The Black Valley Becomes the Empress
Part 5's
When the time showed at 5 am, I got up from my bed. I lyrics my sister still curled up behind the blanket. The weather has been very cold lately. I slowly walked towards the kitchen. Prepare breakfast for all my family members. I started lighting a fireplace that still uses firewood. At home we already have a gas stove, but to cook rice and water my family still uses firewood.
"Eteh is awake?" ask my sister from behind. I saw him rub his still sleepy eyes.
"Yes, I want to cook rice again. Are you libering today?" my many.
"iya tea. But this afternoon I'm going to the tea place. Want to do the job"
"Oh yeah? What assignment?"
"Tasks of tea english. Make a piece of writing" Silvana was silent for a moment. "Awhile the tea koq, just a second, all the ingredients are ready" he continued.
"Yes, but before that anter eteh first to the city ya"
"Yes tea" he replied as he left the kitchen. Every day we do share the tasks for doing homework. I prepare breakfast in the kitchen and wash clothes, silvana cleans the house while Fadly cleans the yard and draws well water. I have been staying at home for 3 days. My mom gave me 3 days off. And I didn't waste my short holiday not visiting my family. The first day of my two sisters' stay prevented me from working, but I insisted on helping them. Today I want to buy a laptop and a smartphone for my sister, considering that the school in this day and age really needs that thing.
After I finished cooking I went into the bathroom to continue my work washing clothes. I saw the laundry basket in the bathroom was empty, rushed me into the house.
"Ena, please get her dirty clothes" I said.
"In the bathroom there is no tea? Dirty clothes have been put into the basket" replied Silvana chimed in my question.
"Udah was washing tea last night" replied Fadly who had just entered the house. "Eteh will now go home, so ade who has washed all his clothes so that not sauces" I smiled to my youngest brother. "Have you done the cooking tea?" continued again.
"Udah"
After finishing breakfast, I told my father to go with Silvana. The father who had been hit by the receipt just nodded with a smile. Today, Fadly, I'm ordering you to look after the housefather while we're gone. I am not the type of woman who is sneaky when shopping. When all the necessities were bought, I went straight home. All the way home, Silvana didn't stop thanking me. He also promised to learn more. The ideals are very high for us who are only villagers with economic limitations, but I really want to realize his dream. Let me sacrifice myself, so that the dreams of my two sisters can be achieved.
***
I packed all my clothes in my bag. This afternoon I have to go home. Go back to where I should have been.
"Eteh, fine there. Don't eat late, don't think about us" said silvana who approached me in the room. "it doesn't really want eteh to go, but.. hiks.." Tears flowed from the corner of his eye.
"here. Sit here" I said to my sister.
"Eteh will miss you guys. I can't cry" I said. tears were about to come out. I quickly control myself. I don't want my tears to fall in front of my sister.
"Teh, his ojek was waiting in front" said fadly. I then hugged fadly and silvana alternately after that I moved to the father's room.
"What is healthy if what is sick says. Eteh has deposited money to Ena for treatment next Monday. Don't think of any weird weird ones, sir"
"hehh. aaa oainnn ang aikkk uaat eeh aaa..." (What a good doain for eteh) said the father. could not be restrained anymore.Two tears fell from the corner of my eyes. Struk disease suffered by the father had disrupted the nerves in his brain so he had difficulty speaking.
"Eteh said yes sir" I said. I just nodded while trying to smile in the midst of his limitations. I left without turning to my father again. Clear liquid increasingly pouring from my eyelids. There is guilt running from my heart. How can I feed my family the wrong way. But I have no other choice. This is all I can do. I can't get out of here, anyway if I stop now what am I gonna do. I've been broken, even to crave a husband it feels like I can't anymore.
"Teh, ena promise. Ena will be happyin eteh after he has a job. Thank you tea" I can only nod before I finally leave. It was at this time that I began to curse the mother who had given birth to us, but she also left us. I remember those difficult times. When you don't have a job and we have to be quite satisfied with eating boiled cassava every day. At that time I was not even 8 years old, silvana was 3 years old and Fadly was not even 1 year old. We also had to succumb to fadly who still needed milk. Silvana and I helped my neighbor find grass to eat his cattle in exchange for cassava in his garden, while for other side dishes me and silvana were looking for kale, in the rice fields. Father who was still healthy at that time became a porters in the market with income to buy milk fadly was not enough. While I was working, I looked for Fadly's cassava to be left in the neighbor for a while. If you get more money, then we can eat rice. It used to be 12 years ago that rice with fried tofu side dishes was the most luxurious food we ate. Maybe in 1 week only 1 time we can eat rice. The rest of the day we should have been satisfied with eating boiled cassava only. Years later, he started working again. And our lives have started to improve a little bit. Not having to eat cassava every day, but still having to save money for our school fees. But me and Silvana have started to help you make money. I traveled around the village after school to find my neighbors who needed my scrub cleaning services while Silvana and Fadly went around the village selling food they took from neighbors to resell. That's how our lives used to be. And all this, everything we've been through even now when I've fallen into a black world because of that woman. A woman I wouldn't even call my own mother.
