K&K (Taste Features)
14. Late Years
Ms. Sita stroked the last family photo in London while they were on holiday. His face grew thinner and appeared to be five years older than his actual age. The openness has not just vanished even though the years have passed.
“Ma, Citra departs first yes,” greet Citra.
She had finished making up her mind to go to the photo studio of a young women's fashion magazine.
Bu Sita rubbed the ends of his eyes, then hid the picture frame under the pillow quickly.
“Be careful yes,” order bu Sita slim and flat. The image nodded, he kissed the back of his mother's hand.
“Sorry yes dear, because mama did not take insurance money from your sister's flight, you have to stop college and instead work.” bu Sita swallowed the bitterness spit.
Insurance worth two billion rupiahs that went into his account was untouched for four years. The image of sitting holding his mother's hand.
“Ma..don't reveal it again. I dropped out of college on my own. Instead of later office work is unclear, mending I hone my talent to be a model.”
After the death of his father, Sita's mother's family suffered a major bankruptcy. So they have to bash for money. Bu Sita can only sit at home due to prolonged sadness. Until making Citra could not bear to see the condition of her family and she decided to become a model. Om and aunt returned to Borneo where they came from. Now they are just two.
***
Citra takes the city bus to the studio. She has an ideal body to be a model and artist. It is 170 centimeters tall and weighs only 47 kilograms. His face is thin and taper on the chin. Thick-fine eyebrows. The upper lip curves small while the lower part is thin elongated. His skin was yellow like the skin color of my brother and mother. Citra does not have dimples like Kirana, but her smile is charming like an Indonesian princess.
The harshness of life four years ago made him independent and a more precocious figure. He is also very friendly and good at getting along with everyone, although sometimes Citra has to keep all her problems alone.
“Hai..” greet the photographer to him.
The image returned the greeting with a wide smile as usual. The smile that everyone always looks forward to. Smile that shade and make the atmosphere around become more cheerful. Although he does not have many close friends and rarely hang out, his hospitality makes him liked by many people.
“You have eight shooting sessions with me. This time for a model of a bath soap ad,” said the photographer smiled flirtatiously at Citra.
“Beres Om,” Attach Image.
He loves his job coming from all over. She hopes to go to France and become an international model. Her initial image was a fad following a teen cover magazine contest and she had never attended a training or modeling course. Despite failing the second stage selection, a talent scout who was also a local photographer offered him a model of school stationery. From there her career as a model began to be pioneered.
“Citra... there is good news for you!” A woman with short hair and wide round glasses with a long scarf coiled around her neck patted Citra's shoulders.
”There are offers of two models from our magazine to attend a London fashion magazine weekend party event. Ms. Mayang has contacted her manager Yona, and she asked me if there is enough free time for you to attend there.” Clarify the woman who became the manager of Citra.
“Wah very good mbak. I wish I could go there. But, my shooting schedule was very tight until the end of the year. How's donk?” complains Citra.
“What's the point of me being your manager. It's easy, I've been looking through your shooting schedule. So that you do not miss the job and can still attend the event. The important thing now is to take care of the equipment to get there. You have a passport, right?” ask manager.
“Shoulder. My passport was expired. Three years ago. Ma'am Moni can take care of my new passport right?” Citra asked in a spoiled tone to her manager.
The manager who is often called mbak Moni, rolled his eyes and sighed as if he was selling expensive and was reluctant to meet the demand of Citra. But then immediately nodded.
“Oh yes I have to change clothes first mbak. Waiting for Sony advertising photoshoot soap.”
“Ah yes, spout there!”
***
“Partner want to go home no?” tanya mbak Moni lowered the car glass.
A series of photoshoots from various advertisements and magazines has been completed. The image at that time was waiting for his loyal transport, the city bus. He smiled and then got in the car.
“Emang mbak Moni where are you going?” tanya Citra was surprised because their house was in the opposite direction.
“Ngajakin you take a walk. Today I got a bonus from Mayang. You forgot huh? not checked first atm?”
“What is mbak?”
“Oh the.”
“Eh, your savings are already a lot, why not buy a car? than having to take the city bus. What do people say later? The rising model has no car. Car loans are getting easier now. Most of the used cars are cheap but still smooth-smooth.”
“Emm. After all, I want to move to an apartment that is more comfortable with my mom. The rest I want to buy again my old house in Jakarta that has been confiscated bank.” The tone of the voice of Citra turned sad. Moni's mom stroked her hair.
“Propay yes Ra. You are a very filial child. Your old home is not too expensive from year to year. Em...we go to the mall yuk, well eat or you want to buy something for your mama? Not only that bonus can be a special gift for your mom.”
The image mused for a moment thinking of special items for the mother. “Ah, no. Let's go there!” abugn.
***
Bu Sita saw the calendar. In October. Where her daughter went and never came back. The following months her husband and mother-in-law died. Like picking up their daughter.
So cheated! thought Sita ma'am.
Her husband and mother-in-law could leave this harsh world and leave her alone. Cruel once they can live peacefully in a long sleep, while he can only see a photo of his nineteen-year-old son.
Exactly four years after Kirana's departure. And it will enter 2016 where it will make Kirana disappear longer.
Although it has been four years, Ms. Sita cannot hide her deepest sorrow since the Kencana Air plane crash.
“Mama... Citra has a gift for mama,” said Citra suddenly hugged the mama from behind with his right hand while his left hand carried a rectangular dark blue velvet box the size of an A5 notebook.
Ms. Sita looked over. The image opens a dark blue velvet square box. A white pearl necklace was glittering about the size of half a marble ball. Pearl production Diamond Firm, famous diamond and pearl company. Instead of smiling happily, Sita even shed sad tears.
“Ma.” Reprimand Citra.
“This is not the time to receive luxury gifts and have fun.” bu Sita sobbed.
He refused to accept gifts from his daughter.
“Means mama?” tanya Citra did not understand and was disappointed.
“You don't understand. Four years ago we lost Kirana. Four years ago, my mother lost her first child. Four years already Kirana disappeared and left just like that.” bu Sita throwing snot.
The image clenched an annoyed hand. He swallowed.
“Mama thought Citra didn't understand how my mom feels now? mama thinks Citra is not sad?” The image began to raise his tone.
“Ma. so far Silent image does not mean Citra is not sad and does not care about the departure of sister. The image is also sad ma! Citra must lose siblings Citra. But the living must continue to live their lives. We cannot continue to dissolve in sadness. Mama thinks big brother, papa and eyang happy to see us slumped? no, Ma! The image also has to lose a lot of adolescence Citra when papa is sick. Citra must alone attend the event after school when she was sick and mama did not know that Citra became a general champion? The image must forget the dream to study abroad like friends because we are broke. Mama thinks Citra is not sad about the condition of our family? The image almost killed itself when our house was seized by a bank and mama who just wailed sadly. Mama also does not know how difficult it is Citra who is looking for work here and finally decided to become a model? mama thought being a model was easy? The image was almost raped by a jerk photographer Citra herself,” Citra gulped again and paused for a moment to breathe.
His tears began to melt slowly could no longer be dammed. It would be painful if he remembered the terrible event. When she was just a model and got a teen clothes photo shoot at night. At that time he did not have a manager, and he was alone there with a crew of a majority of men.
When after the shoot, in the dressing room, the photographer immediately broke in and nearly desecrated him. Fortunately the other crew had not returned home and immediately came to his aid when he heard his screams.
Ms. Sita did not believe everything her youngest daughter said.
“But still image, Ma.” The tone of the girl's voice began to decline. “Citra does not want to add to the burden of sadness and the mind of mama. The Citra has at this time is only mama. My mom still has image. Before papa's departure, he advised Citra to take care of mama. And papa's will so we live better.” The image could not hold all his heart after so long.
He looked down and heard more and more sobs. Both of Bu Sita's cheeks were wet again, he stroked her daughter's hair.
“Sad image, Ma. Very sad, and Citra was disappointed why mama thought as if Citra did not care about the departure of sister. Image disappointed why mama did not consider the presence of Citra who is also the biological child of mama.”
Bu Sita wanted to hug her daughter, but Citra immediately got up and walked towards the room.
A white pearl necklace dropped from a velvet box with a diamond logo. Still sounding stuffing Citra in the living room, Sita ma'am picked up a pearl necklace and the box. Citra knew that she liked pearl necklaces very much and collected them before they went bankrupt.
Bu Sita felt very guilty for wasting her second child. She seems to be a biological mother who is evil and more evil than a stepmother in children's fairy tales. He did not expect that his daughter experienced a bitter life even he who every day beside him did not know about his daughter's achievements.
