The Left Behind Story

29 ~ Change of Mind

The pensive goddess stared at the night sky from inside her room. Akbar's question this afternoon dawned on him if the time he feared had come. At this school age, Akbar must have analyzed the situation with his small brain until he issued a question that is quite heartbreaking to the Goddess at this time. The success and achievements he achieved were worthless when he had no face to look at the son and answer the simple question posed by the little mouth of the son.

“Your father is on duty to a country so far away that he cannot go home and take you to school like other friends. Not all children have a father who is always around them. This is different from any overseas we have ever lived in. There, children are even escorted by a nanny or directly picked up by the school. While here it's a small town. Your friends' parents work here a lot so they have time to take their kids to school. If in Malaysia, parents are busy working abroad or large companies outside the city so they are not always at home. You understand right? Like Baba Zayed who always comes on holiday. So did your father. Akbar, you are a man. You are strong physically and mentally so trivial things like who drove you to school are not big things. In Korea, children are picked up by school buses and teachers. No parents to drive them. Mama wants you to be so, you are not affected by the question or circumstances that affect you so. Life is not just delivered by whom but you live for yourself so stop thinking about the unimportant, okay?” Akbar nodded obediently.

That's how the Goddess strengthens her son even though it seems cruel but the Goddess does not want her son to be mentally weak just because of a small matter. The Goddess will educate her child like a parent educated abroad. Akbar, who was still a toddler, grew up to be an independent child without bothering his mother.

While Fadil who was curious about the Goddess but could not meet the woman because her status was still a fugitive police. Rena herself has never gone anywhere because her status is a foreigner who has disappeared in Indonesia. Police are still tracking her whereabouts to date. If Rena is found, the police and immigration authorities will immediately deport her to Malaysia and there, she will be detained for her involvement in the rape case of Dewi. Rena chose a difficult life with Fadil in the interior even though she had to make her own living by becoming a farm worker and washing worker.

The day changed months. The life of the Goddess in terms of economy is getting better. The hard-earned money that he had collected began to show results with a house certificate that Dewi had just obtained from a notary. The Goddess has never been in style with the money and achievements she has had so far. His simple appearance made many students amazed and always compared it with new lecturers who posed as senior lecturers even though the title was still under Dewi.

“It is common knowledge that S2 lecturers are more stylish than S3 lecturers even as professors.” Speak to one of the students in the group.

The land and the house on it has been obtained but Dewi has not intended to move from the lecturer housing complex. Living in this complex makes Dewi feel comfortable and calm but if he moves to the community environment it will be difficult for him to adapt because there is Akbar with him.

Today Akbar is entering a new school year in elementary school not far from campus. As usual, he would take the son with his nanny. Akbar grew up to be a very loving and kind boy.

After that Dewi went to campus because today there is a schedule for teaching. While she was teaching, Akbar's nanny contacted her. “Buk, there are guests he said parents Ibuk.”

Degs…

“Alright! I'm home now.”

The goddess apologized for urgent business. He gave some materials and assignments until the end of the course hours. The goddess rushed towards the house, a middle-aged couple standing in front of her house. The goddess could hardly believe what she was seeing right now. After so many years they did not meet now his parents actually came to the house.

The goddess walked slowly towards the terrace, her eyes already glazed over. He grabbed the hands of his mother and father and kissed the backs of the hands of parents he had longed for.

“Please enter, Buk, Dad,”.

The tongue of his parents was mute to look at the princess who had been away never returned.There was anger and disappointment to see the Goddess who chose to forget them.

“Have felt smart and rich so you didn't come home to see us. So this is how you are when you are successful, forgetting the same parents who gave birth and raised you. Everything you've gotten so far comes from nowhere if not from us. You don't recognize letters if we don't send you first. Now when you're rich, you forget about us. Do you want to be a bad boy? Forgetting the old man. Are you afraid we will trouble you for being old and useless?”

“Dad, Mom, come on in! We talk inside.” The goddess gently encouraged her parents to enter. He did not want to be a spectacle of the inhabitants of the complex.

The old Goddess entered and the look on their faces instantly changed. There was no luxury that his parents had meant. Just a sheet of mat even the dining table just doesn't exist. Just a small table to store food. The rest of the house looks so simple. Minimal furniture makes the parents of the Goddess as if slapped by her own words.

“Kak Ayu's. She is the assistant and friend of the Goddess. He who helps the Goddess at home if more work and have to go out of town.”

“Ck, so haughty your words.” The father of the goddess.

“Dad, Mom, I'm sorry but I've decided to achieve my dream and now I'm successful. If you're angry because I didn't come home then I'm sorry but I have my own reasons why I didn't go home. I know, the villagers must know about the bad events that happened to me in Malaysia, right? I didn't want them to look at me with pity as if I was a woman dying from being raped. I'm fine, Dad, Mom.”

“Then go home! Show them you don't deserve pity.” Said Dad firmly.

“I'll be home but not now! One day, I'll definitely be home.”

“When? Wait for us to die and you come home?”

“Dad,”

“Go home! No need to be afraid of that bastard. Police are still hunting him to this day.”

“Dad!” The goddess hugged her father.

“Im sorry Goddess, Father.”

“Come home if you want to be forgiven.” Firmly full of orders.

“Sorry, Father, Mother. I can't go home yet.”

“Why? Give us a clear reason.”

 

 

***