BUNCHES

CHAPTER 3

Akmal departure to Bukittinggi West Sumatra, not the first time. There have been several times the sweet black man made a formal trip to the same place. But for some reason, this time is very different for beautiful women who have a hobby of dancing to fill their free time.

Cici hugged Akmal very tightly, but the man increasingly liked to tease his wife.

"Come hug you satisfied, let's be relieved...!"

Akmal gently rubbed his wife's back, occasionally glancing at Mira who was still asleep in the baby stroller.

Cici wiped the tears that had been difficult for him to weave, flowing without cause, even it felt like Akmal's departure this time was very different from usual.

Akmal opened the baby stroller cover, kissed his little daughter, rubbed the soft crown of Mira's head like talking from heart to heart.

Dony approached the seemingly harmonious couple, whispering a little to Akmal, "Bro, it's been waiting for. The others got on the bus. You're just left."

Akmal closed the baby stroller cover again, again kissed Cici's forehead with full feeling.

"Take off, Assalamualaikum...!"

Akmal boarded the bus, waving his hands, looking uncharacteristic. Her sweet face implied sadness, yet was unable to be uttered.

Cici along with the wives who helped release the departure of their respective spouses, for official travel, can only also wave at the bus that is getting away.

Cici let out a long sigh, seeing that the 3/4 bus was passing by at a moderate pace, being turning around, returning past the abandoned family.

Cici pushed the baby stroller, started the car first, put Mira very carefully in the back seat, because it was still asleep.

But how shocked Cici was, when she put her beloved daughter, Mira awake, crying with a loud voice calling her Abi. Sontak Cici again carried Mira, carrying in her arms.

As fast as lightning, the woman who was accustomed to folding the baby stroller, while holding the princess, put in the trunk of the car immediately.

"Why Ami's son hmm.... Abi has left, baby? We go home, okay?" Cici gently rubbed her little daughter's head, lovingly, towards the steering wheel, holding Mira.

"Ami's son is beautiful, don't cry anymore...!"

"Abi.....!" Mira shouted back to Akmal.

Hearing Mira's cry, Cici returned unsettled. He stopped his vehicle, put Mira beside him, to be more free, but the little girl still continued to cry.

"Darling.. shut up, son. Ami here, sit here first huh? Ami put up a safety belt, let Ade beautiful Ami did not fall," Cici persuaded Mira to return to calm.

Rushing Cici gave her favorite bottle, but was pushed aside by Mira. His tears did not dry up, even making Cici look panicked.

He grabbed his cell phone, immediately contacted Cardo, one of his nephews who worked in one of the government offices.

"Do, where are you?"- Cici.

"Home brother, why? That's Mira's voice? Why is he crying?"-Cardo.

"Here dong...! Abi's sister runs out, Mira, but Mira doesn't want to shut up after her Abi leaves. Then why-why is it hard, horrifying yourself, the sound of crying Mira!"- Cici.

"Where is Brother Ci?"-Cardo.

"Hmm, Brother in front of your office, prosecutor!"-Cici.

"Yes, wait there!" Cardo closed the phone.

Cici, holding Mira, again persuaded her daughter to calm down. Mira's cry grew louder, even cold sweat soaked her head, making her have to turn on the car's AC even colder.

"Girl Ami is hungry, huh? Yuk, we'll eat first. Let Ade not fuss anymore, while waiting for Om Cardo!"

Cici took the car keys, carried her bag, to the breakfast stall in front of the office building.

Slowly Cici took a breath, pressed the button to have her car locked, carrying Mira in her carrier.

Sure enough, Mira was a little calm and cheerful, while in the crowd. His puffy face, due to crying fatigue made his laughter widen, as the shop owner greeted him.

Cici chose to sit in the front desk seat, to be seen by Cardo who was following him.

Cici ordered a vegetable lontong, and a glass of warm tea for the two of them. Mira who was cool to enjoy the milk that was in a favorite bottle in the lap of the mother, just wiggling her tiny legs.

Mira Anastasya, Akmal's beloved daughter and three-year-old Cici, has a petite body, and is very spoiled on Akmal.

They both share in caring for the baby, on the sidelines of the busyness of Akmal and Cici who are far from his extended family.

Oneng, the housemaid who always takes care of Mira when Cici does her job as a lecturer assistant. Working hours that have been arranged by both, to remind each other the schedule of who goes home first.

A plate of vegetable pennies and a glass of warm sweet tea, exhausted without being devoured by two beautiful women who were waiting for their families.

Mira hugged Cici again, because she felt exhausted after crying for too long, making her sleep in the arms of her mother.

Cardo came using an online ojek, approached the exhausted-looking Cici, carrying Mira.

"Sister...! Why not let Abang Akmal go with gocar or usually use maxim? How is tumben delivered?" Cardo took Mira from Cici's embrace.

Rushing the handsome nephew paid for everything that Cici had eaten, taking Mira to the car, as time was approaching to enter the office.

"You're late, Do?" Cici opens the car door, enters the passenger seat, welcomes Mira's body.

"Yes, come in at 07:30 anyway. I asked permission because I took care of my sister. I was worried to hear Mira crying, afraid of stomach cramps or even catching a cold. Not good to keep crying children, fear of tambet!"

Cici shook her head.

Cardo drove her vehicle, leaving their breakfast stall, to the Cici residence.

"When's your brother coming home?" Cardo asked Cici again about Akmal.

"Says three days, regular kayak service!"

Cici gently stroked her daughter's hair, gently peeling Mira's forehead, "Hmm, just this time she was fussing so much Brother left. Sister Ci, so overwhelmed. It's usually safe, like Abi's going far."

Cardo turned to Cici, "That's Kak, her name is also a girl. Must be close to his Abi. Moreover, Cardo see, Abang Akmal is very attentive with Mira. His son can't cry, but it's been put in his own box at night."

Cici laughed, "That's her Abi, don't want her son to see 'that's weird at night. How the hell are you, like you're the same Nisa not so."

They laugh, talk lightly about Cardo and Nisa's relationship, who have a one-year-old son.

Cici recalled, a red scarf that covered the windshield of the car before their departure. He slowly turned his head back, looking for the whereabouts of the unknown red scarf where Akmal placed it.

"Where was Abi yah placed? Why isn't there?"

Cici reached into the rear pocket located in the steering wheel, but found nothing.

"Where's yah...!?"