CIRCUMCISION

Apprehension

The color of twilight is blushing, hinting the night will come. Night animals began to voice the song, when the dim began to appear, silence was heard, accompanied by lantern lights. The soul lies in solitude, the feeling of longing that is not conveyed, the deeper the pain.

The grief seemed endless on the edge, the night crawled reluctantly parting with the moon.

"Ndhuk, this sleep is near midnight, what is the burden of your mind Dirah"

"Get in outside very cold" Yatemi stroked her enlarged belly.

"Sir.., the stomach is growing, the day of birth is coming soon" He stopped for a moment.

"Well, Hendra won't come back to me?" the distant view of Dirah through the darkness of the night.

"Ndhuk rest, if you are a soul mate in this life, whatever it is will not be able to separate your bonds, sure ndhuk.." Yatemi hid the sadness she felt, then led her way inside.

The slow rolling time is the same as in other places, Mahendra is restless waiting for the means of rail transportation from Surabaya to Kediri. There is still a long way to his birthplace, the hot air he ignored the wet sweat melted on his forehead he did not care.

"Sundirah..., mas go home, where are you now?" in Mahendra's heart wailed bitterly.

The slow-moving train whistles the locomotive whistle signifies the journey will soon begin.

"Alhamdulillah.

Long story short by the afternoon Mahendra had reached his final destination.

"Assynoltom... Mama!" Mahendra greeted Karmilah who was sitting in the back porch.

"My son Mahendra...!" karmilah screams while embracing in the embrace of his child. Cries broke for a moment, Mahendra fell prostrate at Karmilah's feet, hugging tightly, begging for forgiveness for what he had done.

"What happened to Mahendra, so you came home without any news to us?" ask Karmilah after the calm atmosphere.

"Mother, where is Sundirah? she left with a triumvirate of grief and suffering, she has conceived my son Mother" Mahendra said.

"Father who wants them, avoid the view of our lives in this village!" the sound of Atmosiman baritones suddenly sounded from behind the sketches.

Mahendra then turned to look at Atmosiman, grabbed and kissed his father's hand.

"I don't want Dirah to approach you, you will marry Sulastri Djaelani's son lurah" firmly said.

"Mas Siman, sit down first we talk calmly, do not get carried away with emotions we can negotiate everything well" Karmilah tried to unravel the tension.

While in a hidden place, Surip with Slamet heard all their talk, a little relieved at Mahendra's return, and heard himself that in Sundirah's womb was the son of Mahendra.

"Dad, I refuse this match!" mahendra replied firmly. "With Father's blessing or not, I will still seek and live together with Sundirah" Mahendra's loud voice, like a challenge to Atmosiman.

Atmosiman stood up as he clenched his hand "Can't...! you can't refuse dad's will!"

braakkk...!

the hand of Atmosiman breaks the table. Karmilah tried to break up by approaching the husband.

"Mas...control your anger, Sundirah is pregnant by the actions of our son, whoever he is, the child in his womb does not sin!" karmilah.

"Don't interfere! I wouldn't have a besan that's just a daily wage laborer!" Atmosiman again made a loud voice.

"Dad....! where was the nature of the father who was legowo, who always taught us about the valley of manah? why dad?"

"Where is the fault of Sundirah's father, because of the son of a daily wage laborer?" ask Hendra slowly.

"You don't have to teach me about manners, I understand better!" The atmosphere is still strong with its stance.

"Dad..if Hendra's position as Sundirah, will the father still carry out this matchmaking?" Mahendra stared far out.

"Don't say much Hendra! tomorrow we will go to the house of Djaelani, talk about the marriage that must be accelerated" Atmosiman stressed then, stepping away from them both.

"Mother, what should Hendra do?" Hendra breathed a heavy breath.

"Do your best for Sundirah" looking at Mahendra.

Mahendra stood up to the bag he was carrying on his way home yesterday, picked up something and handed it to his mother.

Slowly open, staring at his son.

"Mother will control father's anger" said softly, and followed her to her husband.

After a quiet atmosphere, from behind the hideout Surip and Slamet came out. then approached Mahendra, and pulled into the back.

"Den Hendra's...! Thank God, Aden came on time"

"Sundirah with her family, heading south of den!"

"All the information is on Neng Sulastri den, hopefully aden soon find where they are" Slamet carefully conveyed the word.

Karmilah stepped slowly toward the Atmosiman, sat facing each other silently and stared at each other.

Already many years have waded through life in togetherness, joy and sorrow. from the beginning to succeed, understanding each other's temperament.

Atmosiman threw away "Don't get in the way, and don't ever cry for my blessing, because I will still be different from Djaelani"

"Well, if that's your wish, I as your wife can't get in the way of your will either"

"however, did Siman remember our love story? also full of grief, will it be repeated with the love of our child?" Karmilah tried to remind.

Atmosiman sighed, and looked at Karmila merrily, his memory returning to the past a difficult and bitter time to remember.

Then his hand thrust out a letter that Mahendra had given, he slowly received and he read without a sound.

"What is this empty egg...? don't believe the word scratch, it's just their wits to fool, us!" atmosiman said after reading it.

"Your arrogance will reap the benefits of gold, just because Djaelani is now a lurah, you have the heart to shackle my son's love, Djaelani's youth as a player among you forget the mas!"

"Don't you torture my son with your arrogance" and step out.

Atmosphere was in the midst of anxiety, he remained confident that the nature of man would change with the passage of time.

"Well I'll find out about Djaelani, there's no way he'll remain a Kawung duckling" Atmosiman's inner self began to doubt his memory back to his youth, where Djaelani was a cockfighting gambler, and when the election is cheap by the community, his arrogant attitude and gambling soul is lost along with the presence of prestige as a tool of the village and community guard.

"Is it just to cheat the department? I have to find out Djaelani's current football" and he rushes out to find Slamet's whereabouts.

"Where are we Ndoro? it's night" Slamet doubts his old health.

"follow my lead on the slamet"

"nggih, Monggo ndoro" said Slamet while looking down.

The swiftness of the horse's legs became the rhythm of the night's delivery, leading the young man to seek answers to the worries he had created himself.

They have passed through two villages, and come to the house on the way.

"Ndoro Siman, what's going on late at night to see me, if there's anything I can help you with" the man asked

"Naris, I need your help, do my best for me immediately, in return I'll give you a pair of great-grandchildren"

"I want information about Djaelani's lunge, what he did during his time as a village pamong kawedusan, give the news two days ahead to me" Atmosiman gave his order.

Naris is a strong young man he is a messenger, as well as a confidant of Atmosiman.

"Well ndoro, I will carry out the ndoro command, and soon I will tell you, the news about the person" Naris said as he lowered his body.

********

Valley of manah, \= Low self-esteem

it can also be called Andhap Asor

Finally little by little the arrogance began to erode, dear emteh netizens 🤗

A rose for the lady of Karmilah

don't forget to give me the advice to build, like and rate ⭐️

Big hug and love, by Rhu