The After I Die

A Brother

As usual, Nukas came to the rice shop habang while holding a bushel in his tiny hands, his face was glowing when he saw Kina grab his hand to drive home, they walked side by side, like brother and sister.

It was not too late in the afternoon, Nukas came early, maybe this boy already knew the laws of the village announced yesterday.

Nukas occasionally jumped from one stone to another, plucked the leaves and scattered them on the path, occasionally giggling, immersed in his own world.

“Hey, want this no?” Kina picked up a red guava on the side of the road, trying to attract Nukas attention.

They pass through roads that are rarely used by villagers, crossing fruit and bamboo gardens, as well as small rivers.

Kina purposely led Nukas to that lonely road.

The boy's eyes sparkled, trying to pick up the tantalizing red guava, but Kina raised her hands high up, until the boy jumped up and down.

Feeling his efforts in vain Nukas stopped jumping, looking at Kina with a pouting face.

“Try saying, I want guambu” said Kina still with her hands raised, she wants to make sure what mursa said the other day is a lie.

Or they never heard Nukas speak?

Kina always watched Nukas who came almost daily to her mother's habang rice stall, the boy never said a word, only nodded, shook his head and laughed, acting like a mute.

Nukas was silent for a moment, glancing right and left, there were only trees and rivers around them.

“Nukas” Kina urges reluctant looking Nukas.

“Nukas wants guava” the boy said quietly, his eyes still looking at the guava glazed over, wanting to cry.

“You are not mute”

Kina crouched down equalizing her height with Nukas, the guava fruit in her hand was struck quickly, the boy went to the river, washed the fruit and ate it cheerfully.

Why did Mursa say she couldn't talk?

“why is Nukas not angry said mute? kan Nukas could talk” The boy ignored him, Kina was sitting next to him, on a rock.

“Nukas, if people ask should be answered”

“Nukas can't” The boy finally said, Kina is getting curious.

“Why can't?”

“Can't, anyway can't”

The guava in his hand had been eaten, Nukas stuck his hand out to the river washing his hands and mouth.

“Who said no?”

Nukas did not answer carrying the bushel that had been placed on the side of the road, Kina snorted, this boy intended to leave him.

“Nukas!” Kina pulled the oversized clothes that Nukas was wearing, looking an elongated scar on her back, without a second thought Kina immediately revealed it.

“What is this!?”

Silent Nuke with teary eyes, will actually cry.

“Nukas tell brother who did this?” Kina screeched, almost crying in horror, the boy's back was filled with longitudinal scar strokes, like the scars of a whip.

who is so cruel to do this?!

The little back was covered with old and new wounds, meaning that Nukas was not only whipped once or twice, perhaps many times as well.

“Who?” Kina looked at Nukas who was already crying without a sound, her face pias, full of tears.

Kina was speechless, doubtful, could she save Nukas? No matter how foreign he was to Nukas, he felt he had no right to interfere in the family affairs of others, perhaps this was a form of discipline on Nukas.

“Is he the same person? Who forbids Nukas from speaking?” Switching off the topic, he touched the wound on Nukas backside

Nukas screamed suddenly, feeling sick, Kina not only touched but also pressed him, she wanted to run away but Kina caught and embraced him tightly.

“Who? Miss Mursa? Mursa sir? Mama?” Kina did not give up, asked in a pushy tone, here there were only the two of them, Kina would not hesitate, the rebellious boy was crying innocently while shaking his head.

If not who are they?

Grandma Niba?

Kina from the beginning felt that there was something strange about the old grandmother who could not die.

“Grandmother?”

But how is it possible, this is a crazy question, where might the dying old granny whip Nukas?

What if it was the other way around? The old grandmother wasn't really dying

Fortunately Nukas shook his head, making various speculations Kina yawned just like that, Kina regained her senses as her hand touched the warm, red liquid on the boy's back.

The wound's open

“I'm sorry Kina” can no longer endure her sadness, she sobbed while tightly embracing Nukas, they wept for a moment until Kina stood up and took the leaf by the river and pounded it with a stone, without saying, sticking the leaf on Nukas' back.

“Let's brother take home” He said gently after seeing Nukas who began to calm down and his wounds stopped bleeding. They walked hand in hand not talking to each other, busy with their own thoughts.

What weight did Nukas bear?

Kina knew nothing about Nukas other than that he was the son of Pak Mursa's second wife, nor did she know what his mother Nukas looked like.

It shouldn't be just Kina who knew of the scar, a few days ago this boy passed out in front of his house, his parents brought Nukas to Ni Lewun.

They know, but why are they silent? Miss Mursa who accompanied Nukas to the stall must also know this.

Wh who? Who is so cruel to do this?

Kina thought hard until they reached Grandma Niba's courtyard, Nukas was speechless and not looking at her, the boy immediately took the key in the pot, entered and closed the door quickly.

Kina clucked, maybe the boy was still angry, he intended to turn back home, but stopped when he heard the sound of broken items inside.

Was Nukas beaten again?

Hesitating Kina approached the door, pressed her ears, nothing was heard, she turned the doorknob, unlocked. Slowly Kina opened the door, holding her breath she entered on tiptoes

slow down. He did not find anything strange until his feet stopped at the kitchen door. There Nukas sat down, collecting the fragments of the plate in front of him, Kina heaved a sigh of relief, it was not as bad as she thought, the boy must have accidentally dropped her.

“Already?”

A hoarse voice rang out, Kina saw Nukas looking up with a smile, the boy moved towards the trash can, Kina hiding behind the closet.

“Let's sleep” Said that hoarse voice again, Kina guessed it was the voice of Nukas mother.

Wait, why is he hiding? He had to talk to the woman about the wound on Nukas' back.

Nukas' laughter rang out, Kina was about to come out from behind the closet but stopped when she heard Nukas making a cheerful voice.

“Come, Granny”