The Love of the Duda

TCSD 3: Mom

Drops of water descending from the sky accompanied Mara's footsteps down the path before her. He ran through the rain with tears falling from his lake. His breath was wheezing trying to withstand all the tightness that was so raining. What makes him want to give up, but there is one thing he must fight for, namely his own happiness.

The sound of a night bird that might shiver with coldness was not heard at all, muffled by the torrent of sky water that was increasingly bubbling. And the mood tonight looks so grim. People chose to stay home to start pulling the blankets and immersing their bodies under the covers. Trying to reduce the cold that feels more bone-piercing.

Mara is still so excited down this path. Soon, he arrived at a place that he hoped could be an escape to regain calm when his heart was broken.

"Mothers... Mara's coming...."

The woman's voice was heard softly under the rain. In front of him is seen a gravestone with a tombstone inscribed with Paramitha Andadari.

"Mothers... If Mara's life is going to be like this, when Mom left, why didn't you take Mara?"

Mara laid her body on the tomb of her mother who had left her five years ago. This mother's house has always been Mara's place of escape to avoid everything that makes her mind shaken. Crying over this mound of earth while pouring out what was a burden in his heart.

"Mothers... Mara just wants to come with Mom... Mara wants to feel the peace of being by Mom's side. The world is too cruel for Mara, Mother. Not even Mara can determine Mara's own way of life. It was all because my new wife always forced her will on Mara. And constantly forcing Mara to obey all her will."

The wind that had previously been blowing slowly, suddenly felt a little firmer. Mara who was laying down her body next to the mother's grave by hugging the earth was slightly gasped, when the wind was as if it was just centered near her body.

Head looked up. He saw a shadow of his mother sitting in front of him. Mara rubbed her eyes trying to see the shadow to make it look clearer. "L-Mother....?"

That shadowy figure only reviewed his smile and nodded.

"Mother came to pick Mara up, didn't she? Take Mara away from this place, Mother... Get Mara away from this place!"

Mara cried awkwardly spilling all the burden in her chest. The shadow stretched out its hand and began to caress Mara's head. Although the caress of the shadow's hand was not felt yet it instantly made Mara's already shivering body feel a hint of warmth.

"Mother will never invite you to leave this place Mara... Because Mom's place is different from Mara's place today."

Mara shook her head. "Please ma'am, take Mara away from this place. Mara tired Mom... Mara's tired. Mara is no longer able to pretend to be tough, because Mara really feels fragility in Mara herself. Mara wants to come with me..."

"Mara... Hold on a minute. After this, there will be happiness coming to you. Which will erase any wounds you feel."

Mara shook her head. "Mara no longer even believes that there is happiness for Mara, Mother... Happiness was never good friends with Mara. He's always away from Mara's life."

"Trust me, Mara... Hold on a minute. Later, you will meet your happiness, which will make your days feel much more colorful than today."

"But ...."

"Way Honey... Remember what Mom said, hang on a little bit. In a moment, you will meet your happiness."

The wind blows again. Along with the disappearance of the shadow of a woman named Paramitha Andadari who is none other than the mother of Mara. Mara could only be flabbergasted with slightly gaping lips, when the shadow of the mother could no longer be seen.

Mara linked her gaze towards the mother's tombstone. He brought his face closer to the tombstone and then kissed it tightly.

"Mara believes in Mom... Mara will hold out in a minute. May it be true that happiness will soon approach Mara."

***

A spray of orange color has been seen on the eastern horizon sign that the sun will quickly rise to the throne. Accompanied by the crowing sound of roosters and the great-grandson of sparrows that sounded behind the leaves like a natural tone that sounded so in harmony with the gusts of the baby that flowed softly. The smell of wet soil the rest of the rain last night is still so exciting in the sense of smell that it makes anyone feel freshness in their body.

Mara pushed her father's wheelchair out of the house, towards the front yard. After bathing the father and changing his clothes, as usual he will bring the father to bask in the sun while bribing him.

Carefully, Mara began to feed her father with a bowl of porridge. His heart throbbed pain to see the body of a once burly man now only live bone covered with skin. The last three months the quality of the father's eating has decreased. He only wants to eat once a day. And only in the morning. After that, he would not eat anything.

"Mara's sorry, Dad, because Mara can't bring Dad for treatment yet. Mara's salary at the factory is partly to pay Dad's debts and partly to run out of our daily expenses."

The man who was sitting on the wheelchair could only look at his daughter's face with a pushy look. It is painful to hear the child apologize for a situation that is not at all his responsibility. His eyes were heating up and his chest felt so claustrophobic as if it was squeezed by two huge stones.

Father who should apologize to you Ra. It is my father who has brought your life on the brink of destruction like this. Had Dad not been crazy to gamble and not remarried to Tanti, our lives would not have been like this. And maybe your mother's still alive today.

Mara got up from her squatting position. After a bowl of porridge for the father had been toilet without a trace, it was time to leave for the tempe making factory located in the next village.

"Dad went back into the room. Mara's leaving soon."

The man just nodded slowly. Ever since he was paralyzed by a stroke, the man hasn't spoken much. More likely to use his head to give a signal. Mara pushed her father's wheelchair back into the room. Slowly, he rubbed the middle-aged man's body for him to lay on the bed.

"How to go to the factory first Well. I'll just rest on the bed. At noon, Mara will return to see Dad."

Mara began to set foot out of her father's room. The man could only stare at the departure of the child with a difficult gaze to decipher. However, a drop of clear hair that escaped from his eye patch seemed to be a signal if in the rest of his life at this time, he was in a deep regret.

I'm sorry, Mara. Forgive Dad....

***

"So what answer are you going to give me about our negotiations last night?"

The sudden voice of the middle-aged woman rang out behind Mara's back, making the girl who was just about to take out a bicycle from inside the house stop her activity. He turned his body. The stepmother was already standing there.

"Since when can a threat be called a negotiation? Everything you said last night was not a negotiation but a threat. And only bad women can do that."

With a aiming gaze, Mara still tried to show her power as a woman who could not be suppressed just like that. The girl tried desperately to defend the right she had to live according to what she wanted, and did not want others to organize her life, she said, moreover, only a stepmother who had never given affection for him in the past.

Tanti smiled cynically. "I don't want to hear anything from your mouth, Ra. My time is not much, I just want to hear what your decision is? Are you ready for the perfect life with the Karta master? Or are you ready to see that your father is just a lifeless body, and just a name?"

Mara, the girl who is not even twenty years old is getting cornered. It is banged on a situation that is completely unfavorable to him. But he still thinks about his father's safety. And he did not want the calmness of the father to be disturbed in the slightest.

Mara turned her back and started taking the bike out of the house. "Just do what you want. I'll obey all your will."

Tanti. "Hahahaha good, this is what I want. You being a submissive child will save everything. You prepared. Tomorrow, the Karta master will come to discuss his marriage with you."

Mara ignored the words of her stepmother. Hurry up, he got out of the house and started pedaling his bike. Along with the tears that began to spill from his eyes.

I didn't even have a chance to choose my life. I can only hope that in the last seconds I will marry a Karta master, there will be a miracle that can get me out of this shackle.

While Tanti, she looks smiling winning. In his mind was already imagined a teak land area of three hectares that was so happy.

Hold on a minute, Tanti! Soon you will be a rich man, whose wealth will never run out of seven derivatives. Haahhaa hahaha.

.

.

. connect....