Edible Oil

4. Basque

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Twenty years ago.

Baskara is a smart man but due to the limitations of his parents who are less able he was forced to finish his education up to the High School level only. The days of Baskara he lived by helping his parents work in the fields.

Pondok Labu village where Baskara lived was excited by the arrival of the son of a rice master who had just returned from the city called Sania, Sania had just finished his education in Tenggarong city.

Baskara also did not think that little Sania who became his playmate was now turned into a very beautiful girl nan beautiful so that made the young men in the village scramble to ask for her.

Sania became an expensive flower in his village many young people do a lot of ways to get expensive flowers such as Sania. Yeah, all the lads except Baskara. Baskara realized that ordinary young people would not be able to pick village flowers like Sania.

Baskara always avoids when meeting with Sania but the more Baskara avoids Sania the more curious made by him. Like getting the durian collapsed maybe that's the right word for Baskara because it turns out Sania actually fell in love with him.

Gayung also welcomed it turns out Sania's parents want to accept the poor Baskara to be his son-in-law. With a festive party borne by Sania's parents, Sania and Baskara are now officially husband and wife.

Happiness was tested when they already had their three-year-old son Miranda, Sania who was used to living all in moderation was unable to survive all the shortcomings with Baskara.

Because blinded by love, Baskara was able to do everything possible so that Sania did not leave him even though the way he did was very dangerous for his life later.

"SANIA! SANIA! BASKARA! Hurry home, hurry up!" Sania's father's neighbor named Rumi shouted in panic.

"What is this, why are you screaming like that?" Sania who was swinging Miranda inside the cottage came out in panic.

"A, your father, your father died at the brigand's whip." Rumi's voice vibrated.

"WHAT! Ayaaah." Sania ran home crying hysterically.

Baskara put down the mandau used to clean the fields and immediately carried the miranda and chased Sania his wife.

Sania's father died, he was robbed after selling crops in the city and then followed by his sickly mother. It has been two months Sania's mother lay weakly on the bed without eating and drinking anything so that only the skin of the bone dressing is left.

"Son, call Baskara." Mother Sania said with great difficulty racing with her stinged breath. Sania immediately called her husband.

"There's one important thing I want to tell you." His words are still stingy.

"Yes, Mother, speak slowly" Sania said.

With a gasp and a choked breath Mother Sania told him. "In the cupboard is a copper box and there is a small bottle in the box, it contains oil that will make you successful and will not lack anything, whatever you do will surely work. But to get it one of you has to perform a ritual so that the oil blends with your body. If you want to get that oil you have to meet Grandpa Muhdar who is in the forest behind Lamin's."

"Can't we use that oil?" Ask Sania.

"No, son, that oil can only be used by your father because it has fused with his body, you must make a new oil." Sania's mother's breathing became increasingly congested she could not speak anymore.

"How's Dad, do you want to continue with that oil?" Ask Sania.

Baskara shook her head, "No ma'am, I'm afraid that it would be dangerous for our family. There's not much more than enough for us to eat."

"It is enough to eat. Enough to eat for the future of children? How is our old age? And what other needs?" Force Sania.

"Here you go, ma'am, I still won't go on. Danger," asserted Baskara.

"I regret returning to this village, if I had known this then I would not have refused the proposal of Anhar son Camat in Tenggarong," said Sania as she passed away from the room.

The next day Sania's mother died before she died she had said one thing to Sania at the end of her remaining breath.

"I want us to separate" Sania said after her mother's funeral.

"But why? What's my fault Sania?" Ask Baskara.

"Wrongly? Why are you asking the wrong thing you know for sure" said Sania.

"But-"

"But what? I don't want to live hard with you, I want us to split up because Anhar is waiting for me." Sania's speech is getting tighter.

"Please Sania, I will work even harder to meet all your needs. Remember Miranda, pity her Sania." Baskara knelt down and hugged both of Sania's legs.

Sania pushed Baskara and brushed off Baskara's hand. " Dumb shit, you can take care of Miranda alone I'm not taking her."

Encouraged by her love and fear of losing Sania Baskara, Sania finally complies. Baskara disappeared for a year after which he returned with a triumph for Sania.

Baskara who is kind and loving to his family is now changed since he moved to the city he rarely met his parents and younger siblings. His promise to help send his younger siblings to school was forgotten so Katarina had to stop school and banged bones to support her three sisters because both their parents died of illness.

Sabina and Mandala choose not to go to school they prefer to help Katarina, now the three of them eagerly take care of Anastasia and send her to become a doctor.

"Well, are you sure?" Tanya Sania pasa Baskara's.

"You don't want to be sure, Mom."

"Yes already, Tomorrow I'll be careful" Sania said

"Yes ma'am, just pray for it." Sahut Baskara, Sania nodded worriedly.

Tomorrow Baskara plans to meet Muhdar's grandfather in the forest behind Lamin and hunt for the oil called by his in-laws.