JUDITH

MISS NUNI

In November, not in Malang, not in Madiun, rain continues every day. Andreas grumbled in his heart, because of the rain his plan to visit a friend's house failed miserably.

The young man's body leaned half slumped on the sofa, legs crossed perched on the table, eyes staring at the rain that had fallen incessantly since this morning.

Fortunately, the terrace was wide enough that the water did not reach the door of the house that was left open by Andreas.

Rain like this, it is best to laze while reminiscing or daydreaming the idol of the heart. And that's what Andrew is doing. However, what is in his mind today is not only Yudith, but also his mother Yudith.

The shadows of the pale face and thin body of Bu Nuni seemed to stick permanently in his mind. Shortness of breath that is always accompanied by the sound of a scream and occasionally interspersed with coughing, until now still clear in hearing.

The woman's eyes twinkled and her pale face was instantly cheerful as Andreas said he was a friend of Yudith, making Andreas feel he had become a blessing to Bu Nuni.

Bu Nuni's welcome was very warm, without hesitation he embraced Andreas' hand to invite him in. To the extent that Andreas was suspicious that the woman was assuming that she was embracing Yudith herself.

"Kok, yes, send all the letters, but this morning has been called. It's even troublesome if this is the case." That's how Bu Nuni made small talk when he received Yudith's letter. His face grew even smoother and immediately opened the envelope that he thought contained the letter in front of Andreas.

However, Instead of being happy, Bu Nuni's face turned grim at once upon seeing the sheets of money in the envelope.

Andreas was surprised and astonished, to the point that the wrinkles between the eyebrows were clearly visible. He never thought that the envelope contained money and wondered, Where did Yudith get that kind of money?

"The child cannot be silent. What part of the job does he have, son Andreas?"

Part-time job? Andreas's eyebrows instantly intertwined more tightly, not understanding Bu Nuni's question intent.

When Andreas was only fixated on not knowing what to say, Bu Nuni again said, "Yudith must have forbidden Nak Andreas to say to mother. Yeah, already, nothing. The child is like that, it is also forbidden for free. Likes ngeyel. Just tell him to focus on learning, don't worry too much about mom."

Not much is known about Yudith, Andreas only responds to Bu Nuni as necessary and Bu Nuni who thinks that Andreas is a good friend of his daughter, does not hesitate to tell a lot of things. Almost everything Bu Nuni told me, even about Yudith's father.

Bu Nuni even apologized to Andreas in case, perhaps, Yudith ever bored him or upset him, considering that his daughter was not a pleasant enough person to make friends with.

As a child who grew up in a harmonious family and all the needs met, both the needs of affection and material, Andreas could not imagine what it was like to be Yudith.

When Bu Nuni who apparently did not know that the dormitory son and the dormitory daughter far apart said, 'the mother of the titip Yudith, yes, Nak Andreas. Just understand that if he is a bit difficult to talk to, it is already so nature', Andreas' heart feels like it is cremated.

He wanted to go back to Malang, meet Yudith and say, 'you can tell me a lot, I will be a good listener, you can count on me.'.

Thirty minutes with Bu Nuni was very short for Andreas. He still wanted to talk longer, hear more about Yudith and become closer and closer to Bu Nuni. But what is possible, he could not stay any longer because Brother Lius had already picked him up.

Yesterday, in order to save time, Brother Lius left Andreas after meeting Bu Nuni and making small talk, to go to the family home of Mr. Heru.

"Hishe!"

Suddenly there was water splashing on his face, Andreas's preoccupation was interrupted. Just thinking it was rain, he rushed down to close the door. However, the back that had just been upright immediately returned to lean lazily when it knew the source of the water was Brother Lius who was wagging his wet hair.

Brother Lius chuckled amusedly, deliberately wagging his wet hair to insult his dreamy sister.

"Look, face-to-face, like the person whose proposal was rejected by the prospective in-laws alone, An."

Turning bored eyes, Andreas again raised his legs and was about to put them on the table as before, but Brother Lius slapped his calf.

"Ora good!" (Unbecoming/disrespectful).

Andreas did not argue, but when Brother Lius sat beside him he immediately threw himself down and placed his feet on the lap of the elder brother. Instead of protesting, Brother Lius instead patted the brother on the knee.

Togetherness like this has almost never happened in the past four years. Even when they were in the city they rarely met. Apart from not staying in one dorm, also because Brother Lius is always busy, often sent out of town or out of the island.

No friend of Andrew knew that he and Brother Lius were brothers. There is no intention to cover up, just feel no need to say or explain. It doesn't matter either, does it? Let them know for themselves.

"Mother said you haven't eaten since morning."

Andreas' forehead frowned instantly, his eyes narrowed, and his countenance was very serious. Did I not eat yet? And the question was instantly answered by her cringing stomach.

He stroked his stomach while grimacing. His eyes glanced at the wall clock, twelve o'clock past. He skipped breakfast just because he was lazy to move, but his mother had called many times and only he answered shortly after. Eh, even ended by daydreaming until lunch hour was missed.

"Mas Lius, have you gone home?"

"There's not much to talk about. Tomorrow you go to Panjuran Village, okay?"

"Well?"

The proposal in question is an official letter from the local Village Chief, asking for help for families who have children or family members with special needs.

"In Madiun there are branches, why should the one from Malang go down directly?"

"Already coordinated with the branch as well. They only need a survey at the command of the center."

"You are told to invite his sister to eat and even fun to chat." A woman, already middle-aged, came and put down a plate of fried bananas that were still hot. The message just now was of course intended for Brother Lius and the person concerned only reviewed a thin smile.

Andreas rushes to get up and is about to pluck one of the fried bananas that smell very tempting, but his hand is pushed aside by the mother.

"You eat rice first. It's for your mama, same father."

"One of them, Buk."

"Can't!" A man's voice sounded resolute, his figure appearing from behind while carrying a plate of rice, complete with side dishes, then placing it on the table right in front of the youngest. "Eat that first."

Seeing the fried potato sambal and chicken liver that is served, would refuse was not so. Glowing eyes and wide grinning lips, Andreas reached out to grab the plate, folded his legs over the sofa and ate voraciously.

The father sat next to Andreas and his mother sat on a single sofa, opposite her husband and her two sons.

"Busy with you, don't eat?"

"From just now in the kitchen, my stomach feels full. Your father was eating in the same barn as the people who weigh the grain."

"Mas Lius?"

"Mas ate with Father Anton at the presbytery."

While continuing to eat, Andreas also continued to chat with his parents and brother. Harmonious small family picture.

Both paras turned out to be very similar to the mother, while her cheerful and humorous attitude was passed down from the father.

"Well! You still have hope for nimang grandson then!" Mr. Paul, his father Andrew, joking and laughing, replied to Brother Lius' joke that Andreas was having a crush on his schoolmate.

Another father's mother in response to a joke. Ms. Rusmini firmly said, "The whole school near here does not want to, instead choose a distant school, live in a dorm, there is a ban on courtship. Just watch out for weird. No circumcision out your manuk."

Andreas who knew that his mother was not serious, even chuckling, as well as his father and brother. After he finished eating and his parents left, Andreas began talking about Yudith.

"Mas, the child who from childhood has experienced many difficulties, even left by his father married again, there is the possibility of experiencing trauma anyway?"

"Maybe, anyway. Not all bad experiences will cause trauma. Depends on how the kid is, too. Why are you suddenly asking about that?"

"Judith. Since childhood, his father had left. Ms. Nuni said that Yudith's father had remarried ...."

Brother Lius glanced at his younger brother who was back leaning lazily, half slumped off the sofa.

"You are afraid that there is no hope of gaining Yudith's heart if it turns out that she is traumatized by the passing of her father. That so?"

A moment after asking the man chuckled amusedly as Andreas reflexively nodded. He believes it was a spontaneous reaction.

"Huf?" A moment later Andreas's shoulders squealed then hurriedly fixed his stance, sitting upright with his legs crossed. "Hish, is this Mas all right? That's not what I mean."

Andreas's eyes stared straight ahead, his cheeks flushed red, his left hand moving rapidly to punch his brother's right shoulder who was smiling seductively.

"Already, don't think about it. Just go through it first. If it turns out that Yudith was traumatized, yes, you should be able to prove it to her ...."

Silent. Only the sound of rain water was heard. Andreas who thought that his brother only stopped to pause, but did not continue as well, immediately turned his head.

"Prove what?"

"Proving that you are worthy of him will not leave him in any circumstances. Yeah, that's also if you're serious about him." Brother Lius ruffled Andreas' hair. "But, it's still a long way, An. Don't think about it now. School is real. How do you know after graduation you even want to be a monk."

Joking Brother Lius invited Andreas to chuckle with him. Different age of ten years and rarely met, does not necessarily make Andreas feel shy or foreign to his brother. He was instead more often spoiled towards Brother Lius instead of his mother or father.

He used to spend a lot of time talking on the phone with his brother, chatting anything until the brother was forced to look for reasons to end the conversation.