Chapter 48 - Dinos Proposal (2/2)
”True love indeed comes after marriage, but you've had a child. Your case is totally different from Bara's, No. ”
”Leon is not a mistake, Mom. It was our mistake for doing that before marriage. If Rere wasn't there that night I might have fallen into that damn prince's trap.” Dino started to get angry when he remember prince Ahmed. That man killed Ananya. He never regrets Leon's existence. Dino is happy to have a son even though the boy is not his and Ananya's son.
”Did Rere agrees to marry you?” Lala asked. For some reason she doubted that Rere would accept Dino's proposal.
”Whether she agreed or not, she had no choice to reject my proposal for Leon's sake.”
”That's not how it works, No. Marriage is not something you can force.” Lala started to panic seeing Dino's attitude.
”Of course it is. I will just complain to Bara about her rejection and I am sure he can convince his sister to marry me. The only problem is our big age gap. We are 14 years apart. I'm 39 while Rere is 25. Having a very young wife will make me give in to her will after our marriage. I have robbed her of her youth. At least, I want to make her happy as my wife.”
”You're overconfident.”
”Of course, I have a long history on how to make a woman happy, mom” Dino teases his mother.
”What a flirty widower.”
”Am I?”
”When are you going to propose Rere?”
”This weekend, I want to go to Jakarta to meet Rere's parents and propose to her. Please come along with me, mom. I need to convince Rere's parents that I wholeheartedly want to marry their little girl.”
”Little girl? are you sure?” Lala teases Dino.
”In her ID card, she is still a girl, an unmarried woman, even though she is actually a single mom with a son.”
”You're crazy.”
”I am crazy for being a widower for too long, Mom. I need a wife. I need someone who can warm my bed.” Dino still talks in childish behavior.
”I think you're right. Being a widower for too long can actually make you crazy.”
*****
”We've arrived at the airport, Bar,” Dino called Bara as soon as they step inside the building at Soekarno-Hatta airport.
”Have you met my driver, yet?” Bara asked.
”Not yet.” Dino looked at Lala and Hanin.
”Wait for a second, I will call my driver,” Bara said before hung up the phone.
Not long after, Bara's driver came to fetch them. The driver took them directly to Bara's house. For some reason, Dino started to panic when he realizes that he is going to meet Herman and Ainil. He was also confused about his own reaction. This was not his first time meeting a woman's parents to propose, but strangely he became nervous and his hands were sweating.
”Are you okay, No?” Lala realized her son's nervousness.
”I don't know why, but my heart just can't calm down even though I have done this before.” Dino brushed his hair.
”It was normal for you to be nervous. It's been a long time since the last time you've done this.”
”Dad, do you want to propose Leon's mommy?”
”Yes, honey.”
”How could little Leon had been born before you marry Leon's mommy?”
Dino was shocked to get this kind of question from Hanin. He doesn't know what is the best way to tell a little girl the truth. Dino is in a dilemma. It was impossible to tell Hanin that Leon was his illegitimate child.
”Why do you asking such a question, baby girl?”
”Hanin once asked the teacher. Why Hanin cannot find Hanin's picture in dad and mother's wedding photo? Then the teacher said that God was creating Hanin at that time so Hanin was not in dad and Mother's wedding photo. The teacher also said that Hanin was born after dad and Mother getting married. Then what about Leon? Why little Leon born first when dad and Leon's mommy aren't married yet?”