Reaping

Rosie [1] - Family

Today is a special day for my little family. Without feeling the time has turned to us all in the tenth year of my mother-in-law's death. The plan was for us and our family to shove to the grave of the mother-in-law, followed by holding a prayer together in the nursing home. For me, mother-in-law is not just the mother of my husband or the grandmother of my twins. But more than that, my mother-in-law is one of the people who has played a big role in my life. I knew my mother and father-in-law's family even long before I married Erik; my husband.

I'm the son of a former maid who works at Erik's house. They were so good to me, even I was educated by Mr. Rama; the one who would become my father-in-law. I've been considered like their adopted son.

At that time I was 12 years old, when I first came to the house of Mr. Rama. I'm three years younger than Erik. I just graduated from elementary school. Just because of financial problems is the reason I did not register to Junior High. But since my mother worked as a housekeeper at Erik's house. Mr. Rama and Ms. Wanda decided to send me to the same school as Erik's.

Although Erik was three years older than me, he was still in the third grade of Junior High. Some time later I found out that Erik had quit school for a year because of an accident, which I only knew he had been a victim of brawl which resulted in his leg was paralyzed.

***

"Good morning, father," I said with a smile to my father-in-law, who was in a wheelchair and at the dinner table. "Dad, it's been neat."

"Good morning, too, Rosie," said the father, struggling to answer my greeting.

I know for a fact that my father-in-law had so much trouble moving his lips every time he spoke. His voice is not really clear. It took me a few weeks to understand every word he said, since my father first had a stroke about ten years ago.

The look on my father-in-law's face this morning was bright. His eyes also reflected the happiness he was feeling at this moment. That must be because the father-in-law was impatient to shuffle into the grave of the mother-in-law. I think this is also what is now felt by the mother-in-law who is waiting for our arrival to her final resting place. It just so happened that ten years of the mother-in-law's death coincided with Sunday. So that the children can come with us to go to the grave of Wanda's mother.

"Rosie, where are the twins?" ask father-in-law.

"It looks like they're still in their rooms. Let's just wait, they'll be coming to the dining room soon" I replied as I walked closer to my father-in-law's wheelchair.

My husband had just finished helping my father-in-law clean up and put on clothes that I had previously ironed as neatly as possible. After bringing his father-in-law into the dining room, Erik rushed to clean himself up to the bathroom in our bedroom.

This is the routine that Erik does every morning. While I myself am now preparing to feed my father-in-law my homemade chicken porridge.

Not a few people out there who were surprised by the decision I and Erik chose to take care of the father-in-law whose condition is old, rather than taking him to a nursing home where people his age now gather. I don't feel the heart if I have to let my father live his old age gather with strangers. Though I know for sure the age of the father-in-law really want to spend time with his family and grandchildren at home.

The thing that makes me feel sad and devastated when I see the condition of my father-in-law was devastated when I learned that my mother-in-law died. I know a little about the struggles my father-in-law has to face to be able to live life together with my mother-in-law. I'm even pretty sure my love story with Erik is nothing compared to their love story. But whatever power I realize every love story as great as anything will eventually end when death separates them.

Actually what is felt by the father-in-law must be felt by people his age even I will certainly experience it. When a couple who has sailed the household ark for decades will end when death picks up one of them. But there is something different from what is now experienced by the father-in-law. Most people the age of the father-in-law who had lived alone because of the death of his partner. His old life would feel twice as heavy. When they have to suffer bad luck because they are forced to be expelled from the house by their own children who want their parents to live with strangers in a nursing home.

I myself would not want if my father-in-law had to experience what people his age experienced. For me there is no best and most comfortable place for a senior to fill his twilight period other than his home and can always chat with his grandchildren.

***

This kind of harmonious family atmosphere that I always wanted since childhood. Not all young children are born into harmonious families and have normal lives like everyone else in general. I myself until now feel sad every time I remember the darkness of my childhood. Never mind having a harmonious family, I just don't know if my mother ever married or not with a man she loved.

There's only one thing I've known since I was a kid. My mom always spent a lot of time with a lot of striped-nose guys. For that reason since childhood I got a nickname from friends my age that I am an illegitimate child aka a child born of an unmarried woman. The thing that makes me sad is not only the nickname of the illegitimate child that I received from many people, I also feel humiliated because I do not know who my real father really is.

I spent my childhood in a dimly lit stall in a fairly large city. All bad and unworthy behavior is in the area. Even many men of land crocodiles from various walks of life gathered at the same time for orgasm. Starting from the man who worked as a pedicab driver, bus driver, until the officials were there.

My mother used to be one of the many working women***commercial which became the dream of striped men. I experienced inner pressure during my life in that cursed area. Not even a single student at the elementary school I was studying at would make me their playmate.

The gloomy life I experienced as a child slowly ended when there was a massive eviction in the dimly lit stall area. The PSK who had been hanging his life in the area began to split up looking for his new life. Similarly, my mother chose to move to other areas whose standard of living is more affordable. So that he can save money from his savings, before rethinking what he will do in the future. I who at that time had just graduated from elementary school, was forced to not be able to continue my education to the next level because my mother did not have the money to finance me.

Until one time I found out that my mother applied for a job as a housekeeper at the residence of Mr. Rama. I was wondering why my mother was willing to work as a housekeeper, but I tried to think positively maybe my mother had turned to looking for money in a halal way. Although in the end I knew that my mother turned out to have another reason why she wanted to work at Mr. Rama's house.

Every time I remember my mother's disgusting treatment back then to Erik's family. I was embarrassed by his unknowing attitude. All the kindness of the family to my mother and I was repaid with the unfaithful attitude of my mother. Fortunately, Ibu Wanda and Mr. Rama have a heart so good that even though they get betrayal from my mother, but he did not undo his intention to finance me to school. Even though since that incident I had to change schools and live in a dormitory. It was done so that my mother would not have the slightest reason to visit Erik's house, because she feared she could return to do things that were not commendable.

I know as bad as any event that everyone goes through. Must have the wisdom behind it. From then on, the story of my love for Erik began.