Renjana Dusk Kala

Chapter 59. Two Tough Fortresses

Jakarta

Ustadz Arif

He just finished a study peeling the book of Minhatul 'allam syarah bulughul maram © in front of the congregation. When he saw a boy sitting drowsy under the bed.

"Naji already?"

The boy straightened his back while fixing the skull. Then nod.

Every Friday night, he does have a holiday teaching tahsin. Instead, teaching tahsin is held by Syafiq, his brother-in-law who recently graduated from a pesantren in East Java.

He watched the gloomy-faced boy who was still sitting under the bed. Choosing to be alone does not join the fanfare of his friends in the madrasah yard.

"Yahbit's at home?" He who was originally about to pass away broke the intention.

Choose to question the boy named Icad. Although in everyday life including quiet when compared to the younger brother. But always look friendly and cheerful, never put on this gloomy face.

Icad.

He stood watching out the window. Where the kids are boisterous playing boyan. Then he looked back at Icad who was sitting stuck while playing with the end of the sheath.

Some time ago, a foreign man came to the mosque. Just that time following the congregation tarawih prayer. He knows very well because most of the mosque congregation is residents around the village of Koneng. So, if a new face appears can be immediately known.

But what astonished him was that the man had seen him speak on the podium. During the agenda of regular meetings between religious figures and community leaders along with the ranks of the resort police.

"Assalamualaikum, Mr Kapolres?" He decided to say hello. "What news?"

"Maybe you forgot about me." He began to explain. "Some time ago, I had attended an invitation from Mapolres with religious leaders and other community leaders."

"Oh, yeah."

"My name is Arif, it represents from the FKUB."

"Yes, yeah." The dark-weater man nodded.

"I also used to attend the marriage contract with Agam my brother," he continued. "But it's been a long time ...."

The man in front of him still nodded. Maybe trying to remember.

"Welcome to our mosque. It's an honor to have a visit from you."

The man looked alert. "I'm talking to Ustadz Arif?"

He smiles. "That's it, sir."

They started talking about a lot of things. From the condition of the village to plan a number of collaborations to support the safe and conducive situation.

At the end of the conversation Mr. Tama joking. "What's the secret, Ustad? A favorite of kids? There may be a science that can be shared. Because I intend to ask for his mother."

"Kids?" He still doesn't understand.

"Icad, Umay, Sasa," replied Mr. Tama without hesitation.

He's dumbstruck.

News of the beauty and kindness of Iskandar's widow has long circulated among men. Many are then competing to approach and even propose. Although no one has yet conquered. Didn't expect the news to reach the ears of people like Mr. Tama.

"I don't know very well." He shook. During this interaction with Pocut just say hello and mince words. "I used to be friends with the late Iskandar. Not his wife."

Mr. Tama laughed.

"But I know the right person." He smiles.

"Who?"

His wife is quite familiar with Pocut. I even learned to cook for a while at Cut's house. Maybe it can help Mr. Tama take the right attitude to reach Pocut's heart.

"Mari .. we continue at home. It just so happened that I broke the fast .. My wife cooked a special menu."

"CONGRAT!" Shouted the children in the boisterous courtyard cheering.

He looked at the wall clock. A few more minutes into Isya's time. "Azan, Cad."

Icad nodded. "Wudu first, Stad." Then move.

After the Isya prayer, when most of the pilgrims have left the mosque. He found Icad sitting on the porch with Agam.

"When's it coming?"

Agam rose to regret it. "Must."

"Attending the house."

Agam smile. "Love, Ustad. Another time."

He patted Agam on the shoulder. "First." But before leaving, he had a glance at Icad who was still moping.

***

Cakras

The mosque has been deserted. Ustadz Arif has also returned home. Perhaps in a moment, the lights inside the mosque will be turned off by the marbot and the door locked. But he's still sitting on the porch with Icad.

"Whose sprain is the same?" He reopened the conversation. Since the first meeting before the prayer of Isya, Icad answers are always short and short every time asked.

Icad.

"Umay cause trouble?"

Icad shakes again. Coinciding with the mosque lights being turned off. Makes the atmosphere pitch-black. Only the lighting left from the street lights.

"Belom home, Gam?" Sapa cing Ipul who is locking the door of the mosque.

"A little while, Cing."

"Hunt home. Ntar can attach the jin," said cing Ipul. Walk away to his house next to the madrassa.

"Don't the one next to you get stuck. Manyun?" Try to melt the atmosphere. Because Icad just kept quiet.

"Yahbit was told to go home with mama?"

He laughed. "Well, slander."

The icad is shrinking.

"Rome home because the same kangen beloved mother, dong," selorohnya.

Icad. "Lied!"

It cringes. "Seriously. Later it will be realized that living away from parents. Now I won't understand."

Icad looked back.

This afternoon, my mom called. "Gam, come. Please talk to Icad. He's angry when he finds out Pocut accepted Tama."

"You want a good story, don't you?" He's fishing.

But Icad didn't react.

"Ult ...." He began to tell stories without waiting for Icad's approval. "There was a child who was disappointed at the situation. Then take it out on everyone."

"She was angry to mother, sister, family, friends, neighborhood. Even the past."

"She always asks .. Why me? Wh why? What wrong? I don't want to be like this. I don't take it."

"The more days, he's getting away from family, kindness, hope."

"He did almost all the bad things. He wanted to punish the whole world that had let him down."

"Until the end .. he does the bad thing from the worst. One big sin."

Icad.

"He was afraid, sorry, disappointed ...."

"Do you know who was the first person to reach the child?"

Icad.

"His mother." It says this while throwing away the image of the old face of a mamak filled with disappointment in a cramped and dimly lit room. When he was frank about Anja's situation.

"The mother still accepts the child as bad as it is. Keep praying for goodness. Keep loving ...."

"But the child's mother is not married anymore!" Gerricks Icad.

He was holding the nephew's shoulder. "What's wrong with getting married again?"

Icad clenched his shoulders, trying to break away. "Not wrong. Not my mom."

He's cleared his throat. "Now ... yahbit does not live in grandma's house anymore. Yahbit can not take care of grandma, Icad, Umay, Sasa .. let alone mama."

"Yahbit cannot protect if ad ...."

"There's me!" Cut the Icad with hunting breath. "I can take care of everything including my mom."

"Even if someone is angry about insulting your mother?"

Icad.

"How many times have you seen someone scold you? How many times did you dare to fight that person to defend your mother?"

Icad.

He embraced the Icad. "Mama didn't decide this by herself, Bang. I did everything I could before I got to this point. It's not that you forget your late father or you don't love your brother anymore."

Icad. Not rebellious as before.

"It is precisely because my mother loved my brother, Umay, Sasa .. that's why I made this hard decision."

"Mom wants the best for everything."

"And for a lifetime .. the whole world knows .. if Abang, Umay, Sasa .. are the children of a good and great man named Iskandar the young. Not the others."

"Don't you like Tama? Reasonable. Dehumanised. That ordinary thing. We don't have to like everybody, do we?"

"Applies otherwise. Not everyone likes us the same. It's a law of nature. Can't be forced let alone engineered."

"But ... Brother must remain affectionate with mama .. appreciate mama ...."

"Because ... Who else would love a brother for life other than a mother? Praying for goodness for my brother. Lets ...."

"I want to go home!" Tukas Icad while shrinking his eyes.

"Now, by the way. Don't origin. Instead of making Icad understand even more tambok. Not that it's complicated."

"Ready, Mistress ...." He chuckled while kissing his wife's forehead. "Good at home."

"okay ...." He smiles. Following the Icad that first went.

"The tears are running out now," he continued, as they walked in unison leaving the pitch-black courtyard of the mosque. "Kepergok Umay ntar .. know the taste!"

Icad did not answer. Because busy shrinking the corner of the eye with the back of the hand.

***

Pocktail

He was folding his face after Isha's prayer, when Sasa shouted from the living room. "Mama! The sound continues."

He hurried to the room. Grab your phone and check it.

2 missed calls

Anjani's sister

2 Unread messages

From Anjani and Agam's brother.

He prefers to open a message from Agam.

Agam: 'Talk with Icad first in the mosque.'

In that instant he immediately typed a reply.

Pocut: 'Yes.'

With a restless heart, he waited for the return of Agam and Icad from the mosque. Not at all paying attention to the message from Tama.

"How long is it, Mom?" Mummer worried. Because Agam and Icad never showed up.

"A little while ...." Answer the mother who was knitting on the chair.

When he was applying mosquito repellent lotion to the hands and feet of Sasa who had fallen asleep, a greeting was heard from Agam and Icad.

"Assalamu'alaikum."

"Wa'alaikumussalam," he answered while enveloping Sasa's body. With the background of Icad's voice chatting with mamak and Agam.

Before joining the living room, he intended to tidy up the notebook belonging to bang Is that was scattered on the table first. But Icad was already standing in front of the room door.

He smiled, between relief and joy. "Did you?"

Icad did not answer. Walk into the room with your head down. Hugged her.

"Did you?" He rubbed his eldest son's back with teary eyes. Feeling increasingly relieved because Icad is no longer acting ignorant.

"Sorry Brother ...." Whisper Icad behind his back.

He nodded. Unable to hold back tears. "Sorry Mama too, Bang."

Icad nodded. The more the embrace of both of them.

"Dear dear to Mama." Icad. "But still don't like it."

He laughed while wiping away tears. "It's okay, brother. It's nothing ... My mom loves you too, brother. Too bad."

Icad nodded. Then he pointed to the book on the table.

"Oh ...." He picked up a book and handed it to Icad. "You read?"

The book contains daily notes of bang Is while on a tanker. Most of it is about what happened that day. Some expressions of longing for himself and the children. There are no hidden secrets or vulgar writing. So, anyone can read it. Even the children.

Icad received the book from his hand with a face full of questions.

Now, he noticed Icad who was frowning as he opened sheet by sheet.

"Book has a father?" Icad looked at him in disbelief.

He nodded. "Everybody has a father." While showing other books scattered on the table.

Icad. "Mama ... still reading it?"

"Every day ... every night .. every mother misses the same father," he replied with eyes that returned glazed.

He took another book from the table. Then he put it in the hands of Icad. "If you want to read."

Icad looked at him in disbelief. "Can?"

He laughed with a tear on his cheek. "It can be."

Icad smiled and extended a hand. Wiping her tears that came back dripping down her cheeks. "Mama don't cry."

But her tears just got bigger.

"Said not to cry." Icad the more the hassles shrank his tears that continued to break.

He laughed. Just keep crying.

"Read all ...." His whisper. "Let Brother always feel close to father ...."

Icad nodded. "Borrow two books first."

He nodded back. "Don't forget to return it."

Icad laughs. "Thank you, Ma. Again sorry, brother."

He smiles. "If you dream of meeting father ... do not forget to say hello from Mama ...."

Ah, no, the eyes that have not been dry, are now back in tears.

"Yes," Icad replied with his head bowed. "Sekalian Abang want to tell father .. if there is om ngeselin who deketin Mama ...."

He laughed. Back grabbing the Icad into a hug.

***

Surabaya

Tama

He had informed about his departure plan to meet Reka in Surabaya since long ago. So as soon as he got off the plane at the airport, without having time to rest or stop somewhere else, he headed straight for Kinan's house.

But arriving at Kinan's house, he only finds Miko.

"Mba Kinan again nang (while in) hospital. Mlebu design (incoming) IGD."

In a hurry, he again ordered a taxi to take her to the hospital mentioned by Miko.

"Hello?"

"Mass?"

"Don't you tell me they're in the hospital?"

"Just dawn ...."

"What did the doctor say?"

"Still waiting for the second lab results. First lab results lead to DHF (dengue hemorrhagic fever)."

"I'm otw."

As soon as he got off the taxi, he headed straight for IGD. Once stunned when he found om Pram sitting in the waiting room. But he chose not to care.

"Where?" Ask Kinan who is welcoming on IGD's doorstep.

"The need for oxygen" Kinan said softly as they walked towards where Reka was being treated.

He looked at Kinan. "Have it?"

Kinan. "Well, she doesn't eat a week, doesn't drink. Glands are just as swollen, hard to breath, inevitably helped by oxygen ...."

"Sunday?" He looked at Kinan in disbelief. "Last time I called .. You said it was just a normal fever."

"Yes." Yeah." Kinan remained down. "Initial time of fever he was still fasting. After Mas nelepon .. pas if breaking the fast can not enter the food at all. Always being kicked again. Drinking is not possible either."

"Didn't you just call me?" His complaints are very upset. Because it is too late to know the situation of the design.

"I think fever is just the same as regular vomiting ...."

He grunts. "Aren't you more aware of health issues?"

"I think Mas must be busy operating to ...."

"Don't make me an excuse!" His grunt. "We both agreed that the matter of Design was a top priority!"

"Yes!" Kinan stared at him sharply. "But don't snap at me in public like this!"

He was silent while shaking his head. Rejecting Kinan's misunderstanding. Now he is very worried about the condition of the designer. Unable to control his own voice.

But Kinan had already turned his back. Walking ahead of him entered the green curtain located at the very end of the row.

He breathed a long breath. Hurry up to follow Kinan's steps.

"The guardian of a patient named Gemintang?" Sapa an officer in a green uniform who entered the curtain along with him.

"I am" replied Kinan.

"Please .. Something must be signed. Statement of willingness to ...."

He stepped past Kinan who was talking to the officer in the green uniform. Standing glued to gaze at the weakly lying Reka with an oxygen mask and an infusion hose in hand.

Although closed, but the swelling on the face and eyes of the design looks so clear. Even to the area of the hands, chest, to the stomach.

Reka ... Reka .... I'm sorry, Son.

***

Remarks :

©. : Minhatul 'allam is one of the books of the maram bulughul sharah written by Sheikh Abdullah bin Shalih Al Fauzan to facilitate in understanding the hadiths of shar'i law.