That Black Shadow (Not)My Mother's Spirit?

part 1

The sky was still dark, at 03:00 in the morning. The tonggeret still rang. The towering bamboo tree, that was their home.

However, my kitchen lights are on. Fragrance aron rice has been billowing. The aroma filled the air and penetrated the woven walls of the bamboo house.

She's Mom, the mastermind of the commotion in the kitchen this early. I was still lying in bed. Last night's work still got my brain mumbling.

However, the noise of firewood on the stove, plus the sound of sodet swiping on the frying pan makes me uncomfortable to stay in the mattress. With a messy face and tangled hair I approached her. The purple-painted lady with those shoulder arms, looked extremely busy.

"Have you cooked, Mom?" my words started the conversation.

I leaned in the door. Smoke billows, greets, and gives a warm feeling in the cold air. Mom just smiled, then gave me a cup of jasmine tea.

I greeted his hand, then quickly the smell of jasmine pierced this nose. It was so good, my cold went away for a moment. Meanwhile, Mom is now busy transferring her aron to the steamer she will cook on the boiler.

That woman is great. For years he did all this without any awards. My mother is very beautiful, but it has not been maintained since my father was two.

Mom's face was very calm, her smile was always present greeting me. His nose is stuck in a playground. Her hair was long, wavy, black like charcoal. However, his hair is more often original bun with a rubber band than he let unravel.

Mother often uses coconut oil that she makes herself. The fragrance is very distinctive and often makes me hungry. It also likes to mix oil with roasted candlenut and it purees. Sometimes aloe vera is often a mask for her hair.

Mom was very patient in making oil for my hair that was originally thin. In fact, making coconut oil is not for a while, you must be diligent in stirring heated coconut milk. It can take hours until the oil comes out and leaves only savory and fragrant dregs that can be eaten named blondo.

Mother's eyebrows are thin and natural engraved, according to him when he married his eyebrows are not shaved like a bride in general. That's the same thing he handed to me. Even his wavy hair from birth has been inherited.

Mother's skin is exotic, yellow like Dieng potatoes. The lips are thin, but natural red without coloring. Her hips were very shaped, even though her body was no longer as slim as the photo she had once shown.

At that time, my mother had two children. She still works in a clothing factory, that's why she's so good at sewing. At that time, I was not born and we still live in Bekasi City. After I was six years old, we moved to Bekasi Regency until now.

Many say we are very similar, like twins, but different generations. Skin color, hair type, height, even how to walk were all inherited. Only these narrow eyes are similar to the Father.

"Ning, will you pick up if your rice is ripe? I want to pray," said Mother left her throne and slowly headed to the bathroom to wudu.

Now, I sit on the floor staring at the burning furnace. Actually we can not afford gas stove and electric rice cooker, but the attitude of the father who is colossal makes Mother never dream of using it all. I'm very patient to face the Father who I think likes to go too far.

You always reasoned, eating from cooked rice using an electric rice cooker does not taste good. For him the rice cooked using an electric cooker the rice is mushy and smelly. He prefers to use the stove because the cooking will taste fragrant and fluffy.

Actually, I could have been against and acted the same as honey. But I was too obedient to my father. He prefers to bother rather than having to endure the sadness of his cooking not touched by Father.

So, what about my second wife? I never ate at my second wife's house. He will only go home to his young wife after eating Mother's cooking, and then come home tomorrow with an echoing cry of hunger.

So, the old man just went home to his young wife to sleep and make love. Meanwhile, Mother only got rations to be a cook, wash, and sour face Father. I myself like to be annoyed to see the behavior of the Father, but Mother said the Father loved the cuisine of Mother.

My mother never complained in front of me. He always tells a lot of things, but not the Father. He would only tell me about the Father, if I asked. However, I knew he often cried on the prayer mat.

"It's ripe yet, Ning?" ask Mom still with her white face.

"No, Ma. A little more, maybe ...."

"You want to pray? There's still time for tahajud, for dawn." Mother peeked at the rice, then tried one grain of rice to find out whether the rice was ripe or not.

I walked over and dragged this step into the bathroom. It was so fresh, when the water touched my face. I heard the tonggeret are still singing, there are too many of them here.

***

The sun had come, slowly the tonggeret began to quiet down. Maybe now they are asleep and usually later in the afternoon they will return to action. In my residence there are still many bamboo trees growing, even they cover the road with curved stems.

"Mom, Ningsih left first huh?" I shouted while wearing shoes in front of the porch.

"Yes, is breakfast over?" reply Mom while cleaning her hands when I ask her fingers to kiss.

"Already, Mom."

"Yeah, Ning. Please ask A Iwan and A Apocalypse tomorrow to play here?" pinta Mother's.

The woman was very cheerful when she mentioned my two older brothers. A Iwan has been leaving this house for two years, since his marriage he and his wife bought a house in a residential area in the city. While A Wahyu, my second brother has half a year contracted near his workplace in the industrial estate. So, I stay with Mom.

"Yes, Ning's phone later, Mom. Hopefully the signal's good." I started my engine and left Mom alone at home.

The air is still cool, that's what makes me feel at home here rather than in the city. At first, he did not like himself. It's too quiet here, there's no mall or supermarket. All very far from where I live now.

But slowly I began to love this simple life. Here along the way the rice fields are still spread wide. They are all green, because they have not been planted for long. Farm animals are also free to feed. Not only chickens, but cows, buffalo, and goats are always free to run.

All looks simple, farmers water it, some are very busy herding buffalo to look for grass. Not infrequently, some are busy shouldering the grass and bring it to livestock that are deliberately locked in a cage. Some are also busy growing galangal, turmeric, lemongrass and other profitable plants for sale. That is one way they utilize every existing land into a coffer of money.

My courtyard was also very spacious and filled with red earth. So muddy when the rain is normal. In my house there are also many plants, but more salak planted by the Father. Meanwhile, kitchen spices and other fruiting plants are only complementary.

Here, everyone has a spacious courtyard and partly fenced in bamboo with a makeshift model. However, many are left without fences. My house is also fenced in bamboo, the goal is only one to prevent stray dogs from entering the yard.

I myself am an Elementary School Teacher. Since childhood, he has aspired to become a teacher. Not because I want to be a PNS, but I said that teachers are noble jobs and always make him jealous.

Mother did not finish SD, she was not lazy to learn. However, at the time women were considered unimportant to pursue higher education. So Aki, my grandfather forced Mom to quit school in second grade Elementary School.

"Mother was crying, Ning! I can't read yet, I'm in the spirit of learning to read with my teacher, his name is Mr. Jali. However, that afternoon Mom was asked to go home, Aki picked up Mom and said she did not need to go to school anymore. It is better to help Aki in the rice field and Nini in the kitchen." I remember what Mom said every time this self told me of my ideals.

We always tell stories while Mom combs my long hair. Otherwise, when Mom asks me to look for her white hair. That white hair called gray hair, always makes Mom's head itch. He will be very noisy to have the gray hair removed and I can only obey to silence his mouth that continues to grumble.

My preoccupation was suddenly piqued by the noise behind me. A trail biker continued to follow. At first this brain thinks we're just unidirectional and later in the junction he'll be away. However, only then did he realize he was behind me.

What exactly does this driver mean? Since then I have given space, pulled over, and slowed down the pace of the bike, hoping that it would overtake immediately. However, the truth is that until now he has remained loyal behind me.

Slowly, fear began to appear in my mind. Anxious sneaking in the heart. Don't you think he's a bad guy? Organ thieves are being talked about.

Without a second thought, these two hands also rotate the gas motor. The speed of my motorcycle can now be said to be speeding. I was afraid, thankfully the dirt bike was away.

Unfortunately, he did not pursue for long. In fact, now he's right next to me. Fortunately, this self had arrived at school. If that person dares my mouth will scream very loudly and the whole school will definitely help.

I parked my bike right under the guava tree. Meanwhile, the motorcyclist also stopped and joined the parking right next to my motorcycle. I'm still restless. Who her?