SET DUSK

Part 5's

Ida and other PMI officers huddled in the corner of the surau. Before long, suddenly on the roof of the manau heard the sound of falling objects deafening. The plane hit the roof with bullets. Ida curled up with both hands covering her ears. His heartbeat seemed to add to the noise of the sound of bullets that tried to destroy the roof of the surau.

Time felt so slow, suddenly the image of amai's face flashed in Ida's mind. If only his age had arrived here, either he would have died peacefully or regretted his decision to leave home.

"Im sorry Ida Mai ... Forgive Ida. .." isak Ida interrupted her prayer.

Time feels so slow. Ida hugged her knees and buried her head between her knees. Still with the memorization of prayers and his apology to amai.

Shortly after, Ida felt a pat on her shoulder. He looked up, the face of Maryam who still looked pale in front of him.

"They've gone Da."

"Alhamdulillah...." There was a slight feeling of relief when he saw Maryam's face.

He never thought it would be safe considering the sound of the feathers fired by the plane felt like it was about to tear down the roof of the surau. Ida stared at the roof of the surau, not a single bullet through the roof of the surau. So many times Ida gave thanks. It feels like a second chance at life.

"No one comes out first, let's wait here" Ruslan's questionnaire ordered in a low voice.

They wait in silence. Time seems to stop. Even the air they were breathing felt tight. The smell of gunpowder being fired filled their sense of smell. Soldiers stand by their weapons, watching the conditions outside by peering out of the gaps of the walls of the surau. Ida still did not shuffle from her seat. He still feels at home in a position to hug the knee, giving a little comfort for him.

Ida's pastures heard the sound of a sobbing. Ida turned her head towards the source of the voice, Zubaedar crying while curled up in the corner of the surau, next to him Siti hugged Zubaedar with a stifled sob. Beside her, Maryam sat with a tense face. Empty views.

I don't know how long they stay in silence, trying to catch every point of sound. No sound was heard other than the sound of their heart beating together. Even the sound of their breathing is almost inaudible to the sound of the heart being unable to pump blood properly.

"If anyone wants to pray, we change." This time Mr. Zain raised his voice quietly, but they could hear clearly.

"If you can just tayamum, the danger if anyone comes out for ablution," he continued.

"Da, let's pray" whispered Ros as he took Ida's right hand.

Ida jumped in shock, not expecting Ros to be beside her.

"A ... Ah yes," said Ida while stammering.

He has not been able to neutralize his heart rate. There was a feeling of laziness lodged in his heart when invited to pray. But Ida remembered, what if this was her last chance to pray. Without waiting for long, Ida began to perch. Finished his prayers and prayed fervently. Begging God that he will be given another chance to meet his family.

The atmosphere in the surau increasingly gripping with the sun sinking, the light that was still able to illuminate the contents of the surau through the cracks of the surau wall, has now completely disappeared.

Waiting in uncertainty makes Ida's memory play back the conversation in her final days with Amai.

At that time he was helping amai clean fish catches by dang mak, his mother's brother.

"Da, you're a little clever to say the word sweet, not that I want to compare you with Tini, is not it. But you're a girl, so someone else can be a little shy of you Da."

"Ida's been trying Mai, but Ida's heart seems not to accept," replied Ida, while continuing to brush the scales of the fish in front of her.

Ida noticed amai trying to make the fire in the furnace to enlarge by using a saluang, a pipe-like tool made of bamboo, which is used to blow the fire to enlarge in the furnace.

Amai was like a pity blowing a small flame in the furnace with a hammer in his hand. Amai coughed as the ashes from the furnace flew towards his sense of smell.

"Here, Ida alone help Mai," pleaded Ida while taking a saluang from amai's wrinkled hands.

"I know deep down you're a good boy, and I can feel. I've been hard on you all this time, but because I feel that way I can lead you to be a good Minang girl."

Ida just silently listened amai let out his heart. Never had he thought so long that he would say that. All this time he thought, amai was always hard on him because amai did not like him.

"Why am I to Tini rarely angry, maybe that's what you have in mind huh." As if reading the contents of Ida's head, Amai asked Ida.

"Yes, Mai, "Ida answered honestly.

"This is, hearing the voice of people a little loud he was shriveled, so I rarely speak loudly with him, if you would like to volunteer if told ... Hehehe," kekeh amai later.

Inevitably, Ida chuckled along with amai. Laughing at all the misunderstandings he felt towards amai so far.

But a few days later Ida's assessment of amai changed again when amai conveyed that mak tuo Halimah would come for exploration, to marry her son to Ida. Ida could not understand the path of the peaceful mind to release her granddaughter to the bad man of her custom. Amai thought that his customs had been bad, so it was appropriate for him to get a husband like Burhan.

"Da ... Ida ... Hey Ida, wake up." Ida gasped in surprise when a hand was patting her cheek.

"You can sleep, I couldn't close my eyes all night" said Mary.

Ida blushed, she was also ashamed of herself for being able to fall asleep under such conditions.

"Ah, is it morning?" Ida jumped in shock when she saw the bright light blinding her net.

"Yes, did you faint? We woke up from earlier you didn't budge hahaha." Maryam chuckled again.

"He seems to be easy to fall asleep Iyam, yesterday in the truck he can sleep soundly," said Ros also chuckled.

"Well let's go out, said Mr. Zain is safe," asked Maryam.

Ida narrowed her eyes as she came out of Surau. His eyes that were accustomed to the dark atmosphere, suddenly felt glare when stepping out of the door of the surau. The first thing that caught his attention, when it came out of something was a bullet casing scattered in the surau yard.

"Thank God, what a miracle we received yesterday. Not a single bullet went through the roof of the manau." Ruslan's armour crouched in front of the pile of shells.

Ida quietly returned to express her gratitude. Still not able to digest how his brain can not a single bullet that can penetrate the roof of the surau without the intervention of God.

"We need to move out of this place immediately, it looks like this place has started to be watched." Mr. Zain's voice broke the muttering of the PMI officers who were still reverent with the miracle they got yesterday.

Ida quietly put some bullet casings into her bag, then gathered with the Army and PMI officers who had made a line in front of Zain. Carefully listen to instructions and instructions on what they should do in preparation for their transfer.