
During the day when Ida was busy reading a book in the front room, Isah's book came with a woman who Ida assessed her age not far from her amazement.
"She, this is Saroh's mother." Buk Isah introduced her to the woman who accompanied him.
Ida rose from her seat, greeting mak Saroh with respect.
"Ah already looks this woman's face is pregnant," kekeh mak Saroh.
The wrinkles on his face were increasingly visible in the corners of his eyes and forehead. His wide smile revealed the gums that had lost some of its inhabitants.
"Let's go to my room, Mom," Ida.
After Ida lay down, mak Saroh rubbed Ida's stomach. Nailing her eyes, nodding, then smiling back at Ida.
"Aren't you aware that from last month you've filled in, son?"
"I don't know the sign means that if only Isah's book hadn't told me this morning, I didn't realize it" Ida said.
"It's been two months" said mak Saroh rubbing gently Ida's stomach.
"Later to make a potion for reinforcement," said mak Saroh again nodding. His mouth chanted prayers, then blew them towards Ida's stomach.
After giving advice on things that should not be done by pregnant women, mak Saroh pamit went home. Before going out, he reminded Ida to come back so as not to forget to drink the potion he had prepared.
"Diminum yes. Let you be fresh during this first month" mak Saroh's message before he goes down.
"Yes, Mom. Thank you." Thank you." Ida is still at the door to let go mak Saroh.
"As soon as you get out of that door, it's not good for a pregnant woman to linger at the door." Isah's voice sounded from behind her.
"Yes buk." Ida closed the door, turned to face Isah, sat back in the front room chair.
In the hands of Isah buk there is already a cup of drinks whose smoke is still visible billowing.
"Well, you drink." Buk Isah thrusting the enamel cup with the placemat in his hand.
"What is this, Buk?"
"The banquet that was given by mak Saroh, this can already be directly you drink, it is not too hot." Isah was sitting in the chair opposite Ida.
Ida took the cup that the book of Isah offered. Sip slowly. When the drink entered his mouth, the combination of sweetness and a little sour fresh and warm from the water, making the nausea that Ida felt from earlier began to decrease.
"Build, Buk." A faint smile spread across Ida's lips.
"Well, you get some rest, I'm going back to the kitchen." Buk Isah took the empty cup in Ida's hand, and left Ida alone.
Ida got up from her seat, returned to the room.
"Thank you, Buk" Ida said, just as Isah's book was at the end of the hall.
"Yes ..." sahut buk Isah as he went down to the kitchen.
--------°°°°°°°°---------
Three weeks later, Ida began to be unable to do anything due to the nausea she felt increasingly becoming. Every time he got out of bed, every time he had to take out his stomach. The herb given by mak Saroh has also not been so able to reduce the nausea that is becoming. Ida could only fall weakly on her bed.
"Da, you try to eat a little yes," persuaded Isah.
"There's no appetite for me, Buk. My father is holding back from vomiting" murmured Ida softly.
"Your son's in the belly, Da." Buk Isah looked at Ida full of worry.
"Force a little, yes," said buk Isah thrusting a spoonful of porridge towards Ida's face.
As soon as the spoon proffered by Isah's book approached her nose, Ida suddenly felt as if something was about to jump out of her stomach. Buk Isah deftly thrusting a small basin. Only clear liquid comes out. Buk Isah put the basin back under the bed. Rubbing Ida's feet with warm Oil.
"Oh, I'm going to sleep, yes" Ida said.
"If you're hungry, don't hold your stomach, Da." Buk Isah finally relented to force Ida to fill her stomach.
"Yes, Buk," said Ida lirih to re-spread her body.
"Wind's tight, I close the window, huh, Da?"
"No need, Buk. I feel sultry."
"Then, I'd like to make a friend drink with my father first." Buk Isah stepped out of the room.
"Yes, Buk. Thank you." Thank you."
Ida looked out the window, the sky was dark. The wind blew the heavy hanging clouds. Before long, rain drops started to fall. The scent of the ground splashed with rainwater infiltrated the room through the open window. Ida filled her parlor room with a soothing scent that sent rain. A speck of longing began to he felt the presence of Burhan. Wish the man was with her.
"Assalamualaikum, Da." Ida was surprised to hear Burhan's voice from the door.
Ida turned her body, seeing Burhan already inside the room. A middle-aged woman walked behind him.
"Mr ... Amok." Ida was stunned to see her husband and in-laws in her room.
"Oh my God, Da. You're getting thinner" said mak Halimah, her in-laws with worried faces.
"You're not treating your wife well, Han?" spew mak Halimah, turned to look at her son.
Ida laughed a little at her mother-in-law speaking without giving her husband a chance to defend himself.
"It's only been three weeks, you've been thin, Da," Burhan said, ignoring his tantalizing questions.
"Alhamdulillah," said Halimah half-hurriedly approaching Ida who was still lying.
Burhan looked confused as to what kind of reaction. He only noticed his busy rampage talking to Ida.
"You'll be a father soon, Han," said Isah, smiling at Burhan.
"When did Ida get sick?" burhan asked between happy and worried to see his wife's face.
"Then you stay" said mak Isah briefly.
"I've served food in the back, do you want to eat now or wait for your meal?" continue buk Isah.
"Later on, Buk. I wait for Amak first. Where's Mr Ujang Buk going?"
"In the rice field, today he wants to sow seedlings."
"Oh, do you want to plant?"
"Yes. If you don't want to eat yet, I'll go to my room first."
"Good, Buk. Thank you." Thank you."
Buk Isah left Ida and Burhan's room. Burhan approaches Ida's bed and her rampage is still exchanging stories. Ida seemed to only reply to her son's words with a nod and occasionally smiled. Ida's pale face made Burhan not until the heart saw him. The cheeks that three weeks ago still look filled, today look taper.
"What do you want to eat? Let me cook for you, Da. If amak used to be very happy to eat padeh acid[1] when pregnant Burhan." Mak Halimah eagerly asked Ida.
"No idea what to eat, Mom. Every one that goes in comes out again" said Ida weakly.
"E-eh you can't do that, you have to eat. A little bit is okay. If you don't eat at all your child will be able to eat what," said mak Halimah.
"Let me persuade Ida to eat, Mother. Take a break first," Burhan said gently to mak Halimah.
"Ah, yes ... You persuade Ida to eat" Mak Halimah told Burhan.
"I'm worried my heart sees your face like this Ida. What would I say if I saw you like this, I thought Burhan wasn't treating you well." Mak Halimah rubbed her daughter-in-law's hand gently.
"I'm sorry, Mom. Troubles the heart of Amak," said Ida lirih.
"Ah, there's no need for you to apologize. This kind of pain is common, but you're trying to eat, son." Halimah's gentle gaze reminded Ida of her rampage. Instantly his eyes warmed up.
"Why are you crying, Da? Women who are pregnant should not be sad." Mak Halimah rubbed Ida's eyes, making Ida more unable to hold back her tears.
"Da, are my words wrong?" mak Halimah asked confused to see her daughter-in-law more and more moved to cry.
"No Mak, Ida only remembered the late Amak Ida. Amak reminded Ida of him," said Ida in Sela.
"Then you let go of your cries," said mak Halimah still continues to rub Ida's hands.
Burhan flinched at the end of the bed. He watched the two women he loved in silence. Trying to understand what Ida was feeling.
After the cries of Ida began to subside, Mak Halimah said to rest in her room. Burhan approached Ida, noticing his wife's thin face. His full cheeks that once blushed, replaced a pale and haggard face.
"Want me a bite to eat, Da?"
"So before Master came home, buk Isah had already bribed me to eat. But out again. Not that I don't want to" said Ida.
"I bought a pomegranate yesterday, would you like to try eating? Who knows, it could reduce your nausea."
Ida looked at Burhan's tired face. She should have welcomed her husband who had just returned home from a long trip with a bright face, but this time she instead welcomed him with a matted face.
" A minute, I'll take the receipt." Burhan passed out of the room without waiting for an answer from Ida.
Returning to the room, Burhan carried a small basket containing several pomegranates. He placed the basket on a small table beside the bed, deftly splitting the fruit in his hand.
"Well, you eat." Burhan thrust half the pomegranate he had cut into Ida's hand.
"Do I want to give it to you too?" Burhan smiled seductively at his wife.
"No need," Ida took half the fruit that Burhan thrust into her hand.
He peeled off the flesh of the fruit that looked like a collection of small grains and slowly stuffed it into his mouth. The sweet taste of the fruit is able to make the stomach of Ida who was not willing to accept food to be calmer. Not noticeably, half the fruit in his hand he ate.
"You want more?" asked Burhan who had only noticed Ida in silence.
"You, it tastes fresh." A faint smile spread on Ida's lips. The usual dimples printed deep on his cheeks were no longer so visible.
"Well, you spend it." Burhan handed back the remaining pieces of pomegranate he had peeled into Ida's hands.
Ida spent the rest of the pomegranate without any rejection from her stomach. He began to feel a little energetic after all the fruit went into his stomach.
"You want more, Da?"
"No, enough. It's full of my stomach," refused Ida.
"Then I clean up first. I still stink of sweat. Later you even more nauseous to smell me," said Burhan.
Ida simply replied with a nod. Burhan passed out of the room, leaving Ida with mixed feelings. Burhan's figure that he had not wanted to accompany him, this time seemed to be an antidote to the pain he felt.
Outside, the rain fell more and more, as if singing heart-cooling syahdu. Ida enjoyed every rain solemnly. Makes his eyes start to grow. Not long after, Ida fell asleep with the song of the rain.
[1] Padeh acid \= traditional minang cuisine that has a sour and spicy taste. The sour taste comes from the chandis acid used for seasoning.