Mahabbah Love Khalisa

110

Khalisa lowered the windshield of the car in order to breathe the fresh air of the countryside. His car passed through a road that ran between the fields. Khalisa and Azfan left for Bantul early in the morning, the view of the sunrise welcoming their arrival. The yellow light was poking out from behind the hill spoiling the eyes.

"Where are you going?" Khalisa greeted the three boys who were carrying kites on his back.

"More Mbak's kite on the other end." Answer them.

Khalisa smiled widely to see they were so excited about kite when it was still morning. He also greeted several people who were passing by their cars.

"Suddenly I'd love Ama." Khalisa muttered when he saw a grandmother carrying her granddaughter whom they had just passed.

Azfan glanced at Khalisa and commented a smile.

"I used to be held by Ama or Akong when they were praying in the morning at the house church and we ate cookies and drank warm milk." Khalisa leaned on his body, if Renata still existed he would be happy to see Khalisa pregnant and will give birth. "Ama and Akong wanted to take a shower on me but they ended up showering me together." Khalisa smiled but a drop of clear crystal fell onto his palm, he even remembered the scent of soap that Renata had rubbed onto his body. Fresh baby scented soap.

"Ama and Akong's great-grandchildren will soon be born." Azfan reached out with a hand rubbing Khalisa's stomach.

"I didn't know why Akong and Ama's way of worship was different from what Papa Mama did." Suddenly Khalisa's cry became more and more, he lowered his head in covering his face with both hands.

Azfan stopped the car in his yard, he opened the seatbelt and pulled Khalisa into his arms. Azfan rubbed Khalisa's back to calm him down.

"Let's go to Ama's grave, baby." The whisper of Azfan is soft.

"Sorry, I'm getting emotional." After a satisfied cry, Khalisa broke down his embrace and wiped his rough tears.

"Don't apologize." Azfan rubbed Khalisa's cheek with his thumb. "I'm making warm milk soon same cookies." He kissed Khalisa's forehead.

Khalisa's lips developed a smile and then nodded.

"You'll take a bath with baby soap later in the day."

"Can I buy some baby soap at the stall?"

Khalisa nodded back.

Azfan hugged Khalisa again because he could not stand the adorable expression of Khalisa. Azfan was not surprised if Khalisa suddenly wanted to shower with baby soap because before Khalisa's desire was even stranger.

Khalisa who previously most anti-eating outside his usual hours just a few dinner. Khalisa often went hungry at 12 to one night. As a result, Azfan can only make eggs or whatever is in the refrigerator. Or Khalisa ever wanted to eat grapefruit picked directly from the tree, yellow oval watermelon to mangosteen with 7 seeds in it. Azfan obeyed all of that even though in the end he would spend it. The most memorable thing for Azfan was that he had to spend grapefruit which had a sour, sweet and slightly bitter taste.

Azfan does not know whether it is called cravings or not that clearly it is not like Khalisa usually. Only this Azfan can do is obey Khalisa's wishes even though sometimes it makes no sense. After all Khalisa had enough trouble, strenuous activity made him short of breath. If Azfan could willingly their baby was tucked into his stomach for a while but unfortunately it was impossible.

Marwah opened the door when she saw Khalisa's car parked in front of the house. Marwah ran over impatiently but stopped when she found Azfan and Khalisa hugging in the car. Marwah glared as Azfan kissed Khalisa's lips. He saw scenes that should not have been seen. With a very slow movement Marwah turned around and stepped back into the house without making the slightest sound.

"Mas Azfan and Mbak Khalisa have come?" Safa saw Khalisa's car.

"Don't go out Ma'am, wait for them to come in." Marwah kept Safa from coming out.

"Why the hell?"

"Sshhh this is a secret." Marwah pulled Safa closer. "I just saw Mas Azfan kiss Mbak Khalisa." Marwah tapped her lips with her index finger.

"Why do you know, you can't know." Safa pats Marwah's arm.

"I didn't intentionally!" Spray Marwah.

"What the hell are you guys making a fuss instead of opening the door for Mas and Mbak Khalisa." Kirana approached her two daughters who sounded noisily in the living room.

"Mom, don't go ahead!" Marwah pulls Kirana's hand.

"Why is that?" Kirana is confused to see Marwah holding her back.

"It's a secret, I don't tell anyone." Marwah asked her mother to humble herself, "I saw Mas Azfan kiss this Miss Khalisa." He repeated the same movement as when explaining to Safa.

Kirana said, "do they know that Marwah came out just now?"

Marwah shook his head, believing that Azfan and Khalisa did not know of his whereabouts.

"Yes later if your Mas and Ma come in, you pretend you don't see anything."

Marwah nodded a few times with her innocent face.

Kirana secretly smiled because it seemed that Azfan and Khalisa's household life was getting more harmonious especially with Khalisa's pregnancy. Kirana endlessly prayed for the happiness of them and their other children. Kirana used to be worried because their families have a much different background. But Kirana was grateful because it turned out that the Khalisa family received Azfan well. Kirana was amazed at the Khalisa family because they were all so humble. Especially when looking at the view of the Khalisa family doing muroja'ah together in the living room after praying isya'. A rare sight that made Kirana endlessly smile.

"Assalamualaik." The voices of Azfan and Khalisa startled Safa, Marwah and Kirana.

Kirana stepped first and opened the door for her son and daughter-in-law.

"How's Mom doing?" Khalisa kissed the back of Kirana's hand and gave a hug.

"Thank God be healthy, you are too, right?"

"Alhamdulillah Ma'am." Azfan also kissed his mother's hand. "The cracked wall is done, isn't it Mom?"

"Udah kok, it has been cemented and painted again the same Mas Adi."

Safa and Marwah also shake hands with Khalisa and Azfan alternately.

"Mas Azfan's face and ears are red anyway?" Marwah looked up to see Azfan.

"Oh yeah?" Azfan held his ear, why didn't Khalisa say that his face was red. At least they wait until Azfan's face returns to normal to get out of the car. It's Azfan's fault, he should have delayed his desire to kiss Khalisa. Azfan thought the kiss would have no effect on the hue of his face because he did it for only a short while.

Safa elbowed Marwah, they had promised to pretend not to know why Marwah asked like that.

Khalisa held a smile, he was sure that at this time his face was also flushed red. But if Marwah asks then Khalisa will answer that his face is exposed to sunlight.

"Safa, Marwah help Mbak Khalisa bring his stuff gih." Pinta Kirana so that the two children no longer remember the incident that Marwah witnessed just now.

"Yes, Mom." Safa and Marwah answered.

"Khalisa to the back first ma'am." Pamit Khalisa, he had squinted at Azfan before passing from the living room with Safa and Marwah.

"Doain Azfan and Khalisa ya Bu, if there is more sustenance we can renovate this house."

"Duh, you don't think about this house first." Kirana shook her hands, "this house is still worth living in, it doesn't need to be renovated."

"It's okay, ma'am."

"Khalisa why, kayak out crying?" Kirana could see traces of tears on Khalisa's face.

"Sudden miss Ama."

"Pregnant women are indeed sensitive, as a husband you should always be there for Khalisa yes."

"Most certainly." Azfan smiled gently.

The atmosphere of Azfan's house was not as usual as many close relatives arrived. Instead of using catering services, Kirana invited close relatives to prepare for the 7-monthly event. Starting from food, clothing for Khalisa to various shop for events that are also called mitoni in Javanese terms.

"Here comes his son-in-law." Khalisa's arrival distracts the Azfan brothers who are busy in the kitchen.

Khalisa greeted them one by one and greeted them kindly. Lucky Khalisa people who easily blend including with people he just met.

Khalisa helps peel fruits that will later be made rujak.

"Azfan where?" Ask them Khalisa.

"Eh Khalisa tried to speak Osing, he said that Banyuwangi people are good at talking Osing, try Budhe want to be horrified."

Khalisa laughed, he was born in an Osing-speaking area but Khalisa never used the language in everyday life.

"I can't." Khalisa said after calming his laughter.

"Where are you Banyuwangi?" Ask the 50-year-old again.

"Budhe's Rogojampi."

"If it's Mandarin, right?" The other tukas.

"Xie-xie nin wei choubei zhe ci huodong er fuchu de xinqin gongzuo." Khalisa said thank you for all of them working hard to prepare for the event.

They laughed because they did not understand what Khalisa was talking about. Their laughter is contagious to Khalisa.

"That means Ma'am Khalisa if you watch Chinese dramas do not need to read the translation?" Ask Marwah.

"Never watch a Chinese drama." Khalisa. "But like if you watch, you must read the translation because the same language here in China is different."

"Khalisa try the mango delicious?" Budhe feeds a piece of mango to Khalisa.

"So sweet, sweet." Khalisa wants to eat another piece. "You want another one, can't you Budhe?" His word.

"May, for all of you, too."

Khalisa laughed, he couldn't spend all that mango. In addition to mangoes, there are guava dersana, papaya, pineapple, kedondong and bengkoang.

"Khalisa, try here." Kirana called Khalisa to show her the batik clothes she made and sew her own to wear Khalisa when the flush later. "You try the clothes first."

Khalisa followed his in-laws to the room, his eyes sparkling at the batik canal clothes hanging in front of the closet.

"It's so good, Mom." Khalisa touched the surface of the shirt. "It seems enough to Khalisa's body."

"Azfan already wanti-wanti Mom, make her clothes wide because she does not want the curves of your body look when bathed later, later, but later on the outside using jasmine flowers so inshaa Allah the curves of his body will not be seen."

Khalisa tried to wear a very loose batik canal on his body.

"Thank you, I made Khalisa." Khalisa could imagine her in-laws drawing patterns on mori cloth and then drawing them with candles and sewing them themselves. These clothes are made with love.

"Everything dear."

They heard someone knocking on the door. Kirana opened the door after Khalisa took off his batik clothes.

"Why Luh?" Kirana found her daughter-in-law Galuh at the door.

"Mom's message came."

"Your parents?"

"No, besan the other mother."

"Yes, I'm ahead first." Kirana rubbed Galuh's arm at a glance as she exited the room stepping into the living room to meet Khalisa's parents.

"Have you finished trying on her clothes? I want to see." Galuh approached Khalisa.

"Well, I've let go, Mom, if you want to see me wear it again now."

"No need, you're wearing that shirt by noon." Galuh helped Khalisa hang that outfit again. "Former time 7 monthly Mother also make clothes kayak gini."

"Oh yeah? it's really nice clothes Ma'am, so want to be displayed in the room later if it's finished the show."

"You know, the greatest gift from God besides a good husband, having good in-laws is also one of them."

"Then we're lucky to have in-laws like Miss Kirana." Khalisa Timpal.

******

The series of 7 monthly processions begins by reciting prayers in the living room of Azfan's house with relatives and neighbors present that day. Children of the boarding school nearby were also invited to pray for the safety of Khalisa and his future children. They also hope that the birth of Khalisa will run smoothly.

Food served in the form of large tumpeng and 7 smaller tumpeng around it with urab-urab and various kinds of side dishes along with 7 kinds of porridge that have different meanings.

The procession continues with Kirana, Daniel and Ica. The procession always makes them very emotional where no crying can be held.

"Doain Khalisa Ma." Khalisa hugged Ica.

"Always dear." Ica's voice trembled with tears breaking, she kissed Khalisa's cheeks and forehead. Everything was going so fast, it felt like Ica just bought Khalisa a balloon by the side of the road when they were on their way to Daniel's office. But today Ica saw Khalisa already a wife and mother-to-be.

Khalisa is escorted to the back of the house to perform a flush. The water used comes from 7 different sources in an earthenware container. There are various kinds of flowers such as roses, jasmine, ylang, magnolia and white cempaka that have a fragrant smell.

"Cold huh?" Azfan could not see Khalisa's body trembling when family members flushed Khalisa alternately. He wants this procession to end soon but not enough one or two people, 7 people must do it. Khalisa nodded slowly, he wondered why the water was so cold. Maybe because Khalisa always take a warm bath at home despite the hot weather.

Azfan was then asked to attach a chicken egg to Khalisa's forehead and stomach and break it.

"Bismilahbornrahmanirrahim." Azfan cut the janur tied to Khalisa's stomach.

The next procession includes a pair of ivory coconuts that have been carved with images of wayang Kamajaya and Dewi Ratih.

Azfan picked one of the coconuts with his eyes closed and prepared to break it.

"Well men!" They cried when they found Azfan managed to break the coconut perfectly.

Azfan smiled to see Khalisa, from that view he seemed to tell that it does not matter that the most important man or woman is that he was born healthy and perfect.

Time to change clothes with 7 kinds of fabrics that Khalisa just knew each fabric symbolizes 7 different things. Among them Sidomukti symbolizes happiness, Sidoluhur glory, Semen Rama symbolizes eternal love, Udan Iris so that his presence is pleasant for people around, Chicken Claw means independence and lastly lasem patterned striated cloth symbolizes simplicity.

After changing clothes, Azfan and Khalisa do a procession as if selling rujak and cendol that have been made earlier. Relatives who are present buy the rujak using money made of clay or commonly called crew.

Ica was amazed because her besan still maintains a custom that many people have ignored. In the past when Khalisa was pregnant, Ica did not do a 7-month procession as detailed as that.

"Darling, he said he'd take a bath with baby soap." Azfan followed Khalisa to the room.

Khalisa is changing clothes with a loose robe after drying his hair. Given the cold water at the flush earlier, Khalisa so do not want to shower again.

"No, it's cold." Khalisa saw his reflection through the mirror while combing his hair.

"Tomorrow yes." Azfan hugged Khalisa from behind and kissed his neck. "Scented the flowers."

"Still kissed huh?" Khalisa turned his head until their faces clashed very close.

Khalisa dropped his comb and turned around hugging Azfan. The cold that had covered Khalisa's body slowly disappeared replaced by warmth.

"May Haura be healthy and smooth, I will always be there for Haura." Azfan whispered while rubbing Khalisa's back that was getting sunken. Khalisa often complains of back pain.

"So Mas Azfan is ready to be called Abi?"

"Ready Umma, very ready."