Be aground

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The sound of dawn made me wake up. Finally last night I was able to fall asleep, probably because I was too tired. Not only was my physique tired from these few days of kuforsir doing chores, my mind also seemed to never rest.

I found Vienna still sound in its blanket. The cold air from the air conditioner was piercing when I came out of the blanket. I was used to living in a cold area, but the artificial cold air gave a different sensation to my skin, feeling uncomfortable.

Want to go back to sleep, tighten the blanket roll on my body. However, the call to worship cannot be ignored. I needed to gather myself before the Lord, asking for His little mercy so that I could go through the trials I felt compelled to accept.

The shadow of mother's face again filled my mind, making me rush out of bed. I want God to listen to my prayers, so that mother is given the strength to go through all these problems. Hoping for a speck of hope to become a great possibility.

"Eh, you're awake, Run?" greet Vienna while yawning, when I see me folding my face and prayer mat.

"Well, I was gonna wake you up."

"Yes, I pray first" he said out of the blanket roll.

While waiting for Vienna to finish praying, I took my phone. I wish there was a message from Arjun.

Uh! Turns out the battery ran out.

"You run in the morning not Run? Later we will have breakfast outside," asked Vienna after finishing prayers.

I stopped my movement scrambling the contents of the bag to find my phone charger. Thinking for a moment.

"I'm going to Win's mother's place" I said later.

"Busuk jam is still eleven o'clock. Instead of you being sad on the mind of aunty continue, mending sports for a while. Can make a brain refresh, "persuade Vienna.

"But I don't bring clothes for sport" I said looking for another reason.

I feel heavy doing other activities now. My mind was filled with mother. I want to quickly meet my mother again. Spending time together like a few months ago.

"Pake my shirt, anyway. Like anyone else," kekeh Vienna, broke my alibi.

My posture with Vienna is pretty much the same. Skinny and tall. It's just that Vienna is more than me. I and Vienna used to be very close like brothers, because we were only three months apart. I'm three months older than Vienna.

Back when my father was alive, we used to go to a lot of places. My closeness to my cousin began to stretch somewhat after I began to rarely visit. Maybe because of our busy lives as well, so rarely exchange news. Moreover, Vienna is now just graduated from the midwifery academy, he began busy applying for jobs to several maternity clinics in Jakarta.

"Ha-ha yes, deh." I finally gave up after all the reasons were broken.

"This, you wear," said Vienna, offering a pair of pink sportswear.

"Not wrong, Win?" my chirps saw the clothes that Vienna was proposing.

"Ha-ha, I'm sorry I forgot you're pink at best!" the deck, put back the shirt he just put on me.

Yeah, I didn't like pink the most, somehow it felt too soft for me. Besides I feel so pale wearing that color.

"When you are beautiful wearing pink clothes, why all the while anyway, do not like it," grumbled Vienna slowly.

"Too soft for me, Win," I tried to quell the Vienna grunt.

"A far-fetched excuse" he protested.

Vienna seemed a little difficult to find clothes with other colors, because it is flat color of his clothes pink, his favorite color.

"Well, this is a training shirt. Do you want a rich gini?" tanyanya presents a standard sportswear division for training events.

"Yes, there's nothing like this, rather than wearing pink."

Out of the house, the hot and slightly sticky Jakarta air greeted me. I used to feel at least comfortable with the air of this city. Moreover, the clothes loaned Vienna long-sleeved, the address will be sweat bath so early.

Vienna took me to a city park not far from his home. True said Vienna, breathing the oxygen released by the trees in the morning, was a little can refresh my brain from paralysis.

After several runs around the park, Vienna took me to rest near a food vendor who was peddling his wares on the side of the road outside the park.

"You're going to do it, aren't you?" tanya Vienna pointed to the ketoprak who was not far from the exit of the park.

"Can."

"Still, the more rame you know, Win. So play to Bandung, lah," invite me to wipe the sweat that has flooded my forehead. The body fluids felt squeezed all out from all over my pores, making my throat feel so dry.

"Pengen, but still no time. Wednesday, there was an interview call as well" said Vienna, handing a bottle of mineral water to my hand.

"Oh where?"

"In the maternity house of Pondok Indah."

"Hopefully it works, yes Win. Delicious that just keeps working. I still spend my money" I said, suddenly sad when I remembered the current condition of my mother.

Maybe after this, I have to try myself to meet my daily needs, because it is impossible to expect a mother who will bear all the costs of our expenses. Fortunately, the current cost of maternal care is covered by insurance. If not, I don't know where we have to look for the cost of mother's treatment.

She still has Maktuo, her sister. However, of course, the mother will feel hesitant to ask for financial help for treatment. The cost of treatment in Jakarta is not cheap.

"Not to be sad, Run. God willing, there will be a way" comfort Vienna when I see my face turned moody.

"Uhm, yes," I said trying to brush off the clear liquid that started floating in my eyes, slightly blurring my vision.

The glaring thoughts and blurring eyes kept me from paying attention to the road, so my feet got stuck in the road wall. I was unable to balance my body until a pedestrian suddenly appeared from the side.

"Sorry, is anyone hurt?" ask the bass voice of a man sitting crouching where I fell.

"Eh, Brother Ben ...." Vienna greets the man who just walked in.

"Hi, Win ...."

"Aren't you okay, Run?" tanya Vienna pulled me up.

"Do you know this girl?" point the guy.

"Oh, yes ... This is my cousin, Runa. Run, this is Brother Beni my upperclassman at High School." Vienna introduced us.

"Hai Runa," said Beni thrusting her hand towards me.

"Hi ... I'm sorry, I didn't pay attention to the road" I regretted when I welcomed Beni's hand.

"That's okay, I was whining too" he said with a warm smile that made my guilt evaporate a little.

"What do you want to start, brother?" vienna asked Beni to take her eyes off me.

"Udah is fine, anyway. Wh why? Want treat?"

"Yee, I'm the one who wants to ask for a treat. Denger-denger said he was accepted to work in oil and gas" protested Vienna.

"Emang yes, not changed this one child, still a gossip," joked Beni.

"Ye, who's gossiping" said Vienna.

"Where did the gossip come from?" search Beni.

For a moment I felt like I was outside the circle that formed between Vienna and Beni. Not wanting to interrupt their conversation, I pulled over to the bench located not far from where we were standing. Look for some visitors starting out of the park.

My eyes were on one young family, the father holding a daughter who might be five years old, chattering cheerfully sitting on his father's shoulders.

Ah, daddy. I miss.

Suddenly the memories of my father swirled so fast inside the memory space of my brain. A patient father, where I complain if mom is nagging. Even so, my father never defended me in front of my mother. Dad always said, "Her mom is, naughty. So mom nagged."

The sudden departure of my father made our world feel like a collapse. Dad suddenly fell while playing tennis with his office friend. At that time we found out that my father was taken to the hospital. As soon as we got to the hospital, the doctor declared that my life was not helped. Father was pronounced dead of a heart attack.

Mother could not accept the sudden departure of father, let alone me. I used to wish it was just a nightmare. Wishing that tomorrow morning when I wake up, Dad would greet me at the dinner table as usual. However, the reality we could not deny, father had actually left, leaving empty space in our hearts.

Forty days after the departure of the father, the mother finally tried to get up. Mother said, "Mother still has Runa, Aruna the mother girl who will shine the light of mother's days. My only hope is now."

Now, mom is sick in the hospital. All the fears that I had buried after my father's departure reappeared. I really wish God was just joking. Not angry or punishing me. So that later I can come to laugh at God's slightly horrible joke. My hope is that my mother will be able to defeat her illness, return to live the days as usual.