SET DUSK

The Part 19

Ida was home a week. The health of amai is getting better, the face of amai is getting fresher. Ida felt a change in her attitude towards him. No longer as hard as usual.

Mak Dang has also returned to Padang, continuing the struggle to defend the city of Padang and its surroundings from Dutch control.

"May, Ida can volunteer again? Ida heard the medics are getting less," asked Ida one afternoon when massaging Amai's legs.

"You don't feel at home?"

"Not at home Mai, Ida thought of the victim who was not managed. Last time I wanted to go home, Ida's friend died in a grenade." Ida's tears began to spread, remembering her farewell to Maryam.

He did not know how Maryam's body was after the attack. Whether anyone held a proper funeral for him or his body fared the same as the victims of the attack in Banda Buek first. It can only be buried after a few days, with the condition of the corpse has begun to decompose.

"Why are you Da?" tanya amai was astonished to see Ida's gloomy face with tears hanging down.

"Ida only remembered Ida's friend who died was Mai, did not have time to take care of her body, but she who always helped Ida," said Ida.

"Can you Mai? Ida's back as a PMI officer?" Ida again tried to dare to ask permission amai.

Amai just silently looked at Ida.

"It doesn't feel calm Ida's heart sits quietly like this, while out there many are betting lives, Mai," Ida continued.

"We wait for your mother to come home, Da, if you bring your heart down, I don't want you to go again Da," said Amai later.

"If you wait for Mak Dang to come home, it is uncertain when Mai will be. Conditions on the road are uncertain." Ida still persuaded Amai to give permission.

"You're so stubborn, Da," sober.

"For the well-believed it's okay Mai." Ida smiled expectantly.

"I'm just not ready to lose you Da. Seven months you've been away with no news, my heart breaking every day waiting for your news, Da."

"During these seven months Ida learned to be ready to lose those we love Mai. So Ida wants to benefit the crowd when Ida's life is still there."

Amai took a deep breath. Looking at Ida with her sad eyes. Grat was worried that it was clearly drawn on his already wrinkled face.

"When you leave, who are you going with?" ask amai later.

" I'll take Anghah sir with me, I'll go to Birugo. Because according to my friend, in Birugo there's a shortage of medical personnel." Ida immediately seemed to get hope from amai.

His desire to volunteer this time is not because he wants to escape from home, but he feels his strength is needed by others. His soul felt unsettled, when he found out not far from his peaceful home, the Lascars and Soldiers were betting their lives to drive the Dutch out of their country.

Finally with a heavy heart amai released Ida back to volunteer. Carry out his soul's calling.

"If the situation in Bukittinggi is safe you go home occasionally. Never mind I have to take my son off, I have to let go of my grandson anyway." The sound of amai seemed to hold the sadness, but he did not appear.

"Iya Mai, Ida please pray. May Ida always be protected by God during her duty yes," said Ida lirih.

"I'm throwing amak again Tini. Sorry if all this time I have always troubled you," Ida told her sister.

This time Ida left released by her family. There was a sense of haru that made his tears unable to bear. Seven months ago he didn't really care how his family felt when he left. However, the departure this time felt a little heavy.

Bendi Pak angah started to move away, but amai and Tini still did not budge from where they let Ida go. He tried to keep it in his memory every inch of his native land. The house where he lived began to disappear when the weir turned. The houses that lined up began to be replaced by views of green rice fields.

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Almost immediately Idaun returned to be a PMI officer. That day Ida got word from some other officers, that President Soekarno would visit Bukittinggi. There is a sense of excitement that they feel considering that the city which was then the capital of the country will be visited by the president from Jakarta.

Various preparations are made by the relevant parties. The air force is said to have been on alert at Gadut airfield to welcome the landing of the presidential plane.

Students and the public began to gather happily in the streets to greet the first president. But what they will not visit will come.

Ida, who was still waiting in the hour zone with fellow volunteers, waited with anxious expectation. Some people have already left the jam gadang area. However, Ida and her companion still lingered there to wait.

"Pak Soekarno so come no yes," asked Yani fellow volunteers Ida.

"Come Yan. Already wanted magrib, but there was no sign of his arrival," said Ida. He also hopes to see the Proclaimer directly.

"We'll just go home, Da. It's getting cold" Yani invited her to hold her body with both hands.

"Come, I don't want to wait here until night either" Ida said.

Bukittinggi City began to be shrouded in orange color. They descended from the clock to Birugo, their base.

At eight o'clock in the night, there was the sound of a plane circling the city of Bukittinggi.

" That's the president's plane probably Da" Yani said as they finished tidying up the room where they ate.

"Maybe," replied Ida. But his little heart was worried, what if it was not a presidential plane, but a Dutch plane that was about to attack. Because of the news that Ida heard, the Dutch still want to occupy the city of Bukittinggi.

After circling the city of Bukittinggi several times, the plane just disappeared. No more plane sounds. Feelings of anxiety increasingly dominate Ida's mind.

Ida's misgivings were finally answered, the next day, Dutch aircraft launched an attack on the city of Bukittinggi. All buildings were shot. The Dutch also distributed leaflets stating that the Dutch were no longer subject to the Renville agreement.

Ida, who was at the Wire Office, in Birugo, was shocked by a bomb that fell not far from the Office was erected, the bomb hit a house. Fortunately, the bomb did not explode.

Trying to strengthen themselves, Ida ran away from the location that became a Dutch attack. He ran away from the building in Birugo, because as far as his knowledge is usually the target of the Dutch is the building that is considered the place where the laskar based.

Panic makes Ida not pay much attention to where she moves. He only realized when his feet had been tracking in the river that divides the Sianok Gorge. The cliffs of the Sianok canyon seem so dashing to guard the river.

Ida was sitting limp, the sound of bomb shots launched by Dutch aircraft was still heard. Ida was crying alone, curled up by the river. He wanted to go back to the base, looking for his other comrades, but his fear prompted him to run away from the base.

"Is she??"

Ida was shocked, when a hand pulled her shoulder.