Elegi Of Rose

"Yu, hey, wake up..."

She felt someone pushing her and she groaned, forgetting for a minute where she was. The pushing continued.

"What?" she asked sleepily.

"Get off the bed," Roy's voice said above her, his breath brushing through her face.

"What?" she asked confused. Why did he want her to get off the bed?

"It's a hospital bed and it's supposed to carry only one patient. Get off..." he nudged her once more.

"Oh my God," she shot out of bed.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"I'm sorry!" She had dragged the blanket along with her.

"How did you end up beside me anyway?" he asked with amusement. His face had much color than yesterday he was almost back to his old look. Well, except the lower part, particularly his foot which still had some traction. "I don't have any idea," she answered truthfully.

"I didn't know you sleepwalk."

"I don't."

"Then you must have," he chuckled.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better, I guess."

"No pain?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course there's pain. I had a surgery."

"Yeah, you really scared me."

He just smiled and continued to look at her tenderly. "You drove," he said after a while.

She didn't really want to talk about it. "Yeah, I guess so."

"How's my car?"

Her mouth fell open, and then she remembered the light post and she cringed.

"Yu, what did you do to the car?"

"I'll pay for it, don't worry," she said as if it was not important. She reminded herself to check the damage later.

"Were you hurt?"

And that was when she saw the concern on his face and her heart filled with warmth. "Of course I am not," she answered proudly.

"Congratulations."

"Yeah, we should celebrate. I finally got to drive thanks to you," she said sarcastically. "Hey, what do you think are you doing?" she placed a hand over his chest to stop him.

"I want to get up," he answered.

"No, we are not told you could do that. Stay in bed. You got traction." She pushed him gently to lie back.

He grabbed her hand and held it in place over his chest as he closed his eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing," he whispered. "I'm glad you're here."

"Good," she smiled. "Now, you have to rest."

*****

The flowers bombarded Roy's room the next day and Ayu was happy to welcome them, but when the very person she didn't want to see came for a visit, she was trying her might not to burst out in anger. "What are you doing here?" she demanded as soon as Lis came in.

"I'm here to see Roy," her enemy, slash ex-soon-to-be-sister-in-law, answered, looking at her with ire.

"In that case, you only have more five minutes," she looked at her watch for emphasis. She was not that mean after all. She wouldn't do what the lady and Sinta did to her years ago every time she came to see Roni. "You're timing me?"

"Yes, and now you just wasted thirty seconds of your time."

"Unbelievable," Lis muttered and walked towards Roy.

"He's sleeping. Don't wake him up."

"Shut up," Lis gritted.

"Four minutes more..." she was impatiently tapping her foot on the floor with arms folded in front of her.

Their voices must have roused her husband because she heard him say, "Lis?"

"Hi, Roy," Lis's voice took a sudden change of tone from anger to purring. Gross. Yeyena was right. She was better at it than this woman. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Ayu has been watching over me."

Ayu smiled proudly. Good for him to mention her.

Lis did not seem to hear him mention her name because she said, "I brought you fruits."

"Thanks," her husband answered, and then his eyes travelled to hers. She knew he was concerned about the situation.

But the situation would be under control because that very same moment, Ayu saw through the glass walls the two ladies that wouldn't care to make a scene: Rin and Yeyena.

Their faces were horrified when they saw Lis standing beside Roy's bed.

"What is she doing here?" Yeyena demanded, addressing Ayu.

"She's leaving in..." she checked her watch once again, "two minutes."

"Ladies, please..." was all Roy could say. She knew he was trying to prevent further arguments, but she knew he also understood why she was pissed.

"The nurses won't like it if they see Roy has a lot of visitors," Rin raised her brow at Lis.

Roni's twin sister must have realized she was up against three. She sighed and looked down at Roy and was about to touch him but stopped when she heard Ayu clear her throat. "I guess I have to go," she said gently. "Thank you for coming," Roy sincerely said.

Lis just nodded, turned, and looked at the three ladies standing by the door. "I'd have my day with your three," she hissed under her breath, her eyes bulging with anger.

Yeyena shrugged. "You're welcome to try."

Lis walked out the door and Ayu sighed with relief.

"Why did you let her in?" Yeyena asked her.

Ayu just shrugged. She didn't want to talk about Lis anymore.

"When are you coming out?" Rin asked Roy.

"Tomorrow," he said.

"Four days from now," Ayu objected, throwing him a look. He sighed. He had been insisting of coming home immediately but his doctors said he should stay for a week. "Don't believe what he tells you. He's just dying to get out of here." She saw him throw his hands up resignedly.

He knew he was presently vulnerable for banter.

*****

The day of Roy's discharge from the hospital, Ayu was fussing. Again, she would drive him home and she was already anxious and he was not helping at all. He had been trying to walk alone, insisting that he could do it. He would not even accept the wheelchair offered by the nurse to wheel him to the car.

"Fine! If you drop on the ground, don't blame me," she walked off to the car which by the way had a small bumper problem. She waited for him impatiently. "You can't tell me you don't need help getting inside," she uttered as he approached. "That help I'll accept, thank you."

"Stubborn jerk," she muttered, walking to the passenger side.

"What?"

"Nothing," she snapped, opening the door for him. She took the crutches and placed it at the backseat. Once he was settled inside, she went to seat behind the wheel.

"Do you have a license?" he asked.

She put the car in gear and started driving. "I have an expired one," she answered honestly. She was already tense with the idea that she would have to drive once again, but then, it was she who insisted that she should drive him home. She got over the fright the last time, and she sure could do it again. "And please, don't try talking to me about getting it renewed. Don't talk while I'm driving. I don't want any distractions."

"Okay," he shrugged and looked out the window with a smile. He was obviously enjoying this.

As what people say, it would be easier the second time around. And driving was one of them-well, for Ayu that is. She successfully drove them home without any more problems. If that ever happened-thank God it didn't-she would be bankrupt. Roy's car was not a simple thing to be played with and that little bump it got from the light post would empty her wallet.

"Good job," he said, beaming at her the moment she stopped the car at the driveway of their home.

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Ayu did not hear him because she was already looking ahead at the familiar white SUV parked across the street.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked her.

"It's Herland," she answered, getting out of the car. And she was right. Her friend jumped out of his car when he saw her.

"What's he doing here?" her husband asked as she helped him out of the car.

"I don't have any idea. Why don't you go inside?" she suggested, handing him his crutches.

At first, she thought he would say no because he remained quiet, staring hard at Herland who was already crossing the street. "Okay," he said with a frown.

"I'll make this quick," she called after him.

"Hey," Herland said behind her, and when she turned around to face her friend, he added, "I was in the area and I thought I should stop by. What happened to Strindog?"

"Punda," she fixed him a hard look. "Hern, why are you here?"

He laughed and said, "Okay, you got me. I wanted to invite you to dinner. I've been calling your phone but you're not answering."

"Roy had an accident. I've been in the hospital for a week and I was not able to check on my phone," she lied. In reality, she didn't want to be bothered while watching over her husband.

"So... about dinner?" Herland asked, changing the subject once again. He was not that interested about what happened to her husband after all.

"No, I can't. I have to watch over Roy. We just came out of the hospital."

And that was when Herland frowned and stared at her for a very long time. "You're way too concerned for your husband for someone who's into a fixed marriage."

A sudden wave of defense mechanism took over her. "What?" and she was about to say no when Herland gave her a look.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

She tried to laugh off what he said. "That's stupid..." her voice faltered.

"You are. I had been seeing it in the way you look at him and they way you are when you are with him."

Doctors have keen eyes and Herland was a very good doctor. She shook her head weakly.

"Well, I think this means I'm being turned down over again," he chided.

Ayu just smiled, already deep in thought.

"I'll get going then," Herland said, backing out of the driveway. "See you soon?"

She nodded and waved. "See you soon."

After Herland's car was out of sight, Ayu found herself still frozen in spot, her thoughts completely lingering and flying around one thought. She had been trying to get away from it, trying to make herself believe that she was still what she was three months ago-before all of this happened.

But now that it came from someone other than herself, she was finally able to entertain and accept everything.

That she was in love with her husband.