Should We Get Married?

The Savior of Rani

Before the dawn of Azan reverberated, I was awake. Clean up Rani's house, then wash clothes that accumulate high almost touching the platform that is not too high. Now I know where the source of the unpleasant smell that was smelled when I first entered this house, it turns out from a pile of cloth that I thought had been unwashed for a long time, because some clothes have blackened overgrown with mushrooms even to weathered.

It takes a lot of energy to spend all this laundry. If I didn't remember that I was hitching a ride here, I probably wouldn't be able to finish it all because it felt like my body was really tired. But at least I am grateful because now the pile of dirty cloth has been changed into a pile of cloth that must be dried immediately.

"Are you awake?" suddenly Rani's brother was already standing in front of me.

"Eh, yes brother. Thank God it's all done. Now just cook it. But from earlier I was looking for, rice is just as vegetable where is it, brother?" my many.

"Oh that .. hasn't come yet." Rani nyengir. "Take that bread first. Later it is usually a bit unfortunate there are nganterin sembako same rice wrap."

"This bread?" I pointed to two empty breads with a price tag of a thousand rupiahs. This year the bread must have tasted not so good, as it looked. I'm sure it looks like Rani's sister is having financial problems. "Keep, for what brother?" ask again.

"Udah, I'm not eating no problem. What matters is that you eat first. There will be plenty outside to eat."

"Sir ..."

"Otherwise? Not a lot of cincong. Now wake up Cici, tell me to take a shower and have breakfast. I'm going to go get some money. Remember yes, you don't go anywhere, don't make a tantrum too. If there's anything, I won't let you stay here anymore. Even I'll take you to the police station!" Threatening brother Rani, then he waltzed leaving me alone in one of the rooms of this simple house.

For a moment I just watched him walk out of the house. It was only after he was no longer seen that I rushed towards the only room in the house to wake Cici up. The boy was not too difficult to wake him, as soon as I called, he immediately squirmed.

"Sister is still here?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes dong. Last night I told you that you're going to stay here for a while." I replied, smiling at him. "Cici doesn't mind, does she, if you're hitchhiking at Cici's house?"

"Wahhh. Now Cici will no longer be alone at home. Of course you don't mind, with pleasure!" He smiled back so that his teeth were already thin clearly visible.

"Diiih, Cici's teeth are all thin. Must be lazy to brush your teeth, huh?"

"Same lazy shower too!" sally, with pride.

"Astagfirullah, it can't be. Beautiful children must clean. Especially cleanliness of yourself."

"But my mother did not teach. The important thing is not to starve." he returned smirking.

"Yes, the brother who taught you." I led her to the bathroom, after teaching her to take a bath, I started to prepare her clothes instead and again I had to have a hard time because finding clean clothes in this house was like looking for a needle in a haystack. So messy.

"Wear this shirt again, brother " said Cici while taking back the previous clothes.

"Yes." I said. Help her get dressed. "Didn't mom teach Cici to shower herself?" my many.

Cici. "Mother is rarely at home. Morning break, a great night home. Sometimes it's dawn. Occasionally at home if there's a raid."

"Yes. That's my brother who has a ninu ninunya car. But I'm not gonna get arrested because I'm smart."

"Lho, Cici isn't afraid to live alone?"

"Yesterday there was a friend. Her name is Aunt Rina. But it's not been here for a week anymore.Last come here fighting with mom."

"Oh so."

I looked at Cici. A girl this small must feel an uncomfortable life. She was born of a woman of the night, while her father was kept secret by his mother. Cici had to live in this slum because of her mother's inability.

"Cici's not in school?" my many.

He shook his head.

"You want school?"

"You, but said the mother in the school a lot of bad people, so Cici did not want to go to school. Cici just wants to be home waiting for mom to come home."

"Who said in school a lot of bad people? Precisely if Cici is not school, later Cici is not smart, easily can be colonized by others."

Whether he understood it or not, the boy just nodded. I'm getting more and more compassionate towards him. He was very young, but there were too many tests. Even so, this child was trying to accept everything. One of them by staying calm waiting in their own hut house when his mother was wandering for sustenance.

***

It's ten in the morning. Several times I pressed the stomach rumbling because it held the hunger. The empty loaf of bread that Cici and I ate this morning was not enough to stifle hunger. Especially in pregnancy as it is today. But I am not happy to ask Rani for food that I know has not eaten anything from the morning. He came back, but he brought nothing. Now Rani looks restless, occasionally he peeked from a window made of plywood.

After peeking, he was about to pass. But the door of the house was knocked. The originally tangled face of Rani's brother turned radiant. He immediately ran small towards the door, as well as Cici, he was no less enthusiastic than his mother. It seems like the person who came here meant a lot to him.

I don't know who is in front of that slightly open door. But I can hear their conversation. Male voice, it looks like he handed the parcel. Surprisingly, I felt familiar with that voice. But I ignored it because there was no way I knew him because it was Jakarta. Not many men I know are in this capital city, only Bagas and bre**** Juan.

"Get in a minute, it's been a while since I've played with Cici!" Take Rani's sister.

But the man made a refusal. He said he was in a hurry because he had to share some parcels with others.

Just like his mother, Cici also invited the man in. He even called me to meet his guests. Therapy I'm still standing sculpting, between going forward or staying in place.

"Other times we play, now I go first huh." promised the man. "Remember, Cici has to eat a lot and don't forget to take the medicine."

"Yahhh, even though Cici wants to introduce her brother to Cici's new sister." Cici still held him. "Sir .. Ayu, come here!" Cici.