SET DUSK
The Part 52
After the reunion with Shamshir Ida tried to shake off any uncomfortable feelings that began to lodge in his heart. Moreover, a new problem came when Tek Risma suddenly said that he could not hire Ida in the warehouse.
"Da, you know your mama's health is getting worse. The cost of treatment is growing. I was forced to lay off most of the warehouse workers for cost savings. I wasn't going to lay you off, but I'm afraid the other workers will think I'm favoritism because you brought up my husband. All I'm defending is workers who have been with us from the beginning. So ... once again I'm sorry I couldn't keep you. From tomorrow you don't have to come to the barn anymore." Risma's tek speech sounded like a death sentence for Ida. During this time, his biggest income came from work in his makek etek warehouse.
Before he was dismissed, he was still having trouble covering his living expenses and children, especially now that he did not work in the warehouse. Ida was unable to speak anymore after tek Risma said that. Mind empty. Where else would he find a job. There are no decent jobs, willing to accept women who are over forty years old. Many jobs are available only to young women.
Ida came home with a tightness in the chest. When he came out of his mother's house, heavy rain suddenly flushed. Ida didn't stop her steps. He continued to walk in the rain, hoping that the rain would carry the burden on his mind. The dark clouds that covered the sky seemed to represent his feelings. He dragged a step, muttering a prayer with the rain. Wish God had given him a little glimmer of hope for his life.
"Is she??" A tall male figure with a black umbrella in hand, ran to meet. The almond-eyed man shoved the umbrella in his hand over Ida's soaked head.
"Master?" Ida gasped at the face of the man who was holding her. Shamshir, the man was out of nowhere to come, Ida did not realize suddenly was in front of him.
"Why are you raining like this?" shamsyir asked with a worried look.
"Ah, I just want to cool my head down for a moment." Ida forced her smile.
"Let me drive you home" Shamsyr half-forced to pull Ida's wrist.
"No need, sir. I just want to be alone for now" said Ida pulling back her hand, but Shamsyr' grip was stronger than she expected.
"This time I force," said Syamsyr staring intently.
Realizing that he would not win against the power of Shamsyr who was so strong, he finally complied when Shamsyir led him to a white jeep parked not far from where they stood. Syamsyir opened the passenger door, Ida flinching.
"Let's go in, Da." Syamsyr half yelled out beating the sound of rain.
"I'll go home by myself" Ida refused.
"Come on, Da. I know your home is far from here" Shamsyir said.
"This once," he continued with pleading eyes.
Ida ended up getting in rather awkwardly because of the footrest to ride a rather high car, slippery exposed to rain water. After he sat in the passenger seat, Syamsyr came in, sitting behind the wheel.
"Your house is in the direction of the Chinese graveyard, isn't it, Da?" ask Syamsyir when starting the car engine.
"How do you know?" ask Ida wonder. He turned his face towards Shamsyr, after just looking down.
"Tempo the day I followed you, after you left," said Shamsyr.
"For what?" asked Ida ketus trying to neutralize the feeling that reverberated when staring at the look in the eye.
"I don't know, I don't have any special reasons either. What was in my mind at that time, I just wanted to fix what had been interrupted," said Shamsyr without turning to Ida, his eyes looking straight at the streets that began to be quiet. The rain had started to stop, leaving tiny specks like thousands of needles ready to hit anyone who passed by.
"Is it still necessary?" sahut Ida lirih's. His body began to shiver from the cold because of his wet clothes and exposed to the wind that entered from the sidelines of the car window.
"You're cold, huh?" Syamsyir ignored Ida's question. He pulled over the car, pulled the brakes and shuffled to pick up a military jacket draped in the rear passenger seat.
"Well, you wear this for a while, rather than catching a cold." Shamsyr handed his jacket to Ida.
"No, I'm used to it. Soon also arrived," Ida refused in a cold tone.
Shamshir put back the jacket he had just taken to its original place. He did not want to make Ida careless because he was too pushy.
Silent ambush. Ida was busy with her thoughts. The feeling of worry about the lives of his children overcame a speck of taste that had slipped into his heart.
"You got a problem, Da?" The voice of Shamshir breaks the silence created.
Ida just shut up. His eyes were staring straight into the street. He blinked his eyes, so that the warm liquid hanging in his eyes did not spill.
"Just tell me, who knows how to reduce your burden a little." Syamsyir is back.
"There's nothing to tell" said Ida exhaling slowly.
"You came with your husband here?" ask Syamsyir later.
Shamsyr's question seemed to tear through the wounds that Ida had painstakingly treated for years. Considering Burhan makes him unable to maintain the pain he has long endured. As soon as his defense collapsed, he was stunned in his sobs.
"Gosh, Da. Forgive me if my question makes you sad" said Syamsyir surprised to see Ida who suddenly cried. He slowed the car down and pulled over.
"Da, did your husband hurt you?" Syamsyir asked again. This time his gaze was fixed onto Ida's lowered face. There was a worried gurat clearly imprinted on his face.
"Then, what makes you cry when I ask your husband?"
"My husband and I have been separated for almost ten years, I don't know where he is now. Not because he abandoned me at his will, but fate toyed with our relationship" Ida said. It seems he does need someone to share his story, the tightness of the loss of Burhan that he had been longing for, making him tell Syamsyir what happened to him.
"I'm so sorry, Da." Shamsyr was at a loss for words after listening to Ida's story.
"I must go home soon, pity my children waited too long."
"Ah, Yes. Sorry ...." Syamsyir again turned the car ignition, the car lit up in two jolts, and again drove splitting the wet road.
Ida glanced at Shamsyr, Shamsyr's face like he was thinking of something. His gaze glared far towards the street.
"How are you after you go to Jogja?" Finally Ida opened her voice.
Syamsyir seemed to flinch, turning to Ida as if making sure that his hearing was not wrong, if Ida started a conversation with him.
"G ... It's a little complicated ...." Shamshir was deep in his mind.
"After I decided to give up, I regretted it. Every day I wish Ros hadn't had the time to give you the letter I wrote you. But after getting a reply from you ...." Shamshir choked, "I finally tried to be heartened to accept what had happened. Then, after the education period was over, I had a chance to meet back with Amir. He told me that you had earned your happiness with the man your family chose ...." Syamsyir sighed.
"I was devastated, but I realized that I was the one who let you go. I must accept the consequences of what I have done." Syamsyr continued his story.
Back to the silent master.
"Then, are you married?" asked Ida to break the silence again.
"It has. Five years ago" Shamshir said with a faint smile.
"Oh" said Ida. His eyes looked back at the street.
"Then, why is Mister now in this city?" Ida is back.
"Maybe it's fate to see you again" said Syamsyr smilingly trying to melt the atmosphere.
Ida's face heated up, "hey sir, remember your wife at home!" Ida laughed nervously.
"Haha ... I actually got divorced a year ago" Syamsyir said later.
Ida looked at Syamsyr in disbelief.
"He felt that I was just making him a place of escape ... So he asked me to let go, instead of constantly forcing a relationship that was getting colder and colder." Shamsyir looked.
"Ah, sorry ..." sorry Ida.
"No need to apologize ... It all happened because of my weakness. I should have fought for you ...."
"That's it, sir. It's just a piece of the past story, no need to wonder anymore" Ida cut.
Ida again silenced, Syamsyr was as if immersed in his mind. Finally, the car driven by Syamsyr stopped in an alley not far from the cemetery area. The orange glow of the afternoon sky after the rain made the atmosphere around the tomb look gripping. Remnants of rainwater that still wet the streets add to the cold atmosphere.
"Thank you for delivering" Ida said as she was about to get off.
"Let me deliver it to your house" said Shamshir.
"No need. I don't want the kids to misunderstand me if I go home with a man" Ida said.
"Ah, yes. Sorry ...." Syamsyir undoes his intention to open the car door. Staring at Ida who passed towards the small alley beside the tomb.
Ida walked half hastily towards the side road of the tomb. Wish his children weren't too anxious because he was gone for a long time. Usually before Ashar he was home, only this time he came home too late. Arriving at the end of the alley, he saw Salma running to welcome his arrival with a worried face.
"Mom why come home so late? Uni was worried about thinking about Amak," asked Salma.
"I'm sorry, son. Amak makes you worry. Amak was from Risma's mother's house. It hurts again." Suddenly the pain again felt slicing his heart when Ida remembered the conversation with tek Risma. From tomorrow, she will have to find another job to feed her children.
"Make sure you're tired, huh? Uni Laili has cooked us dinner. I'm hungry ... But the word uni should wait for the amak to come home first we eat together," said Salma.
"Ah, Forgive amak so make Salma have to wait," said Ida withhold bitter.
Ida clasped Salma's hand tightly, as if seeking strength from her son's small hand. His children are the source of his strength to survive to be strong looking at tomorrow which still looks gloomy. His concern for the lives of children, a little eroding the taste that had messed up his heart after the meeting with Shamsyr. He hopes to welcome her with warmth tomorrow. Hoping for a hopeful smile from the face of the children, able to strengthen his soul.
