Short Story (Cerpen)

The Salvation (Part 1)

Category: Fiction Fantasy Short stories

Title: The Salvation (Part 1)

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'This flower bunch how much does it cost, Grandma?' I pointed at the flower I meant.

'red roses, red roses, blood-red, spilled blood soaked with thorns on their stems for a sacrifice. The sacrifice of compassion. May the Lord always love and love this beautiful sweet lady as a symbol of His love. Here, accept.' Then smiled showing off the wrinkles on his face while thrusting the bunch of red roses at me. I also accept it.

'Very beautiful words, grandma. How many beautiful flowers does grandma sell?' ask again.

'The red rose is not sold to those who have a loving heart. Sweet lady, take it and keep the red rose without you having to pay for it.' The round-bodied middle-aged woman clad in a dark green dress and her black coat smiled back at me.

'Thank you, grandma.'

'Same-sama.'

After hearing the speech, I again walked along this market area. Not intended to shop for basic necessities, just want to enjoy the atmosphere in the morning today, the sky is still foggy, morning dew appears on the leaves of green trees along the edge of this road accompanied by cold weather enveloping this area does not dampen the spirit of the activities of the lower middle community. In addition to enjoying the atmosphere, I always get something, whether it's new objects or knowledge when socializing with them.

I pitched my legs cheerfully while smelling a bunch of red roses that the flower-seller's grandmother had given me. The money can make my smile grow. Today looks like it's going to be a happy day, I mean, all days are just as good, but maybe today will be the best day. The proof, not yet sunrise, I had the blessing of a kind-hearted florist grandmother, a bunch of red roses. This flower is the beginning of the happiness I will receive today. My daydream was split apart, as the sound of a girl's cry squealed my ears.

'Cup. cup.' I folded my legs, and gently stroked the boy's back.

'Where is your mother, son?' I asked while wiping tears at the reddish aunt.

'Mother.. mother.... mother..' the cry of the child called out to the woman who seemed to have slipped out of her sight. I was confused as to what I should do. I saw a bunch of flowers that I held, I gave a flower to her. At first, I wasn't sure this boy would stop crying, and calm down a bit, but as it turned out, he stopped crying when he grabbed a flower I gave him. He was a clever boy, no he clamped the spiked flower stalk with just by his tiny fingers, he apparently knew very well that the flower given to him had thorns on its stem.

When the boy seemed calm, I started to ask him again.

'How did you get separated from your mother, son?' I asked gently, she took her eyes off the flower she had been staring at me.

'Mom talks to the aunt again, mom takes my hand off, mom wants an apple. I saw green butterflies flying here and there, I wanted to catch them, but I couldn't. The butterfly quickly disappeared.' He stammered with a serious face.

'Hm... Would you help auntie find your mother?' the boy agreed with a nod of his head. I straightened my legs and grabbed his left hand with my right.

'You remember which butterfly took you in which direction?' while looking at the child who was still holding a flower in the other hand.

'A little bit.' while looking at me which requires her to take her head off.

'Okay, you help aunty, yeah, where should I go looking for your mother. Okay?' okay?' the boy took off the flower and straightened his thumb at me.

'OK.'

A little disappointed, but I still tried to smile at him because the boy seemed to be under five years old. We also continued to explore the direction of the streets that were quite crowded based on the command of the boy. So that the trip we took was not boring, I offered to tell a story about Mr. Rabbit and The Smart Squirrel to the girl, with the spirit she reproduces my offer. I also told the story, but did not forget to keep asking the direction of the road we had to pass to the boy, although he sometimes hesitated when there were no landmarks on the outskirts of the road that he remembered, so apparently my decision was in play too.

I did not just choose the direction of the road, but I think carefully where the location of the fruit seller's aunt the child was referring to, indeed not only the aunt in question the child was selling fruits, but also the, there are still many other aunts who sell various kinds of fruits. But I focused my mind on the fruit sellers who are hunted the most by buyers.

'Anna!' the voice of the call, spontaneously made this child turn to the source of the voice, so that my sentence was cut off when telling this fairy tale to him.

'mother.' she took my hand off, then ran to hug her mother. Then I approached the happy mother and son with a smile because of the happiness they were transmitting.

'sorry to trouble you.' End the sentence with a smile while holding the child above his left waist.

'no problem, I say goodbye, ma'am' ' See you, sweet boy.' I continued while ruffling the child's hair, he only displayed a neat row of white teeth to me.

'auntie.' I haven't left them far, the boy called and ran up to me. My body turned around.

'what's up, sweet boy?' while folding my legs to align with him.

'auntie, would auntie give me one more flower?' I glanced for a moment at the bunch of flowers I was still holding.

'i give you one, the other I give to your mother, father, brother, grandfather, and grandmother.'

'why didn't my aunt give the flowers to them?' tanyanya polo's. I smiled again while looking at him.

'I believe in you. You will give them each one of these flowers.' then he grabs this bunch of flowers from my hand.

'thank you.'

'same-sama.'

'what's aunt's name?'

'Ruth.'

'if aunty meets me again, will aunt promise to continue the story about Mr. Rabbit again?' he said that is still stammering.

'i promise.' I smile again.

'See you, aunt Ruth!' waving his left hand, he ran to his mother.

From afar, I waved my hand to Anna, who was in her mother's lap and also to her mother. I turned my body back and walked home. I walked through the narrow alleys that were bounded by houses of the average population who were not yet ready to live in one of them, seen with visible, black bricks neatly arranged to fortify the shelter of the population. Streets scuffed, stray cats milling about everywhere, streets here deserted only one, two people passing through this area. What a worrying sight, the morning alone is quiet especially when night falls, very risky to pass.

The sweet sound of the saxophone chanting the beautiful tones resounding in the cavities of my two ears, I glanced at the source of the melodious sound. A beakbaya man wearing warm clothes looked shabby, gleaming both his legs on a scarlet cloth right at the border of the alley I was passing.

He seemed to really enjoy the tones he chanted on the saxophone he blew while closing his eyes, so enjoying it his head moved to the rhythm. I was the first person to fold my legs, enjoying the saxophonies as well as the performance. My lips do not recede to widen during watching it. No less than twenty minutes his mouth collided with the base of the wind instrument, then removed the instrument from his mouth and opened his eyes. I greeted the man with my expanding smile.

'i'll sing you a song by Kenny G, senyorita.'

'alright.' I really enjoyed the instrumental, calming the soul and mind. The final note, he played it amazingly! Successfully making dozens of people clap, I did not expect that people would gather so much beside or behind me.

'thank you.' I said to the man. The man replied with a smile.

I was more proud and also happy with the talented man, then I patted both my hands turned out to be an monumental song by Kenny G version able to capture the attention of many people. The man smiled happily while bowing his head repeatedly.

I reached into my coat pocket, I gave him two dollars directly over the palm of his right hand. The men also alternately threw the money into the alms container that was in front of the man's blinding feet. One by one people moved from this place, continuing their activities. I was the same, continuing my journey home. Dorrr... dorr... dorr... salvo into the air three times, making riots occur in this area, crowded with crowds who roam around here and there without a destination, boisterous sounds of shouting everywhere.

They were all frantic, uncontrollable, as if they were busy looking for protection for a life. My sense of sight and hearing also grew in sympathy when one of the soldiers pulled a girl about twelve years old and an adult woman who seemed to be her mother from embrace hands that seemed - judging from the situation - the father was also the husband of them and then they were put into a horse carriage designed in such a way as a cell that had apparently been crowded by dozens of captive women. The man called for his daughter and wife to be released immediately, but the man died at the soldier's cold hands after releasing a bullet right in his heart area, causing screams in his ear. The girl and her mother could only cry out unbearably. This event surprised me, my heart was racing, I could not argue.

I hugged the reddish children near me, shielding their eyes from the sadistic scene before them, watching it as if letting a dagger scratch in the heart.

'pull him!' a flat, yet soul-stirring sound while pointing his staff right in front of my sense of smell. The captain sent his men. Roughly, my right arm was pulled, my body was carried along. With all my might, I tried to break away. The children with sincerity as well as innocence tugged at the end of the uniform of the soldiers who captivated me while incessantly shouting at them. Unmitigated, they pushed the children cruelly to the ground.

'hey…! Look at you so cruel.' Shouts me while shedding my tears. They ignored my screams, they continued to drag me to the cell of the train. Then, they pushed my body - of course violently - into that cell.

I wonder why they left me alone in this terrible cell when I looked forward, just as the other cell across it was crowded with women.

'hey, why did you leave me alone in this cell?' I asked with teary eyes as my hands clasped each of the bars.

'you're still beautiful lady!' his orders while glancing at his friend then hahahaaa.laughter heavy they collide while his fingers are still struggling on the fat chain that he wrapped around the iron bars. Before the jumbo-sized padlock he locks at once lock the chain.

'Give my regards to your father! (insert keys) if you can. (krekk. the padlock has been locked)' he said in a voice that whispered a grin. Then they left me laughing loosely, as the train slowly rolled its four wheels. I just remained silent, occasionally squeezing my eyelids that were filled with clear liquid. I don't know where my fate will take me and what it will look like. And what about my family?

this car drove slower than before across the sturdy fortress, two guards standing firmly on each side. I do not recognize this area, this area is so bleak, no one has built a building around the castle that looks like this tower. This area is exactly like the city of exile. This towering castle building looks sleek, unkempt. Plants spread on its walls create a mystical impression. I realized, so far away they took me from the frenzy of Boston.

'how are you carrying?' he asked as his eyes continued to face the thick brown book he was holding, the other hand holding a pen whose tip he approached on the blank page of the book.

'one.' The driver said flat. Now the direction of his eyes turned towards the man's face while his right eyebrow he raised a little. Then he stepped out of his legs, looking at the condition of the cell prisoner. He brought his face closer to his skin with iron bars. His eyes were sharp when he looked me in the eye, then he smiled like a sycophant smile, sick of seeing it!-

'walk!' his orders kept his face away.