Chapter 4 FOUR

"Sorry, Bar papa can't be with mama anymore." said papa looking down.

"I'll talk to mom!" Akbar snapped at his father. He walked away, leaving his father behind. He was very disappointed with his father. He couldn't believe that love could ruin his family.

"I don't know about your problems with mom. But why did they hurt me so much. Their own son." Akbar looked up in his heart.

Now he was inside the building. From afar he could see his mother busy feeding Bintang.

Akbar didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. He loved his mother very much. It was heartbreaking to imagine her crying.

He could clearly see mama's exhausted look. Although she often nagged, she was everything at home. From waking up papa, Akbar and Bintang. Then preparing breakfast. Even though there was a household assistant at home. But mama always checked her duties as a housewife.

Akbar's feet walked past the people who were eating on their respective carpets. He could see other families laughing occasionally. The happy atmosphere could be clearly seen in the family.

Akbar turned his gaze in another direction. Imagining that his family would not be as harmonious as before made his chest tighten.

"Bar, have you eaten yet? Come sit down to eat first," said mom, worried that her son had not eaten dinner.

"I already ate ma, I was outside with Iyan," Akbar said with a flat face. He sat on Bintang's lap.

Riri glanced at Akbar silently, she could clearly see the dim light on the man's face.

"Akbar, what's wrong with you? It makes me sad when I see your face like that. Did Akbar talk to his father? They didn't fight each other, right?" Riri said to herself. Now her mind was filled with bad thoughts about Akbar.

"Ri, let's go to the toilet and wash our hands." said Cahaya, wiping her lips. She had finished eating her nasi geprek.

Riri nodded and they both walked to the toilet.

"Have you finished eating ma?" Akbar asked his mother who had finished drinking mineral water.

"Yes, but only a little. He only ate the rice, he didn't want to eat the chicken. Try giving him a biscuit."

Akbar immediately reached for the biscuits in his mom's bag. Then he fed it to Bintang in small pieces.

"Eh, papa's back!" mama exclaimed as she saw papa approaching them.

Mama greeted papa happily. Then papa sat between them.

"Have you eaten yet?" asked mama gently as she took off the backpack that papa was carrying. And put the bag beside him.

"Papa already ate, Ma. I was at work." he said as if nothing had happened.

Akbar glanced at his father. He wanted to eat him immediately. He was very angry at how cleverly his father lied to his mother.

Akbar's father and mother chatted as usual. Papa seemed to be acting normal. He was good at covering things up.

Akbar looked at his papa as if asking permission for him to talk to his mama.

"Mah, I want to clean my body first, after that I want to go straight to bed. I'm really tired." Papa said by massaging his own shoulders.

"Have a good sleep, Pah." Mom said with a sweet smile.

Then papa left with a resigned heart. After seeing that papa was no longer in Akbar's sight. Akbar immediately spoke to mom.

"Mom, Akbar wants to talk to me seriously," Akbar said looking at his mother's innocent eyes.

"Just say it, Bar. Why do you have such a frown on your face?" Mom exclaimed seeing her son's face was not like usual.

"Hold on, Mom, Akbar wants to leave Bintang with Riri first. Mama just stay here." Akbar's request surprised his mother. He immediately left and soon saw Riri.

"Ri," Akbar called.

"You take care of Bintang for a while, I want to talk to mom seriously." Akbar said in a hurry. Riri nodded her understanding and carried Bintang who didn't know anything. Bintang had time to whine, but Riri immediately turned Bintang's eyes outside the building.

Akbar immediately walked back to his mother. The evacuation center was quiet. Because some people were performing Isha prayers.

Akbar turned his gaze around. He tried to find the courage to talk to his mother.

"What do you want to say, Bar?" his mother was still relaxed about Akbar's behavior.

"Mom, I hope you believe what I'm going to say." Akbar said carefully. He was very afraid of hurting mom's heart.

"Yes, you say it first. How can I trust you?" Mom said, bored with Akbar's rambling.

"Mom, Akbar saw papa cheating on me," Akbar said softly but sounded firm.

"What, you can't make it up, Bar," said mom with a feeling of nervousness.

"Akbar is serious mom, Akbar often sees papa with other women. Akbar has also talked to papa. And papa admitted his actions." Akbar assured his mom.

"When did you talk to papa?" asked mom with a furrowed brow. She could not understand her son's words that shocked her so much.

"Earlier ma, when papa came home. I was outside, Akbar already talked to papa." Akbar said excitedly.

Mama shook her head and covered her mouth. She wanted to cry so badly.

"So what did papa say?" she asked curiously. Because just now she had a normal conversation with her husband. But why is it as if hearing this bad news, the world seems to be destroyed.

Akbar took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. As if he wanted to calm his emotions.

"Dad said he was tired of mamah. She's nagging and he doesn't have any feelings for her anymore. He's already in love with that woman." Akbar explained with his head down. He couldn't bear to see his mother so vulnerable.

"There's no way papah would say that." Mom said in a voice that sounded sobbing. Mamah covered her mouth unable to hold back the pain in her chest.

Akbar gently stroked mama's shoulder. As if he wanted to make her calmer and more patient. But she couldn't, she was already angry and sick at the bad news about her own husband.

"I want to see papah!" she said with mixed feelings. She stood up but Akbar intercepted her by grabbing her wrist.

"Mah, please don't make a fuss here. You can talk to papah in the morning. I want you to calm your mind first. Don't act with emotion." Akbar said quickly. He was now standing looking at his mother. As if begging her to understand what he was saying.

Mamah shook her head angrily.

"I'm already sick Bar!" she pointed roughly at her chest while glaring at Akbar.

Mamah walked quickly followed by Akbar with a feeling of anxiety.

"Ya Allah, I hope you won't fight in this refugee camp. Please protect our family, O Allah." Akbar said in his small heart really hoping for goodness in the midst of his family.

Mamah looked at papah who was engrossed in his cell phone.

"Pah!" mamah called sternly.

Papah looked back silently as if he knew his wife would be furious with him. But he had resigned himself to what happened next.

"Mamah wants to talk to papah outside!" mamah said as she left the building.

Papah and Akbar followed behind.

"Is what Akbar is talking about true? Is it true that papah is cheating on me?" asked mom, who was already in tears.

Papah looked away as if he didn't want to see his wife crying. Papah's nose hardened, his heart wanted to be angry with his wife. Because all this time, he actually could not live with his own wife who was a nag and liked to spend excessive money.

"Yes, Akbar is right. Papah is having an affair." Papah said bravely. He even looked at his wife with emotion.

"Are you crazy? Heh? You have the heart for mamah!" mamah threw several punches at papah's chest. But papah was silent and didn't answer.

"Why did you do all this to me? What's wrong with you?" asked mamah, looking down and holding her forehead.

"Daddy is tired of you! She's a nag! She also likes to spend money excessively. Anyway, I don't love you anymore. I'm tired of all this." Dad said with emotion. His breathing was fast as he stared at his mother and Akbar.

In Akbar's heart. He really hoped his father and mother would realize. Maybe they were both guilty. Maybe they could communicate well with each other. Akbar was sure his family could be reunited.

Akbar held his mother's arm.

"Already mah, let's just go in, calm mamah's heart. Everything will be discussed properly." Akbar said as his mother walked. Mamah was already weak, her energy seemed to be drained by the pain in the depths of her heart. The husband she had been supporting. Turned out to be having an affair behind her back.

Akbar looked sarcastically at Papah. Papah was silent as he watched his fragile mother being carried by Akbar.

"Mamah drinks first," Akbar said softly. Now both of them were sitting on their carpet.

"Why is papah so mean to mamah? You already love me so much. Why is he so mean?" she said as she continued to shed tears.

"Already mah, just istighfar. Surely everything can be resolved properly. Maybe it's just a matter of lack of communication between mamah and papah. Now I'm going to take a break. Let Bintang Akbar take care of it, so Bintang can sleep." Akbar said, gently stroking his mother's shoulder. He also wiped her tears. It was clear that mama's eyes were puffy.

Mamah lay down and Akbar covered her with affection.

Akbar was now looking for Bintang who was entrusted to Riri.