The Nightmare: As You Get Older

"Do you want to be an old maid?" The question from Ratna made Adel regain her senses from her reverie and frown even more, annoyed, "What do you mean?" Adel tried to be patient because she was afraid of mishearing the question that had sparked her emotions from the start.

"You prefer to be an old maid? Because you are not married, it would be better for you if Abel did not have a boyfriend, but in reality, Abel does have a boyfriend, and they are going to take it more seriously, but you, as Abel's older sister, do not even have a boyfriend. What if you were stepped on by Abel? Shame on you!" said Ratna, to which Ratih and Ayu agreed. Adel rolled her eyes and said, "Why do you say that? Besides, if Abel really wants to get married first, then go ahead and just do it. I don't care." Adel rose from her seat, finding it stiflingly hot to be surrounded and asked by uncomfortable questions. She walked past the aunts and Andien, pretending she did not care anymore, to her room.

When walking to her room, Adel still clearly heard the conversation of the annoying aunts. They told Andien to take her daughter, Adel, to be taken to the ustadz, so as not to ignore the parents' advice and get married quickly, but Adel did not hear the mother's answer because she was already in her room. Will Mother agree to the words of those annoying aunts? And will her mother stand up for her? Adel lay down on the bed, and she forgot to bring the bowl used for the fruit salad she ate back to the kitchen, but she did not want to go back out there again and decided to close her eyes while hugging Janu, who was still asleep on her bed.

It was six in the afternoon when Adel opened her eyes. Adel looked to the side; Janu was not there; he must have meowed, asking to come out, and someone took him out. The conversation that had made Adel emotional this afternoon had faded, replaced by curiosity about whether the aunts had returned home. Her curiosity was not as big as her desire to wash her face, so she immediately got up from her sleeping position and walked to the bathroom to clean herself. After finishing cleaning herself, Adel walked to the wardrobe, looking for the clothes she would wear to sleep tonight, and her choice fell on the soft pink pajamas that Abel had given her a week ago. During the shower earlier, Adel's mind was filled with the words of her aunts, which made Adel feel guilty toward her parents. So far, it's true that Adel has not had any thoughts of getting married, not even having a boyfriend. Not because no one approached, but because every time someone approached, it felt like nothing "clicked" in her heart, so Adel did not continue the relationship, and because of that, until now, she has had no thoughts of getting married. Adel has really enjoyed her solitude these past few years with Janu, an adorable cat who has accompanied her for seven years, and Adel loves him very much, as well as her family.

If Adel thinks about it, did Andien and Arya feel what the aunts felt too? Has she been too selfish all this time because she is too concerned with her own interests? Does Abel also think like that? Ah, tired. Thinking about this, why did not she ask Andien directly? Constantly thinking like this made her thirsty.

With great consideration, Adel ventured to walk out of the room. There was a feeling of fear when she left her room; she was afraid of the thought of being lectured by her aunts, who might not have come home, or of being scolded by Arya, or maybe Andien. The house feels quiet, which means the aunts have come home. Adel breathed a sigh of relief and walked into the kitchen to get a drink. Andien, her mother, turned when she heard Adel's feet making a small sound as she walked, and she smiled, "Are you awake?"Sleep well?"

 

"Um, pretty well," replied Adel with a small chuckle. "Auntie is already home, Mom?" Adel asked politely after taking the glass and walking to pour mineral water from the gallon.

Andien, who had been distracted earlier because she had to greet her daughter, who had just woken up, continued to put the ingredients for cooking into the fridge and replied, "They left at four this afternoon, Del."

Adel pursed her lips while nodding. Great, thought Adel. Adel took a few sips of water from the glass; she was very thirsty because she had not drunk water since one o'clock in the afternoon. "What about Abel and dad, Mom?" asked Adel again.