JIWO PROMISE

Promises

Witri realized it was already on the bed. No more hugging the navel Hari.

His eyes first caught the presence of the mamak sitting sleepily in the chair next to him.

"Mak.." call Witri slowly so as not to make Mamak surprised. "Lay beside me here." pinta Witri while inching away so that there is room for Mamak to lie down.

"You're sober?" asked Mamak while smiling happily.

"Udah. I'm sorry to make it all bother." said Witri slowly.

"Nobody bothered" said Mamak with a soothing smile.

"Although there are those who bother, yes Mas Nadi who bother. Must carry you from the tomb to here." continued Mamak with a smile softened towards Witri who looked shocked.

"Whoops!" exclaimed Witri restrained while hitting her forehead slowly out of embarrassment.

What was on that man's mind when he was holding him? Good luckaaaa 🙈🙈🙈🙈

"Murak get you something to eat?" haggling mamak while shuffling to stand.

"No way, Mom. I'm not hungry" said Witri quickly while holding Mamak's arm.

"Should! You can say you don't feel hungry, but your son can't say that he's hungry since this morning." Mamak quickly said. Witri looked down regretfully.

He forgot that there was a child he had to take care of with all his heart.

.

"Yes already. I want to eat." said Witri later. Mamak smiled happily then hurriedly stood up to go out to fetch a meal for his son and future grandchildren.

Vaguely Witri still heard the voices of some men who must have deliberately lek-lekan (deady) as is commonly done in a house where there is a baby born or there is sripah (people die). Usually lek-lekan is done for seven consecutive nights by doing tahlilan after the end of the prayer isya'. Later after tahlil usually patrol groups that must be in the location of lek-lekan although certainly there will be many adult men who will come at the home location lek-lekan. And the host willingly provides drinks and food (can be snacks, sometimes snacks plus heavy meals) as the content as 'friends' chat them.

Mamak entered carrying a tray with a bowl of complete soto that still steaming the steam and a glass of white milk.

"Which lek-lekan soto, Mak?" asked Witri while starting to stir the contents of the bowl.

"Yes. It's delicious. The one from the front no one is wasted" said Mamak happy.

"I'm the old sting, Mak?" tanya Witri then put soto in her mouth.

"Lumayan. But mamak thought you fainted in the sleep." said Mamak, chuckling as Witri was closed for almost an hour and a half.

Once he arrived at Witri's house was immediately examined by relatives of Mr. Dukuh who happened to be a doctor. And his condition is not dangerous. It's just exhaustion.

"Aren't we going home, Mom?" witri asked again after she realized it was in Hari's room.

There are photos of Hari in some corner of the room. There was a throbbing longing that had begun to tease her heart at her husband's figure.

It's only been a day. And I'll never be able to hold you again, Mom. Can i?

"Tomorrow we ask permission from your in-laws first if we want to go home. He asked you to sleep here. Most of all those who drove you from Aceh slept here too" said Mamak calmly. Witri nodded obediently

"You want to add that?" hail mamak when he saw a bowl of soto and a glass of toilet milk is not left in a fairly fast time.

"No. I'm full." replied Witri with a happy smile.

"From now on, you have to eat a lot and do not have to stress so that your child becomes a happy and cheerful child later" said Mamak while looking at Witri gently.

There was a proud and happy radiance in the eyes of Mamak.

"But I will alone raise Aksa, Mother. There is no Mas Hari" Witri said back

"You won't be alone. There are Mamak who will always accompany you to take care and raise Aksa. Don't always be sad to remember your husband, pity him later." comfort Mamak. Witri just looked down, trying to persuade her tears not to come out again.

"Nobody will protect us both, Mom. Mas Hari is not there." lamented Witri who like spoken just like that.

"There is a God who will protect you wherever and whenever. Nothing can match God's protection of his creatures. Day will not protect you, but Mamak is sure that he will give up your safety to the true Protector before he leaves Don't worry" said Mamak, stroking Witri's arm gently.

"I feel guilty about Mom. Ever since I married Mas Hari has never been home. Mas Hari said he would come home if he had children,. Now after returning home even Mas Hari is no more" said Witri still continuing his vent session

"Nobody beats you. You don't have to feel guilty like that. The day of doing all must be for the good of all." said Mamak.

"I want to pray first continue to sleep again" said Witri while inching down from the bed.

Mama accompanied him out of the room while carrying a tray filled with empty bowls and glasses.

Crossing the middle room Witri turned to the front room where his male neighbors sat and talked to each other on the mat accompanied by several types of snacks served on the plate.

He was able to catch the whereabouts of Pak Ikhsan, Pak Nadi, and Pak Zul were chatting with his father-in-law, Pakde Jito, and Mbak Tati's husband in one corner of the room.

Where is Ikhsan?

Crossing the kitchen Witri still saw some mothers left right still talking in the kitchen amben. There was Madam Tati and Bu Ikhsan there too.

Witri approached to greet his neighbors.

A look of pity and concern Witri could not avoid as she greeted one neighbor after another.

It's okay she thinks. Maybe now it is his ration to be pitied by others for what is happening to him. The important thing is that he cannot be seen lamenting this sadness of his.

"I want to pray first." said Witri then rushed to take ablution and returned to Hari's room to prostrate. To stir all the sufferings of his feast upon the expanse of prayer without anyone needing to know other than his Lord.

Complaining how powerless he is at the moment because reality forced him to give up his soulmate for good.

Begging for strength and sincerity to return to continue life with another substitute figure Hari in his life, namely Aksa, his baby with the deceased.

Bu Ikhsan was invited to rest by Mbak Tati to his sister-in-law's room.

Witri put her body back on the bed. By ourselves.

And from tonight on he'll be like that through his nights. Without a warm hug from her husband or a pillow talk before closing her eyes at the end of the day.

Everything will change again starting tonight. And Witri realized that every change needs adjustment. Some are easy and some will be hard to get through. All he could do was try as soon as possible to rebuild the rigor and hope in order to be able to keep the sweet relics of the deceased, their Aksa.

In his heart, Witri promised to make his son as a happy child and feel lucky to have been present as the child of Witri and Hari.

Is he sad at the moment? Hugely.

But Witri could not reveal it through a wailing cry. His tears were like they were suddenly dry.

Only he himself knew how tight his chest was holding back the sorrow that was unable to be broken down with tears.

Maybe God wants her to look strong even though she is also not deaf to hear unpleasant sounds because she is still strong standing and does not cry for her husband.

"Yes not crying from earlier. Not very sad, maybe think it's easy to find instead Mas Hari..."

"Can't you be sad about her husband? Is it not love?"

"Not until you are disappointed (the thousandth anniversary of someone's death) must have had a husband again."

And many more other talk.

Witri sighed heavily.

Risk of someone who bears widow status. Let alone divorce widows, dead widows are still subject to sloping speech.

But Witri did not mengubris slanted words that briefly stopped in his ear in the midst of his busy life to build the spirit to accept with sincerity his destiny and then fight alone to stay upright.

A smile she tried to present at this moment. Just to convince himself that he can be okay, as soon as possible.

There is a beautiful gift that must be brought always happy so that the dead are calm in nature there.

Me and Aksa will be fine, honey. Calm down you're there. I promise I'll only cry when I'm happy and when I really can't stand my longing for you.

On the deck tightly one small phigura contained a sweet smiling photo of Hari that she took from the table that Hari used to use as her study table.

...💧💧 b e r s a m b u n g 💧💧...

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