Be aground

Attitudes that change

The twilight spray had hung over the gray sky of Jakarta, when the train carrying me, entered Gambir station. The train stops perfectly accompanied by the sound of the brake whistling against the rail. I rushed down from the train, a few minutes ago when Erni told me she had arrived at the station.

I descended downstairs, passing through several food and beverage stalls that spread an appetizing scent. Suddenly my stomach asked for his ration to be filled. Even though I was on the train I had filled my stomach with a few pieces of brownies that I brought from home, but in fact had not been able to make it feel full.

I hurried to the South exit of the station, where the motto had been waiting for me. Just as my feet stepped on the last step of the stairs, my face could immediately recognize being not far from the not so crowded entrance. Nothing changed from my mother's older sister, even though I hadn't seen each other for nearly two years.

"Maktuo," I greeted my mother's only sister after being nearby.

"Ondeh, is a child's gadang maktuo*. It's been a long time since I've seen each other," she greeted him with her distinctive voice.

"Ha-ha yes, I'm sorry Maktuo, rarely visit Jakarta. Who's maktuo coming with?" I asked when I saw the middle-aged woman wearing brown robe was just alone waiting for me.

"With Indra, he was waiting in the car," he said, embracing my shoulder as he walked towards the parking lot.

"Oh uda Indra doesn't work?"

Uda Indra is my cousin's oldest makto— boy.

"You open the restaurant now, he says he doesn't want to be a payday guy, he-he," kinked metuo while patting me on the shoulder.

"Oh, nice dong maktuo. So boss," I said excitedly.

"Yes, little boss." Maktuo chuckled back.

Arriving at the car, uda Indra greeted me with his signature joke. The usual look of office workers' style drizzle, this time a little look a little messy with hair that is left a bit shabby, fine hair on his face was left unshaved.

Although the conversation between us seemed relaxed, somehow there was a sense of obstruction to see the movements of the mother and child, like something they were hiding. May it not be about the condition of mother, I hope in my heart.

Congestion was welcomed when a car driven by Indra uda exited the station parking area. It seems like this has become a daily subscription in all major cities, especially cities like Jakarta.

Passing through several busway stops, I saw a pile of passengers waiting for the bus. Instantly imagined the face of the mother who was also one of the breadwinners in the capital. I salute those who are able to survive the Jakarta situation that I think is so hard. Moreover, mother, whose age is no longer young must struggle to face the rigors of life in this city, certainly not easy.

Mother once told me that if every day from home in Depok, the mother had to leave after dawn prayers to the train station, then continue the journey to the office by busway. I used to think that the struggle of mothers having to change several times the mode of transportation to the office was not this difficult. After seeing for myself how the condition of those who use the busway, then I realized, it turns out the struggle of mothers to make a living and meet my needs is not easy.

The more you stay away from the station, the congestion gets worse. The lights started to illuminate the darkness of the capital. Actually the night view with lights like this is quite beautiful for me, but not in a state of stuck traffic like this.

Maktuo seems to have been unable to tolerate the increasingly crazy traffic jam, shortly after getting out of the station, he has laid his head on the back of the car seat. It was possible that he had moved into a dreamland free from the bottleneck.

"What semester is it now, Run?" Suddenly the sound of baritone uda Indra broke the silence in the car.

"Huh? Uh, it's sixth semester, Da," I said a little surprised to get a question from uda Indra.

"Well, you're gonna pass dong soon, huh?" tanyanya glanced at me from the rearview mirror.

"God willing, Da. Next semester stay KKN and seminar aja, then later continue thesis."

"What value? Nice right?"

"Thank God, Da."

"What GPA was yesterday?"

"Three commas Seven, Da," I said a little hesitantly.

"Wow, steady. Not in vain aunty hard work lecturing you," he praised back to glance at me from the front view.

"Ha-ha yes ... I don't want to miss you either, Da."

"Yes, that's good," he said, nodding.

Back silence. Only the sound of music from the radio that was turned on by Indra uda was heard to drive away the quiet. Suddenly the vibration of the phone shocked me. I rushed to get the flat object out of the bag. Arjun's face seemed to fill the screen. I immediately swipe the button to receive the call.

"Yes, hello," I said.

"Well nyampe? How come I'm not in the bales?" His voice sounded worried.

"I'm sorry, but I'm silent, jd ngak nouh no wa enter," I said in a low tone. There was a slight sense of guilt creeping in the heart, as it had forgotten to give him the news.

"Already, it's still on the road, it's jammed."

"Oh, yes, I have. See you on Monday, yeah. I miss you already," he said in a voice that sounded a little hoarse.

"Same," I said briefly.

Though, there was a slight desire to tease her, but I paled. There is also a sense of condolence if my conversation is heard by my cousin.

Arjun ended the conversation after making sure that I was okay. I promise I'll give it to you again after I meet you.

After breaking through the traffic jam that was enough to drain the sanity, the car turned towards the hospital area. Maktuo had woken up when I was still wondering in my heart what to stop at the hospital for. When can I meet my mother. The longing for my mother was already full.

"Run, there's something you want to say to me," said Maktuo when the car's engine was turned off by uda Indra and he got out of the car first.

Maktuo's tone of voice opened the conversation making a sense of anxiety back to attack.

"What's wrong with mom, Maktuo?" I guessed the direction of the conversation.

"Looks like you've got a hunch, huh?" he looked at me with a look that I could not confirm.

"I don't understand what Maktuo means, it's just that from yesterday after mom called, my gut feeling wasn't good. Then the way Maktuo talks like this, I feel like something is wrong with mom" I explained.

"Actually ... Your mother was ...." Maktuo's eyes look glazed between the dimness of the lights of the hospital parking area.

"Mom's sick, and now being treated here, huh?" I submitted my analysis.

"Yes." Yeah." Maktuo breathed a heavy breath.

Suddenly I was numb to all the bad thoughts that suddenly burst in. It is impossible to look as sad as that if the pain suffered by the mother is only mild pain.

"What's your mother sick, Maktuo?" my question was stuck, trying to strengthen myself to hear what my mother's brother would say.

"Actually, your mother's been in the hospital for three months." Makoto took a deep breath.

I tried to refrain from interrupting, being patient waiting for what might be said to me. Though fear is actually beginning to take hold of me.

"Just yesterday the lab results came out. Your mother was diagnosed with uterine cancer."

My world suddenly collapsed. How could a mother who had looked healthy have been diagnosed with the deadly disease. I've heard, the chances of recovering from that disease are very small.

"What stage, Maktuo?" I tried to gather strength between the tears that started to break.

"Stadium four. The doctor said there's still a chance for her recovery, even if it's small, but your mom seems excited to take that little opportunity."

"Yes, I'm not giving up. Maktuo who knows for sure how the character of the mother," said I was weak.

My mother is a strong woman. Never once have I seen him cry other than when he died. After that, the mother stood up like a coral. As if nothing could destroy it.

"I want to see you soon" I said, wiping away the tears. I don't want you to see me crying over her fate. I'd like to see my mother's hard face facing the disease. Facing a reality that some people find unfair.

"Ah, yes ... Maktuo apologized for not telling you from the beginning, Run." There was a guilty tone from the maktuo raucous voice as it said that.

"It's okay, Maktuo. I'm sure mom would have forbidden Maktuo from telling me, too" I said trying to look strong.

I went back to trying to make my heart. Gathering fragments of hope for the recovery of the mother. The chances are very small, but no matter how small the chances are, there is still hope stored there. God must still have little hope for His servants, so that they will try to reach the end.

I can't wait to see Mom soon. Hugging it for a little bit of strength. Told her that I would always accompany her through the treatment process. So that mom's smile will grow back for me.

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Note :

* We are already a big makto child (minang language)