Liz Nadia's

Traces of the Past

His leg swing slowed down. The eyes that had been shrouded in twinkle all along, had now dimmed.

He saw, the building which was about 10 meters in front of him was without a blink.

Then as his gaze began to circulate, a rush of longing began to creep into every part of his soul. Ten years to the place. Now he's back. Scavenging the scattered remnants of memories among the old bitter shrouded half of him.

Liz Nadia!

Shaking, he forced his feet. Retracing the altar of bitterness among the tens of memories that once engraved on that place. His birthplace.

A small village tucked between rubber forests and coconut groves, as well as a beach about a kilometer away.

The medium suitcase, containing her clothes and other belongings, was still faithful in the pull of her palm.

Now his steps stopped on the wooden porch of the house.

Kreeettt ....

The door that was no less worn out was pushed slowly. No metal clashing from the sound of the key and the hole. Almost every part is broken.

Musty smells and the like began to attack his kiss. He has decided, so whatever the circumstances, he must accept it freely without burden.

His gaze now swept every corner of the house that looked weathered, filled with nets complete with spiders. Some even look fragile.

The house has an area of about 50 square meters. Occasionally his fingers touch old objects that are still silent unchanged from their place.

Again his heart rippled. Starting to ring the voices of carefree when he and his family were still fully gathered in the house.

The kiss of the father on his forehead, when he was about to go to sea, also the gentle strokes of the mother as she went to sleep. All the continuous moves become a roll of beautiful, at once painful memories.

He rubbed his now wet cheek and smiled. Taking a deep breath, then exhaling back slowly, as if rebuilding new hope.

All righty!

With a definite step, he walked towards a room, judging by its shape and condition, it was a bathroom.

There is no electrical switch connected to the water pumping machine, which looks just an old well whose top is only covered with wood that is formed circularly following the shape of the well mouth itself.

It seemed like the electricity in the house had also been cut off for a long time. Maybe it will be taken care of tomorrow. For tonight, let the flash light from his phone that he will use as lighting, so thought Liz Nadiah.

"Alhamdulillah, the water is still plentiful and clear." He murmured gratefully. Although it looked stiff, his palm began to stretch to grab the thimbles hanging at the top of the well.

After successfully accommodating two buckets of water, he began looking for used cloth to clean some parts that he really needed first.

The first thing he chose was the bedroom. There is in it a wooden bed that still looks solid. Only the mattress that already looks worn, but still worth using.

"Huh, cape too," said Liz Nadiah as she rubbed her forehead with sweaty details.

It is very difficult to fix all parts of the house alone. But it did not dampen his spirit to keep trying, until the building was really worth occupying again. It may take three days to make the house perfectly clean.

"Tomorrow I have to go to the market. Buy new sprai and some others." Liz Nadiah's palms clapped clean the dust grains that stuck mischievously on both palms.

A thin cloth patterned with malay songket, he took it out of the suitcase, which he then wrapped onto the mattress that he had beaten using a broomstick. Maybe soon will be used as a place to relax, because now nature began to be called beautiful orange in the afternoon sky.

Some time later ....

His sticky body he had cleaned.

Maghrib's obligations have been fulfilled.

Continued on one hour later.

Tiredness is quite mastering it at this time. Finally ... he decided to lay down the body, without caring about the actual surroundings enough to make it uncomfortable.