AMEERA'S LOVE STORY
PART 29'S
I woke up when it was still early morning. I heard a man reciting a holy verse beautifully. It took me a few seconds until I was fully aware of my current existence. Yes, I am currently in the guest room of Umi Salmah's house.
Last night he offered me to spend the night at his house. Since I also had no purpose, you finally decided to come to his house. In a house of this size, he lived alone, accompanied by a housekeeper. Her husband died one year ago of cancer, while her only daughter is married and now lives with her husband out of town.
I slowly wake up from my sleep. My goal is to take water to perform dawn prayers. Lucky because this guest room has a bathroom in it, so I don't have to get out of the room.
When out of the bathroom it turns out Umi Salmah was in my room.”Sorry Umi entered without permission neng, just now Umi knocked the door is not opened, for fear, Umi decided to enter.”
“Umi does not need permission, this is Umi's home. Sorry I was from the bathroom, so didn't hear Umi knock on the door.” I was a little surprised, why Umi Salmah had to ask permission to enter her own house. Yes, this is a guest room, but this is part of the house as well.
“Neng wants to pray dawn well?” ask Umi.
“Iya Umi, can I borrow mukena?”
“You want to pray here or in mushola? If you want to pray here Umi bring the mukenya here.”
I feel like a hostess to be served. “No need Umi, I pray in mushola only.” It does not feel good also makes the host who has been kind enough to give me this ride even serve my needs.
“Alright, the musholanya over there.” I follow the direction of Umi Salmah. “Umi stay first well. Assalamualaikum.”
“Waalaikum greetings.”
After fulfilling my duty, I was still sitting in the same place. Don't know what to do. There was a faint sound in the kitchen. I took off the face that wrapped my body and approached the source of the voice.
I saw someone there. A woman with a robe and a wide headscarf was preparing some groceries, it seemed like she was going to cook. “Assalamualaikum.” I greeted him immediately, afraid that he would be surprised by my arrival.
“Waalaikum greetings.” The woman looked at me. A mother who is still quite young. Maybe he's about 30 or 35, I guess.
“Sorry to interrupt, I'm Ameera. Can I help you, ma'am? I'm confused what to do here.” I approached him closer.
“No need to neng, I don't bother. Just separate the groceries for catering orders today,” replied the mother.
“Mmmhhhh so Umi has catering well?” ask me to start a conversation.
“Iya neng's. Umi includes independent and productive women. Though her late husband Umi had a large plantation. The term mahkanya will not run out seven derivatives. But still Umi chose to have his own business. Umi said itung-itung helps the surrounding residents who need income. Because if there are many orders, usually Umi employs mothers around here neng,” he explained.
Apparently this mba in front of me includes a big fan Umi Salmah. “Mba has been working with Umi for a long time?”
“I joined Umi since Umi married the late Pak Haji. It was over twenty-five years ago. It's been thirty years. His parents died in an accident. Mbak who is still in sixth grade SD brought the same Umi, treated, schooled up to SMA. I already consider Umi and the deceased like my own parents neng.” This mom in front of me seemed to be reflecting on her past.
“Oh yes, whose mba name?” my many.
“My name is Lusi neng,” answered.
“So mba Lusi lives here with Umi?” ask again.
“Free until I graduated High School neng, after that mba married and live with husband. It's also around his house. The house that occupied also the gift of the deceased pak Haji, hehehe ..” mba Lusi looks crybaby. “soalnya mba marriage same employee deceased.”
“Oh ...” I nodded in response to Lusi's words. The Umi Salmah family is very good. “Oiya mba, she said Umi had a daughter well?”
“Iya neng, very beautiful kayak Uminya. His age is also not much different from the Ameera neng. Neng Ameera how old is she?”
“Owh .. then young neng Ameera with her daughter Umi. Her daughter Umi passed S2 yesterday, continued directly married last week, and now lives with her husband.”
“Aduh-aduh early in the morning already ghibah aja ya.” Umi Salmah walked into the kitchen while we were chatting.
“Astaghfirulloh, sorry Umi.” Mba Lusi looks the wrong way.
Umi Salmah just shook her head to hear Lusi's answer. “Have you finished cleaning up Lus' groceries? If you have later please call Ms. Erna and mba Dwi to help us cook today well.” Umi Salmah then turned to me, “neng Ameera let's follow Umi forward, I want to chat.”
“Good Umi,” answered me and mba Lusi together.
I followed the footsteps of Umi Salmah, a tough woman with a wide headscarf who was walking gracefully in front of me. Umi Salmah sat on the sofa, then patted the sofa next to her as if telling me to sit next to her. I sat down immediately at the indicated spot.
“This gang is actually from where to go? Last night Umi saw it like neng was lost. Is it true like that?” ask Umi Salmah.
I know Umi Salmah must have asked this. But I was confused, should I be honest with him that I could be in the mosque after escaping the rampage of the citizens who would parade me because I was considered to have gathered kebo with Heru. Or I could lie lost while looking for an address. Ah, I don't think I can afford to lie to this good woman in front of me.
Seeing that I was just speechless, Umi Salmah again asked, “neng has a family?” which I can only answer with a nod.
“Now a neng family where?” ask Umi Salmah again.
“In Umi village,” I replied.
“Neng Ameera ran away from home?” ask Umi Salmah worried.
“No Umi,” answer me quickly, “me ... I ...”
“It does not matter if you are not ready for the same story Umi, Umi understood. But still Umi must ask for your identification, to report the same pack RT.”
“I didn't bring it Umi, all my stuff left behind.”
Umi Salmah stares confusedly at me, “kok can?”
“I went in a hurry Umi, until did not have time to bring anything.” I hope my answer this time will stop the other questions. Honestly, I'm not ready to tell Umi Salmah everything.
I saw a glimpse of the face of Umi Salmah who seemed to doubt my words. True indeed, it seems unlikely that others will not suspect. I'm like the one who ran away after a criminal act. It is only natural that Umi Salmah would ask such things.
***
