Grady Laksmono

They have been married for two years. He loves literature
and often posts his work on the net, but nobody ever reads them.
He is also into photography and he handles their wedding photos.
He loves her very much. Likewise with her.
She has a quick temper and always bullies him.
He is a gentleman and always gives in to her.

Her: “Why can’t you be the photographer for my friend’s wedding?
She promised she’d pay.”
Him: “I don’t have time that day.”
Her: “Humph!”
Him: “Huh?”
Her: “Don’t have time? Write less of those novels,
and you will have all the time you need.”
Him: “I… someone will definitely recognize my work some day.”
Her: “Humph! I don’t care, you’ll have to do it for her!”
Him: “No.”
Her: “Just this once?”
Him: “No.”

Negotiation’s broken. So, she gave the final warning:
“Give me a Yes within three days, or else…”

First day, she “withheld” the kitchen, bathroom, computer,
refrigerator, television, hi-fi… Except the double bed,
to show her “benevolence”.

Of course, she has to sleep on it too. He didn’t mind,
as he still has some cash in his pockets.

Second day, she conducted a raid and removed everything from his pockets
and warned, “Seek any external help, and you bear the consequences.”

He’s nervous now. That night, on the bed, he begs for mercy,
hoping that she’ll end this state. She doesn’t give a damn.
No way am I giving in, whatever he says. Until he agrees.

Third day, night. On the bed. He’s lying on the bed, looking to one side.

She’s lying on the bed, looking to the other side.

Him: “We need to talk.”
Her: “Unless it’s about the wedding, forget it.”
Him: “It’s something very important.”

She remains silent.

Him:”Let’s get a divorce.”
She did not believe her ears.
Him: “I got to know a girl.”

She’s totally angry, and wanted to hit him. But she held it down,
wanting to let him finish. But her eyes already felt wet.
He took a photo out from his chest. Probably from his undershirt pocket,
that’s the only place she didn’t go through yesterday. How careless.

Him: “She’s a nice girl.”
Her tears fell.

Him: “She has a good personality too.”
She’s heartbroken because he puts a photo of some other girl close to his heart.
Him: “She says that she’ll support me fully in my pursue for literature after we got married.”

She’s very jealous because she said the same thing in the past.
Him: “She loves me truly.”
She wishes to sit up and scream at him “Don’t I?”
Him: “So, I think she won’t force me to do something that I don’t want to do.”

She’s thinking, but the rage won’t subside.
Him: “Want to take a look at the photo I took for her?”
Her: “…!”

He brings the photo before her eyes. She’s in a total rage,
hits his hand away and leaves a burning slap on his face.

He sighs. She cries.
He puts the photo back to his pocket.
She pulls her hand back under the blanket.

He turns off the light, and sleeps.
She turns on the light, and sits up. He’s asleep. She lost sleep.
She regrets treating him the way she treated him.

She cried again, and thought about a lot of things.
She wants to wake him up. She wants to have a intimate talk with him.
She doesn’t want to push him anymore. She stares at his chest.
She wants to see how the girl looks.

She slips the photo out. She wanted to cry and she wanted to laugh.

It’s a nicely taken photo. A photo he took for her. She bends down,
and kissed him on his cheek.

He smiled. He was just pretending to be asleep.

“You learn to love, not by finding a perfect person,
but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly