WOMEN IN GROUP SHORT STORY

#BS

Mother who just returned from the market, explained everything to Mas Agus. I locked myself in my room and refused to see him. I don't expect anything from him anymore. Although he knocked several times on the door and called, I shook my head.

The pregnancy was attempted to be destroyed. I made a variety of herbs from spices in the kitchen. But it seems like God wants something else. My stomach, which was flat, is now beginning to change.

The neighbor's gossip became. Neighbors still accuse me of being an itchy and sinful woman. Even though the court had ruled the monster guilty, the insults we received did not diminish at all.

Little by little, I felt guilty and blamed myself. Blamed my stupidity that night.

“It was my fault ...” Realizing that fact, it made me despair.

Today the house is empty. I've been washing since morning when my mom went to the market with my sister going to work. But since then the wet cloth remained in the bucket. I dare not go out anymore. My hands tremble every time I approach the door. It felt like beating up the people who liked to gather and gossip next door. Everyone in their village discussed, like the artist show on tivi.

I prepared breakfast at the table. I have no interest in tasting. I don't want anything anymore. There is no purpose or desire to live anymore. Empty!

“I must what God?” My question didn't find an answer either.

My eyes were pounded on a used raffia rope roll, which I don't remember what it was for before. My hands took and watched him. One by one, the rope that was not long enough was connected and tied. Unknowingly threw it into the stretch of wood that ran under the kitchen roof.

A chair was ready under the plastic rope that was connected to it. I tied the knot just like that without thinking anymore. Then wrapped it around my neck.

“Sorry Rica, Mom,” I closed my eyes. My feet pushed the wooden chair back and I got hung up, twitching because of the suffocation.

***

Satria and her mother returned home from the market. Today he entered the afternoon shif, so he could help bring groceries from the market. They have bought Rika's favorite cake and hope that the girl can smile again.

A new door was opened and plastic was placed inside the house.

“Let me see you shoot again say,” said the woman.

Bruk!

A loud thump in the kitchen was heard all the way to the front door. The two looked at each other worried. Then without being commanded immediately ran to the back.

“Mbaak ..!” call the young man worried.

Both were shocked when the kitchen curtains opened.

“Rika!” the old woman was hysterical. He fell on the cement floor. How not, she's a child watching her daughter wriggling on the floor with her neck choked by a raffia rope.

Satria who first realized the situation, immediately helped her brother. Loosening and releasing the rope that coils the neck.

“Embak gapapa? Who did this? Did that bastard's family send people to kill Embak?” tanyanya angry.

My breath's wheezing. I took a few deep breaths to get as much air into my chest as possible. I held my neck. “Which time?”

Then my eyes fell on my sister's hand. He held the broken rope in his hand. “Why break up? Why not let me die!” I shouted furiously while shaking Satria's shoulder.

I could see his face and also the surprised mother. But I don't give a shit. I reattached the fragile rope and tied it up in layers. Interestingly fast, to convince me that it's strong enough now.

“Rika ...”

Mother's call could not influence my decision. I put the chair in its place again. Then repeatedly threw the rope into the large wood under the roof.

This time, the wood was further away. My throw could never reach it. “It's too short. Is there any more rope?” I asked Satria who was standing in front of me.

Plakk!

I feel my cheeks hot and sore. I looked at my sister with my eyes closed. “Why at 'shoot?” I am confused and sad.

Mom came and hugged me who was crying sadly. “What Satria does not love Shoot ..?” That's what I kept asking when Mom led me to my room.

“Rest here.” Mom gave me water in the glass. “Drink first, let your heart calm down.”

I followed and gulped down the water in the glass.

“Sad is angry Rika ..” is sad.

As usual, mom's hugs and hand rubs, managed to calm me down.

Outside the room, the young man shed tears at the words of his mother in the room. Her eyes pusar saw her palm that still felt hot as a result of slapping her own brother.

“Force Satria, Mbak,” he said with a broken heart.

Angrily he returned to the kitchen and looked for a collection of used raffia ropes that mothers usually collected from shopping ties in the market.

Everything he thought was dangerous, he kept neat, including the kitchen knife. Then all the old, fragile ropes everywhere were taken out and burned in the front yard.

The day of the moon. My stomach is getting bigger. I'm not out of the house at all. Mother and Satria asked me to stay home. Even so, I can hear their talk is no longer just gossiping silently. Some of them blatantly said evil in front of mom's sales desk.

“Why is he still here? He just ruined the good name of this village. Do you want to let that bastard child be born in this village!”

“That could make damn the whole village!” the other timpal.

“If you really want to keep the child, you and your family just move from here!” Others are getting bolder.

My body was shaking inside the house. It felt like ripping out those spicy mouths that hurt my mother's heart. But mother and Satria kept me out. I went into the room so I wouldn't hear anything.

“What should I do?” I thought curled up in the corner of the bed.

I can't keep being selfish. Letting mother and Satria face the neighbors' scorn and living hardships because of me. Satria must have a future.

“How to ...”

That day Mrs Rt came and dispersed the noisy people in front of the house. He went into my room and checked on me.

I looked at him sharply and disliked him. I will not forget the gossip of the next-door neighbor who clearly said that he got the info from the woman who was now standing in front of me.

“What now mom wants to confirm whether I'm really pregnant or not?” manyu rough. The woman was shocked for a moment, then gawked and walked out of the room.

I don't know what he's talking about with mom in the living room. They seemed to be speaking in a low voice. To me it feels like a whisper of a thief who doesn't want to be caught making a malicious plan.

A few days later, Satria came home late from her usual hour. Mom sat uneasily in the living room.  When I asked my mom why my sister came home late, she texted me on her phone.

“Still on the road, this afternoon deliver goods out of town. Later directly delivered the driver to home.” That's the information my sister sent me.

‘Mothers enter only. Let Rika wait for sister,” I said. Mom's eyes look very sleepy. He must have been tired after working hard since dawn morning.

“Mother wrote something on paper. “Sit here. Don't open the door!”

I read the message and nodded.

I don't know how long I've waited sitting leaning back in the living room. My eyes sometimes closed. I saw the clock showing the number ten. The window curtains I flicked a little to find out the situation outside. It's dark! I saw the room in front, still empty.

I took my mother's phone and sent a message asking her. “Where is it?”

The answer came in shortly afterwards. “Ban leaking pick up. This again change the tire first.”

I felt sad and sad to read the message. Now my brother has to work so hard for all of us. I opened the door that my mother had deliberately not locked, so that my sister would have no trouble calling to open the door. Mom and Satria still thought I couldn't hear at all.

I closed the door again so no mosquitoes could enter. I stood on our small terrace which I used to diligently fill with colorful crockery.

“What now can I only get out when night falls? Isn't this my home? Home that you bought with great difficulty!” My mind is in revolt with everything that befalls my family.

Neighbors don't hate mom and Satria. They just don't want me to stay here. My feet stepped into the gate. Open and close it carefully. Then walk down the lonely road of my village.

I don't know how long I've been walking. Now my legs are getting tired. The left and right of the road were very quiet, dark, with flickering lights in the distance.

I got off the road and down the rods, winding. I don't know which village it leads to. I just want to go through it. I walked until my feet could no longer walk. I sat in front of a small, dull and dark bamboo swing house. Don't ask me how it smells, because I don't care. I just wanted to close my eyes for a moment.

The heat of the sun woke me up. The light is so dazzling. And I smiled happily, able to see her again, after all this time. My hands reached up and smiled happily.

I miss the warm light. The light is bright, it chooses no one. Whether a sinner or not, he can still feel the warmth of his caress.

The pain went away with a gentle swab of light on my face. I raised my hand to reach him. “I want to be with you ..”

- Connect ...