Naura's Tears
10. Convincing Diandra
That evening, the Hamid family ate together. Diandra and her mother were eating dinner at the dining table. Gradually, Diandra had become accustomed to eating alone with her spoon. Diandra would simply have food placed on her plate by her mother or her assistant, then she would slowly eat it herself.
She was so used to it that she didn't have any difficulty choosing what to put in her mouth. First, she asked for her side dishes, then felt where they were, and then used her spoon.
A few minutes later, someone approached with firm steps. Diandra smiled; it was the sound of her father, Abdul Hamid. Hamid smiled and, seeing his daughter's smile, approached her and kissed her flowing black hair.
"Have you had dinner, Dad? Come eat with us, Dad."
His daughter's smile truly made the fatigue at the office seem to disappear instantly. Hamid owned several companies, all of which were listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. The companies he manages are excellent and sustainable, their success achieved through hard work. His first son, Elfan, who is married, has also been entrusted directly with the company's management as CEO.
Elfan himself already has one child, and they live in their own home. Sometimes,s every Saturday night, they gather for a meal and fellowship.
"Does tonight's meal seem special?" Hamid asked, sitting across the table from his daughter.
"Do you want to eat, Dad?" Sarah Emin looked at her husband. Upon seeing his nod, Sarah immediately took the food and placed it on a plate. She then took some side dishes from him and served them to him.
Hamid savored his meal, then glanced at his wife, Sarah. He nodded slightly and gave her a signal with his eyes. Sarah immediately understood that this was a sign that her husband had told a man named Adam, who lived in a remote village, about their desire to treat their daughter.
Hamid loved his daughter deeply and would do anything for her happiness. Although it seemed implausible, he had already checked with several envoys, and they were certain the news was true because they had been directly to the scene.
Sarah nodded, indicating that she had communicated with her daughter about the alternative treatment.
Hamid continued to enjoy his meal, but he didn't want to discuss the matter while his daughter was enjoying it. He had to leave it alone; it wasn't the right time to bring it up while she was eating. When the food was finished, and his daughter had taken a sip of water, he began to discuss the matter.
"My daughter... have you talked to your mother about...?"
"Yes, Father..." Diandra immediately smiled at her father. Even though she couldn't see him, she knew where his voice was coming from. The smile was beautiful, as beautiful as her face.
"But... Father and Mother don't need to worry about Diandra's happiness. Diandra is already happy with you. So... there's no need to go to any more trouble to fix Diandra's eyes. Two surgeries have made Diandra realize that she is happy enough with you."
"My daughter, Diandra... will you grant your father's one request? Just this once, and after that, Father and Mother will no longer force you to undergo treatment or therapy. Just this once, you will come with your mother for treatment. Father promises, this will be the last time."
Diandra paused for a moment, lowered her head, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly.
"Actually, Diandra no longer wants to undergo therapy. Perhaps healing, especially her eyes, is an excessive desire for Diandra from God. Diandra desperately wants to be healed and be able to see Father's and Mother's faces. However, reality seems to deny that. But, if you want to cure Diandra's eyes, and it will make Father and Mother happy, then for the last time, Diandra will obey Father and Mother."
The explanation moved Hamid and Sarah. Their eyes welled with tears. They both stood up and approached their daughter, who was still sitting in her wheelchair. They hugged her, sobbing, their hearts filled with sadness and goosebumps from their love.
"Thank you, my daughter. This is the last time I ask you. I hope this is God's answer for you, so that you can recover and see." Hamid kissed Diandra's crown, which was covered by her long, curly hair, once again.
Diandra's clear eyes stared straight ahead, tears trickling down her chin. To her, her parents' happiness meant everything.
Diandra then prepared for her departure to a village on a different island from where she lived. She was going there with several people, including her mother. Her father had only seen her off as planned, but would join his daughter as soon as his work was finished. He had to make several arrangements with the company to ensure everything was safe and to entrust the work to his deputy.
The preparations were complete, and the appointed day finally arrived. Diandra was well-guarded, along with her mother. They departed on a specially booked plane. This was Diandra's umpteenth trip, having also tried alternative treatments several times, though all of them had failed. This time, Diandra herself wasn't convinced of the success of this strange therapy, tear therapy. She simply told her parents that this would be the last time.
The plane landed, and they disembarked. Escorted by three men and one woman, there were six of them: four bodyguards, Diandra, and her mother. They were immediately arranged in a car and headed to the area, directed by one of the bodyguards who had scouted the location beforehand, as assigned by Hamid.
His name was Fandi, and Diandra learned from him about the news of the alternative tear therapy. Fandi, who already had two young children, explained some of his knowledge to his wife, Diandra, about a young man whose tears were believed to heal the sick.
"Mr. Fandi, have you met that young man?" Diandra asked Fandi in the car as they drove to the location. The location was far from the airport, so the journey took quite a long time. "I didn't meet him, Miss. The man's name was Adam. He just slept in his room, and the only people who entered were his mother and a friend. His mother went into the room and came out with a spoon containing water believed to be the young man's tears."
Diandra was curious, "Couldn't it be a scam? No one knows for sure what water is, right?"
Fandi thought about his Miss's words, and they were right. It could also be a scam, but after Fandi asked the locals, they confirmed it was true. Adam was a young man who had even been called love-mad.
"The locals all said that Adam was a good man and that he was indeed sick because his girlfriend had left him. His girlfriend married someone else, and since then, Adam has gone crazy, staying in his room every day except Sundays. Adam would go to the lakeside until evening, daydreaming. Besides, Adam would sleep in his room, always crying."
"It's really strange," Diandra had just heard of such love, and she was intrigued by the story. Although she hadn't experienced healing, she wanted to see this true love story. In this world, there are still people who love so fiercely.
"So... is there a story about someone who was cured of their illness by using that young man's tears, Mr. Fandi?"
Fandi was struck by his missus's question. "Yes, Miss. I've confirmed it with people who have received treatment. Some have recovered from paralysis, and some have even had strokes and been unable to move, but they've recovered."
Truly strange. Diandra grew increasingly curious about the young man with the miraculous tears and his broken love.
This experience captivated her; she wanted to hear the story firsthand.
"You seem enthusiastic, my daughter?" Sarah stroked her daughter's hair gently.
"I'm intrigued by that strange love story, Mother. Although Diandra isn't entirely convinced of the cure, she wants to witness that eternal love."
"You must believe you can be cured, my daughter. If you believe, God will surely provide a way, won't he?"
Diandra didn't want to argue with her mother; she fell silent. Deep down, she still doubted the miraculous tears. Could they be cured? Diandra only wished she could see. If her legs were broken, she'd be fine on a chair. She wanted to see the colors of the world. But... was that really possible?
I don't know!
Whatever compensation she could get, if she could see, no matter what it was. Diandra would accept it.