“Mom's leaving now. You take care of the baby, and please wake up Rica in an hour.”
“Yeah, Mom,” Priska replied.
Her mom was dressed neatly and smelled nice for an important meeting. She hugged and kissed Priska to say goodbye. Mom had an important meeting, so she needed to leave earlier than usual.
“Bye, honey!” Mom waved.
Priska waved back at the door, smiling. Mom left with the driver that Indra had hired a month ago, for the comfort of his mother-in-law, who had high mobility. Sometimes, the driver also picks up and drops Priska off. Then, Priska went back inside after Mom’s car had fully left.
An hour later, Priska was in the kitchen, helped by Rica who asked her to make shredded chicken with red sauce, while Indra sat on a bar chair, reading work emails on his phone. It was a holiday, and they had agreed not to go anywhere. Coincidentally, Rica had no plans either, so the three of them had planned to watch a movie in the home theater, which was rarely used since they usually watched movies outside.
Rica asked about Bisma, and Priska had no choice but to tell the story and answer all the questions. Her sister was clearly smitten with the criminologist. Rica had met him at a friend’s apartment, but since then, she didn’t have a reason to meet him again. In fact, Rica had tried several times to make their meetings seem like coincidences so she could get to know Bisma. However, the man rarely went back to his apartment, which made Rica give up.
“Actually, Sis, I’ve been to his apartment a few times to get his attention, you know, just to flirt a bit, but he seems really busy,” Rica said.
Priska, who was making coffee without sugar for her husband, snickered when she heard Rica’s statement. That’s because Bisma was indeed often out or sometimes went to Sigi’s house, which was closer, to meet his two nephews.
“Bisma is like that, Ca. He rarely takes time off work and doesn’t sleep much, so his dark circles are pretty thick.” Priska handed the coffee to Indra.
“Thanks,” Indra said, smiling sweetly before sipping the coffee.
“But, Sis, I’m really sure he had a great first impression of me. Isn’t giving a bridal bouquet a sign that he’s going to marry me in the future?” Rica said while grabbing a glass to make some milk.
But before that, she turned around, smiling widely and added, “If I can’t be with Kak Bisma, I’ll switch to the CEO of Fast Cargo. Mas Ethan is also cool, and I like him.”
Indra furrowed his brow, and Priska’s forehead wrinkled as they both wondered about Rica’s line of thought. Indra laughed out loud after exchanging long looks with his wife. He couldn’t hold back from laughing at Rica’s suggestion, which he thought didn’t make sense.
“Rica, you can date anyone you want, but not Ethan. Are you naïve or just dumb? I’m sure you’re not as clueless at your age. Priska at your age didn’t understand anything about men, but you’re better at that, Ca. Please, think more logically for your own good,” Indra said, looking at his sister-in-law with concern.
Rica grumbled. “Why?”
Indra grinned and casually sipped his coffee, while Rica and Priska waited for him to speak. “I like him in a professional sense. Ethan is very smart and capable, but I don’t really like his personal life. Can you please separate the two, Ca? Pris? He’s a bit of an asshole.”
Rica put her hands on her hips, still unable to accept it. “Now, explain that, Mas. I won’t stop liking him until I hear your logical reason. Logical, according to you, Mas Indra,” the 21-year-old girl mocked.
“He wants to sleep with someone else’s wife, and I think he’s after you now because of your family background,” Indra revealed.
Rica’s smile immediately faded, and she couldn’t respond to Indra. She took some water from the dispenser and continued making milk in silence. Priska glanced at her husband, who now seemed more relaxed as he swiped his tablet’s screen. They exchanged a knowing look, but only Indra seemed truly relieved.
Priska then resumed cooking breakfast for the three of them. Rica excused herself to the second floor to shower and wash some clothes she had soaked. The girl was clearly shaken after learning about Ethan’s chaotic personal life.
However, Priska and Indra both knew that Rica needed time to reconsider Ethan. The intelligent man was intriguing, but Priska was sure that Indra didn’t want their sister to fall into a world she shouldn’t be in.
After all, Rica had always been closely guided and protected by Mom. Now, it was Indra and Priska’s responsibility to help keep her safe until she met a good man who would protect her for life. Whether that man turned out to be Bisma Bonaventura or not, what mattered now was the safety of their sister.
“You’re giving an example that’s… Uhm, not extreme, but too extreme.”
“A naughty kid like Rica sometimes needs a little shock therapy to wake up, Pris. Better to disappoint her early than regret it later. It’s not funny if she gets pregnant by Ethan.”
“So, you support her with Bisma then?” Priska teased.
“Hundred percent support.”