Sam's wife

this is just a fragment of a story I'm working on in Indonesian. but this fragment it self stands as a short story, and has a happy ending.
and since english is not my mother language, I apologize for any mistakes I might make writing it.



We went to Bogor right after that. I wanted to say ‘no’ but I couldn’t. I didn’t know why Sam wanted me to go with him. In my evil imagination, Sam’s wife is a sick lady waiting for her death. This weekend is Sam’s last effort to make her happy. Sam brought me to be introduced to his wife, and to ask for her permission, or may be an opinion, about her substitute if she finally dead.
Crazy.
Even in a story, I wouldn’t write such a stupid thing.
“Why do I have to go?”
“Because I need you to”
“Sam, don’t you understand? You just broke my heart into pieces. I couldn’t say a word, I couldn’t even cry. And now you ask me to accompany you having weekend with your wife, and you don’t tell me why. You are crazy, Sam!”
I was so mad. My lunge was pressed so my voice didn’t come out right.
Sam just looked at me with those begging eyes. Oh those eyes. I could not refuse.

***

In Jagorawi tollway, instead of taking left turn to Bogor, Sam drove straight on.
“Why didn’t take the left turn?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“You said we are going to Bogor”
“Bogor’s edge, maybe”
“Where are we going, Sam? Oh, Puncak?”
“No”
I slammed my body on the seat rest, “I don’t know why I trust you, Sam. May be you are taking me to a tea plantation area, rape me, and then murder me…”
“Cin!”, Sam yelled at me. I guess he was shocked with my words, I felt the car going crazy for seconds.
“Sorry, okay, I won’t say a word. I hope I will never regret this trip”
The rest of the trip was silence. I just looked outside the window. The view should be beautiful, should be. But I couldn’t feel the beauty. My heart was feeling too bad for that.
Sam didn’t say a word either. His eyes just kept on the road. Don’t know what was going on his mind. In weekend, these hours, traffic jam is a certainty. This trip felt much longer, and so was the torturement. I wanted to get out and went home, but I knew I couldn’t.
Suddenly I regret I decided to go.
Suddenly I regret I received Sam’s love.
Suddenly I regret for hoping too much.
Suddenly I regret my first met with Sam.

***

The sun has set when we entered the tea plantation area, few kilometers before Puncak. I smiled remembering what I worried about. A few kilometers on rock path and we arrived to an old style big Dutch house. Big. Tall. Boastful.
Sam helped me with my bag, which I filled just with few pieces of clothes. I wondered why Sam didn’t bring any.
I followed him to the house. A man and a woman were awaiting in front of the door. I guess they were the villa keeper. The man took the bag in Sam’s hand. The woman brought me to my room, “Come on, Neng(*)”
I looked at Sam, asking for his opinion.
“Take a rest, she will show you your room”
I did what he said. Sam left us. My room was so clean and white. The only color came out from the roses in the vase on the table.
“Thank you. May I know your name?”
“Just call me Lilis”
“Thank you, Lis”
“You are welcome, Neng”
Lilis walked to the door, leaving me.
“Lis…”
She turned around.
“Do you know Sam?”
“No I don’t. We just take care of the villa and the guess. Mr. Sam rent this for this week end. They said some people will come. I and my husband have prepared the rooms and everything.”
“Will there be a lot of people to come? Do you know them?”
“Sorry, Neng, I don’t”
“It’s okay, thank you”
“I’ll be behind, if you need me”
I nod, Lilis left.

***

I just finished my bathe. Sam hasn’t called me, and I was feeling lazy to call him first. I was waiting for him to call me and introduce me to his wife, or do anything he planned. I haven’t met anyone except Lilis and his husband.
Knock Knock.
I opened the door and Lilis came up with a box.
“Mr. Sam asked Miss Cin to wear this dress”, she gave me the box.
In doubt, but I took it and brought it to bed.
“You know my name?”
“Mr. Sam told me”
A kebaya and a long batik skirt.
“When do I have to wear this, he said? This looks like a wedding dress”
Lilis didn’t answer my question, she just left. It was Sam got in my room.
“It is. I’ve asked your sister to help me to get it. I hope you like it. I mean, a bride usually choose her own wedding dress.”
I looked at Sam, with questions.
Sam sat by me, grasped my hand.
“Cin. You told me once that you would marry me. You even said, you could marry me right that time when I asked you to”
“I did, so much. But that was before I knew you are married”
“What made you think I am married?”
Oh God. I wanted to hit a hammer on this man’s head. Wasn’t it him who told me he was going to have a week end vacation with his wife? I pulled my hand off his.
“Don’t play with me, Sam. Now just tell me what you want. Where is your wife? Why are you taking me here?”
“I never played with you. And I want to marry you. And my wife soon will be here if you say you do. And I brought you here to make you my wife”
“Your second wife? Third? And after we get married, your first wife will come and see me? For what? To say bad words on me? Or may be asking for my help to serve you?”
Sam sighed long and deeply, as he was doing it for me, who has lost control.
“Will you please listen to me, and promise not to cut before I finish?”
I nod.
“Right this time. You father, your mother, your sister, and your younger brother are here. They’ve been waiting since this morning. And so are my mother and my two brothers. I’ve talked to them. It was hard at the beginning. You brother even told me I was crazy. But I’m glad they finally understood”
Sam stopped, but I knew he wasn’t finish yet.
“This time, is just for our family. If you want a party for friends and families, we will do it later. Cin I want you to marry me, now. That’s why I told you, my wife would be here if you would. Because if you wouldn’t, I will get out of this house, remaining as a single man. So will you?”
I closed my face with two hands. All feelings mixed in my heart. I didn’t even know what to feel. My body was trembling I was so happy. But at the same time I felt so ashamed for the suspicious thought of Sam.
Sam took may hands of my face, and held them both.
“I’m done. Now you can answer me, you have to”
“Oh, Sam I would. Of course I would. You… you are crazy, I hate you!”
I hugged Sam tight, didn’t want to let him go.



*)Neng: Miss, in Sundanese.