The Most Beautiful Miss

The City of My Birth (Part 3)

"The story of Jud... And I don't want to talk about it now.. Next time we discuss.." I tried to answer the curiosity of Yudi's face.

"Yes bang Adhit.. Sorry.." Yudi drove back to his car.

I smiled at Qeisha, and she returned my smile while blinking her eyes.

An hour and a half away, we finally reached my hometown, Bukit Tinggi.

I asked Yudi to stop by the village where I grew up. At first Qeisha objected a little, the reason being that she was afraid that my mind and psychic state were disturbed by the bitter memories of childhood there. While Qeisha understood my mental state the most in recent years. But I kept trying to convince Qeisha that I would be able to handle everything and I promised to control my emotions. With a long debate, Qeisha finally relented.

I was like going back in time, when I was a little boy in a red-and-white uniform who went home from school every time I had to go down all the little streets to sell my merchandise. This village has not changed much, starting from the school building where I used to study, from the puskesmas at the end of the road, there is a river where we always fish first, he said, but some of the house buildings began to seem more contemporary. Because I can't find a house on stilts like I used to, and this street is covered with solid asphalt. I think that's all that's changed. The air is still fresh and so thick with the green view of the left-right side of the road.

I stepped down from the car, followed by Yudi, Qeisha, and Niko.

"Are you all right?" qeisha asked when she saw me breathing a few times.

"I'm fine." I keep following the little road, which the car can't get through.

"Huuffhhhh.." I took a deep breath and threw it away violently.

Qeisha and Niko followed in my footsteps. I fell silent right in front of a building that looked old and started to decay.

"This is where. "I pointed at the building with my right hand.

"This is your childhood home?" ask Niko.

"Haaahhh." I took a deep breath.

"House is still beautiful.. It's a pity to be left weathered gini." said Qeisha amazed to see a thick building with typical Minang Traditional House.

"It is in this house that we shed laughter and tears.. It is in this house that sweet and bitter memories are stored with my family.."

I walk closer.

"Well, under the stairs this is where I hide every time my mom scolds me.. When I was a kid I was so wayward and chatty." I told her while imagining all those memories.

Niko and Qeisha fell silent hearing the sentence after sentence that I assembled into a story. All this time they had only heard from my mouth about my home, about my village, and today they could see visually what they had only been able to imagine.

"Well. right there. "I pointed to the side of the old house. And their eyes immediately turned to look at the subject I was pointing at. There was a bush and stood some banana tree trunks and some clumps of pandan leaves that looked fresh and deep green.

"The position is on the stem of the fruitful banana.. There used to be a pile of sand and bricks.. It was there that my mother beat me for the first time, and right in the position of the pandan leaves, I once cried bitterly because I was holding my hunger.. My mom was panicking and feeling emotional.. While I kept crying and whining for food.." I wiped away the tears that started falling on my cheeks.

I walked closer to the subject I was pointing at.

"But bang Khalif call papa.papa.papa.. It was mama... Mama made papa go away.." I tried to imitate the Khalif bang.

I was sitting on a big rock next to a banana tree. Qeisha held my shoulder and squeezed it. I turned towards Qeisha and I saw tears flowing down her cheeks.

"And on this rock.." My body shook off my tears that I was trying to hold.

"On this rock we both cried when mama shouted from inside the house." I continued while wiping tears with sleeves.

"You hungry? Really hungry? And you blame me? You guys want your papa home? If yes.. Eat the sand your father left behind!!!!" I imitated the sentence that my mother had uttered first.

There was a sound from Qeisha and Niko. He came up to me and held my shoulder.

"And in that kitchen." I again pointed to the small cottage building behind the house, clearly visible from the position we were standing in now.

Qeisha immediately hugged my body firmly. He kissed my head gently and he was as much stronger as we were.

"Udah darling.. Keep all those memories together..." Qeisha kept hugging me.

"But mom is still the greatest woman to me.. After you saw us cooking sand, you cried and apologized..."

"I am proud to be born from my mother's womb... I am proud to be his son... I'm proud to have felt his affection..."

"I'm proud to know you, too..." Niko stroked my shoulder.

After the state of the heart began to calm down, I took Qeisha and Niko around the house from front to back. Then I showed you the river where I always fish and swim. After being satisfied around the village, I invited them to stop by Yudi's house. Yudi had gone to his house. It turned out that she had her brother cook fried food and make us coffee and tea.

"This is Adhit.. It's different than it used to be... Ayoo came in.." . Say hello to a woman whose face is no stranger to me. Well, she's Yudi's sister, her name is Ratna's sister. He used to help me with schoolwork.

I smiled and went into the house. Then he greeted her politely. Continue walking towards the small bed in front of the television. My cry instantly broke as soon as it was beside her. I kissed and kissed her hand.

"Haji's grandmother." I hugged her and kissed her forehead. I used to call the Hajj buk with the call 'grandmother'. Because I didn't get any affection from my grandmother in the past, so Haji's book asked me to think of her as a grandmother.

"Iko ama? Grandma ndak ingek do.. Grandma is gaek.. Alah palupo.." she said softly. (Who is this? Grandma can't remember, grandma is old, it's easy to forget).

"Iko Adhit Grandpa.. Lai ingek granny?" . (It's Adhit nek, do you remember?)

"Adhit mano?" . (Which ashit?)

"Adhit granddaughter of grandmother... Adhit the suko nangih - nangih nek.. Adhit the suko cabuik grey granny... Adhit who also goreang kaliliang nek.." . (Adhit granddaughter of grandmother. Adhit who likes to cry grizzly.. Adhit who likes to unplug gray granny, Adhit who sells fry around). I tried to remind Grandma.

Then Nek Haji cried and hugged me.

"Ondeh Adhit.. Alah gadang Adhit yo... Alah dashing.. Baa ndak bacaliak grandma salamo iko?". (This is Adhit... It's big yes.. It's handsome.. Why haven't you seen Grandma all this time?).

"Sorry grandma..."

"Caliph mano Khalif? ang lai's mom healthy? how about ikuik?" (Which caliph? Your mama is supposed? why not come?).

"Mama is dead, Grandma... Brother too... Papa too.." I started as much as I wanted.

"Innallilahp.. Astarghfirullahazim apos... Bilo's? Deck apo?" (Innallahi.. Astaghfirullahalazim. when? karna what?).

I bowed and sat down in front of my grandmother. I was so excited and my body was shaking so much from crying.

"Should I open up the story of my family's death." I seemed to be fighting with my own mind.

Qeisha ran towards me and directly stroked my back gently. It seems that Qeisha is worried about my current mental and mental state. Qeisha is the one who understands my condition the most. Maybe because she spent a few years serving as my nurse.

"You're strong." whispered softly.

"You're strong..."

"You are strong." many times he repeated the sentence.

"You can fight it all." whispered again.

****