SET DUSK
The Part 39
Time can never heal, it only teaches us to get used to pain.
***
Ida tries to come to terms with reality, realizing that no matter how much she weeps over Yasir's departure, her son will never return. As hard as he thought why it all happened, he still would not find the answer. He must continue to live, time will never want to wait for him to linger buried in sadness.
"Da, are you okay if I stay?"
"It's okay, sir." Ida stopped her from packing Burhan's clothes. Look at her husband sitting on the bed.
"Why did Master suddenly ask like that?"
"G ... I'm just worried, considering that a week ago you kept yourself locked up in your room" Burhan said hesitantly.
"I can already accept Yasir's departure, sir." Ida was stunned, then continued to put Burhan's clothes back in the bag.
"You can't be alone when I'm not around, Da." Burhan sat down near Ida.
"Why?"
"If we are too late in sad thoughts, shethan likes to whisper evil things." Burhan looked into his wife's eyes. Sadness still clearly hangs there.
He still could not believe the reality, his son left so quickly.
"Yes, Sir."
"I know it's hard for you to accept this fact, I'm the same. We both learned to accept destiny."
Ida looked down inside. Groping his eyes so that the warm liquid that began to pool in his eyes did not fall. He raised his face again, then smiled at Burhan.
"Yes ..." he said, exhaling loudly.
"I'm sure you're a strong woman. You can get through all this." Burhan smiled back.
***
Three months after Yasir's departure, Ida gave birth to a baby girl. Tiny babies with blushing cheeks, they gave the name Kamila.
Like Yasir, Kamila grew into a cheerful little girl full of energy. Her hair curls, her eyes are round, her plump cheeks blush, and her tiny lips make her look like an adorable doll.
That morning Burhan took Mila-call Kamila-walk around the house. Enjoy the morning of the city of Payakumbuh which is always covered with dew. The sun peeked timidly in the sky, bit by bit brushing off the hanging dew.
"Religion ... Abba ... Endong," she asked with a parched face.
"Haha, is my son tired?"
"Nhh ...." Mila nodded quickly.
"Here's the big brother," said Burhan raised his little girl.
Mila laughed cheerfully, singing a song that she herself wrote, in a language that only she understood. Burhan burst out to hear the cheerful singing of the little girl's tiny lips.
Entering the road leading to his house, Burhan passed by Tek Piah,
"D, Burhan ... Is it morning walk?" sapana.
"Yes, Tek" Burhan said briefly, choosing not to talk much with his neighbor.
"Your wife's not coming?" It seems that Tek Piah has not been willing to let Burhan go.
"She's not feeling well, Tech." Burhan is trying to get rid of the bases.
"It hurts your wife a lot?"
"He's cravings" said Burhan still with a makeshift answer.
"Ooh, ...."
"I say goodbye first, Tek," Burhan cut when he saw Tek Piah still want to continue the conversation.
He knew that in the end Piah's tek would bring back the feelings of his son-Ana-in to him. I don't know until when the tek Piah will give up not to talk about it every time they meet. Ana is married and has a child.
Burhan hurried to leave Piah's tek still standing where he stood. His face looked annoyed that Burhan had just left him.
"Assalamualaik." Burhan opens the door, lowering Mila from her sling.
"Waalaikum greetings ... Uh, Mila's home," welcome Ida with a warm smile.
"Have you eaten, Da?" burhan asked to look at Ida who still looked limp.
"Not yet, this is me eating. Buk Isah makes green bean porridge," point Ida at the bowl on the table.
"You ate Han too." Buk Isah appeared from the kitchen, putting a bowl of porridge on the table in front of Burhan.
"Mila, come with grandma" take Isah to the little girl.
"No way," refused Mila hugged her brother.
"Let Mila I feed you here, Buk," Ida said.
"Have you eaten yet?" timpal Burhan's.
"Already, all of you accompanied the father to eat before he went to the rice field. Then, I want to follow the father to the rice field, yes," said Isah.
"Yes, buk. Thank you" said Ida and Burhan at the same time.
The three of them finished breakfast while listening to the carefree chatter from Mila. Ida was curled up to listen to her son's passionate story. Returning to the joy of Yasir, but this time Ida could remember Yasir with a smile.
"Yasir must be happy in heaven, son" said Ida in his heart.
****
"Next week you want to go for a walk, Da?" asked Burhan one afternoon.
"Where?"
"Just to Arau, it's been a long time since I didn't take you."
Ida's face turned gloomy.
"Why, Da? You don't like it?"
"Not to be disliked, sir. That place, the place that Yasir liked the most. If Yasir were still there, he would be very happy to be invited there," said Ida lirih.
"Yes, are we going anywhere else?" tawar Burhan's.
"To get there, I also like that place. Besides, Mila's never been invited there."
"Yes." Yeah."
"Mila, Sunday can you take a walk?" burhan asked Mila, who was playing with dolls.
"Good boyan kaliang, Bak?" asked Mila with sparkling eyes.
"Will you want to ride boyan kaliang?"
"Yes," said the girl moved to sit on Burhan's lap.
"What if my brother goes swimming first?" tawar Burhan's.
"You, Tub." The girl nodded excitedly.
***
"Grandma, grandma's not coming?" tanya Mila approached buk Isah who was preparing a bushel containing food with her rampage.
"No, you just go with your brother and rampage, yeah. Grandma's not strong cold air. It's so cold in there," chortled Isah.
"Grandmother is not sad to be left?" ask the girl plain.
"No, grandma better rest at home, you just go. That's your brother calling," point to Isah's book, look at Burhan who appears at the top of the stairs.
"Mila, let's go" Burhan asked Mila.
"Have you finished, Da?" ask him to Ida.
"When the way, Grandma. Grandma can't cry at home, yes," said the girl with witty eyes.
"Yes, you can't be naughty in there either." Buk Isah gently stroked Mila's hair.
"Our way, yes" said Burhan and Ida.
"Yes, be careful on the road."
Along the road to Arau, Mila was unceasingly chattering, staring in amazement at the sheer walls surrounding the valley they were about to head to.
"What is this place, Bak? Cold. ..." Mila curled into Ida's arms.
"This place is called Arau. It used to be a Dutch resting place" Burhan explained.
"Mila's scared, Bak."
"Why is Mila afraid of such a beautiful place?" ask Burhan.
Blue sky, a stretch of rice field that is still green, and trees along the cliff side make the eyes will never be tired of looking at the natural painting.
"Fear that the wall will collapse" pointed Mila at one of the cliffs on the left side of the road.
"The wall will not fall. You know, a long time ago, this place was the sea. That cliff is a solid rock, so it won't collapse easily."
"What sea is that?" asked Mila with confused eyes. He who from birth lived in a mountainous area, not very familiar with what is the sea.
"The sea is like a pond, but it's big. Take a walk to the sea, yeah."
"Yes ... Want to!" peek the girl was excited.
"Then, where's the sea water, Bak?" Mila asked back.
"A long time ago, on top of that cliff was a kingdom. The king's daughter plunged into the sea because she did not want to be forced into marriage by the king. Then the king dried the sea water to find the princess, but until the sea was dry, the princess was still not found."
"His daughter's master died, Bak?"
"No, he's a rock."
"Like Malin Kundang?"
"Yes, like Malin Kundang."
"To my knowledge, the legend of this valley tells the story of Princess Sari Banilai" Ida protested.
"Yes, there are also those who say that" Burhan nodded.
"Who is Princess Sari Banilai, Mak?" tanya Mila looked at Ida.
"She was the daughter of Hindustani's labors, they sailed into Arau's valley ... His daughter's master became a rock for not keeping promises .... [1]"
Mila listened attentively to her amak story, but the cold wind blowing between the valley, as well as the rattling sound of the horse pulling the bendi they were riding, made the little girl as sung a song of sleep delivery. He put his head in Ida's lap and fell asleep.
"Awha ... It's easy to sleep, exactly the rampage" Burhan said.
"Yes, at least something's coming down from me huh, sir," said Ida.
They reached their destination, when the sun began to rise, but the hot sun, not so felt in the valley. The sheer walls that surrounded, made the air feel extremely cold.
Ida stared at the waterfall before her. The water is not too heavy, flowing into the pool below.
"Sir, Mila doesn't want to swim. It's cold." The girl tightened her embrace to Burhan's neck.
Ida held out the mat she brought. Arrange the challenger that he had prepared from morning with buk Isah.
The valley was so quiet. Not so many visitors came. Ida inhaled deeply the air around the valley. So soothing. Shaded by him Yasir ran excitedly to the pool under the waterfall. Forced his brother to go swimming with him.
Yasir was a brave boy, he had nothing to fear. Then his eyes looked at Mila and Burhan who were sitting by the pool. The girl's hand was still tightly hugging Burhan's neck.
"Yasir, amak misses. If you're still around, maybe you'll take your sister out to play water in that pool." Ida's eyes began to warm but he tried to brush off the tightness he felt.
"It turns out not as easy as treating the pain of heartbreak when left by a beloved child," he murmured.
***
Mila was four years old when Ida gave birth to her third child. At dusk, Burhan had just returned from his trip, finding Ida walking back and forth in the room grimacing with pain. Mila was busy playing dolls in the corner of the room, not bothered by her tantrums that were pacing.
"You want to give birth, Da?" burhan asked with a worried tone.
"Yes, Sir. Buk Isah was picking up mak Saroh to his house" Ida said in a loud voice.
"Abaak ..." cried Mila when she saw Burhan enter the room.
"What should I help you with, Da?" Burhan asked worriedly.
"Just accompany Mila, sir."
"Mila, let's just play outside, yeah."
"Yes, amak is sick," pointed the girl out.
"Yes ... Mila will soon be a big sister" Burhan said.
"So you want to get out of your stomach?" ask her with a glowing face.
"Yes, let's pray that my brother and brother are healthy" Burhan asked.
Azan magrib reverberated, mak Saroh came tergopoh with buk Isah. In Isah's hands there is already a basin filled with warm water.
"Well, that's grandma already in. We pray first, ask God to let amak and sister safe," Burhan asked.
"But, Mila wants to see the sister come out of the belly of the rampage," whined the girl.
"No need, later brother embarrassed when seen Mila. Mila just wait, brother, yeah."
As Burhan stepped to the end of the hallway, the sound of a baby crying broke the silence of the twilight in the house.
"That's the voice of a sister, Bak?" Mila pulls Burhan's hand back to the room.
"Yes, we'll wait for Grandma Isah to call us in, yeah."
"Mila wants to see sister now," forced the little girl.
Buk Isah opened the door when Burhan began to feel overwhelmed to persuade his son who forced him to enter.
"Grandmother! Mila wants to see sister, "he shouted.
Mila rushed into the room accompanied by Burhan.
"Woman, Han," said Isah without Burhan.
"Thank you, Buk, thank you" Burhan stepped into the room.
"Religion ... Mila is a big sister," cried the girl excitedly.
His round eyes shone on the face of the little baby before him.
"Mila, same sister, yeah." Ida gently rubbed the hair of Mila who was puckered in two.
"Yes ... What's his name, Mak?"
"We call Laili, yes" said Burhan who was beside Mila.
"Yes." Yeah." A smile spread across Mila's face.
Feeling tired after giving birth is no longer Ida felt. His heart was filled with happiness, relieving all fatigue.
"Oh my God, I want nothing more. Having a family like this is enough for me. My happiness feels complete already" whispered Ida.
Seriate....
[1] Legend of the Harau valley. The Valley is located in the District of Fifty Cities of West Sumatra.
