Thread Without End
Chapter 9. Mother's Day and Onde.
Sunday.
After the incident of Alin's money to pay for the onde cake used by Yudi a few days ago, Alin was forced to make his own onde dough made from glutinous flour.
He made the dough and scavenged the glutinous flour into small circles and spread it over a rattan container that had previously been sprinkled with glutinous flour, so that the onde that has been formed is not sticky and does not stick to each other.
And the work he did alone and certainly made Alin become very busy, he forgot to take care of himself, like forgetting to eat breakfast until night before arriving. And forget about Yuan's shipping assignment for tomorrow's mother's day at school.
While Yudi did not know where to play, because since this morning her husband had left with Ah Chin on his motorcycle.
Meanwhile Yuan undoes his intention to approach the mother to show the results of his training and changes to bring food so that the mother fills the stomach first.
"Mama," said Yuan, bringing a plate of rice with a potluck side dish.
"Yes Yuan, what's wrong, honey?" ask Alin without looking.
"It's late, eat first!" yuan patted his mother's shoulder to stop scavenging the onde.
Alin turned his head and was surprised when Yuan brought him a plate of food. "What time is it?" he looked at the wall clock. "Oh my God, it's nine o'clock at night!" surprise then.
Alin put off his work, then turned around. "Thank you dear," he said, welcoming the plate given by Yuan.
"Sama-sama Ma," Yuan replied and sat down beside his mother. While patting the writhing sister, so as to go back to sleep and not disturb his mother who wants to eat.
Alin felt full when capturing the sweet moment, the care and warmth and attention that was supposed to be done by her husband Yudi and not Yuan who was very small and did not understand anything.
The woman finally ate voraciously, with her hands shaking from not eating since this morning, so she felt very hungry. And Alin ate while hiding his face, so that Yuan would not see his grieving self.
Even Alin was seen trying to stem the clear liquid that almost spilled on both of his eye fertilizers.
It is difficult for Alin to swallow rice that already feels dry, without the vegetable sauce that pushes because he did not have time to cook vegetables for himself.
Then suddenly there was a small helping hand again thrusting a glass of drinking water for him.
"Mama nih water, drink first so easy nelennya," said Yuan so care.
Until in the end Alin was no longer strong enough to hold back his tears, he immediately shed all his tears and the circles of tears one by one fell to wet his cheeks.
Alin hugged Yuan tightly. "Sturdy, thank you for caring about Mama ... Sorry Mama can't take care of Yuan properly .." - She was accompanied by sobs of chest-stifling cries.
Yuan rubbed Alin's back with his tiny hands. "Together Ma, Mama don't cry, sturdy Yuan is okay. Now Mama continues to eat it."
Alin nodded and let go of his embrace after feeling well, at least he felt grateful, because of the heavy days he went through every day. There is still Yuan who always give him spirit and continue to remind him to keep fighting through every problem that comes his way.
But Alin also realized something, the poor condition of his family household made the child turn into an adult prematurely.
...----------------...
Next day.
Early in the morning Alin had boiled the onde and also cooked sugar water, then arranged it on the family ash table because today on December 22 is the day onde/Tang Cik.
Alin makes the cake onde as much as possible, simple onde in green, white and also red, which is made from glutinous flour. Then boiled and put into ginger sugar water.
This onde cake is textured chewy and sweet, similar to mochi or wedang round cakes that we often meet in the market.
In addition to onde day for Chinese people, on the same date is also a commemoration of mother's day for mothers throughout the archipelago.
Many children give their mothers gifts such as memorable items or offerings to please their mothers as a token of gratitude for caring for and raising them.
And for those who have lost their mothers, they will give the best prayer for the happiness of the mother there.
Meanwhile Yuan woke up after hearing the sound of cooking utensils so noisy from the direction of the kitchen, he sat on the floor and looked at his mother who was preparing breakfast.
Alin smiled seeing Yuan was awake and immediately fed the onde according to Yuan's current age.
"1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... There's seven onde Mah? Why seven?" asked Yuan while counting the number of small round cakes in the bowl.
"Yes Yuan's age this year is six years and plus one more onde to be seven" Alin replied.
"Why do we eat this onde and why is the onde over one?" yuan asked as he bribed one-by-one onde into his mouth and chewed it.
"This is the belief of the Chinese dear, he said that if we eat onde in accordance with the age and then added one with the hope that next year we can still eat this onde cake again," alin replied as simply as possible for Yuan to understand.
"So if we eat onde, then we will live long?" asked Yuan plainly.
"Yes can be said like that," replied Alin assented.
"What about Marlina? She's not even a year? Does the onden have to be cut into small pieces?" ask Yuan.
"Dede is still small and dede still can not eat onde dear," replied Alin.
"Later kettle, Ma? And what about the toothless grandmothers who are 80 years old? Did that granny also eat 80 onde plus 1? It was an awful lot and this bowl definitely did not fit," Yuan asked back.
"Strong darling, this is just our traditional belief. Better sturdy just spend the onde ya, continue to drink milk. After that, take a bath and we go to school" Alin replied, switching the conversation.
"Oh yeah, Sturdy today there's an event at school. Later Mama watch ya," said Yuan spirit.
"Of course, dear" replied Alin smiling.
After that Yuan spent onde and milk made by his mother, then he rushed to take a bath and was impatient to show the results of his training for several days to the mother on stage.
Where Yuan along with his classmates it will display various performances of art performances at school and one of them is the choir and poetry readings.
.
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Seriate.
