Flavour Bias
Grief News
We were in one car, Om Hasa and Kak Iyash were in the middle seat, while Akbar and I were in the back seat. The driver of the car is the driver of the company.
“We are not yet acquaintances,” said Kak Akbar while advocating his hand in front of me. “Muhammad Akbar Fatahillah.”
I smiled at his Islamic name. “Marissa Indrawan, but can be called Icha, aja, Kak.” I shook his hand for a moment.
“OK, Icha. Have you had any previous experience?”
“No, coincidence just graduated,” I said clumsy.
“Wah great, directly accepted in big company.” The thick-browed man smiled.
“Trial.” I imitate the flat and firm manner of Iyash's speaking.
Brother Akbar smiled faintly. He knows who I'm insinuating.
I looked straight ahead. Suddenly we heard the phone ring, apparently it was Kak Iyash's phone. [Okay, I softened by calling him that. Wanting to be tough and rivaling her arrogance, but, I realized it wasn't my part because Mama always said, there's still sky above the sky].
The man didn't answer the call and I saw he was replying to a message.
“Yash, about Mama–”
“Not to be discussed, Pa, it's personal, we can talk about that later.”
Instantly both my eyebrows were raised. I didn't expect him to be so professional, but maybe between being professional and not wanting his problem to be heard by others, or maybe he didn't want to talk about it. There are a lot of possibilities and I'm used to guessing from some point of view.
I just remembered that Aunt Milla asked me to call Brother Edgar. It's in the car, so I can call, because maybe later I can't do it.
I leaned forward so that I could speak to Om Hasa quite closely. “Om, Icha can call for a moment, because this is important.”
“Bby, Cha.”
“Custom call, Sir,” said Kak Iyash without turning his head.
“Nnothing, ‘kan, Om, call Om only, because Om's son also shows his power here.”
Om Hasa chuckled while nodding.
“So see, Om Hasa no problem.”
The man turned his head and pointed his index finger at me. “Call me Father. Not Big Brother, I am your boss, not your sister.”
“Iya, Boss,” my snoring would not have to call him that. I don't want to be enslaved by him.
“Om, you know, Aunt Ira, ‘kan often play at home, she often tells the story of the arrogant boy she once gave birth to, he said, from a story I've heard so often I think she regrets ever giving birth to a child like–”
“Stop talking or get off the car. Mr. Engkus stop!” yell Brother Iyash.
Instantly I was moved.
“Om,” whining me on Om Hasa.
“Yash, don't be too hard.”
“Bela aja continues. Actually, Papa's son is me or him.”
“I am,” I said proudly. “Om Hasa wants to have a daughter and I'm the one.”
“Jeez, it's up to you!”
Om Hasa even chuckled to see Brother Iyash who finally lost by my argument.
I flicked my lips while raising my eyebrows and shoulders together.
“You may have forgotten how you and Icha used to be. You guys are very close, just like Brother and sister, not like dogs and cats.”
While Om Hasa told me about my sister and Iyash as children, I chose to contact Edgar. The connecting tone that rang in my ear was exactly like the sound of an unsettling wind. “Kak, lift,: murmured I'm worried.
“Hallo.” Suddenly I heard his friendly voice.
“Hai, Brother.” Finally he answered my call. I was happy because of all the calls he ignored, he did not ignore my calls.
“Where's the sister?”
“You were told by Mommy to ask that?”
“Ngak. Not that, I'm just afraid that Edgar will fly and stay in America again, later if you want to meet hard.”
“Ngapain fly, my wings are in Jakarta.”
Instantly my lips were turned. I don't want to get big by thinking I'm the wing she's referring to, but my feelings have already soared into space.
“The wings are taken, Brother, so that they can fly together,” my god.
“If it wasn't Mother who told you to, then what do you want?”
“Galak. I was told Aunt Milla to tell Brother that–” I was silent for a moment and tried to focus. I don't want to tell you this sad news, but I have to, pity Brother Edgar. Now you can be contacted, not necessarily later.
“Cha?” call Brother Edgar. I thought, he was waiting for me.
“Kak, Opa–”
“Why Opa?”
“Opa died.”
I felt a moment of silence. There was only the sound of the wind and from then on I lost her voice.
I let out a breath. At once I was sad because I had to pass on the sad news to Brother Edgar.
“Cha?”
“Iya, Om?” I raised my face and looked at Om Hasa.
“Whose phone are you?” ask Om Hasa.
“Sister Edgar, Brother Ashilla and Sister Aruna.” I'm pensive. I forgot that Om Hasa might not know the names I mentioned just now. “Ah, sorry. Om remember, ‘kan, the time at his wedding Kak Ashilla and Kak Angkasa, well that time I asked Om Hasa to take pictures of me as Yuri too.”
“Oh.”
“Who died?” ask Om Hasa.
“Open.”
“You mean Mr Ganjar?” ask Om Hasa again.
I'm nodding.
“Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rojiun.” Om Hasa sighed.
“Papa knows?” ask my brother Iyash to his father.
“How do you know when you come to Angkasa wedding, Yash, he is Ashilla's guardian, ‘kan?” Om Hasa looks nervous. “Pak Engkus, we turn direction yes.”
“Where, Sir?” ask the driver.
Om Hasa was silent for quite a while.
“Jalan aja, Pak.” Iyash's brother took command.
“Yash, we must skip.”
“It could be later, Pa.”
“You are that?”
“We're far away, Pa. It is not possible to make a directional muter, which we just spend a lot of time on the road.”
“At least no effort, Yash.”
“Again, we can go there after everything is quiet.”
Just like Om Hasa, I was also impressed by him. I just found out that Brother Iyash can be so authoritarian even to his own father.
“Sorry, I was just trying to think practically. Anyway if we treat now, pity Akbar, pity Mr. Engkus also.”
“You're right.”
I have misunderstood, when what Brother Iyash said there is a point. Practical thinking does not mean authoritarian.
“Cha?” Om Hasa turned back to me.
“Iya, Om?”
“Since when did you know Edgar?”
“Not for long, Om. The day before Ashilla's wedding. It was also introduced by Aunt Milla.”
“Oh.”
“Why, Om?”
Om Hasa shook her head.
“Yash, Mr. Ganjar donates at your grandfather's orphanage, ‘kan?”
Brother Iyash nodded. “Then ask Mr. Marwan, have they gone to see.”
Iyash called someone. Maybe the person he called was the person Om Hasa meant.
I heard Brother Iyash was quite polite to the man on the phone. At first he asked about when to mourn, but at the end he told who died. Apparently the person on the phone had not received the news.
I checked my phone and told Aunt Mila I told Edgar I felt guilty.
[It's fate, you don't have to feel guilty, Edgar won't hate you just because you interceded to deliver the bad news to him.] Reply Aunt Mila via short message.
I immediately called Mama's number. I just want someone to treat my fret today.
“Cha?”
“Mama .. Opanya Kak Edgar died.”
“Iya, Mama knows, Aunt Mila was on the phone.”
“Mama want to visit?”
“Mama doesn't know their family. Besides Aunt Mila is also enough.”
“Ma, don't know anything. Mama meet aja, later, ‘kan want besanan.”
“Ih, you are this. To your aunt's poison must be.”
I smiled thinly. At least the fret was gone in an instant if I had joked with Mama.
