Being a Middle Child

Home Flavors

"Eh Mat has come home, eat first son," said mama softly.

The welcome I always get every time I go home after disappearing for a few days is warm. But the next morning it will be continued with a special dish that makes my ears hot.

"Yes ma," I sat next to Ikbal eating the contents of the jar that was in front of me.

The funny show we watched was quite entertaining. Sometimes it makes my laughter and my brother break.

As the night wore on we entered each other's rooms, there were 3 rooms in this house, one room of my parents, one room of Ami tea and one room of me and Ikbal.

In my room there was only one closet and one floor mattress, there were no posters like most young people. I prefer a sticker that I stick full in the closet.

Ikbal and I broke down, tired. Not physically tired because of work but tired of heart because of arid affection.

"Why don't you come home now?" ask Ikbal.

"It's okay, why? kangen yes..," I replied jokingly.

"There's no peace at home,"

Ikbal has an introverted character, he does not talk much let alone to new people, opposite to me who is pretentious. Be among his other brothers I am the closest to him other than because of my character is beautiful but in childhood Ikbal more I foster.

"There is Ami tea, Ikbal can chat with Ami tea, Ami tea is good to talk to,"

"Different a."

"Hehe, how is it different?"

"That's it, but aa's the best."

"Tomorrow you go to school?"

"Not a, holiday."

"Okay, tomorrow ain't going nowhere."

"Seriously a?"

"Two rius."

"Guys!"

"Yes sleep fast, you little boy, hehe."

"Okay a,"

Shortly afterwards there was a regular breath of the sign Ikbal had fallen asleep and went to dreamland.

*****

Chickens crowed, the sun did not show itself, the dawn echoed in every mosque, inviting people who were asleep to get up and take off the blankets.

"Relationship, wakeup!" mama's screams from the outside as usual if I'm home.

"Ready Ma'am commander," I replied lazily.

"Hurry to the bathroom and pray!"

"Yes moms" I said, waking up and waking up Ikbal, who was sleeping by my side.

"Bal, wake up at dawn" I said, patting her thick body.

Ikbal wriggled, I got up and walked towards the bathroom. Then go out to pray in the mosque. The mosque is located across the street from my house so praying in the mosque has become my family's routine.

The mosque that has so many memories of my childhood, sometimes I smile when I remember it. In the past, every time after Maghrib, I and my friends would teach in this mosque. While others were busy learning I was busy judging friends, until finally I was often sanctioned to stand in front of the mosque or pinched because I could not stand still.

"Mat, the tumben is up at this hour," said Mr. Mukidi disperse my daydreams.

"There is an automatic alarm sir, different from the others anyway, haha," I said giving an alarm signal which means the cry of my mother.

"Hehe, upgrade,"

"Ready!"

Iqomah was proclaimed, the worshipers of the mosque lined up to perform dawn prayers, there were only about ten people who congregated. By being imitated by our father was solemn in the chanting of the sacred verse that was read.

After the prayer, I went home.

Through the kitchen door I entered the house with a greeting.

"Mat, please sweep the yard!" mama said after answering the greeting while cooking fried rice. As usual, somehow mom was always the most comfortable when she ordered me to do something. Unlike my other brothers who rarely even ruled anything.

"Every mother commander" I said as I passed to the front yard and took a broomstick to sweep.

I rushed to get the money my mother gave me and went to the shop. Although it was still very early morning the stalls in the village were open.

Upon arriving at the shop, I said to the shopkeeper Odik, "Mang, buy soy sauce that is five thousand,"

"May, Grace is always to the mah siakin stall," said mang Odik because it was always me who was told to the stall since long ago if there is a need to be purchased.

"Aamiin mang, hehe," I answered accordingly.

"Nih mat," said Mang Odik while giving a black plastic bag containing soy sauce.

I took it and went home.

"Ma, here's the soy sauce" I said as I walked into the kitchen.

"Yes here" said the mother while taking soy sauce and put it into the fried rice.

"Breakfast mat, tea, yeah! get breakfast first!" call mom to gather the whole house for breakfast.

"Where is Ikbal ma?" I asked because I hadn't seen him since I got home together.

"Sleep again in the room," replied Ami tea that was cleaning the house.

"Oh," I replied briefly.

Ami tea then helps mom prepare breakfast.

Ting..

Notification of the incoming message in my gawa, I opened it and it turned out from the Goddess.

[What Rani said was playing here to her house, I'm still here.]

[Okay, tomorrow at most.] I reply, and then I put my salary back in my pants pocket.

'Lumayan see you again sweet lady' I thought.

As soon as breakfast was served, there was no dining table in my house so we used to eat lesehan, but that was where the enjoyment lay.

"Mat, if you can't go anywhere," mama said as usual.

"Ready ma for today mah," I said on the sidelines eating.

"You help me out in the fields, so you can,"

"Yes later,"

"Later, that's how it is now!"

"Every mother commander," I said, sticking my hand on my forehead like a ceremonial salute.

After I finished eating I chose to go into the room and play the device.

I try to open the messages on my social media, it turns out there are some messages that I have not read. I rarely open it only occasionally.

[When do you play here again? Not fun if not the same Brother] Amel.

[Mat, where?] Rendra.

[When is crazy together again?] Rena.

I smiled seeing him. There are also some similar messages. I was known to be funny and funny in front of friends so they said that gathering without me he said not exciting.

"Mat, sun it the clothes have been washed the same Ami tea!" yelled my mom from outside.

"Hmm," I replied as I walked towards the bathroom where there was laundry ready to be dried while Ami's tea was still washing the carpet in the bathroom, I picked it up and rushed out to hang it in the front yard.

Then the school students who went to school looking at me were surprised, because as usual I only wear a T-shirt and knee-length jeans while drying clothes. I never ignored the astonished gazes of the students because there was no benefit for me.

After I finished drying, I went into the house to save the bucket, I saw Ikbal having breakfast in front of the television.

"Bal, why the holiday? but it was in front of a lot of school children," I asked curiously.

"On Friday a, unity holiday, if in the country mah Sunday off," answered Ikbal explained.

"Oh yeah now it's friday, forget aa,"

"You're old, man,"

"Emang kali!" I said while showing grandfather's face.

"Haha." we laughed together