Mr. ARROGANT(I FOUND LOVE IN MY BOW)

THE PAST OF ZAHRA

Shortly thereafter, Dr. Aldo arrived. He immediately checked the condition of Fatma.

"He has typhoid symptoms. I'll give you medicine for heat-lowering and anti-puking. But if his condition does not improve better immediately take him to the hospital. Do not give rough, spicy food and sour food like fruit."

"Okay doc." said Zahra.

The doctor opened his bag and gave Zahra medicine and syrup. "This syrup is taken before meals and this medicine is taken three times a day, 1 hour after meals."

"Yes doc, thank you."

After Dion paid for the examination, Aldo's doctor left.

After Fatma's condition improved, Zahra approached Dion who was sitting leaning against the door frame because he did not want to invite misunderstandings of local residents.

"Sister, it's late. Better brother go home."

"You disgraced me?.." said Dion without seeing Zahra.

"Not that, brother, it's night. What if my sister is looking for her parents?..."

"I'm with Mama's permission, I'll be home tonight."

Zahra no longer spoke, she chose to sit leaning against the wall made of plywood board.

"So you live here?..."

"So, I'm contracting a house for a couple of mama and mama."

"Who are these kids?..."

"They're street children, who live in wild buildings."

"Where are their parents?..."

"They live alone for a variety of reasons." Zahra let out a heavy sigh before giving an answer, as if she could also feel the heavy burden they were experiencing.

"Then how do they find food without parents?..."

"They busk at traffic lights every day. Someone cleaned the car with a duster in traffic."

"Can you get this close to them?..."

Zahra smiled "Oh my sister, I feel very close to the street children. I feel like I've been in their world before."

"I mean?..."

"I don't know, either, I don't remember what my childhood was like..."

"Can't it be?..." Dion is still curious about Zahra's unusual life.

"Mommy said, when I was 8 years old, I fell off the bike until it leaked, and I don't remember anything."

"Amnesia means?..."

"Yes, because of the hard impact on the head. So I don't remember anything." Dion mangosteen heard Zahra's story.

"Oh... You're not curious about your childhood?..."

"No, it's ordinary." Dion returns the mangosteen.

"Enmmm, Zahra...Do you have a boyfriend?..."

"I'll date her after marriage."

"Why?..."

"Dating is the opening of the doors of adultery. The big sins start from small sins, initially dating, continue to hold hands, then chips, then kisses....And...."

"Stop, I know the answer."

"I don't want to continue..." Zahra approached Fatma and checked the temperature of the little girl's body, the heat in Fatma's body had decreased.

"Mount, Nunung..." Zahra shook Nunung's legs slowly to wake the sleeping little girl to wriggle and then opened her eyes and sat down.

"Fatma is not hot. Brother must go home first because it's late at night, afraid of nyariin mother."

"Yes, brother, thank you."

"If there's anything, go find brother."

"Yes, brother, be careful."

Zahra and Dion came out of the small room, both of them walking through a small room built wildly near the railroad tracks.

"You know the area well."

"Yes, brother, I used to teach my friends here to read and write. That's where it is." Zahra pointed to the small room whose door was in the lock, in the room there were so many reading books and whiteboards.

"Said Nadine you also teach at the pesantren."

"Yes, it used to be high school every time I went home to teach a madrasa. But now I can't teach."

"Why?..."

"Since I was sick and couldn't work, I couldn't teach them anymore. I don't have time, I have to find money. Now they teach my other friends. I taught you the most when it's off work."

"So you're now the backbone."

"Aided by Mother, selling fried foods that are entrusted to each stall. I also received the laundry from the compound there."

"It turns out your life doesn't surf the highway huh Zahra. I'm proud of you."

Zahra smiled after seeing Dion at a glance.

"Alhamdulillah brother, there are still many favors from Allah subhanallah ta'ala that I should be grateful for."

Dion felt salute and pride in Zahra, despite his hardship but never complained. Zahra was not shy about telling her life that was not there, dazed by the intention in her heart to ward Zahra off poverty.

Dion picked up his motorbike which he parked at the entrance of the hallway of the wild building. Then put the bike forward after Zahra sat in a piggyback behind.

Dion escorts Zahra to the front of his alley. Repeatedly Dion insisted on taking Zahra to his contract but Zahra refused, because she was afraid of her mother's anger.

***

The evening at Zahra's 4X5-meter house, which consists of a tenement room and kitchen on the ground floor and one floor above which is the room for Zahra. He woke up to grab some drinking water in the kitchen because his throat felt dry. After reaching the kitchen and drinking water one glass until run aground. Zahra hurried back to her room.

Just now he was about to climb the stairs, Zahra accidentally heard his name mentioned from his parents' second room. Zahra began to put her ears to make it sharper and position her ears on the door leaf.

"Until when do we hide all this from Zahra, ma'am. This father is old and sickly, Zahra deserves to know the truth."

"But I'm afraid sir, that Zahra will get angry after finding out that we're not her biological parents. I'm afraid that if Zahra finds out everything, she'll leave us and find out where the real family is. I'm not willing to lose our only daughter, sir. I don't want to lose another child."

Zahra was surprised, her chest felt so tight. He never expected that his parents had kept such a big secret about him all this time. He never thought that the parents he loved and loved him were not Zahra's real parents. Without feeling any tears dripping from her beautiful round eyes. Zahra immediately wiped away her tears. He was so curious about his past that he ended up without permission to open the door of his master's room.

"Then Zahra whose son is sir, Mom?..." Zahra asked to the point.

"Zahra, what are you doing here, son?.." asked the panicked mother. The father was also surprised, Zahra steps closer and then sits at the side of the bed opposite his mother while his father lies limp on the bed.

"Is it true that Zahra just heard that Zahra is not a mother and father?..."

Father and mother looked at each other, then the father nodded, there was no point in lying. Zahra is not an easy kid to get into.

"Mom answered Ma, who is Zahra?..." Zahra cupped her mother's hands together, asking with a pleading gaze. I hope the question is answered honestly.

"I hope, after you tell me the truth, you won't get angry."

"Who do you know who your child is?... In the past your father accidentally hit you who suddenly ran in the middle of the road, you were seriously injured and immediately rushed to the hospital, when you realize you can not remember anything. We who are afraid of being entangled in a criminal case because of your ramrak to lose memory choose silence and decide to adopt you, what else when we just lost a daughter." mother paused the story, and then we decided to adopt, tears also flowed profusely from the eyes whose skin began to wrinkle. Zahra continued to listen to the mother's story, even though her chest was too tight to the tears that she had been trying to endure, like a broken dam.

"At first we were hesitant about our decision to adopt you because of the thought of your biological parents who must have been anxious to look for you but when they saw your body full of lash wounds. Our determination is getting stronger to adopt you, because we believe you come from a toxic family. Zahra forgive us, son."

"Lantas mother and father have no intention to find out Zahra's background."

"No son, father and mother are too dear to you, we are afraid that knowing your family will make our determination recede to adopt you. I can't get pregnant anymore."

"Where did you put me?..."

"In Surabaya, we are from Surabaya. Forgive us, son."

Zahra felt desperate, Surabaya a distant city. How he found out who he was in a foreign city, he got up. With a gontai step Zahra stepped towards the exit.

"Where are you going, son?..."

"Zahra wants to rest Mom, Zahra needs time to be alone."

"Zahra, we're sorry." said the father, Zahra turned her head and forced a smile.

Zahra entered her room and locked the door tightly, then laid herself on the bed. He wept bitterly, lamenting the life he had experienced. His heart was so sad, even though his adoptive parents were very good but what about the feelings of his biological parents who lost a daughter?... Is it true that Zahra comes from a toxic family who likes to do physical and inner violence to her?... What was life like that Zahra had experienced?... Is he really from Surabaya?... Zahra still remembered the lash marks all over her body, the pure white skin filled with red scratches, with her mother painstakingly applying the ointment on every lash wound on her body. Every Zahra asked, what is the wound because?... Mother always answered, hurt by falling.

***

Enjoy