Jamu Gendong - Young Widow Gebetan Brondong

Chapters 11. He's Coming

Cigarette roosters sound unpretentious welcoming the turn of the day. Thick fog still appears to cover the earth's atmosphere which makes the typical cold mountainside felt. For some people may choose to stay curled up under a thick blanket to continue the dream or just kill the increasingly gnawing cold.

The phallus seems busy with its activities at four o'clock this morning. As usual, he had to get up early in the morning to prepare his wares and to finish all the homework. Although last night he could not rest his body properly after his quarrel with Heru, but he still had to get up early to be able to connect his life. There is no word tired, no word sleepy, there he must continue to be excited to move on with life.

Such is the Lingga, since the age of adolescence she has been forged to become a hardworking woman. He had to stop his dream to be able to get an education only until the level of Junior High. After both of his parents died, he was forced to stop school to be able to continue selling jamu gendong which has become a hereditary job of the mother. Although he had an older brother, Linga was not very close to him. Even today, the only home left by his parents is occupied by his brother.

Smoke from the furnace made of clay appears to be soaring. Fulfilling the kitchen space made of woven bamboo, looks very concentrated. On top of the furnace was prepared a boiler complete with steamers to cook rice. Occasionally Lingga add firewood into the furnace hole so that the fire does not die.

The phallus lands its butt above the amben. In front of him has a neat row of empons that he will execute to be processed herbal medicine. It cleanses the skin, it grates and later it will be boiled to become a healthy traditional drink. Lingga is the only jamu gendong seller in his village, no doubt if the woman's merchandise is always awaited by customers.

Plastered...

Lingga immediately stopped his activity while listening to the sound of the kitchen door that directly connects it with the backyard like being covered with stone. Both of his eyes narrowed as if so curious as to who was idly doing that. The phallus tries to be indifferent, and he resumes his activities. He thought it might just be hallucination.

Plastered...

Again, the sound of the door being pelted with stones was heard again. This time made the phallus more curious. He moved from his seat and walked towards the door. Slowly, he opened the door that was still tightly closed.

Krekett....

The door opened and...

"God!!! Sampeyan???"

The phallus was half-dead shocked when it saw the figure of the man standing at the door. The man he found helpless under the cliff, blind this morning came to his house. The man was still wearing the same clothes as what he had worn before.

Forehead Linga frowning. I don't understand what this young man is saying. "Please? Ask for help what?"

"When climbing, I took a rock that was under the mountain slope. Help me to return the stone to where it came from."

Again, the Linga was only made flabbergasted by what Kukuh said. "Stone? What stone? And why should I help Sampeyan?"

"Your heart is clean and you are still holy. Only you can help me."

Linga was forced to turn around and leave Kukuh who was still standing at the door when she found out the rice she was cooking was ripe. The woman rushed to lift the boiler and he put it in a furnace that was not fiery.

Lingga intends to return to the Kukuh who are still at the door. But again the woman was surprised when she did not find the young man standing there. The phallus crazily searched for the existence of the Steady, but still, there were no signs of the movement and the whereabouts of the young man.

"Well, where did the climber go? Why did he suddenly disappear?"

The phallus goes back to the amben. He continued to grate the empon-empon. But only twice the grating movement, suddenly both his eyeballs were wide and perfectly rounded. His lips were wide open when he remembered one thing.

"Wouldn't that young man be unable to move his body? But why did he get to this house? And doesn't he know where I live? But why did he come here?"

.

.

. connect...