In the Name of a Mate
Chapter 54: The End of Misunderstanding

"Astagfirullohaladzim, my God, your father can be angry if you know what happened" Layla immediately took her nephew from the hands of the man who had helped her

Panicked Layla flipped through the toddler's body to see the wounds she might have received

"Ndak cakit" said the boy with a lisp as if he understood his aunt's panic

"Next time don't do it again yes, if told to wait there, don't come out"

"Ready" the toddler gave a thumbs up and laughed, not understanding her aunt's panic

"Thank you for the help" too busy with Athala, Layla forgot to thank the man who had helped her. Seeing the silent man not responding, Layla raised her head

Like a miracle, with an indescribable sense of sadness, longing, surprise and happiness, everything is mixed into one. The man who did not change much after six years passed, only his hair grew longer and his face looked thin

"Sir Qais?"

"Assalamu'alaikum Ila"

"Wa'alaikumussalam"

"Atha wanted to drink" Layla only woke up as her niece spoke

"Come there" Layla pointed to the long chair under one of the trees. He deftly opened the lid of the bottle of mineral water he had bought

"He's a smart kid" Qais said. The three of them sat on the long bench with Athala among them

"Dad and his mother are also smart" said Layla, which made Qais misunderstand

"Yes right, you're smart too" he murmured almost inaudibly

"What?" Layla asked once more but Qais only shook her head and smiled

"The eyes are very similar to yours"

"Yes, I said so too" Layla replied trying to relax, not knowing the answer made Qais' misunderstanding even further. Obviously, he and Bilal have the same eyes as his mother's, but Naufal says the shape looks more like Layla's eyes even though the color of her eyeballs is the same as Bilal's

"Not eight years?" Layla reopened the conversation after a long silence. He wondered why the man was here

"We got leniency for various reasons, so it was reduced by two years" Layla nodded in understanding, they used to be sentenced to ten years, but for some reason her sentence was reduced by two years and that was the last news that Layla heard before finally choosing to move campuses outside the city and shut her access to the news

"Since when did Kak Qais get out of prison?"

"One week ago?"

"Why not tell?"

"Because I might not be able to realize that you're not for me anymore"

"meaning?"

"If I see you, it's like I won't be able to see you together." Qais hasn't finished saying Layla's phone reads.

"Before a minute"

"Wa'alaikumussalam"

"..."

"Yes, I'm going home again"

"..."

"Wa'alaikumussalam"

"Who's calling?"

"His father" Layla said pointing to Athala who is still focused on her food regardless of the conversation of two people in front of her

"You were told to go home?"

"A little while"

"So Kak Qais said what?" Qais took a long breath

"I can't possibly meet you, since being released from prison I'd love to have my feet step into your house, but my heart has not been able to let go even after six years" Qais endured the pain in his heart. He thought Layla could still be with him, though it sounded selfish but his heart ached to see his ex-wife marry another man and now he's really late for it

While Layla was silent still digesting everything including the words Qais. The silence between the two is created, the noise around the park does not make them their minds silent with various questions

"sleep" he murmured softly with his eyes almost closed

"Athala was sleepy, we went home first yes" when Layla was about to hold the toddler, Qais immediately took her

"Eh"

"Let me drive your cars" Layla nodded, she walked in the back and pointed to their parking location earlier

"Just put it to bed here" Layla put together a pillow on the back bench

"Is your dad busy?"

"Yes, he works in one of the companies engaged in the agricultural sector as a researcher, he spends more time in the laboratory"

Qais smiled miris, good man and hard worker, the man must be lucky to have Layla, so that Layla was certainly lucky to get better. But his heart ached hearing all this

"Will Brother Qais stop by?"

"Can you?"

"May, come home. The door is always wide open"

"Well can you?"

"Can, we would be happy to welcome Kak Qais"

Qais smiled grievously, could he see Layla happy with someone else, he thought

"Will your husband not be angry?" it was very much like Qais to ask that sentence. But he said, he better see for himself later

"Well, I'll see you tonight. Assalamu'alaikum"

"Wa'alaikumussalam" Qais looked at the car that was walking away feeling sad but also happy. The prayer has always been the same, Layla who becomes his companion if fate permits, but it seems that Layla's happiness is not in him

The man wiped away the water that reminisced in the corner of his eyes, only Layla the woman who made him feel the pain of love to this extent

"Beloved cooking, who the hell will come?" Layla jumped in shock, she was embarrassed to be found smiling by herself while stirring the ready dough on her back

"Sister Bela, don't suddenly show up like that, I'm shocked"

"Hehehe sorry, the end of tumben see you cheerful spirit kayak gini"

"Let's see it tonight"

"But the same permission? Don't let the man come even expelled with the father"

"Where does Bela know that men?" Bela who was drinking water, choked to hear the question

"Male?, and I was afraid. Who?" Layla shook her head not to answer let it be a surprise later. He only told Naufal, and his father's reaction was certainly surprised, but still agreed with open arms to receive Qais to visit

.

The afternoon changed into night, the bright light blue sky changed the deep blue sky decorated with the moon and millions of stars that shone brightly

"Assalamu'alaikum" Bilal was most curious when his younger brother's guest immediately rushed forward to open the door as the sound of greeting sounded

"Wa'alaikumussalam"

"Qais? How's you?"

"Yes, it was free from a week ago" Qais replied smiling. Bilal nodded slightly awkwardly and let the man in, the change he saw most visibly was the face of the man who looked thin and the way he dressed. He used to see Qais more often with ripped jeans and a leather jacket, now the man wears black batik gloves and a young gray cocoa shirt not to forget also the black peci perched on his head

"How are you doing, son?" Naufal patted Qais on the back as the man kissed her hand

"Thank God be good father, especially after being able to breathe fresh air again"

"Make a lesson, don't repeat it again" Qais nodded and sat down on the sofa facing Bilal head-on. He slightly furrowed his eyebrows because the person he wanted to meet was not there, only Bilal, Layla, Naufal and a woman he knew was Bilal's wife. He wanted to meet the lucky man who succeeded him as the priest of Layla. Not to compare himself, but he wanted to know what the man was worth. Finally, he dared to ask

"Sorry Ila, is your husband not home yet?"

"Huh?"

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Sorry if you guys feel the flow of speed or do not connect...🙏🙏🙏