Widow Kepentok Duda

Strike Car

Farzan still lives in the apartment, though Grisel keeps calling and texting him home. However, the quarrel that occurred between her and Grisel, made her choose to ignore the woman's request. He was just tired of facing Grisel, taking his own time for inner calm.

That morning Farzan was driving down the street, until his gaze was fixed on the car that stopped by the side of the road with the hood of the car open, seen a woman standing slightly bent in front of the car.

“What car broke down?” Farzan pulled the car over to see if she needed help.

Farzan got out of the car and approached the woman's car.

“Do you need help?” ask Farzan politely.

The woman turned her head and saw Farzan was already behind her.

“You?” The woman was Sandra, quite surprised when she saw Farzan there. He remembered who the man was asking him.

Farzan frowned, trying to remember that Sandra was the woman he helped that night.

“Oh, you.” The man just woke up. “What car broke down?” tanya Farzan later.

“Iya, whereas it was from home alright,” answered Sandra while pointing to the car engine.

“Try me to help check,” said Farzan.

“Oh, thank you,” reply Sandra then slightly backwards to give space for Farzan to be able to look into the machine.

Farzan noticed Sandra's car engine, then tried to check what obstacles until the car broke down. Sandra herself continued to pay attention to Farzan who was checking the car engine, hoping it could be repaired because he had to work and take Chila to a special school to study.

“How?” ask Sandra.

Farzan kept his hands away from the car, then took a handkerchief and wiped the palms slightly dirty.

“It seems like there is a problem on the inside of the machine, it is better to call a crane and take it to the workshop to ascertain the cause,” Farzan replied while wiping the palm of the hand.

“Oh, so. Well, thanks for helping me check. I will contact my subscription workshop first,” Sandra said later.

The woman opened the car door and picked up the phone, about to call her garage subscription.

Farzan closed the hood of the car, and then saw Chila—daughter Sandra who had special needs, sitting in the passenger seat beside the steering wheel. He looked at the ten-year-old girl, while Chila glanced at Farzan before turning to Sandra who was talking to the workshop from a phone call.

“Derek workshop will come take, thank you in advance for helping to check the state of my car,” said Sandra again.

Farzan was surprised to hear Sandra's words because he had noticed Chila in the car before turning to Sandra.

“Sama-sama, I can't do much because I don't have the tools,” Farzan said later.

Sandra nodded, returned to the car to get her briefcase, and asked Chila to get down.

"Let's go baby, we take a taxi,” said Sandra.

Chila nodded, took the school bag and stuck it on her shoulder, before opening the door and exiting. The little girl looked at Farzan, before then walking around the car past Farzan and immediately grabbed Sandra's hand.

Farzan continued to observe Chila, until then the gaze returned to Sandra.

“Do you want me to take you? Looks like the place we are heading one way,” said Farzan offered. When he saw Chila, somehow the man felt attracted to the little girl.

Sandra was quite surprised to hear Farzan's offer, so a little confused whether to go with the man who had helped her twice.

“I don't want to trouble, maybe it's better if take a taxi only,” refuse Sandra politely.

“No hassle,” said Farzan, looking at Chila before then looking at the circular watch on the wrist. “If you wait for a taxi to pass, fear your daughter will be late for school,”, the man said again.

Sandra turned to Chila who was clutching her palm and slightly hiding, before then looking back at Farzan.

Farzan gave a small smile, then invited Sandra to get into the car. He drove the car in the direction Sandra pointed. Occasionally Farzan glanced at Chila who was sitting in the back of the rearview mirror, observing the girl who looked quiet and did not talk much like a child in general.

“My daughter is school ahead there.” Sandra pointed to a building that looked solidly standing.

Farzan pointed the car towards the area of the building and stopped right near the school gate. “Special school?” Farzan wondered in his heart.

“Thank you for dropping off, I will take a taxi after this. If we meet again, I hope to repay your kindness,” Sandra said with a small smile on her face, removing the seat belt and preparing to come down with Chila.

Sandra got out of the car, grabbed Chila by the hand and took the little girl to walk into the school. Chila turned her head towards Farzan's car, before then waving at the man.

Farzan was surprised that Chila was waving, then returned the little girl's hand from inside.

Sandra escorted Chila to the front of the building where the teacher in charge was already waiting for the little girl.

“Sorry late because my car broke down,” Sandra told teacher Chila.

“It's okay, I think even Chila did not enter,” reply the woman.

Sandra commented a smile, then crouched down in front of Chila.

“Let's Mama pick up as usual, before Mama comes, Chila don't go anywhere,” Sandra said while fixing the location of the bag strap on Chila's shoulder.

Chila nodded, then kissed Sandra's cheek before entering with her teacher. Sandra waved at Chila who glimpsed at her, waiting until her daughter was out of sight, before then leaving to work.

Sandra walked out of the gate to look for a taxi, until her steps stopped when she saw Farzan still there. The man was standing outside the car and as if he was waiting for the woman to come.

“You haven't left?” ask Sandra who has approached Farzan's car.

“Waiting all of you, I will transfer to your place of work,” replied Farzan.

Sandra was astonished because Farzan even wanted to drive her, while she had said that she would take a taxi.

“But I can just take a taxi,” Sandra said, pointing towards the taxi base close to Chila school.

Farzan looked towards Sandra pointing, before then looking at the woman.

“But I've been waiting, do you have the heart to expel?” tanya Farzan later.

Sandra was confused about what to answer, until she finally nodded and agreed to be delivered because she felt bad for Farzan who had helped her.

They also left Chila school together, Sandra was really unwell because it was troublesome for the man.

“When the car breaks down, why not contact your husband to pick up?” farzan asked, knowing that Sandra was with a child, of course Farzan thought that Sandra still had a husband. The admiration of Sandra after meeting accidentally twice, is now lost because it is certainly strange for her to admire the wife of people.

“My husband is dead,” Sandra replied with a small smile on her face.

Farzan was so surprised by Sandra's answer that he felt guilty for asking such questions.

“Sorry, I do not know and do not mean to offend,” said Farzan.

Sandra turned to Farzan with a small smile on her face, before then replying, “It's okay, you don't know either.”

Farzan felt awkward because he had mispronounced, and then chose to discuss other things to unravel his awkwardness. “Your daughter is very beautiful, she is very quiet,” said Farzan.

“She has a hearing loss, therefore she also has a slight disturbance in speech,” Sandra replied with a thin smile on her face.

Farzan nodded in understanding, finally knowing why Chila went to school there. Farzan chose silence and focused on the streets, afraid that asking too much that was not understood, would make Sandra feel uncomfortable.