WOMEN AND GRAVES
HE'S STILL A LOSER
Little Kumal has been adept at reading and writing his own name. In fact, now he has an idol and a dream. He had known the poet Gemala and he wanted to be a poet like her.
As a father, Anggi Kusuma also has an obligation to send Kumal to elementary school. When the age of Kumal is enough, Kumal and Arin began to enter school. Together they set foot in the school and looked at a ray of light together.
“Alright, because I am big, I will no longer be a loser,” said Kumal once, in the school garden, which was then greeted by scorn by Arin.
In front of their eyes, a bespectacled child was bullied by three children from the fifth grade. They are Bobi and his two men. They are bad boys, like to annoy girls, love to cheat, and love to peck at the money of the underclassmen.
“True you don't want to be a loser anymore, Mal?” ask Arin later.
“Of course, anyways I'm big,” reply Kumal with great pride. He did not realize, that Arin has a pretty cunning intention.
“Alright, at least make me believe,” said Arin makes Kumal wonder. “You saw that poor boy. He was again bullied by Bobi and his friends. Help him, and prove that you are not a loser!”
I gulped to pay attention to the three brats. He did not believe he could defeat three children at once, let alone naughty and fifth graders like them. But on the other hand, where might Kumal pull his words to not be a loser anymore, it was more a loser than a loser.
“Alright, a. I will me... me... help the poor boy,” Kumal supported even though he himself was less brave.
From a distance, Arin sees Kumal's half-hearted bravery. Kumal walked slowly towards his own execution ground. He shouted at Bobi. He approached and was warmly welcomed by Bobi and his friends. Bobi pulls the collar of Kumal's shirt into an empty room.
Arin is worried, from here he can't see Kumal anymore. He's looking for Kumal too Bobi. He is afraid of things that are not desirable to Kumal. He also entered the room, there, Kumal groaned in pain from being kicked by Bobi and friends. “Enough!” pekik Arin stopped Bobi's kick for a moment.
“Wah, it looks like the hero of bad luck is increasing another one, nih, ” Bobi ledk greeted with the laughter of his friends.
Arin was upset to be treated so, he approached Bobi, then slapped Bobi's cheek loudly. About it makes Bobi furious, he did not accept being slapped by girls, he was back slapped. Arin was still staring at Bobi with a sangar. Bobi pushes Arin to fall, the girl was grabbed by three bad boys.
The mustache can only sob to see Arin being ganged up. He had no intention of helping Arin, he was too scared to help his best friend. The machete shuffled backwards and further back. When there is a blemish, he ran away from the room, left the school, also left Arin who had saved him and let his best friend be mobbed by three bad boys.
***
Kumal felt pain in his body because of the kick of Bobi and his friends, even more pain when he remembered, had left Arin and let him be ganged up just like that. He had no power to help and ran away.
And from a distance, Anggi Kusuma saw the child sitting down on the gravestone. He saw the watch in his hand, and he realized that his son had come home before the hour. He also tried to approach the child and ask about what had happened. “What's the problem, son, hoho? Why are you coming home at this hour, hoho?” asked Anggi Kusuma while confirming his son's crumpled uniform also wiped his tears.
Kumal also clutched the body of the father tightly. He looks scared. He said as he sobbed, “I'm sorry, sir. Ii'm sorry. I'm still a loser.”
She wiped the rest of her own tears. He calmed down and started talking about what had happened at school. About the crimes of Bobi and his friends. He wants to fight those bad boys. Arin came to help. And about Arin who had been robbed and left behind.
Plok! Anggi Kusuma then rubbed the child's head with his fist. “I'm really embarrassed to have a kid like you, hoho. What kind of man is willing to leave a woman for his own safety, hoho. Hoho, you're a loser, kid!” snapped geram.
Father was really embarrassed about the cowardice of his son, it was seen when the eyes of Anggi Kusuma reddened to hear the story of Kumal at school. He left Kumal, letting the boy cry and cry, until he was content to cry, and realized that he was a complete loser. Men who can't protect women, are more losers than losers.
***
In the afternoon, when the sunlight began to dim, Kumal clenched his hands and approached Bobi and friends who were playing marbles on the field. He was still sobbing, however, he could not remain silent and hid in the abyss called fear.
Kumal doesn't want to be a loser, and he's already promised about it. Earlier this morning, he had let Arin, his best friend, battered. Now he wanted to avenge that insolent behavior. A man cannot be called a man if he cannot protect a woman, his father said, making him determined to beat up the bad boys.
“You what else you are, boy. Not satisfied I made you and your friend was whining in fear,” response Bobi after knowing someone approaching.
“i'm not a loser! I'm not a loser! I'm not a loser!” many times Kumal recited the word. Like magic, the word has stirred up Kumal's anger. His eyes turned red, his hands clenched tightly, the veins stiffened, and he tried to attack Bobi.
Bobi's mouth was bleeding from a Kumal blow. That made Bobi angry. Two of Bobi's friends, as quickly as possible, clutching Kumal's hand. Unable to move, Bobi got up and was about to return the blow. Seeing Bobi's scary face, Kumal wanted to cry, but he held back the crying, because he was not a loser.
Many times the blows floated into Kumal's face. Mustache grimacing in pain. The blood is flowing quite hard. The wounds all over Kumal's body created a bit of pain. Not to mention the wounds on the heart. Kumal limp, his eyes dazed and thousands of fireflies approached his vision.
Fortunately the father came, he slapped the naughty children so that their bodies staggered. Now it's their turn to be frightened. “Basic snitcher!” swear Bobi before finally running away with his friends.
“Never bother my son and my son's friend again, hoho!” pekik Anggi Kusuma to the bad boys.
Meanwhile, Kumal, who had lost a lot of blood, walked in agitation to face his father. He let out tears, he cried, and hugged his body quite tightly. “I'm sorry, Sir. Ii'm sorry. I'm a loser again. I'm a loser again, sir.”
“No, Son, hoho. You are not a loser anymore, hoho,” replied the father, while hugging Kumal's body tighter. He caresses the head of the Kumal. He felt his son's pain in him.
“Courage is not the behavior of a loser, son, hoho. Your brave act just now, fighting to protect your friend, signifies that you are no longer a loser, hoho. Don't cry, son, hoho, losing is okay, the important thing is never want to be a loser, hoho.”
You also become a loser, because you cannot hold back your tears any longer. He followed crying. Crying proudly, because the child has proven himself that he is not a loser.
