The Malang Widow

Eid

"Assalamu'alaikum?" greet my husband who just came home from his parents' house.

"Walaikumsalam" I greeted him and kissed his hands of reverence.

"Daddy.....!!!" exclaimed Uwais who ran towards us and immediately hugged my husband.

My husband returned the hug and did not forget to give a longing kiss after two nights of not seeing. Not to forget he also carried Umar and pet him for a moment to release his longing for his funny chatter.

Shortly after that we also gathered on the terrace of the house to watch the crowd of night Lebaran at that time. Uwais and Umar looked very cheerful. Every now and then we looked up at the sky watching the strands of fireworks that enliven the atmosphere of the night sky.

I was busy watching my two children, the Uwais who ran around in the yard, Umar was no less boisterous with her stringing movements. My mother was busy in the kitchen preparing the leafan ketupat to eat tomorrow together.

It looks like Deri is sitting relaxed on the terrace playing his game. The smile on his face depicted happiness as if he was chatting with a special person for him.

"Ehem...cieh..cieh...who is again cool chattingan....senyam-smile yourself.." My sentence tried to approach him curious.

"Oh..ini loh...old management...usual again at home want to ask for a gathering..reunian.." he explained to me without showing the contents of the green message.

"Owh. ya have continued." I said as I passed without feeling.

I went back to playing with Uwais and Umar.

Keesokkam the next day, after the benediction ceremony in my extended family was over, we rushed to Deri's parents' house. Although my heart felt troubled and stubborn because it would meet my in-laws, but as much as possible I patis and try to think positionf there will be nothing that makes my heart uncomfortable there later.

A few minutes later, we were there. Looks like both my in-laws and the three Deri sisters have been waiting for our arrival. They greeted us kindly.

Soon we held a condolence ceremony on my two in-laws. There was sobbing on my mother-in-law as she hugged Deri the eldest son. But different from me, his face looks so flat and there is no hue on the look of his face.

Soon I stepped into the car to get something I had prepared for them.

"This mak, there is a little souvenir." I said while thrusting a large white crackle.

"Owh... What is this?" ask mom while opening the bag. The contents of the crackle, some clothes for both my in-laws and Deri's sisters.

"Well, thank you, this is Bunga.." cried one of Deri's youngest sisters to me.

"Wah kog bothers everything Mbak Bunga.." said my father-in-law while taking a cocoa shirt and sarong that is in the plastic bag.

"We mah Lebaran has always never bought the name of a new shirt.this is even a wasteful make...." ketus my mother-in-law who was holding a robe for him and then returned to the bag as if there was no happiness to try it like the others.

I just kept quiet without being able to say. It was as if he was tired of arguing about what he said. I don't know what I do in his eyes is always wrong.

"No matter what mak..ini is only occasionally, it's only natural if it's just lebaran gini shopping, wasteful if every day.." said Deri trying to defend me.

After that my mother took Umar from my sling, and invited him to play into the front room.

"Uwais.yuk look at the rabbit behind the yuk.." invite my father-in-law to Uwais who was staring at Umar playing with his grandmother.

"Look.." Uwais's sentence asserted the father-in-law's invitation.

For a moment it seemed that Umar was fussy because he was tired and was about to take a nap. Mother who still wants to play with him as much as possible tries to distract him so that he does not fuss anymore. But it seems that Umar was very sleepy, because since this morning we were busy taking him around the family to some neighbors in my mother's house earlier.

I slowly took Umar from my mother. Soon I went into the room and suckled her. He soon fell asleep.

"Today.emak again kangen-kangen same grandson, long time did not meet, even just want to sleep.." the phrase mother heard from the front of the room where I was having fun with Umar.

I don't know who he broke that sentence with. But before going to the room earlier I only saw Deri who was there sitting as usual playing the game. While his sisters play to his friends' house.

I try to peek behind the door. True what I found, actually my mother was talking to Deri, just that Deri seemed not to respond to him because he was more cool with his salary.

At that time I didn't want to think much. Then I continued to go back to sleep with Umar and stopped for a moment thinking about my bad taste here.

****

Deris

[Whose leaflet is the same? kasian. How long has your husband not been home?] The content of Deri's message to Lani at the time.

[Alone.... It's been almost 2 years, since I got married, a week later he left] Lani replied.

[Yes..sadly so..padahat still a newlywed.] said Deri again.

[Yes.boro-boro favors the atmosphere of the newlyweds, married me again menstruation, just finished menstruation, my husband was immediately called to leave, we postpone his first night.].

[What??? why could that be? hahahah] reply Deri who looks giggling staring at the screen.

[Yes, when my husband married, he had no contract, and did not expect to be called when we just got married, if rejected later he could lose his job...so inevitably I have to wait a few more months, until later even 2 new years maybe he came home.] reply Lani at length.

He soon fell asleep on the chair where he had been sitting. It seems like meeting a lot of people all day makes him quite tired.

"Abi....kog sleeps in a chair....???" exclaim Uwais who just finished playing rabbit with Mbah Kakungnya approached him.

"Yuk slept in the same room Umi.." invite Uwais tried to drag the hand of Deri who was rubbing his eyes. With a body that staggered due to sleepiness, he walked towards the room where me and Umar were sluggish.

We ended up sleeping in unison and overlapping each other. The size of the bed in the room was very narrow, considering the room space was also very minimal to make us squeeze each other.