Finding True Love Aishah

Memories of Childhood

Arriving at the hospital, Aishah immediately parked the car she was carrying. From outside the treatment room, Aishah saw a tall and well-built man talking with his pakdhe and budhenya. The man looked familiar to him. Aishah approached the door and knocked on it slowly.

Tok.dok…

"Assalamu'alaikum" Aishah knocked on the door.

"Wa'alaikum salam" Everyone in the room turned their gaze towards Aishah. That's right, the young man was Radit. Aishah immediately shook hands with budhe and his pakdhenya.

"How is Pakdhe? It's healthy, right?" Aishah approached her pakdhenya who was sitting with a pillow on the bed.

"It's also allowed to go home." The look on Mr. Joko's face is sumringah.

"Sister Radit, it's been a while?" Then Aishah turned her gaze towards Radit who had been watching him.

"Not yet, just arrived. I stopped by the house, but said the next door neighbor, Pakdhe entered the hospital, so I came straight here. How about we just go home in my car." Radit offers his car to take Mr. Joko home.

"Thank you. But, I've brought Pakdhe's car." Aishah immediately subtly refuses Radit's request. They finally got home in their own car. It turns out that Radit is still continuing his intention to stop by Aishah's house. Radit's car trailed the car carried by Aishah from behind.

Arriving at home, Aishah immediately cleaned the goods pakdhe and budhenya from the trunk of the car. Radit swiftly helped him. While Mr. Joko entered the house assisted by Bu Sekar. Not long after, they entered the house, suddenly the sound of the door being knocked.

Tok.dok…

Aishah went to the door and opened it. Turns out it was a grabfood guy. Aishah looked confused as she felt she had never ordered food. 

"That's me ordering it, Budhe and Aish must be tired so it's impossible to cook." Suddenly Radit's voice shocked him. Radit's voice came from inside, Aishah immediately accepted it and brought it in. Then Aishah prepared it at the dinner table. 

Aishah immediately went to the bathroom to take a shower and changed clothes.

"Sister Radit hasn't had a bath yet, has he? Take a shower first." After finishing the bath, Aishah approached Radit who was sitting on the front sofa.

"No need, I don't bring a change of clothes anyway, I just take the water wudu." Radit stood up from his seat, then rushed towards the bathroom.

Then Aishah also took ablution water and performed congregational magrib prayers which were imami by his pakdhenya. Despite being sick, Mr. Joko was never absent to worship. As usual, after prayers Isya' Pak Joko family had dinner together. 

After dinner, Radit takes Aishah to the back garden of the house. 

"Aish, you remember not every Sunday night you always invited me to dinner here?" Radit glared far above the dark sky.

Radit tries to reminisce with memories of his childhood. Radit sat down with the grass of the garden while looking at the dark sky without moonlight and without the glitter of stars. Apparently tonight the star refused to show its bright light. The sky was filled with black clouds that made it pitch dark. Only a few stars were faintly visible far away there.

"Aish said that tonight is our Sunday night, so we should hang out and enjoy dinner together. Aish always carries food with you." Radit continues the story of his past with disjointed.

It seems that Radit is very enthusiastic to remember events after events. For him, childhood was his best time. Because Radit can still be with his mother, his most beloved person in the whole world.

Aishah who was sitting next to Radit was just staring at him from the side under the night sky. Aishah kept her seat distance with Radit so as not to get too close.  Aishah appears to be watching Radit's story closely without commenting. 

"You used to be so chatty, always telling me about whatever you saw and experienced, you even said that I was your girlfriend and should not play with other girls. I can plainly just obey all your words just like that. Though at that time we were 7 years old and I was already sitting on the bench of Junior High. How can a kid who's still in 3rd grade school be able to say that I thought." Radit seemed to brighten his smile while shaking his head.

Oh no little Aish really makes me very embarrassed. Aishah covered her face with both hands. There was a giggling sound coming from his hand-covered mouth.

Radit chuckled, he really liked the topic of his conversation tonight. Even if the night sky shines brightly, of course he will be able to see the look on Aishah's face that has been reddish for enduring shame. It turns out that an Aishah, an innocent girl who looks sholihah by always wrapping her headscarf on her head can also do that.

"You used to be so ignorant, you loved to prank me as well as you please, but I forgave you lightly and you easily repeated my pranking. Haha you stupid." Now that Radit's laughter has become more and more so, his laughter breaks the silence of the night. Even he was more excited than ever to continue his story.

"You remember, you used to shoot me in front of my friends right on my 12th birthday, even you kissed me on the cheek without shame, hahaha." Radit laughed more and more.

"Sister, Aish is so embarrassed." Now Aishah could not hold back her shame anymore. Aishah couldn't bear to hear the follow-up story about the silly little Aish again. Even if it makes Radit happy.

"Then Mom always made us two glasses of warm chocolate milk with a message on it, Mom drove her here and left us both. Before entering the house, Mother always stands behind the fence watching us from a distance. Until some time with a smile that expands very beautifully decorate her beautiful face."

Drastic changes occur in the look of Radit's face. Radit's sadness was obvious. Radit could no longer hide his sad feelings. Radit fell silent and bowed for a long time. Aishah sees something Radit feels, the feeling of losing a figure very close to him, the feeling of longing that every time haunts him. The tears could not be contained anymore, the tears began to wet Radit's face.

Aishah tried to calm her down by gently stroking Radit's right shoulder.

"Please Brother, Auntie now must have calmed down in nature there, maybe now Aunt is also looking at us from up there with a smile, so do not make Aunt lose her smile." Aishah took out a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Radit.

"This is my handkerchief, I remember this handkerchief is a gift from Mom. I never forget to take her wherever I go." Radit began to wipe away her tears that kept flowing. Then clutched the handkerchief given by his mother. Suddenly the rain started to fall. 

"Aish, let's take Radit in. It's raining hard, you're gonna catch a cold." From the back porch of the house looks Bu Sekar yelling and then back into the house.

"Yes Budhe." Aishah started to stand up and took Radit in.

"Sister Radit let's go in. The rain starts pouring out later it can hurt." Aishah tried to pull Radit's arm up from his seat. Radit stood up with Aishah's help, but Radit's larger body made him unable to pull Radit's weight. So that makes Aishah even attracted by Radit and fell right in Radit's arms. Radit swiftly held Aishah's body and dropped it on his chest that was fielded.

Damn, this girl is so beautiful even under the dark sky. 

Radit muttered in his heart. Their eyes met each other and Radit almost kissed her tiny lips. But it soon came to a realization and only helped him stand up properly.

Aishah quickly got up and let go of Radit's embrace. Aishah's face seemed to change color to a blushing red. Aishah looked down embarrassedly hiding her red cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

Radit immediately let go of his embrace by raising his two hands. Then Aishah and Radit went into the house. 

What is this, why is my heart beating so much faster than usual? Aishah is now completely different from the Aishah that it used to be. Now she is very beautiful and charming even she can change her body is no longer fat like before.

Radit wondered from within, while holding onto his chest. 

On the back porch of the house, Radit took off his slightly wet coat. Radit folded up his white shirt sleeves. Aishah was also shaking her hands to dry her wet veil. Radit took the phone from his pocket and saw the clock on his phone already showing at 9 p.m.

"Aish, I'll go home first. It's 9 o'clock." Radit put the phone back in his pants pocket.

"Stay still raining Brother." Aishah saw the rain still falling.

"Later the rain even more heavy, it's impossible for me to stay here?"

Radit enters the house, followed by Aishah. Radit said goodbye to Bu Sekar who was busy watching television alone.

"Budhe, Radit came home last night." Radit grabbed Ms. Sekar's right hand and kissed her back.

"Outside the rain, is it not expected to let the rain subside first?" Ask Ma Sekar to Radit.

"Later even more swift Budhe, could-can Radit not go home." Radit smiles.

"Yes, be careful on the road." Bu Sekar stood up from his seat.

"Pakdhe has Budhe rest?" Radit looks at Mr. Joko's already dark room door.

"Already from now, it is not necessary to say goodbye let Pakdhemu rest." Bu Sekar escorted Radit to the front door.

"Yes already then assalamu'alaikum" Radit left Aishah's house.

"Wa'alaikum salutations."

Aishah and Bu Sekar drove Radit to the front door. Radit seemed to be running a bit away from the rain towards his car. Radit immediately sat behind the wheel. Radit's car sped up quickly under heavy rain. Radit's car is quickly lost in the darkness of the night.

Aishah and Bu Sekar immediately entered the house. Bu Sekar continued to watch the show on television. Aishah sat next to him, spun in Bdhenya's hand spoiled.

"Aish, how does it look like Budhe noticed that Radit's eyes are a little swollen? You didn't make her cry, did you?" Ms. Sekar asked Aishah while teasing her.

"What the hell is Budhe. There are also guys who often make girls cry." Aishah denies Bu's allegations against him. 

"So Kak Radit told me about his mother, maybe Kak Radit misses his mother very much."

Bu Sekar just nodded his head with eyes not separated from the television.

"Let's go to bed soon, Aish must be tired." Ms. Sekar got up from her seat and fixed her tangled clothes.

"Well, Budhe also accompanied Pakdhe there, but Pakdhe slept alone." Aishah and Bu Sekar entered their bedrooms.