The Horizon Boundaries

Ch.61 Past Maisa Part 2

A car entered the city of Yogjakarta, along the beautiful scenery presented. The streets are not as crowded as the city of Jakarta. The car drove its passengers to a village.

Cold air began to pierce the skin. Along the right left of the road stretches a vast verdant rice field. What a refreshing sight to the eye considering his fatigue in urban areas.

The car entered the beautiful and well-maintained yard of the house. A middle-aged man immediately got out of the car followed by a little girl and a boy.

The birds were joking with their friends. The sun is shining softly. The wind blows. A group of children were running with kites.

A fifty-year-old woman, her hair was grayed from the house to meet their arrival.

“Wah, my grandson from Jakarta came anyway? Kio and Maisa are big now,” he said with a thick Javanese accent.

Her face looks happy to see her two grandchildren. Unable to hide his kangen taste, Grandma immediately hugged the little girl and boy. Grandma rubbed her second hair lovingly.

“Sure dong, Grandma. I'm 8 years old." Kio smiled slightly.

“Well, if Maisa?”

“Maisa five years, Nek.”

Grandma took them into the house. Inside was waiting for a man whose age was not much different from grandmother. The atmosphere in the house that seems ancient. The red brick wall feels warm and comfortable. Some paintings, wall hangings and antiques on display there add a special impression of the house.

Maisa sits next to her grandmother occasionally stealing glances at her father and Kio in front of her. Kio threw out his face. Grandpa sipped his coffee.

“There are important things to talk about, sir,” said Mr. Chandra breaking the silence.

Grandpa chuckled softly. “This you, if there is a problem just came here. What's the problem?”

The atmosphere feels heavy. Grandma felt that Kio and Maisa did not need to listen to her. He asked them both to play in the yard. With a heavy heart both headed for the front page.

Arriving outside, Kio's face looked sour. He goes away from Maisa and joins the children playing kites. Maisa rolled her eyeballs looking around the grounds.

A small white-haired cat flashed by. His round eyes were blue, his left ear was black. The cat looked at her with its face looking adorable.

Maisa approached her wanting to touch her soft fur. The cat meowed, rubbing his body at Maisa's feet. His snoring voice was quite loud. Maisa smiled stroking her head. The little girl faintly overheard the conversation of her grandfather and father from the side of the house. The two seemed to be arguing over something.

“I want to leave Maisa here, Sir!” mr. Chandra said starting the subject.

“What reason? Is it because Arini died? It was an accident that could not be avoided. Stop blaming Maisa. He's just a kid,” said the grandfather in a heavy voice.

“My heart still can't accept Arini's death, sir! The child is the cause. My heart still feels heavy to accept the child. For a while I want to leave it here until I can take it back.”

“Until when are you going to behave like this to Maisa? The boy is too small. Still need the love of his parents. If you keep this up, Arini will be disappointed in you, Chandra." Grandma replied to Mr. Chandra.

Maisa who heard the conversation froze. His face was grimacing with sadness. The little girl started crying. His chest felt like there was an ice needle piercing. It's all his fault.

If he could, he would like to turn the clock in his mother's place. His father doesn't want him anymore, he hates him. The cat he hugged meowed as if he was sad.

“Maisa, papa wants you to stay here for a while." Mr. Chandra said the plan was full of emphasis.

Maisa's heart was racing. What was not expected to happen also. He must face a reality that is not on his side. The little girl hugged the cat tightly.

“Iya, Pa. But Papa must promise to pick up Maisa when it's time,” said shriek.

Maisa tried to smile at Chandra. His Grandpa and Grandma looked at him pity. His heart was filled, should not be such a small child to be tough and look mature from his age.

Children his age still enjoy a happy time with his parents. It is different with Maisa. The circumstances that forced him to behave like that. Maisa then chases after the cat that ran to the back of the house. He managed to catch her. Her tears came down unnoticed.

“Why are you crying?” ask a boy who happened to pass by.

The boy held the basketball in his right hand. He was not alone, there was one friend who took notice of him. Maisa releases the cat she hugs. The cat approached the boy and snored at his feet. The boy squatted stroking it. Maisa wiped her tears.

“I'm not crying. My eyes are just a dusting,” he said lying.

The two boys looked at each other. The little girl could not lie. The boy who spoke to him let out a long sigh and walked up to him.

"You want to play with us? Oh, my name is Jain and this is Evan." Jain introduced the friend who was standing next to him.

"I'm Maisa. I can join, but I'm a girl" said Maisa lirih.

What happened to the girls. Jain doesn't care much. He just doesn't like it when a child cries. Jain nodded, he scratched his non-itchy head. Evan doesn't mind.

Maisa's face turned bright, her eyes shining with pleasure. He ran after the two boys playing basketball. There is an advice, do not carelessly follow strangers. For this time Maisa did not heed it, they were just boys who had just become acquainted and made friends. There's no harm, right.

...****...

Yogjakarta has many amazing tours. But the beauty was unable to please Maisa. At least Jain and Evan comforted her a little. Invite him to walk down the rice fields, play on the river, occasionally play basketball even though he can only dribble the ball. Even if it was only for a moment, he could forget his sadness.

The unwanted moment arrives. Today his father and Kio will return to Jakarta. Maisa tries not to cry when dealing with her father.

“Papa…. Don't forget to pick up Maisa, yes!” maisa said as Chandra packed.

Mr. Chandra just kept quiet and kept packing. Kio looked at Maisa cynically as if saying if we remember you later. The car his father and Kio were driving in disappeared in the corner.

Maisa stared at their departure with teary eyes. Maisa doesn't know when her father will come back for her. Maybe next week or next month or next year or maybe a few years later.

Little Maisa tried hard to face him. Grandma was moved to look at him and touch his shoulder. Maisa slid into her grandmother's arms and began to cry. Grandma rubbed her head gently trying to comfort her. He gave advice to never despair.

"Papa, Maisa will wait here until Papa picks me up."

Maisa looked at the twilight sky. The horizon loomed with its firmness. Ready to hit what's in it. No one knows what will happen next. Only people who have desires and dreams can achieve them. Reaching a dream behind the horizon of life. The point of Maisa's struggle began.