Ghost Villa

The Midwives Department Part 2

That afternoon all the puskesmas officers had gone home. Mr. Sukra gave me the keys to the puskesmas. Tonight I want to stay at the puskesmas. I happen to have something I want to do. I will draft an extension to the community about the importance of safety during childbirth.

More than that, to be honest I'm still traumatized if I have to go home to Dinda. Something's not right with him. And, I'm sure the midwife who once lived in Dinda's house also experienced the same thing.

After the magrib I closed the puskesmas gate and locked the door tightly. I started working on drafting plans and materials for counseling. A few seconds later someone knocked on the door. Looks like someone's going to get some medicine. Immediately I got out of my seat and opened the door.

In front of me stood a woman in a negligee dress who was pregnant. He held onto his contents while grimacing in pain.

“Please me, Mom!” he said with a stifled voice.

“Yeah…! Please come in, Mom,” I said.

Obviously I was shocked and took her straight to the ward. He was complaining of pain, his resolve had already broken. I have not been able to handle, baby in his stomach even came out first. The woman gasps. Sweat drenched his face.

The baby was crying loudly and as I was about to cut the cords. Suddenly the baby smiled. Both of his eyes were enlarged and flickering. He jumped out of my lap and walked on the floor. His whole body was still covered in blood.

I screamed for help. The woman who had just given birth was now standing before me. His face was flat and pale. From his mouth came a thick blood of black color. I was screaming hysterically for help.

I ran out of the puskesmas. But, upon arrival at the puskesmas page I was confused about where to run. The puskesmas were far from the village. I saw the woman still watching me from behind the window of the puskesmas while holding her blood-soaked baby.

“Please..!” I ran to the street screaming. Turn on the cell phone flashlight as a street light.

The road was very quiet and dark. Instead of staying at the puskesmas, I better run to the village residents. Even though the village was quite far from the health center, I still ventured through the dark and fog.

My steps stopped when I heard the roar of the motor. The closer, the more clear the sound. Then, the light of the motor light dazzled my eyes. While squinting, I blocked my eyes with my right hand.

It was Mr. Sukra. It just so happened that he came. I immediately ran to him.

“Pak, help me, Sir!”

“Lho, Ma'am Maya is here?” ask Mr. Sukra.

“In the puskesmas there is a demon, sir!”

“Hah, satan?” Mr. Sukra was surprised to hear my testimony.

“Iya, Sir. Please take me home.”

“Ya is up, Mbak.”

I also immediately boarded the motorcycle Mr. Sukra. On the way he kept advising me not to daydream. He said when we daydream, demons and jinn easily trick us.

“I'm not daydreaming, sir. I see clearly if there are patients who want to give birth,” I argue.

“Well, I'm sure it's not human. After all, villagers here do not want to go to midwives, Mbak.”

“I know that, Sir. Come on, sir, take the bike speeding I'm afraid,” my door.

The woman's face was still on my mind. Especially when he spewed out black and viscous blood. The blood also stinks. I'm sure****my meal is gone for the next few days.

“I wanted anterin food for Mbak Maya to puskesmas. Coincidentally my wife cooked a lot,” Pak Sukra slowed back the speed of his motorbike because it had entered the village residents.

“Thank you very much, Sir. Thankfully I met my dad" I said. I can finally breathe.

Soon we arrived in front of Dinda's house. I saw Dinda standing at the door. He was waiting for me to come home. I didn't have time to tell him that I was going to stay at the puskesmas.

“Almost just first, Sir,” I said to Mr. Sukra.

“Oh, thank you, Ma'am. My wife is waiting at home. This is the food Mbak just take,” Pak Sukra thrusting a bushel wrapped in black plastic.

“One more time thank you very much yes, sir. So keep ngerepotin,” I take the bushel.

“It's okay, Ma'am. Eat it, Ma'am. That my wife's cooking must be delicious,” said Mr. Sukra while grinning.

“Iya, sir, definitely.”

He also left. Dinda and I went inside the house.

“Sorry, I didn't tell you if I wanted to nginep.”

“Yes, Ma'am, it's okay. Actually I nyariin Mbak Maya because from last afternoon Mbokku asked to be surrounded by Mbak.”

My steps stopped because I heard Dinda's explanation.

“Asks for solace?” ask me while frowning.

“Iya. Please yes, Ma'am. From noon Mbok did not want to eat. Nyariin Mbak Maya. Asking for advice,” Dinda held my right arm.

"How can you talk?" I asked Dinda.

"Yes Ma'am. I was also surprised because it has been a long time Mbok can not talk. And now even calling the name of Maya Mother continues," explained Dinda.

What's this about? I just saw a ghost in the puskesmas and now I'm told to call it the creepy Mbok Ibah.

“Any huh? How about it, Din. Emmm...” I scratched the head that was not itchy. “You know for yourself that I'm afraid of your Mbok.”

“Come on, Ma'am, this time only. Let me eat, Ma'am. Pity him,” said Dinda. I saw her eyes already glazed over.

I can't bear to see him cry.

“Good. But, don't be long,” I finally agree.

Dinda took me to Mbok Ibah's room. As usual the door hinges rang loudly when opened.

“Maya..,” hiss Mbok Ibah. The sound was dry and horrible. Just like the voice I heard this morning.

Mbok Ibah sleeps on his bed with his back to me. I hesitated to approach him.

“Mbok...?” my broom.

“My girlfriend, son..,” Mbok Ibah turned her back. He looked at me deeply.

“Iya, Mbok. But, out of this Mbok must eat yes,” I sit on the edge of his bed.

Mbok Ibah then turned his back on me. I slowly hugged his thin and frail body. The body lives bones and skin. I can feel the lump of bones in his body. Dinda went out and closed the door.

“Dinda where to go?” ask me while getting out of bed. Honestly, I was afraid that I had to be alone in the room with Mbok Ibah.

“Dinda?” I keep calling him.

And when he turned back to Mbok Ibah, his sleeping position changed. Now he's on his back. Both of his eyes were glaring and his mouth was gaping.

“Mbok?!” I touched her neck.

No pulse there.

"Mmd!" I also touched his left chest. There's no heartbeat in there.

He died for some reason. This incident made me panic and immediately ran out of the room looking for Dinda.

“Why Mbak?!” Dinda emerged from the kitchen she was holding a bowl of porridge.

“Mbokmu died..,” I said.

Instantly, the bowl of porridge that he was holding fell. The porridge was scattered on the floor.

“Yeah, Mbok!” he ran to Mbok Ibah's room and hugged his grandmother.

Dinda cried as she continued to stroke her head. “Don't stay with me Mbok,” whine Dinda.

I can't say anything. It happened very quickly, I suspect that Mbok Ibah had a heart attack.

“Dinda.., Din!”

Someone knocked on the door. Dinda did not care about it and continued to cry Mbok Ibah. Immediately I opened the door, a middle-aged man was standing before me.

“I heard Dinda cry why ya?” ask the man. He is his neighbor Dinda.

“Mboknya Dinda died, Sir.”

“Innalillahi..,” said the man. Unwelcome to enter he immediately broke through to Dinda's room. I followed him from behind.

“Mbok you died why, Dinda?” ask the man.

“Ndon't know, Mr. Grace. Earlier Dinda again made porridge and suddenly Mbok died.”

“Maybe Mbok Ibah had a heart attack, Sir.”

Mr. Grace looked at me.

“Today I can talk, sir. I think Mbok will recover,” Dinda wiped her tears with her right hand.

“Patiently yes, Dinda. We belong to God and will return to God. Now we take care of your dead body yes,” Mr. Grace stroked Dinda's hair.

That night also Mbok Ibah was bathed and then pardoned. Only a few people came to worship. Maybe tomorrow morning will be more crowded.

Mbok Ibah's body was laid in the central room. Only me and Mr. Rahmat who taught beside the body of Mbok Ibah. While Dinda just sobbed beside me.

“You can njai?” ask me to Dinda.

He shook his head.

“Ya already then pray for your mbok to enter heaven yes,” I said while embracing Dinda's shoulder.

At midnight, Mr. Grace returns home. He said he would come here again tomorrow morning to take care of Mbok Ibah's funeral. I wonder why no one in this village would accompany us.

“Why doesn't anyone want to accompany us, Din?” I asked while closing the door.

“Maybe because Mbok was once a witch doctor.”

“Dukun sa... santet?” I frowned. Dinda never told me about this.

“Iya. I used to be famous as a witch doctor. Many people from the city who come to this village just to ask for help to mbokku.”

Dinda looked at me. He then got up from his seat and took me to Mbok Ibah's room. He opened the old drawer and took out the thing wrapped in a white cloth.

Slowly Dinda opened the cloth. I saw a straw doll, a needle, a small knife, and a sparkling agate.

“This is Mbok's. Once when Mbok was still healthy, I often saw him doing nyantet ritual,” explained Dinda.

“Ya has put back your mbok goods. He's already dead. We better not talk about the ugliness yes,” I touched Dinda's shoulder.

“For me the profession Mbok Ibah is not a disgrace. I want to be a witch doctor like him,” said Dinda with an empty face.

“Huss! don't tell me that kayak. Killing that person is not a noble job,” I'm sure psychic Dinda is disturbed. That's why he talks like that.

“If what we kill is bad, I think killing is a noble job,” Dinda refuted.

“The ugliness should not be repaid with the ugliness as well, Dinda. The bad guys leave it to the police, let the laws of the country reply,” I said with a smile. I kept advising him.

Dinda put her belongings back into the drawer. We then went back to the living room and slept next to Mbok Ibah's body.

In the middle of the night, I woke up from the cold. However, I was surprised because Dinda and Mbok Ibah's body were missing. Where are they going?

I found the door wide open, but before I went to bed I locked it. Outside the rain fell very heavy. Every now and then lightning struck and its lightning light dazzled my eyes.

“Dinda?!” call me.

“Mbak Maya..., here play, Mbak!” that's Dinda's voice.

I slowly approached the door. In the courtyard of the house there is Dinda who is raining with her corpse which is still wrapped in a shroud. The body was lying just like that in the courtyard of the house, while Dinda jumped beside her. Sometimes he kissed her cheeks.

“Here, Ma'am, play with us! Mbokku is alive again..!”