The Substitute

The last room

Nights...

"Yank.. I want to pick up my mom at the airport, yes." said Ozan after the important business was finished. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom.

"Now?" ask Ameera.

"Yes, I'm afraid of my mom getting there first. Mama's nagging later if you're late for her."

Ozan then goes into the bathroom and cleans up and changes his clothes.

"I'm coming, Mas.." Pinta Ameera.

Ozan glanced at the clock that was showing at 01.15 in the morning. "You want me in your gorok, if you take you out of the house in the middle of the night? You just sleep...!"

Ameera pursed her lips, annoyed at not being allowed to come along. He was eager to welcome his father-in-law.

"Don't do it, yank. Like flying fish know..."

"Will fly... What other fish is that?" ask Ameera confused.

"Kumenangiissss imagine...!! you know, that chanel has that song? Which you often watch, in addition to horror movies." said Ozan while wearing a jacket.

Ameera thought for a moment, indeed this one woman was very slow in thinking. Especially if Ozan uses language that means ambiguous. He would be confused half dead.

"Bad you, Mas. You want to say I look like an ind***ar fish?" Ameera protested and pelted Ozan with a pillow.

"Hahah, that's why don't be a manyun."

Ozan then approached Ameera who was sitting next to him in bed and wearing only a blanket.

"I go first, yes.you wear clothes, you catch a cold." said Ozan while peeping Ameera's forehead.

"You're coming along." Ameera's face was very pleading.

"No, yank! It's cold outside. I'll keep you asleep, keep me going."

"Yes already... "

"Wear the shirt first...!" Ozan took Ameera's nightgown on the floor and put it on.

After waiting for a while, Ameera did not go to sleep, she just turned her body restlessly because of difficulty finding a comfortable position to sleep due to her growing stomach.

"I can't sleep, Mom..."

"I'm bacain Al-Mulk for you, huh...?"

"Yes..."

"Tabarakallazi biyadihil-mulku wa huwa 'ala kulli syai'ing qadir..."

Ozan chanted the verse until it was finished. His voice that sounded very melodious it managed to make Ameera fall asleep. After that, he moved from the room to the front yard.

There was Bima, the driver who had been sitting sweetly in the car, waiting since. Ozan came in and immediately took the position next to him.

"Depart, Bim.." Ozan told Bima. They're leaving for the airport soon.

***

It had been almost an hour Ozan waited in front of the arrival path, but the mother never showed up. He sat in a long chair playing with his cell phone.

And before long, there was the voice of a woman who sounded very soft.

"Assalamu alaikum, cocugum." Zarima's voice said his greetings.

"Greetings, Mama...!" Ozan. He immediately stood up and hugged the mother who had missed him so much.

"Salim first, it's good to just hug..."

"Sorry, Mah." Ozan then kissed the middle-aged woman's back hand and hugged her back to relieve her longing.

"You alone?"

"Just like Bima, Mah. Ameera wanted to come. But I'm forbidden."

Ozan then set his sights on some of the airport officials who helped Zarima carry his luggage. He clucked, astonished at Zarima's many belongings.

"This is all my mom's luggage?" asked Ozan in surprise.

"Yes, this is for Ameera and Mama's granddaughter. I'm yuk, go home. can't wait to see your mother's favorite ghost."

They immediately headed to the front lobby where the car was. Even Zarima's luggage filled the trunk of the car.

"Zan, how's Rangga doing now?" ask Zarima on the way home.

"There has been no development, Mah. still can not say anything..."

There was a gurat of sadness on Zarima's face thinking about Rangga. "The boy's love, he again had to swallow the consequences of his evil father's vengeance."

"Now he's desperate, Mah. Just like I used to be. When I'm paralyzed, I'm frustrated too."

"But you're often nengokin, right?" ask Zarima.

"Yes, Mah. let alone Ameera, almost every day go to Rangga's house. He feels the most guilty."

"Ameera and Rangga... They are both the ones who suffer the most because of their actions" said Zarima slowly,

He almost cried when he said it. For some reason since hearing the news about Rangga, his heart was like sliced. Just like he felt when Ozan experienced it first.

Mama is right, Ameera and Rangga must also separate because of the past grudges.

And the journey to the house became faster than usual because the night road was quite quiet.

Zarima entered his house with a glowing face. He left that house almost a year ago. He noticed every part of the house whose position was still the same as when it was left.

Ozan and Bima put Zarima's luggage into his room.

"Zan... Which room key is on the other end? Mama's going to that room..."

"What do you want to go to that room for...?" asked Ozan while scratching his head.

"Here you go, get it, quick!"

"But, Mah. Papa said we can't go into that room."

"You know, Ozan... You also secretly go into that room, right?"

Ozan was silent, how the mother knew, and he went in after confirming that all the inhabitants of the house were asleep.

"The key is in the closet where the spare key is."

"Mama's there, yeah, maybe mama's sleeping there tonight. You go upstairs just accompany Ameera."

"Mom sure you want to go to that room?" ask Ozan.

"Mama's okay, Zan.." replied Zarima gently.

"Yes, I'm upstairs, yeah... If you need anything, you just call me."

Zarima then went to the place Ozan meant to take the key to a room located at the end of it. Zarima went into a room full of memories. I don't know why lately he misses the owner of the room so much.

Although the room was uninhabited, it was very clean and tidy because the waiter always cleaned it.

He took a picture on the table. And begin to remember everything in the past.

"I'm sorry mommy, son.mama doesn't take good care of you" she said, wiping a picture of a boy about 1 year old.

People say a mother's love is deeper than the ocean. The same is true of Zarima, who spent his entire life harboring a sea of affection for his son who had left him.

The pain she had been feeling, she covered it up so well by being a perfect mother to her one other child.

In the room Zarima cried so much that he fell asleep hugging a photo.

****

**To be Continue