Droplets of Night Creatures

43. Meet Sarti

The train arrived at Malang station as the clock showed at five in the morning. The atmosphere of the station still felt lonely. Aruna and the other passengers disembarked and headed for the station exit. Aruna decided to perform the dawn prayer at the musholla located at the station.

Afterwards Aruna chose to sit on the platform while observing the people passing by. It was then that Aruna's two eyes caught a familiar figure standing not far from her. The figure of a man wearing a light blue uniform that indicates if he is the driver of one of the train companies. He was thirty-five years old. He looked in the distance as if he was waiting for something.

The man is quite attractive to women because it has a tall body, sturdy and handsome face. Her skin is tan and her hair is black, but her eyes are blue.

“ She looks a lot like Janson. Lest he's a descendant of Janson and Sarti..,” muttered Aruna while continuing to follow the movements of the Janson-like man.

Feeling himself being stared at in such a way by Aruna, the man smiled then approached Aruna and greeted her.

“ Why Ma'am, weird ya squirming Me...,” greet the man kindly.

“ Oh ga, uh yes. Sorry, Om's brother looks a lot like someone I know..” said Aruna nervously.

“ Time anyway, similar to who..?” ask the man while laughing.

“ Janson, a Dutchman who came to Indonesia in the 1940s..,” said Aruna quickly to the surprise of the man who immediately stopped his laughter.

“ His name is similar to my Grandpa's name..” said the man in a raucous voice.

“ Oh, your pantesan is very similar. Just different skin colors. Janson skin pale reddish while Om has a typical skin color of Indonesians in general.” said Aruna with a smile.

“ Where did you meet him..?” ask the man carefully.

“ On the train on the way to here last night..,” said Aruna.

“ How is the condition, must be very old huh. Kan You said he came to Indonesia in the 1940s.” said the man with a wry smile.

“ Om wrong !. The Janson I met was still very young, not yet thirty years old either. His wife is a native Indonesian named Sarti..,” said Aruna to surprise the man.

The man stared fixedly at Aruna while closely observing the girl before him.

“ How a coincidence, My Grandma is also named Sarti. If the Janson you told me about was my Grandpa, who was young ?. As long as you know, My Grandfather disappeared while going to carry out the duties of his superiors during the colonial era first. And Grandpa never came back until this moment. If he was still alive, he should be old and senile..,” said the man riled.

“ That's right Om. Unfortunately what I found was not Janson in human form but only her spirit who was thirty years old.

“ Spirit ?. You can see the spirits of people who have died a long time ago.?” ask the man.

“ Yes Om...,” says Aruna.

“ Who are you really..?” asked the man while looking at Aruna from head to toe.

Then Aruna told him who he was and what message to be conveyed by the spirit of Janson. The man in a uniform similar to Janson who was later known as Herdian also seemed to nod his head to understand.

“ Grandma I must be happy to hear this news..” said Herdian with teary eyes.

“ So Grandma Om is still alive..?” asked Aruna who imagined the old, stooped and senile Grandpa Sarti.

“ Yes. How about Aruna, you want to stop by my parents' house..?” ask Herdian expectantly.

Aruna was silent because it was impossible to follow the man she just knew. Herdian seemed to be smiling.

“ So I telephon My Wife let me come here and invite My Grandma to nemuin You yes Aruna..,” said Herdian.

“ So Better Om...,” says Aruna.

“ But this is important Ma, someone wants to nyampein important message of late Grandpa..,” said Herdian.

“ Oh that. Wait a minute, Pa. Mama wakes up Grandma first..,” says Herdian's wife.

“ Ntar I telephonin Mr. Sobari to nganterin You same Grandma later..,” said Herdian.

“ Yes Pa...,” says to Herdian's wife.

While waiting for the arrival of Grandpa Sarti, Herdian invited Aruna to breakfast at the station cafeteria. Aruna also cleaned up and changed clothes in the station toilet. An hour later Herdian's wife came with both Herdian's parents and Sarti's grandmother. The condition of the elderly Grandpa Sarti makes him have to sit in a wheelchair because it is not strong anymore to walk far.

Herdian greeted the four loved ones with a smile. Then he introduces Aruna to her family and tells her what Aruna saw.

The old Nek Sarti is already myopic due to the age of twilight, but still has a pretty good hearing. He listened carefully to Aruna. Tears also wet his wrinkled cheeks. His lips seemed to tremble as he said a sentence that amazed his family.

“ I want to meet Janson..” said Sarti nek shrivelled to surprise Herdian because he thought the grandmother would not believe the story of Aruna.

“ What Grandma sure, the Aruna saw it was just a spirit you know Nek..,” said Herdian reminded.

“ Yes, I know Janson would want to say something..,” said to Sarti while rubbing his wet eyes.

“ How Om...?” ask Aruna to Herdian.

“ Father agree. Grandma had suffered a long time in waiting. Maybe after this Grandma can calm down through her old age.” said Herdian's father who is Janson's biological son.

“ Well. Please help my Grandma yes Aruna..,” pinta Herdian.

“ Insha Allah ready Om...,” said Aruna with a smile.

\=====

That night Aruna took Nek Sarti and his family to a place. Herdian also helped Aruna get a boarding house for her stay in the city. The boarding house belonged to Herdian's parents not far from the Aruna campus.

“ Here Aruna...?” asked Herdian while stopping the car on the edge of the rice field not far from the railway.

“ Yes Om...,” said Aruna while staring around her. Aruna smiled when she saw the presence of Georga and Matilda who had first arrived there. They were hiding on top of a turi tree that stood firm on the edge of the rice field.

“ Why here..?” ask Herdian's father, Suryadi.

“ You see where Nek Sarti and Her Husband separated also on the edge of the rail rich gini Pak..,” said Aruna.

Suryadi nodded in understanding. Nek Sarti who was sitting in a wheelchair seemed to start sobbing and it made all panic except for Aruna.

“ Why Mom, what hurts..?” suryadi asked softly.

“ Ga No. I just inget Papamu Nak..,” said to Sarti while crying.

“ I'm patient yes. Soon I will meet Papa..” said Suryadi with a vibrating voice.

Suryadi honestly also harbored a longing for a father figure that he had never met in his entire life. Suryadi only knew his father from the stories of his mother and those who knew him. They say that Janson is a true warrior. Who loves Sarti and Indonesia with sincere love. Fighting together to face the invaders who incidentally is his own nation because Janson does not like colonialism.

\=====