Chapter 7

• Retno looked at the Paralayang hill, which looked beautiful this evening with the orange sun starting to return to its abode. Around her, she saw young men and women sitting with their partners.
• "Aunt, shall we stay here?" Rio said, making Retno turn to him.
• "Yes."
• Retno saw Rio starting to sit next to her, while she was still standing as there were no chairs around. Especially since she was wearing a dress that would be uncomfortable to sit on the ground.
• "Aunt, please sit down," Rio said, patting the space next to him gently.
• Retno just grinned, as if realizing what Retno was afraid of, which was getting her dress dirty. Immediately, Rio took off his new balance board shoes and brought them closer.
• "Aunt Retno, sit on my shoes."
• Trying to appreciate what Rio was doing for her, Retno tried to sit on the shoes, although it was not very comfortable. They sat side by side in silence, not saying a word. Retno closed her eyes as she felt the gentle breeze caressing her face and hair. Her mind now wandered to her current situation. Was it normal for an employer to go out alone with her driver to see the beauty of nature in the evening? Retno had never even asked her former driver to take her to a secluded place to contemplate her fate.
• She had tried to catch the attention of Wisnuaji, who was a widower, but Wisnuaji Widiatmaja never even glanced at her for a few seconds. Now Retno knew the reason, because apparently the woman Wisnuaji was looking for to accompany him was a woman who could love and care for his children, grandchildren, mother, and even grandchildren wholeheartedly. She might not be able to be Nayla Samira Huri if she wanted to be Wisnuaji's companion.
• Rio looked at Retno, who was closing her eyes and tears were streaming down her cheeks. He wanted to wipe Retno's tears, but he didn't want to be called forward.
• "Oh God, your creation is so perfect," Rio murmured to himself.
• Rio continued to gaze at Retno in silence until Retno finally opened her eyes and saw that Rio was looking at her while placing both hands on his knees and resting his head on them. Only then did Retno realize that Rio was quite handsome and his face had a charisma that would make women kneel before him.
• "Why are you looking at Aunt like that?" Retno asked, making Rio startled and surprised. He finally pulled his head up straight and changed his sitting position to cross-legged.
• "Aunt is beautiful, but why does Aunt seem to have a lot of burdens on her mind?"
• Retno just smiled and shifted her gaze towards the beautiful sunset this evening.
• "As a 39-year-old widow who lives without children and has a tendency towards hypersexuality like Aunt, living alone is not enjoyable, Rio. Especially the pressure from the family to remarry soon is something Aunt often receives."
• Rio raised both eyebrows in surprise at Retno's answer. Hypersexuality? That was the only thing that came to Rio's mind at the moment, as Retno's other words just went in one ear and out the other. Rio's mind was wandering about how Retno could diagnose herself as hypersexual.
• "Sometimes Aunt has to indulge just to reach climax because playing with various sex toys gives a different sensation than playing with the real thing."
• Indulge? Rio knew exactly what Retno meant by indulge. Now Rio could only gape at Retno's words. Wasn't Retno afraid of sexually transmitted diseases or maybe HIV AIDS from changing partners?
• "Aunt, aren't you afraid of the risks?" Finally, the question slipped out of Rio's lips without him realizing it beforehand.
• Retno just chuckled softly next to Rio.
• "Usually Aunt is selective in choosing. Not just anyone, Ri. There are acquaintances who usually give high-quality goodies, indeed the price is more expensive. Sometimes Aunt is invited to swing couple, gangbang or threesome," Retno said and then she laughed bitterly. Damn if Rio would feel disgusted or maybe disgusted with her. But this is who she is.
• "Threesome? Swing couple?" Rio's eyes widened as he repeated Retno's words.
• "Yes. The sensation is different."
• Rio's head suddenly started to ache hearing Retno's confession. He never imagined Retno's life was this crazy. For him, living in Las Vegas was already crazy, let alone Retno's life, he thought a life like this only existed in dramas or novels, who would have thought it existed in the real world.
• "Aunt doesn't have any desire to change everything? Isn't it scary, Tan?"
• "It's scary, but what can I do? Aunt doesn't have a partner and the inner needs can't fast for too long either."
• Suddenly an idea popped into Rio's head.
• "Tan, do you want to try an activity that can make you not focus on things like that anymore?"
• "Well, I want to, I used to go to a psychologist so I wouldn't become addicted to sex but I eventually got lazy."
• "Have you ever been hiking?"
• "Hiking?"
• "Yes, Aunt. The true nature of a person or their ego will be seen when they climb a mountain, whether they are selfish, impatient, or have a sense of solidarity and humanity."
• "Oh, can Aunt still make it to the top?"
• Now Rio laughed next to Retno. Retno saw how charming Rio's face was when he laughed.
• "The goal of climbing is to return home, Aunt. Not the peak. The peak is just a bonus and won't go anywhere."
• "I've never done it before, have you climbed mountains often?"
• "Well, quite often, Aunt. Especially if someone asks me to accompany them and it's free. It makes me more excited to climb."
• "What mountains have you climbed?"
• "Almost all the mountains in Java have been climbed. Sumatra too, because my parents transmigrated there before."
• Retno and Rio continued chatting until the sun set perfectly. When the light began to dim, Rio led Retno down slowly. For some reason, there was a feeling of emotion and happiness that Retno felt in her heart. She had never been treated this sweetly except when she was in bed by a man. The only one who had been sweet to her was Handi before they got married, but after more than two years of marriage, everything had changed. Their marriage was only on paper.