SUKMA: The Deal With the Devil

Ill

After cooking, Bu Inah moved to the room. Atikah started crying in front of her sister. Immediately he carried Sukma, trying to calm his fuss.

"Well, what are you doing Sukma?"

Atikah wipes away her tears and explains, "I did not say anything about the Sukma Deck, Mom. He was the one who suddenly cried."

To find out the cause, Bu Inah touched Sukma's diaper. It still seems dry. If remembered, he also gave her milk.

"Mom, earlier Sukma Deck said 'the driver met Mom' again, '" Atikah said looking at her agitated mother.

"So she really said that? Not just your imagination?"

"I heard it myself, Mom."

Stunned Bu Inah heard Atikah's words. He still does not believe, babies who are not even a month old, can talk like adults. Nevertheless, Bu Inah thought, that a child of Atikah's age was still innocent and spoke honestly as it was. According to him, it is impossible if the three-year-old boy is able to lie to parents.

"Yes, now you play outside. Later if Sukma calms down, I'll follow."

Atikah ran outside the room carrying her teddy bear, while Sukma's cries grew louder. Unlike in front of her brother earlier, the little baby was indeed unable to speak. But behind her crying were words she wanted to say again. Something stuck in Sukma's heart got bigger, making it difficult for the baby to stop crying.

Long enough, Bu Inah calmed Sukma inside the pavilion, but the baby was still crying. She took the baby out, enjoying the view in the garden behind Hilman's house. He showed some of his master's pets to Sukma, then the baby slowly began to calm down when he saw a black starling in a cage.

From the main house, came Farah who had just returned home with her son and husband. Sukma's loud cry made the beautiful woman disturbed. In a hurry he approached Bu Inah, even though the baby had stopped crying.

"Mom, if you are overwhelmed to take care of a baby, do not need to have more children, why? The crying was noisy, you know?" Farah nagging.

"I'm sorry, Mom. My son was playing, so he was crying" explained Ms. Inah.

"Already, already! I don't want to hear your reasons! Anyway, if you can't calm your own baby, you don't have to stay here" Farah snapped grumbling.

Hearing Farah's words, Hilman was angry. Farah's excessive attitude to Bu Inah, making him annoyed and embarrassed. He quickly approached them with a look of annoyance.

"So your mouth, Farah!" snapped Hilman glared at his wife. "You're the same old man should be polite."

"Ngapain must be polite all, anyway, same maid? They get money from us" Farah said, mendelik.

"Enough, Farah! We better get to the house. Come on!" Hilman pulled Farah's hand, walking towards the house.

Seeing the quarrel between Hilman and Farah, Bu Inah felt even more uneasy. He brought Sukma back into the pavilion. Meanwhile, Atikah is still fun playing on the terrace with her teddy bear. Every now and then he takes a small cup of his toy, to give the doll a drink.

It turned out that Atikah's presence in the pavilion, was realized by Albi. The boy ran to the pavilion, then smiled at Atikah who was playing alone.

"What are you playing?" albi asked, sitting in front of Atikah.

"Again cooking," replied Atikah staring at Albi. "Who are you?"

Atikah welcomed a helping hand from the Albi and said. "I'm Atikah."

"We're playing together, yuk! I also have a lot of toys," Albi invited, leading Atikah to his house.

From behind the dining room window, Farah accidentally sees the familiarity between her son and Atikah. Regardless of her husband speaking at length, she continued to watch Albi and Atikah's behavior cynically. Truly, the woman did not like it if her son was easily familiar with the child of the poor.

...****************...

Visited the home of Mr. Burhan. Some people transport goods to pick up cars that are stuck in the yard. Mak Asih felt sorry for Ms. Ratmi. He came to the house and met the owner of the house.

"Assalamualaikum, Ms. Ratmi," said Mak Asih.

"Waalaikumsalam, Mommy."

"Bu Ratmi, so really want to move today? Why not next month?"

"No, Mother. I've been taking a break in my hometown."

"Let's wait a few more weeks, Miss Ratmi. If I feel lonely, I'm willing to accompany."

"That's not the case, Mom. Actually in my house there is still Sari and Minah, but ...."

"But what?"

Ms. Ratmi pensively for a moment. After her husband is gone, the disturbance of the subtle creatures in her house more and more often. Not to mention he always hallucinated, making both aides hassles taking care of it. The sound of a baby's cries always ring in his ears. Along with that, the shadow of the baby demon that he carried while in the hospital, flashed again in his eyes.

Actually since coming home from the hospital, Ms. Ratmi's heart and mind were not calm. His habit of daydreaming actually brings disaster to his subconscious. Horrible figures often found in the house, to the point that he fell unconscious. In addition, sometimes Ms. Ratmi suddenly screams in the living room. She said she had a very long-nailed grandmother sitting near the entrance waving her hands at her. Clearly, the middle-aged woman could not bear all the interference from that magical being. Nevertheless, Ms. Ratmi tried to survive, considering the affairs of the husband's estate that must be completed.

In the midst of her daydream, Ms. Ratmi was surprised by the presence of Hilman and Mr. Risman who suddenly appeared before her. For a moment, Ms. Ratmi blinked and massaged her head, then looked at her two guests with frowns.

"Eh, since when did you come here, Hilman?" tanya Bu Ratmi developed a knotty smile on her lips.

Mak Asih who had been resuscitating Ms. Ratmi since then, was astonished to see the attitude of the woman. The truth is that the arrival of his sister-in-law is not known at all, he thought.

"Teh, I brought the gardener from home to help lift things. Hopefully Teteh pleased with its performance," explained Hilman showed Mr. Risman.

"Ah, yes." Ms. Ratmi looked at Mr. Risman. "Langsumg just take things from the room, yeah."

Mr. Risman nodded, then went into the mansion to carry out his duties. Meanwhile, Hilman continued talks with Mak Asih and Bu Ratmi. Hilman deeply regrets the passing of Ms Ratmi so quickly. Even with Mak Asih, feeling the loss of a new neighbor when the accident in front of his house. However, Ms. Ratmi remained adamant to go to Kuningan, so that Hilman and Mak Asih's request to stay in the house was not ignored.

Apparently the move of Bu Ratmi to Kuningan, can be felt by Sukma. The baby hasn't stopped crying since dawn. Her hot body temperature was high, making Ms. Inah feel anxious. He was carried by his adoptive mother to the puskesmas with Atikah.