When Potatoes Fall in Love

3

The afternoon sky that looked like a rainbow made Nadin continue to look up. The colorful light spray always managed to steal his attention, to make him still fixated for a while. However, before the sky grew darker, he immediately plucked a few red, yellow, white, and orange rose stalks in his garden. When he finished, he ran into the house to put each of the flowers in a vase in the living room, kitchen, room, and mother's room. The activity was a routine activity carried out by Nadin, he always replaced the flowers he had picked after an interval of three days.

Tok…

“Naak, mom home.” Call Damara who's been two minutes standing on the porch door.

“Waiting sebentaaaar.” Nadin just came out of the bathroom. He hurried to the living room to open the door without wiping his feet first. As a result, he slipped and…

Bugh…

“Huaaaaaa.” Nadin's cry broke when he fell and felt pain when his chin clashed with the side of the table in the living room.

“Nadin ?! Why you, son ?” Damara asked who was worried to hear Nadin suddenly cry. He tried to see his son from behind a window that was closed by a curtain. However, his efforts were in vain because the curtains in his living room were made of fairly thick materials.

Chequek…

Damara went inside the house as soon as she heard the door open.

“Gosh. Why you, son ?” Damara asked who was surprised when he saw Nadin's lips bleed and about the white clothes he was wearing at the time.

“Huaaaaa.. Nadin falls continuously spelled (table). Huaaa...” Replied Nadin who could not close his injured lips.

“Yeah, let's treat your wounds first, son.” Sahut Damara then took Nadin to the room they used to watch TV.

Damara helped Nadin to take off his clothes slowly as they sat down on the sofa. Nadin grimaced in pain as his mother cleaned the blood on his lips.

“Why can Nadin fall ?" Damara asked as she applied the medicine on Nadin's lips.

"So Nadin ran out of the bathroom, Nadin's leg trousers were also still wet when running. That's why Nadin fell." Nadin looked at his mother.

"Ooh, next time you're done in the bathroom, wipe your feet, son. Do not let events like this happen again.” Said Damara who continued to apply the medicine on Nadin's lips. Meanwhile, Nadin only nodded his mother's words.

Cip.. cip…

Kukkuruyuuukkk…

Nadin was forced to open his eyes that were still sleepy when he heard the sound of a chicken that he kept behind the house. Actually, he was used to hearing the sound of sparrows chirping in the morning. However, he never got used to the sound of his cock.

“If I don't need your e’eh for my flower fertilizer. I've been asking mom to sell you guys.” Nadin grumbled in his heart while giving his chickens a meal using bran mixed with rice.

“Loh, Nadin.” Call Damara in surprise when he sees Nadin who at six o'clock is up and feeding their chickens.

“Yes, Bu.” Sahut Nadin turned his head only for a moment and continued his busy life.

“Last night he said he wanted to wake up at seven. But, why is it now awake ?” Tanya Damara approached Nadin who had finished giving the chickens a meal.

“They're very noisy, maybe they're hungry. Hence Nadin kasi eat.” Nadin answered and cleaned his hands on a tap not far from his chicken coop.

“Haha, when mom was just about to feed them. Thankfully, I was helped because of Nadin. Thanks yes, Nak.” Damara stroked Nadin's head gently.

“Yes, Bu.” Nadin smiled as he looked at his mother.

“Eeh ? Hahahaha, Nadin my son. Let's go inside and take a shower. After that, we just had breakfast.” Damara said after seeing Nadin who had not even cleaned the dirt in his eyes.

Nadin looked at his face fixed in the mirror attached to his bathroom. He then nodded his head after estimating why his mother had laughed.

“Mom laughs at the dirt in my eyes or laughs at my jontor lips?” Nadin asked in his heart while watching his bruised and swollen lips. He slowly undressed her so as not to touch her lips. After five minutes of stirring up the water in the bathtub to decide whether to take a bath or not, he ended up flushing his entire body with water. It is often done when he feels the water he will use to shower feels cold in the morning.

“Uuuuuh,, it was cold.” Lirih Nadin shivered while looking at his mother who was preparing breakfast.

Seeing Nadin who had been sitting sweetly at the dining table after finishing his bath, Damara immediately poured warm water from the flask and took a small towel.

“Here mom compress your lips first, son. So that it doesn't swell anymore.” Damara sat in front of Nadin. He felt sad when he saw his son's chin bruised due to colliding with the living room table.

“His lips must have been bitten when his chin hit with the table, so it could be hurt like this.” Damara thought that slowly compressing Nadin's lips.

Nadin just kept quiet and kept staring at his mother's face. He was always surprised to see his mother who had narrow eyes, thin lips, a nose that was not too sharp, an oval face, and mature brown skin. Unlike her who has round eyes and face, a slightly pointed nose, yellow skin, and slightly thick lips at the bottom.

“Mother, why don't we both look alike ? Because of that, people often say that Nadin like not a mother's child.” Nadin was still watching his mother's face.

Damara's hand stopped in shock at Nadin's words. He put down the towel he was holding while taking a deep breath and turned his brain to think of the most appropriate answer for his son.

“Darling, you don't look like mom because you take more of your dad's face. That's why people say you're not a mother's son. But, even so, you are still a mother's child. You believe in mom, don't you, son ?” Damara asked after explaining to Nadin.

“Iya, Nadin trust.” Nadin smiled.

“Smart child. I love you so much.” Damara put her forehead on Nadin's forehead. Both of his hands held Nadin's shoulders. His heart ached when he realized that he really did not look like Nadin.

After finishing breakfast, Nadin with his mother went to the stall. When entering the parking lot, Damara saw Mina was sweeping the stall. He also saw other employees were wiping the table and tidying up the chairs because soon the stalls will be opened. Nadin who had hugged his mother tightly when he was ridden with a motorbike finally came down because they had reached the stall.

“Yes, aunt Mina. But, Lala where is ?” Nadin asked while circulating his gaze looking for his close friend.

“Lala not coming. If he knew Nadin was coming today, he would definitely come.” Mina answered and walked with Damara.

“Why today Nadin uses mask.” Tanya Mina who had never seen Nadin wear that thing.

“His lips hurt. I don't want his wound to get dusted so I put on a mask.” Timpal Damara then put his bag on the cashier's desk.

“Jeez, when two weeks ago his leg was injured. Now he's injured again.” Mina was surprised.

“Yeah, that's why I brought her here, so I can watch her well. I don't want him to get hurt again. Now also in the rainy season, I can not bear to leave him alone at home.” Damara said while looking at Nadin who was sitting near the cashier table while eating boiled potatoes that he brought from home.

Nadin's wiggly fingers were seen dancing at the cashier's desk when the sound of music playing from the field where the festival was held was heard until his mother's increasingly crowded stall before nightfall. The festival is held every year to celebrate the establishment of Semilir Village, the village where Nadin lives today. Residents who come from Bamboo Village, which is a village next to Semilir Village are also many who come to see the festival held during the week. Various competitions are held to enliven the event. In addition, playgrounds are also prepared to attract the interest of visitors. This festival is highly anticipated by the employees who work at Nadin's mother's shop. Because, the stalls where they spell are currently open until ten pm, different from the usual day that is open until seven pm. That way, the salary they receive in the month of the festival is also more and more.

“Hoaaammm... Adududududuh.” Ringis Nadin felt pain as her injured lips widened while yawning. He blinked his eyes several times and realized that he had fallen asleep.

“Udah eleven hours yes.” Lirih Nadin when his eyes were fixed on the wall clock in the cashier's room. Because he heard the stall was no longer crowded, Nadin moved from the sofa where he fell asleep and went out to find his mother.

“Ibuuu..” Call Nadin as he walks toward his mother who is sitting at the customer's desk while calculating income that night.

“Iya, darling. Here's the same mom.” Damara turned her head towards Nadin who was walking while rubbing his eyes.

“Loh, it's raining again huh, Mom ?” Asked Nadin who no longer felt sleepy because he heard the sound of heavy rain.

“Iya, Son. We'll go home after the rain subsides.” Damara replied continuing her activities.

Nadin then walked towards the door of his stall that had been closed but not yet locked. At this time he no longer heard the sound of music, which there was only the sound of rain with horns and a vehicle engine that was still passing in front of his stall. He poked his head from behind the door. Instantly cold air and rain water immediately invaded his face. Suddenly, his round eyes instantly opened wide when he discovered a boy who looked the same age as him was standing in front of his stall. Without a second thought Nadin immediately approached the boy.

“Hey, why are you alone here ?” Nadin asked while shouting because of the large sound of rain that night.

“I'm waiting for my parents.” The boy replied shouting as well.

Nadin saw that the clothes of the boy had begun to get wet due to rain water.

“What's your name ?” Asked Nadin who tried to cover his head with his tiny hands so that the rain did not hit his head.

“My name is Aidan.” Answer the boy named Aidan.

“Let's wait for them inside. You can get cold here.” Take Nadin.

“I'll wait for them here. Soon they will find me.” Aidan without looking disturbed by his clothes that began to get wet.

“Find you ?!” Nadin asked in surprise and then remained silent to digest the words of the child standing in front of him.

“Jeez, so you're a lost child, a lost child, or a discarded child ?” Asked Nadin with his innocent face. He asked that because he suddenly remembered the story of some children who experienced all three things in the soap opera he watched.

Instantly, Aidan gawked at Nadin's question.

“I'm not the three, I'm only separated from my parents.” Aidan replied looking a little upset at Nadin's question.

“Ya already, it's up to you what child. Now, let's go in. You can get cold here. My mom has a phone, you can call your parents with it.” Nadin started to get cold.

“No need.” Typhoon Aidan. He had remembered his parents' message so as not to be persuaded by anyone to go with anyone while in a foreign place.

“Come in, it's okay.” Take Nadin and draw Aidan's hand. Meanwhile, Aidan rebels do not want to be invited in.

“Nadin, my son !!!” Strangled Damara when he did not see his son around him. He immediately came out of the stall and found Nadin pulling the boys into their stall.

“Nadin, who is this boy, son ?” Ask Damara wonder. He tried to regulate his breathing because his heart was still racing after the incident.

“Name is Aidan, Mom. Nadin found her outside and invited her in. He said he was separated from his parents. Can you lend him a phone to contact his parents ?” Nadin looked at his mother.

“Of course, Nak.” Damara Sahut.

“Nak, don't be afraid. Tente is not a kidnapper or a bad person. Aunt is the owner of this shop. Let's go in first. Aunty will lend you hp.” Persuade Damara while crouched down to look at Aidan who started shivering.

Damara then hurriedly bought clothes for Nadin and Aidan at the small shop in front of his stall. After changing clothes, Aidan called his parents.

How surprised Damara, Nadin, and Aidan when Aidan's mother who was speaking at that time told them that the bridge connecting Semilir Village with Bamboo Village was cut off due to flooding. While Aidan's parents are currently in Bamboo Village. Previously, Aidan and his parents were separated in the crowd and they thought Aidan was looking for them in Bamboo Village. They did not find Aidan there.

Damara eventually volunteered to look after Aidan, considering that Aidan had no family in Semilir Village. He also did that because he could not bear to see the two parents of Aidan who was very worried. So, for a while, Aidan would stay with him until the makeshift bridge to connect the two villages was completed.

“So I'll stay with this kid huh.” Nadin muttered inwardly as he nodded his head looking at Aidan.

Not long after, Damara came out of the kitchen with three glasses of warm drinks along with Nadin's favorite pastries.

“Kids, drink this first so you don't get cold.” Damara then sat down with Nadin and Aidan to wait for the rain to subside.