SILENT SENTENCE
5. HE SWALLOWED THE EARTH
MR. Hardi's WORDS were true, Ken was never seen again everywhere. Even now it has entered a month, the eldest son of the family Pak Hardi and Bu Mirna was never seen once. This raises a big question mark in the mind of Deka, usually he will just be indifferent without caring a little about Ken. Because for him, Ken is a brother he never expected to be as a brother.
However, neither Mr. Hardi nor Ms. Mirna ever told the truth about Ken's whereabouts. Every time asked, what Deka got from his mother was a sad look and also the woman's inertia. Deka had never seen wrong during this month, he always found his mother crying in the garden of the house, neglecting health until she was sick for 2 days.
Mr. Hardi was the same, the wise man did not give a definite answer to Deka. Mr. Hardi will only say what he thinks should be said; ‘didn't you ask Ken to leave? Now that he's gone, you don't have to ask anything more, Deka.’
That's what Deka always gets in response—but, ah... It was not even an answer, but rather a subtle innuendo and actually hit his heart.
Days changed weeks, until more than 1 month Ken lost news. There is no more that beautiful. The humming sound when talking that had always been the aggravation of Deka was not heard anymore. Ken's kindness and concern are no longer felt by Deka. Slowlaunu, there is an uncomfortable feeling in the youngest child, between pity and regret. However, Deka is not a child who will hold all feelings in secret without finding out what those feelings are. Apparently, the feeling that Deka has been getting all this time is a regret.
“What should I do, Pa? Please tell me where Ken is. L'm... I'm sorry, I promise I won't say anything bad or rude to her again, Pa. Please..”
Deka came home from school early, and only practiced basketball for a few minutes. He cried bitterly while carrying a blue box that Mr. Hardi knew as a supply box. Secretly, he hid a cry. It turns out that even though Ken is no longer with them, his first child still shows his concern for Deka.
“Papa see this?” Deka showed me his empty supply box, “Ken always left me supplies to people at school, but he who love me never found. Papa, please tell me where he is. Please..”
Ms. Mirna who was standing not far behind Deka was both relieved and sad. He had never seen Deka so broken, and his youngest son seemed so sorry for what he had done to Ken.
“Papa, please... I promise I won't do bad things to Ken anymore. Notify me... Tell me..” Deka continued to beg while crying. His hand did not want to take off the box.
Enough is! He could no longer see his son pleading so much that he cried. Bu Mirna hugged Deka from the side, peed her forehead many times and asked, “you are really sorry, Honey?”
“Mama, I'm sorry. I regret... A-i'm sorry..please..hikss...” My God, this cold child can cry so much, he can cry even as much as he likes.
“Ken just isn't with us, honey. Like you didn't want her with us, Ken finally asked your father to transfer her to a boarding school.”.
“...for those with special needs named Angels' Wing," Mr. Hardi said his wife's words were stammering.
Instantly, Deka widened her eyes in surprise.
“Pa... Ma's... I—” Sound swallowed its own cry. The teenager stood up, grabbed the box and ran up the stairs to the room.
“Mas, how now?” Miss Mirna hugged her husband and cried.
“Calm down, everything will be fine. If Deka's right to regret his actions, maybe we can bring Ken back home.”
A great hope and may be able to change a life in a better direction than before.
...13:00 noon...
DEKA ran out of the taxi, followed by two close friends. The three people's faces were in a frenzy, but Deka was clearly more than that.
“Excuse me, Sir. Can we come in?” He named Hendri, the tall, thin-moustached man first asked for permission, because he knew Deka would not speak softly if he was in a state of turmoil.
The fat man in a security suit looked at the three young men in front of the closed gate.
“You who? Are there any family members who attend school here? Because the rules here do not allow foreigners to enter except for family members of students.”
“I! I'm his sister Ken and—emmmp!” The cry of Deka was silenced by the hand of Agus, the other friend with a little tiptoe because of their body differences.
“Be polite, Deka. If it stays this way, we can be kicked!” Agus whispered while putting on an apologetic smile at the security guard.
“Adik? Which student's sister?”
“Lep—eemmp!” Deka thrashed, Hendri gave a signal to Agus to release his hand funeral flowers. “Adik from a new student named Ken.”
Hendri and Agus swore to see flashes of sadness and a look of regret on the faces of their close friends. Ken's struggle might not be in vain.
“You can enter, but on condition that there can be no commotion.”
The security guard gave a warning and was immediately taken by Hendri and Agus, except Deka who immediately barged in. With escorted by the security guard, 3 high school students entered the boarding school. The place is quite spacious with affordable facilities, a dormitory for those with special needs and normal.
When looking at the confusion on the faces of the three teenagers, the security guard explained, “this dormitory is a dormitory for the special needs and normal, here they are all collected together. In addition to learning, they are also trained to accept each other. The normal must accept the state of his friends no matter what the conditions are, and vice versa. The sick should not complain, because it has many friends who are ready to care and care for them.”
Deka smiled faintly, gently wiping away a drop of tears. He saw 2 teenagers his age sitting on a long wooden chair, it was in the garden they passed.
“You see those 2 kids? One of them is blind and unable to talk, then the other suffers paralysis since childhood.”
“Why are they here, sir? I mean, are their parents not just looking after them at home? I think it would be better to be close to the family," Hendri asked curiously.
“Everyone who sees them will certainly think the same as you, it would be better if they stayed at home with family only. But fate isn't always sweet, is it? They were handed over here by their parents directly. It's a pity, but yes. Life has to go on, son.”
Azis glanced at Deka whose nose now looked reddened. Hendri secretly smiled, feeling right once they came here.
“La—then my sister take what activities?” Deka asked, her voice turning trembling. The guard smiled warmly and then shook his head.
“That I don't know, son. You guys after this will be ushered in by the Chairman of the Dormitory. If so, excuse me first, the chairman of the dorm has come tuh.”
After the security guard left, there was a woman in her 40s who was smiling so warmly.
“Something seems to have visited. Who would you like to visit, kids?” Ask the woman in a soft voice.
“I want—”
“Kha?”
All eyes were fixed on a slightly hoarse voice, precisely behind the woman who served as the Chairman of the Dormitory. The woman again smiled then rubbed the head of the person who always called the name Deka as ‘Kha’. Deka stared longingly, Ken too. Given Deka's hatred towards her, she just stood still.
“Ken, who are they? Your family, are you?” Asked the woman, Deka was surprised when the Chairman of the Dorm spoke so slowly while moving his fingers, it turned out that it was sign language.
Ken gulped his saliva, lowered his head for a while then nodded briefly. Deka was not strong to see the sadness in both Ken's eyes and—brukk!—and the teenager plunged his body into Ken who was immediately swallowed with a choked breath.
“Kha!”
“Ken! Ken, it's me!” Deka lost control of her own crying, “go back home. I'm sorry I've been rude all this time. Please come back to us, don't stay with me. Please... Please—hikss—Ken, please.”.
The head of the dormitory who always displayed a warm smile rubbed Deka's head gently.
“Ken darling, don't make him sad. You love him, ‘kan?”
“Hm!” Ken nodded quickly. The tears of the 19-year-old began to fall and returned Deka's embrace.
‘Yes Allah, is this a dream because I miss my sister and parents too much?’ Ken ingrained. She turned to the woman whose affection resembled Mama at home.
“Nda, ni pi khah? A’khan akhu khau ni nyahkta. (Mother, this is a dream, right? Tell me it's real).”
The woman familiarly called Mother nodded, once again rubbing Ken's head. A sweet laugh could be heard from the red lipstick. He replies that what is happening right now is real using sign language, making Ken tighten his embrace on Deka's vibrating body. Deka looked up, staring at Ken's longing not found.
“Ken, I'm serious. Don't stay away from us, you've been gone a long time and without news. You're worrying me, so please go home. Come home with me now, please... Please..”
Ken turned his head, looking at Mommy with a look for help. Ken moved the fingers, forming many signs and movements that were confusing for Agus and Hendri who had been silent since. Mother nodded in understanding.
“Your name is Deka, Son?” Deka nodded even though his sobbing was still heard, “your brother is an exemplary student in this dorm, dear. He cares so much for his friends because he is the oldest in the Venus Building. His friends will not be so easy to let go of him to go.”
“Ngak. Don't tell me Ken can't go home. He should come home with me now!” Deka involuntarily exclaimed, making Agus and Hendri feel sorry and anxious because many saw.
Mommy sighed, it looks like she has experienced facing many young people. Ken released a hug, erasing traces of tears on his sister's smooth face.
“Kha, lu khau ang lih unthuk au alan inhi. Lala khi dak by ingkal u’apan. (Deca, you used to choose this path for me. Men can't disavow speech).”
Deka looked confused, bitten by the cleavage of the lips and turned to Mother. The woman understood and translated Ken's words earlier. Deka's tears run down the river again. He lifted the collar of Ken's new uniform and gave a sharp look at the brother.
“You! You promised me to keep me, you forgot that? You reneged on your promise, Ken! No one can take care of me anymore, you leave without saying anything. You don't know if I keep looking for you everywhere! Now rejecting my call to go home, what a loser. You don't care about me anymore, do you? WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL ME IF YOU'RE ANGRY AND HATE ME, HUH?!”
“Kha! Mba... Mba af, Kha.”
Ken apologized, hugging Deka back very tightly. I never thought about leaving my beloved family and sister. But when granting Deka's request to disappear from the life of the sister, the teenager who always responded cold and ketus suddenly appeared in the dormitory and exclaimed to go home. This was both shocking and a great relief, as it seemed that Deka had truly regretted it.
“Then we go home, Ken. Mom and Dad miss. Mama even got sick yesterday because you missed you, you won't be that late leaving her, ‘ right? Yes, Ken?”
Sounds like seduction, Ken's heart immediately as if sliced to hear the news that his mother turned out to be sick because of the tormented longing. However, this is all Ken did for the sake of Deka's happiness, also so that the family they have can be calm without any burning between children. Ken is tired of all the quarrels and coldness that goes on between him and Deka.
Puk! A gentle pat landed next to Ken's shoulder from Mother. He looked at the woman he had already considered the mother.
“Ken, this is your life. Choose as long as you can choose. Don't make the wrong choice and may hurt yourself or others later. Do not choose something that imposes your will so that gradually you yourself will be hurt. Dear Mother Ken, then Mother understands your feelings at this time. Mother does not know and does not want to interfere in your personal affairs, but look at your sister. He painstakingly searched your current place, wanting you to return to him and family.”
“Nda..”
“Iya, Darling. Don't choose wrong. You can stop and go home with your sister. Don't worry, you can still visit us all here if that's what you're worried about. We remain one family, My son.”
The last seen by Ken before the teenager finally fainted was the sincere smile of Mother and some of her classmates who arrived. Panic strikes Deka's heart as well as all who are there, but all hope that whatever will happen later remains fine and supports the life Ken will go through.
Miris, Ken again hid 1 other secret, about why he collapsed suddenly. He hoped that the regret that Deka felt at this time could change the attitude of the youngest.
