Sendu Sweetener

PS 3 - Getting to Know My Mom Closer

I walked down the street to my house. A house far from densely populated housing. In my home area is still rare houses. That's what makes me worry about my mom always being alone at home.

So, as much as possible I will quickly go home after my affairs are done. In a day I can go home up to 2x because I have to make sure my mom eats regularly. It was 9 o'clock and I had to get home quickly, no matter what. I couldn't possibly order an ojek online because other than that I had to be economical, this time I really didn't hold any money other than the ten thousand I was going to buy rice and side dishes for my mother.

I walked into the cheapest little rice stall around here. After wrapping rice with chicken and vegetables as a side dish. I went straight home. At the stall, with ten thousand rupiah I could get the food I mentioned earlier. My mother should eat a healthy and nutritious diet. He cannot know that the economic situation of our family has started on the threshold.

"Assalamu'alaikum." My greeting as I opened the door, then entered the house.

I hurried to the kitchen to prepare food for my mother. Then I went back to my room and met my mother. I kissed his hand with reverence. Then smile.

"Look, Ma, I brought you some good food, Ma. Come on, eat ma, I'm bribing. Sorry Ara ma for coming home late Ara's friend there was a birthday so she bought Ara food." I said, lying for me several times.

I always asked my mother to talk every time I met and fed her. I always believed a miracle would come until one day I would watch my mother smile, call me, and hug me. I miss. Missing a mother's embrace.

"Mama, when is she healing? Ara misses." I said, after I finished feeding mother. I kissed my mother's forehead and brought the rest of my mother's food to the kitchen.

Whether by coincidence or indeed the mother knows my true condition, my mother never finished her food, indeed a few days since I broke up with my boyfriend the owner of the cafe who this afternoon I went like a madman, my economy is unstable. The money I earned from keeping a bakery could not meet the needs of the house if I really could not save money.

Moreover, my request to have a longer rest period, it affects my salary. The distance from where I work to my house is far enough that I have to take it by public transportation, of course this requires money.

I ate my leftovers with tears breaking. My life has started to melancholia. At home there was only me and my mom. We used to live three years ago with my mom's friend whom I called Aunt Linda. He was the one who took care of us all this time.

I don't know exactly when but that's obviously possible since I was a baby. He was so kind to me and my mother, yes sometimes fierce in educating me, but outside of that I still love him because he also loves us very sincerely.

As far as I know, the reason is that he wanted to take care of us wholeheartedly, he was too afraid that getting married could not give us his true love fully. This I know while still sitting in the 6th grade SD. This made me determined to comply with all his requests despite his life.

However, fateful just when my graduation day came, Aunt Linda died of malaria. At that moment my world completely changed. That day was also the first time I saw my mother shed tears even though her gaze was still empty as usual. Her tears showed that my mother could still feel something. He just can't express it.

The day after Aunt Linda left, I had a strong determination, I realized I could not forever grieve and fall, because I still had one mother who was no less great than Aunt Linda. After that, I immediately rushed to find any job that could meet the needs of my family.

I owe a lot to Aunt Linda, I wish I could repay all her kindness even though I was never sure of it. Since I was a child, I never knew the origin of our family. Aunt Linda has always been reluctant to talk about our families. However, one thing I know very well, Aunt Linda is only a good friend of my mother's even my mother's former enemy. There's no blood relation between my mother and Aunt Linda.

But as time went on I always asked who my mother's family really was. Where'd they? Where's dad? Where are my grandmother and grandfather? Do I have a sibling? And so forth. Even to the question, actually what has been done by my mother until nature cursed us like this.

I can't ask my mother this. However, my last question I asked Aunt Linda but she only replied, "Help your mother a good person, be clean-hearted, if it comes to you things that vilify your mother, never believe. Let the whole world say the same thing, don't listen. I could have sworn your mother was a good person." said Aunt Linda.

After that, I never said anything. Maybe this is our way. And I must accept it with ease. I made a promise to Aunt Linda before she took her last breath, he once asked me to promise to love my mother more than he loved my mother and at the last moment I promised and I will definitely keep my promise.

"Tomorrow I'll have to get back to work. I need to get to bed!" I said, then washed the dishes and went from the kitchen back to my mother's room.

Arriving in my mother's room I found my mother asleep visible from her closed eyes and regular breathing. I looked at the photo hanging on the wall. There's a picture of me, my mom and Aunt Linda. There I looked very happy in a red white uniform. My mom still looks beautiful as always and Aunt Lindapun the same. I touched the photo, and the water fell off. In times like these I just miss the times when Aunt Linda was still around. I miss being scolded by Aunt Linda. I hurriedly wiped my tears. Then walk to my mother.

I looked at my mother's face, our face was similar, I admit it. However, my mother is much prettier especially when wearing a hijab. I looked at my mother's face that was always pale and growing older. I rubbed my mother's hair. My only family and my only reason to live. Someday I will find a way to get my mom back. I kissed my mother's forehead. What I always do when I want to sleep.

"Chealing quickly ma. Ara misses mom." Whisper in his ear. Then kissed her forehead again until one tear fell there. I hurriedly rubbed it. So, hurry to my room.