Be aground

The Wrong Choice

Entering my housing complex, the atmosphere already looks lonely, there is only a roving fried rice merchant who is shallow at the end of the road that seems to also be quiet buyers. I had the lyrics on my right wrist, it was only eight o'clock at night, but there was almost no sound from the neighboring houses. They may prefer to warm themselves in the house.

I slowly drove my car towards the block where my house was. Mr. Karsa, a man in his sixties who was guarding the house, rushed to open the gate when my car stopped just in front of the road leading into the entrance.

"Good night, Aden," said Mr. Karsa respectfully.

"Good night, sir. Thank you, yes," I replied to Mr. Karsa who has worked with my family for almost half my age.

He rushed to close the gate when the SUV I was driving drove to the car port located on the side of the house, right behind the tiny car mama had parked in the garage.

"It's for a coffee buddy tonight, sir." I hand over a packet of martabak I bought on the way home to Pak Karsa after parking the car.

"Ow ... Aden bothers everything," said Pak Karsa with his distinctive Sundanese dialect is thick.

"No, sir. All right through home." My warmest smile was shown to him.

"Aden's in love again, huh?" investigate with a relaxed puck.

"Why is that, sir?" suhutku was surprised, muffle the debate that suddenly appeared accompanied by a thick shadow of Runa's face with a warm smile.

"That was so visible from his face," again he chuckled.

"Ah, it's normal sir. I'm in, yes" I said. It is better to leave immediately, than to be months of Mr. Karsa who sometimes likes to tease me.

"Assalamualaik." I say hello when I open the side door.

As always, the house is empty. There is only me and the faithful resident mother of this house. Papa is more often in Jakarta taking care of his company there.

"Waalaikum salam." The soft voice of my mother returned my greetings from the kitchen.

As I approached the kitchen, the smell of butter mixed with cinnamon and apples tickled my sense of smell. Mama must be baking my favorite apple pie. Pastry made by mama is the most champion, we almost never buy bread and pastry in the bakery store, because it feels lost to the results made by mama. Plus, the bread and cakes made by mama must be made with love, a plus from buying in the store, of course.

"Tumben's coming home tonight, Jun. Where's it?" mama asked, turning to face me with a hot apple pie in her hand covered in hot gloves.

"Just the same way Runa, Mam. Mama tumben cook pie night-night, usual day."

"Again," mama's kekeh.

Mama's lips did smile, but somehow the smile was not like my usual smile. Too forced. I can't catch what's wrong with my mom tonight.

"Mom again why?" I took a sitting position at the bar table, opposite to where my mother was standing.

"Why what?" Mama asked back, as if trying to neutralize his face.

"Mama's face is not as usual. Mama's got a problem?" ask me full search.

"Ah, just your feelings." Mama put the still-warm pie pan in front of me and took off her gloves. Smoke puffed in the cold of the room.

"You want to eat now the pie? Do you make warm chocolate?" Mama continued asking, ignoring my still curious gaze.

"Tomorrow I'll eat the pie, Ma. Still full," I refused.

"Times, anyway, Ma?" ask me to immediately pull out the phone from the backpack I just put on the end of the kitchen table.

Indeed, from noon after meeting, Runa, I did not touch the flat object again. My thoughts the other day were only filled with the shadow of that girl. Just remembering it like this is able to make my face suddenly heat up.

"Ow ... Sorry, Ma ... I've forgotten to charge," I regret.

"It's not that I don't want you to bother me, is it?" Mama put a little emphasis on the word 'disturb'.

"Yes, Ma."

"So where were you with Runa?"

"To Dago Expert ...." I hung my sentence. Considering whether I should tell my mother about my relationship with Runa or not.

"Then ... Is there anything special today?" look at my mom with a smile as if forcing me to tell a story.

"Me and Runa are together" I answered quickly, as quickly as the face warmed up.

To be honest, even though my mom and I almost never kept something a secret, but this time there was a little shame in conveying it to my mom. Looking at the expression of the dumb-ass mama, I asked again, "Why, Ma? Mama doesn't like it when I'm with Runa, does she?"

"Ha-ha! Mama already has a feeling you keep the taste, more than just a friendly with Runa, only all this time always covered," kekeh mama.

"Be careful, you know. Sometimes in relationships there are problems. Unlike if you are friends, there are problems that can be solved easily. If it involves the heart usually likes to be complicated," continued mama with a serious face.

"But I also can't afford to squirm Runa like other guys," I told my mom a little awkwardly.

"Yes, as long as you can take care of it anyway. Don't mess around either" mama said.

"Then, what happened today to make you feel uncomfortable?" I went back to the initial conversation.

Mama took a deep breath, curling up the strands of hair that had escaped her bond. Mom's pretty face looked so sad. I just realized, some fine gurats had adorned the corner of his eyes. He looked at me for a long time, until he finally said, "maybe mama will tell me, yes. Mom can't tell me yet."

"okay ... But Mama don't be so sad for too long. Later more and more wrinkles," I chanted a little to dispel the discomfort you feel.

"Ha-ha! Ja. But my mom is old. Mama's son already has a sweet girl. Mama's not the only girl in my mom's heart." There was a clear layer hanging in my eyes as I said that sentence.

"I still love Mama. Mama's place will never be changed in my heart" I said.

"Mama's been preparing the heart for something like this, Jun." A faint smile graced my lips, his hands clasping mine.

Remember the old childhood, when the hand always held tightly to my hand, gently stroked my hair, and wiped away my tears. The softness of the hand was still the same, the warmth did not change. But the eyes of the mother who used to be always warm, tonight as if dimming. I don't know what the reason is. May you be able to solve the problem, so that the warmth in the gaze of his eyes is back there.

"You're sleepy, aren't you? Rest, gih. Mama still wants to check some sales reports at the boutique," he continued after a little pause.

Although I hesitated a little, I finally took my foot out of the kitchen to the room on the second floor. Glanced back at the mama who was still flinching behind the kitchen table. Hopefully not a serious problem. I can't wait to see your soul as if it's not in the body.

Arriving at the room, I hurriedly connected my phone to the charging cable. After waiting for a while, my phone turned on. I slowly opened the whatsapp app, squeezed the contacts I had saved under the name 'my sunshine', then quickly typed, [Lo's asleep?]

I've seen the four-inch sail thing in my hand. Hoping to get a reply from the person I sent the message to. Fifteen minutes went by, there was no reply I received. Maybe he's asleep in his sweet dreams. I'd better get some rest. Maybe tomorrow morning the sun is shining bright as usual again.