Longing Memories
I Heard it
Teng...
The clanking sound coming from the great ancient clock echoed through the entire old house of my grandfather. Again the sound made me wake up suddenly in shock. I want to feel like I'm swearing at my habit on this one. I woke up too easily from my sleep, even if I was sleeping very fast. A slight sound or touch can instantly wake me up from my dreams. I am so grateful that the habit came when I was having a nightmare. But, it would be very upset if the habit came while I was enjoying my beautiful dreams that had only been limited to my imagination. However, I realized that this habit also has benefits. When people who are very difficult to wake up from a deep sleep will not realize what happens will target those who are asleep. While I can immediately respond to the circumstances that are around me even when I am sleeping soundly.
Back to the clanging sound of the clock at midnight. Yes, MIDNIGHT ! The sound made my eyes fresh again. At times like this, I would usually lazily leave the room, head to the kitchen and make a glass of warm milk which is usually very effective to make me sleep again. But, again the way was not effective when I was at this grandfather's house. For 3 nights in a row I always woke up in the middle of the night without being able to close my eyes again, even though I had tried to drink the warm milk I had made.
On the 4th night at this grandfather's house, I somehow felt a little uneasy and afraid to be in the kitchen alone. I'm not usually like this. I am famous as a brave woman wherever I am. How about mystical things? I honestly don't believe in things like that. Probably because it was affected by the times and the environment in which I lived in the capital, so if there is something that others think is the act of "them", it is", I'll pull over and think logically according to what I believe.
I sat alone in my grandfather's kitchen. This house really feels quiet, plus the atmosphere out there is rain and lightning that strikes, whose sound can make anyone's guts. But wait, I'm not afraid of the lightning. Nothing in my dictionary I'm afraid of thunder, rumbling or anything like that. My voice suddenly became shrivelled because I accidentally heard like the voice of a woman humming. I don't know what song is humming, but what is clear in my ear sounds very soft like someone who is crying over his own fate. I sharpened my ears again. That voice sounded completely foreign. It's like the voice of a grown woman, yes I'm pretty sure of it. The question is whose voice is it? While in this house, there are no women other than me, my grandmother, and Si Mbok, who my grandfather trusted to help take care of this house. The rest is only my grandfather, Mas Hanif my cousin, and Mr. Slamet the gardener and grandfather's housekeeper. The voice of Mbok? Ah it feels impossible. Si Mbok's voice has been raspy sound typical of parents, and it feels if it is true that the voice of Si Mbok, will not be possible to be heard up to this kitchen area.
The Mbok and Mr. Slamet are a couple and their room is at the back of the house apart from the main house. So it feels impossible not if the sound comes from the back house, considering the distance is quite far (because the land for my grandfather's house is very large). I was actually very curious and intended to find out whose voice it was. But, just wanting to get out of the dining chair, suddenly the kitchen lights turned on and it turned out that my grandfather was already standing in front of me.
"Not sleeping, nduk?" Ask grandpa.
"No, I just woke up and couldn't sleep anymore." My answer.
I felt strange again, suddenly the voice disappeared right when my grandfather came to me. Looking at my face that seemed to think of something, grandfather asked again "What's wrong? How can anyone be so confused?"
"Ga there's nothing Mbah, just as Sarah was sitting alone here, Sarah was horrified there was another female voice singing. It's not so obvious what you're singing but it's kind of sad."
It was seen that my grandfather's face suddenly turned tense like he was surprised to hear my explanation. "Why mbah?" I went back to Grandpa.
"Nothing is wrong. Now you are sleeping, you are in the room. It's not good that girls at this hour are still staying up!" Grandpa's orders to me.
I obeyed Grandpa's order to immediately go into the room and go back to sleep. But the truth is, I can't close my eyes right back. Here, I've been sitting on my bed playing my phone and checking my work email. That night was very quiet even in my room. Room with an old-fashioned interior, enough to make me shudder tonight. For some reason, after I returned to the room, the tense atmosphere became multiplied I felt. Plus the clanging sound of the clock in every second adds to the impression of haunted tonight.
I took a breath and tried to sharpen my ears because I was currently hearing that voice again. I heard a woman humming around my room, behind the walls.
Ma Ga Ba Tha nga kang..
With the wrath of sukma raga pagete..
Crita kebak reronce..
Ala becik dadi..
Instantly my hair was goosebumps hearing the sound of the sound made me limp so I could not shift my body a little. I could only pray in my heart, hoping that this terror would end soon until I never heard the mysterious voice again. Just a minute, but enough to make me limp even want to shift a little bit of my body I can't. Once it felt safe, I immediately put my entire body in the blanket to sleep without turning off the room lights. My body is still shaking. My hand held the phone just in case the voice reappeared I immediately called Mas Hanif in the next room to quickly go to my room with me until morning.
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Sukajadi Village, 1958.
Seen a teenage boy dressed in a high school uniform who was running in a hurry because of chasing time to get to his school in the next village. He even ignored the greetings of some residents who met him on the road because he was too focused on running for the sake of taking the final exam at his school in a timely manner.
"Excuse me.excuse me..hot water!!!! Hot water!!!" He shouted if anyone accidentally blocked his running direction.
"Astaghfirullah!! Basic boy, ngagetin old man!!" A shout of reply from the mothers who were about to go to his field.
"Hahahaha, sorry ma'am! It's too late!" The teenager shouted again while running.
The distance from the village where he lived up to his school was far enough that it took up a lot of time. In addition, he came from a simple family that forced him to walk every day to school. Bicycles were only a luxury for him at that time because of the work of his parents who only became penen laborers for the rice fields owned by the landlords in his place of residence. For him, being able to eat every day and being able to attend school until high school was already a luxury in itself, because with him graduating from school, he was determined to improve his family life and make both parents happy.
After a journey that almost took two hours on foot, he arrived at his school in a uniform that began to look tangled and wet by his own sweat. At the sight of the students and teachers who are still coming to school, it turns out he is not too late to come. He then walked towards the classroom used for the exam room with slow steps due to tired of continuing to run all the way from his home to school.
The class is at the end of the hallway, close to the gym storage room and passing through a small park. Seen some students who are busy flipping through the pages of their reading books to repeat some of the subjects that will be tested by the school.
"Eh, over here!" There was the cry of a male student from a park bench who called out his name.
He turned to look at the sound of the screams, and he saw all his friends gathered in the park. He then turned his feet towards the park to catch up with his friends.
However,
Dugg…
"Aww!!!"
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Hi everyone, greetings from the Amateur Writer.please enjoy my work that is still far from perfect. Sorry if there are still many errors in writing. Let's help you vote and like for me so that I continue to be excited to make other interesting stories. Don't be too busy reading my story. Thank you all 😀🙏
