INAYAH (Replacement of Bride)

City Life

The journey that according to Inayah is very long finally delivered to their destination, all the way Inayah just silent in his seat without interest to see the changes that gradually began to look the farther the car left the Village.

"llives. We have arrived," said Darsih, awakening Inayah from her confusion.

"Let's get down."

"Yes, Bi."

Darsih and Inayah slowly began to go down Mang Darto's car one by one. When he set foot on the ground City and saw the situation around, then Inayah realized if he was in a place that was so foreign to him. The atmosphere of the City and Village is very different from any aspect. If in the village he often sees a towering stilt house on the bopong by its pillars, then here Inayah in suguhi with houses that are almost equal to the ground.

In the village, houses like this are indeed familiar, but the average houses that line up are still won by stilt houses, only a man who is said to be a man can build a house that is like his vision now.

"llives. Come on," said Darsih because Inayah just stood still after getting out of the car. Inayah turned to Darsih and took the goods that Darto had taken out and followed the steps of Darsih who had left first before turning around and saying.

" Thank you, mang,"

"Yes neng Inayah," said Mang Darto reply Inayah.

Inayah smiled and continued her steps and then heard a car engine that began to abuse in the back. Darsih took the key out of his bag and opened the locked door.

"Let's Ina, we're in. You sit down first, Auntie still wants to clean up. The ashes are a lot because Bibi's been back in the village for 1 month."

Darsih told Inayah to sit first before he prepared a place for Inayah, fortunately the contract had two rooms, so Inayah could use one of them that was empty.

" Ina wants to help Bi" said Inayah, who wanted to help.

" No need. You must be cape on your way, let Auntie prepare an empty room for you to rest."

"in that case, just another aunt. Aunty just show Ina her room, let Ina clean it herself."

Inayah will feel even more bad if you let Darsih prepare for her the room that Inayah will occupy.

"All right."

Finally Darsih brought Inayah to the room adjacent to the entrance. Inayah stared at the room that would be his room from the spoon to the corner, the size is almost the same as his room in the village, maybe larger this one is several tens of CM.

"You take a break when you clean it up. Later Aunt will call if Bibi's cooking is cooked, because Bibi will immediately cook after cleaning later."

"Yes, Bi."

Darsih left Inayah's room, after Darsih's death, Inayah immediately cleaned more dust than other rooms, probably because this room was never occupied Darsih, considering Darsih only lived alone.

After Inayah cleaned her room, she immediately sat down and lay down to rest but when she woke up like a surprise and grabbed her backpack, Inayah immediately opened it and pulled out an elongated square box.

"What is this? Why did Mak' tell him to open up after he got to Kota," he asked himself. Unable to bear the feeling of his predation, Inayah opened the box very carefully.

Clique

The sound of a box being detached from each other from the one linking it. Inayah found a paper that might be a letter from her mother and a square box that was smaller dark blue, according to Inayah the square box in the box was very beautiful. Inayah took the paper first, Surat! It really is a letter. Inayah began to read the very neat and beautiful handwriting.

'Assalamualaikum, India. My daughter ....

Surely you have survived to the City, take good care of yourself there Ina. Mother's prayers will always be with you'

Tears of Inayah dripping, no! No one would pray for him anymore, his mother could no longer pray for him. It can't be ... Inayah again saw the line of writing after.

"My daughter. The city is very influential, even so, but I have to let you go alone without your mother by your side. If you find a man who wants to be serious with you in the City, tell Mom immediately, I'll wait for the news here patiently'

Inayah smiled sadly after that sentence, can Dahlia hear it if that day really comes? What would Dahlia react to if she told him later. Inayah just cried bated hold her mouth imagined all that would never happen, Dahlia was no longer able to hear from him as well as back because it had been separated.

Inayah wiped her tears violently to continue reading Dahlia's handwriting.

Suddenly Inayah's heart trembled at the last word in that sentence.

" Dad," he murmured.

'*Your father is in my dear city, now he must have missed you so much. You also have an older sister that I left with your father, I'm sorry Ina .... All this is because of Mother's selfishness that cannot withstand the inner pressure that your grandmother always puts on Mom.

I'm sorry for all your pain all along. Sorry ....

Say sorry to your father and brother if you meet later. Go to the XXXX address to meet them, bring your Mother's ring in the box for Ina to show your father. My husband must have recognized her*'

Inayah turned back the paper she read, hoping for another piece of writing. There ain't! The writing is over. Dahlia did not even say what the names of her father and brother were other than the address and ring. Inayah immediately opened and saw the ring that Dahlia was referring to.

'Mak' batinya, remembering the face of the Mother who seemed in the corner of his eyes.

The ring is very beautiful, Inayah first saw the ring that is in the form of a small blue stone, could it be a jewel?

"Auntie. Aunt Darsih!"

Inayah jumped out of the room and called out to Darsih who was in the kitchen, the middle-aged woman was shocked and almost cut off her hand which was cutting vegetables when Inayah shouted her name.

"Aunt here, Ina."

Inayah went to the origin of the sound and found Darsih cooking, evident from the stove that lit up with a pot on it and also Darsih who held a knife in his hand with a mole containing cooking ingredients in it.

"Auntie, Bi Darsih knows where XXXX is?" Inayah asked.

"Auntie's not too sure. But, it seemed like the address was in an elite complex. It doesn't seem too far from the address of her employer Bibi's work" Darsih replied.

"Really, Bi?" ask Inayah again. Can not be hidden, that now Inayah really hope Darsih find out the location of the whereabouts of Father and his sister.

"Yes. Tomorrow Aunt wants to go back to work, Auntie will make sure again about the address you asked earlier."

Darsih wanted to ask if Inayah asked for the address, but he said he did not want to ask further.

"Can I come with you when Auntie's leaving tomorrow? Ina will go straight home as soon as she makes sure" Inayah said.

"What's wrong?"

Darsih could not bear to not ask to see Inayah was so eager to know about the address he asked earlier, his lips seemed to move themselves without encouragement and ask questions to Inayah.

Inayah delivered the letter that Dahlia gave without answering Darsih's question, Darsih who saw the object in Inayah immediately wiped his slightly moist hands so as not to make the paper damaged when touching it. Afterwards, Darsih took and unfolded the paper.

"This is from Dahlia?" ask when reading the opening words.

"Yes, Bi," Inayah replied in a nod.

Darsih began to read the line of words and sentences that Dahlia put on the white paper in black ink, his facial expression changed to read the writing on the paper, sometimes he looked up to see Inayah's face.

"What, Auntie knows my father?" inayah asked after seeing Darsih fold his letter again.

"Your mother never introduced Aunt to your father, the first time Auntie knew your mother was when we were going to the village together, when you were a child" Darsih said

"if my father's name, Aunt doesn't know either?" he asked again, hoping that Darsih could tell his father's name before meeting in person before tomorrow he went to the address that Dahlia wrote.

"Your mother never told Auntie, just ...."

Darsih did not continue his words.