At a cafe..
"I thought you had left," Ariana said flatly.
"I thought about your words. Finally delaying my return. I just talked to Richard," said Maulana.
"Your daughter is crazy!" Ariana cut in.
"You can't just blame Trisya!"
"Ok. They're both crazy!"
"Why are you still holding on to your marriage? Is it because of Richard's position?"
"No! I deliberately made it difficult so that Trisya would realize, she wouldn't get anything from her adventure! But it turns out she doesn't care at all, in her mind maybe the important thing is that Richard now thinks more of her!"
"You're crazy too!"
"You're the cause!"
Maulana was silent.
"Do you know where she lives?" asked Maulana.
"Of course!"
"Let's go there!"
"What for?"
"I'm going to pick up Trisya," said Maulana.
"Then? Honestly, I definitely don't want to live under the same roof with her anymore!"
"I'll take care of her!"
Ariana laughed.
"You won't be able to! She'll drive you crazy, even your wife and children will be made difficult by that woman!"
"Speak well!"
"For 25 years she's been my daughter! What have I seen? I thought after she came home from finishing her studies, she would become a better person, but it turns out she's getting worse! Even though there is a man her age who wants to marry her. I didn't refuse him. Just reminded her not to get married so quickly because they only met a few weeks ago. But she challenged me, seduced her stepfather and let that man go."
"I'm her biological father, let me be responsible."
"Ok, let's go there!" Ariana stood up. "I'll take you."
****
"Dad.." Trisya called.
"Yes.."
"My friend in Malaysia contacted me.."
"Hm.. Then?"
"He invited me to join a PhD study program in London.."
"Good.." Richard replied without turning around.
"May I?"
"How can I stop you from going to increase your knowledge?"
"It's expensive," said Trisya.
"Dad will help later."
"Dad! Can you look at me when talking? This is serious! It's not about the money!"
Richard put down his phone, looking at Trisya.
"What's wrong?"
"Never mind. Let's talk tomorrow," Trisya stood up. "It's useless to talk if you don't listen seriously."
Richard pulled Trisya's hand to sit back beside him.
"Who's not listening to you?" asked Richard.
"Daddy's not listening to me seriously. Just answering briefly every word I say".
"Ok, now I listening to you and looking at you," Richard stared at Trisya closely.
Trisya pushed Richard.
"Don't look at me like that, Dad.. It feels like you want to swallow me."
Richard laughed.
"Then what should I do?"
"What do you think, Dad?" asked Trisya.
"Yeah, good. You're still young".
"But it's far, Dad."
"It's okay."
"Ah. You must deliberately let me go far, so you won't see me anymore."
"It's not like that."
"But it's expensive, Dad".
"Isn't your money a lot?" asked Richard.
"Oh yeah, not to mention if you add it, huh?" Trisya laughed. "Dad is too much!"
Richard laughed again.
"Dad.. Will yiu miss me if I'm far away?" asked Trisya, looking into Richard's eyes.
Richard stroked Trisya's cheek.
"Yes."
"Seriously?"
"Does it look like I'm joking?" asked Richard.
Trisya rested her head on Richard's shoulder. The man kissed her forehead.
"Are you okay?" asked Richard.
"Why?"
"After meeting your biological father."
"Just pretend he's dead. I don't need him," Trisya hugged Richard
"Don't be like that, your father is the person who will take you to the altar."
"I'm not going to get married either, I don't need him," said Trisya.
Richard was silent.
Trisya laughed.
"You don't have to feel guilty towards me. I'm fine."
"Don't lie to yourself. Say it's not good when you don't feel good," said Richard.
Trisya lay on Richard's lap.
"Ah, let me close my eyes for a moment in your arms. Later, when I'm far away from you, I will miss a lot of time with you."
"Also miss Ardi?"
"Why Ardi?"
"You spend a lot of time with him."
"Ah, I see jealousy in the eyes of my man."
Richard gently stroked Trisya's head.
"You will miss me?" Trisya looked at Richard.
"Why are you asking again? Didn't I answer earlier?"
"Ah, you're this.. What if the answer changes."
"Become not missing you?" asked Richard.
"Just try if you dare. I'll gouge out Papa's eyes for making me heartbroken," Trisya threatened.
"Before you can gouge out my eyes, I'll imprison you first."
Trisya put her arm around Richard's neck.
"Even now you've imprisoned my heart," Trisya looked at Richard.
Richard lowered his face and kissed Trisya.
"But I like it.." Trisya returned Richard's kiss.
"Good heavens! What are you two doing?" asked Ariana.
Trisya released her embrace.
Seeing Ariana who entered with Maulana.
"How did you get in?"
"The door wasn't locked!" said Maulana.
"What do you want here?" Trisya grumbled.
Maulana stepped towards her, immediately pulling Trisya's hand.
"Come with me," said Maulana.
"Let me go!" Trisya shouted.
"You shouldn't be here, Trisya!"
"It's none of your business! You have no right to me!"
"I'm your Dad's, Girl! Your biological Dad! I don't want my daughter to be like this!"
"I like it! What do you want? You two useless parents, don't interfere in my business!!"
"Watch your mouth, Miss! You've gone too far!" Ariana raised her hand to slap Trisya but Richard stopped her.
"Trisya go to your room!" Richard ordered.
Trisya hurried in.
"It's late, can't you make a fuss here?" asked Richard.
"There wouldn't be a fuss if I could take my daughter!" said Maulana.
"This is not the way to ask her to follow you, talk to her nicely. You should make an approach," said Richard.
"It's a waste of time if you do it that way!" Ariana retorted.
"Seeing you kiss like that earlier. I believe that more than that must have happened too, right? I still don't want to say that you might have slept with my daughter many times. It's a lie if not. After all, you are 2 different human beings."
"You've been gone for 25 years. You still have to make an approach, talk from the heart," Richard didn't respond to Maulana's words.
"And give you a chance to keep having my daughter?" asked Maulana. "Please, I hear you have a daughter too, right? What if this happens to your daughter? Taken to live under the same roof without the bond of marriage?"
"Can you two both get out of my life?" Trisya appeared holding scissors.
"Trisya! Are you crazy?" asked Ariana.
"Mama knows I can be reckless enough to throw a knife at Mama, right?"
"Trisya, stop!" Richard reprimanded.
"I don't want to know you two! As far as I'm concerned, you're dead! Don't you understand??? Where were you all this time when I felt like the world was crushing me?? Mama was there but did Mama ever care about what I wanted?? You don't remember Ariana? Even though you never remembered my birthday! And you, Maulana! For 25 years of my life, did you ever think of me?? You don't remember at all that you left a 1-month-old baby and never looked for her?? What kind of father are you?? Now you act like you want to protect me from Dad? Did you ever wipe away my tears?? Did you ever hug me when I was scared?? Did you ever calm me down when I was really angry?? I even just felt like I could play freely as a child at my age now because Richard understands how empty my childhood was!!!"
"Trisya..!"
"PLEASE GET OUT OF MY LIFE!!!"
"It's your brain that's shifted but you blame your parents!" Ariana shouted.
"Riana, don't yell at her," said Maulana. "Let's just go, don't make Trisya more panicked."
"Just put her in a mental hospital!" Ariana said.
Maulana looked at Richard.
"I entrust her mental health to you, but I will come back to pick her up," said Maulana.
"Don't pick me up! I won't leave Richard!" Trisya retorted.