feeling a pang of sadness.
She gazed out the window. The sky was overcast, gray and somber, just like her heart, mirroring the colour of her cat’s fur.