SET DUSK

Part 7's

Ida leaned her body against a pine tree. The attention of wounds in

his feet. Not only wounds, it turns out there are already some pacets and leeches that fatten. It seemed like the animal was not yet full, as the slimy animal was still firmly attached to Ida's exposed skin.

Ida tried to pull the boneless animal from her feet, but at once she grimaced. Instead of escaping, the animal like more and more stick his bite on Ida's skin like a baby who is still thirsty, do not want to escape, continue to suck Ida's blood.

"Wear this to let go." Rashid handed me a cigarette.

"Huh? Why use cigarettes?" Ida asked in wonder.

"The leech died of tobacco, you didn't know that?" Rashid ripped off the paper of the tobacco steamer. Rub it into Ida's feet that leeches attach.

"Ah, let me just." Ida pulled her leg, asking for the tobacco in Rashid's hand.

"Oh, this." Rashid handed the tobacco he held into Ida's hands, then sat not far from where Ida was sitting, watching the girl rub the tobacco she gave to the leech at her feet.

Rashid felt that the girl was not too approachable, so he tried to keep his distance so that the girl was not too uncomfortable with his presence.

Ida felt the gaze of Rashid watching her, she turned to the direction where Rashid was sitting.

"Thank you, yes" he said flatly. He realized his treatment earlier on Rashid made the young man keep his distance from him.

"Yes, equally...Your feet should be cleaned immediately, then if it can be covered with cloth. Tomorrow we will continue the journey towards Solok, the terrain that we will travel may be heavier than before" continued Rashid from where he sat.

"Yes. Sorry, I finished your cigarette. It must be hard to get a cigarette in a situation like this."

"Ah no, I don't smoke. It was deliberately brought in just in case. It seems useful."

"Yes, thank you" Ida said without looking at Rashid.

"Yes, equally," said Rashid, smiling, even though he knew Ida had not noticed her smile.

"How's your leg Da?" Maryam approached Ida who was still busy rubbing leech bite marks on her feet.

"Have all of them killed" replied Ida while grinning.

"Here, wash your wounds and wrap your feet so that no skin is open." Maryam handed over a bowl of dried coconut shells filled with water with a roll of cassa cloth.

"Thank you, Iyam." Ida took the bowl and the bandage in Maryam's hand. Washing his feet full of mud and blood stains.

"Why not just be covered with your leg cassa cloth? We'll still be passing through the woods."

"Later, when you want to walk. It's gonna be a hard time when I have to open again."

"Ah yes ... Also true. Yasudah, we rest first in the cottage, Mr. Zain asked for rest alternately," asked Maryam.

"Then I accompany here, yes, it is not good for women like us to sit daydreaming in the forest," Maryam again sat beside Ida.

"Can. ..."

"Da, from the beginning we set out, I saw you daydreaming a lot. Do you regret the decision to volunteer with PMI? Ah sorry not that I want to interfere, but it is also not good if it continues to carry such thoughts, especially later we will pass through forest areas. You know for yourself that our parents say, it's taboo for girls with a burden of mind to go into the forest." Maryam expressed her curiosity towards Ida.

Ida listened carefully to what Maryam had to say. He confirmed Maryam's advice. In the past when many invited him to find wood firewood, amai also always advised to multiply reading holy verses, do not daydream. Because an empty mind is the place of Satan.

"If you need a storymate, tell Da. I'll listen. Maybe later you can let go of that little burden on your mind." Maryam looked into Ida's eyes.

Ida looked at Maryam, pondering what Maryam had said.

"Yes Yam, I have a lot of thoughts. But I don't know where to start." Instantly Ida's defenses collapsed. He who has never shown his tears to anyone else, does not happen today. For some reason Maryam said as if to open up all the pain that she kept tight in her heart.

"Just start with what made you decide to volunteer."

"Bec ... Aye ... Actually I ran away from home" replied Ida Iirih.

"Astagfirullah Ida ... Then doesn't your family know that you're with us now?" Maryam looked up at Ida's short answer.

"Yes Yam. I don't know where to go. I betrothed my grandmother to parewa [1] just because the young man was the son of a rich merchant in our village." Ida started sobbing.

I don't know where the power to bring out his heart came from. He felt that Maryam was able to make others feel comfortable and express what they felt.

Maryam made no comment, only listening to Ida tell her story.

"Thank you Da, you already believe me. I know, it's hard for you to tell a story. Moreover, I'm also just you know."

"I thank Yam, I felt a burden lifted after the story. You said that."

"That's what friends are for, Da," Maryam replied with a grin.

A few meters from where they were sitting, Rashid secretly listened to Ida's story. Now he knew why the girl's soul did not appear to be in his body. There was too much weight he had kept in his mind.

After a night of exchanging stories, Ida became aware that Maryam was the son of one of the traditional leaders in her village. It is fitting that Maryam's appearance was quite dapper for the size of the time. The clothing is also quite expensive. The pants he gave to Ida were made of drill material that was rarely used by ordinary people.

At first Maryam's parents opposed her son to volunteer for PMI. They have not been willing to take off their well-treated son to risk his life. But Maryam insisted on enrolling, convincing her parents that volunteering was a noble duty. Maryam's parents finally withered with all persuasion his daughter. Therefore Maryam was provided with adequate clothing and food by her parents.

Satisfied with exchanging stories, they were defeated also by fatigue and drowsiness. Ida eventually followed Maryam's invitation to rest in the hut because it was not strong enough to also withstand the cold that began to puncture the bones. That night, for the first time Ida was able to fall asleep with a light feeling.

*****

[1]Parewa \= young men who do not obey manners, like to play gambling, play women, and drink.