The Blink is Dusk.
New Shirt
It's been two years that Aram, Areha, Luran and Figan haven't bought new clothes. That day, the grandmother invited Areha, Luran and Figan to the market in the Coconut Talang Village. How happy the three brothers were. They wear their best clothes. But still the clothes are shabby. Their clothes used to be unkempt because they were rarely washed when they were stranded on the road.
"It's been tried, Luran." Said grandma, while thrusting shorts made of cotton. The hustle and bustle of the market around them became a common sight in the market.
"Neck's plastic bag." A girl of eight years old. Granny, she bought one big plastic bag.
"How about Figan, you like that shirt." Ask grandma, Figan is breeding and grandma is paying. Areha bought the first clothes.
"Suit it on Luran, Grandma." Areha. Everyone finally got a shirt. Grandma set aside little by little profit selling cakes to buy them clothes. Aram also bought two sets of clothes. Grandma is good at choosing clothes and trousers that fit for Aram.
"Sir, ice is only five thousand." Said the red bean iceman. Figan saw, he wanted to buy but no money.
"grandmother." Call Figan while pulling Grandma's shirt. Grandma understood and bought three bags of red bean ice.
...*****...
Meanwhile, in a housing complex around Soekarno-Hatta street. There is a simple house. A small shophouse in front of the house filled with sweets. Concrete fence, push iron turnstile. On the side of the fence are planted many flowers. A mother was talking to her daughter on the sofa. From the sofa he could see the conditions in his yard and confectionery shop.
"Salika, you're getting naughty now. Back to school in the afternoon before Magrib, you go anywhere. You're a girl, you have to be good at acting. Go home from school, go straight home. Don't wander, or play at people's houses. Especially to a man's friend's house. Not good." Said Salika's mother, she scolded Salika who always came home from nowhere.
"I'm just playing in the house of the Goddess and Liwah, Mom. Cooking to play just can't." Said Salika, while playing her smartphone.
"No, you're not a girl. Must know yourself, act like a girl don't be like a boy." Said mother.
"Mother's got a lot of rules, like the ancients. Restrained like I am, I am Generation Z, the modern generation. Not old generation like mother's." Salika said stubbornly.
"Mother does not restrain, but protects you and loves you. A good generation is not measured in alphabetical terms. But it is judged by ethics, by adab, by morals. Not the wild and wandering generation does not know the direction. Generations that are self-conscious about the values of a good life." Said Salika's mother.
"As for mom, I'm just playing mediocre." Salika answered and she got up from the sofa, then entered the room and locked it from the inside. Salika's mother took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He tries to patiently face his twelve year old daughter, State High School. Salika's mother is worried that something will happen to her son.
"Rewa's aunt, you want to buy soap and detergent." Call a voice from in front of his stall.
"Yes, just a minute." He answered, then he stepped out.
...*****...
In an expedition company room. It looks like Jum and Lam are back to face with their HRD.
"You've already received three warning letters. But you guys haven't changed, still working no becus. You guys seem to prefer playing games online rather than working. Eat from that, you're getting fired from today. Please play online games and online gambling as much as possible. That's what you like, isn't it." HRD said angry, then gave two letters in an envelope.
"Sir, don't fire us sir. We'll change one hundred percent. We promise sir." Lam said almost crying.
"To, please sir, give it another chance. We haven't paid the contract this month.Pity us, right sir. By Allah, we will change and regret for failing to work. We admit to a gambling addiction." Jum said with tears in his eyes.
"Yet, your position has been replaced. Please return all office attributes that have been given. Otherwise, I'll have the police arrest you if you don't return it." HRD doesn't want to know.
"Satkkk." Both kneel.
"Here, here's a lesson for you. I've got a lot of work." Said HRD.
"Sir please sir, another month or two allow work." She begged again. HRD took a deep breath.
"Sir Rama, Mr. Huluk, please that these two men come out." Call Mr. HRD at two office security. Two people live big, especially the one called Huluk. He is called Huluk because he is strong and big height like Huluk in the movie Star War. Lam and Jum who are thin are very easy to pull out. After that, the two returned to the contract in a doldrums. Regretting no more use, other than tearing up their dismissal papers.
...*****...
Riha and Gapa enter the house of a rented mother. Both were warmly welcomed, treated to mango juice, and baked banana cake.
"I rented that contract. I'm going to pay for the first month, get the keys." Said Riha.
"Oh, it's Dik Riha." Said Mother Contract, she got up to take the contract keys in the desk drawer. On the table was a flower and a letop.
"How many a month, Mom." Ask Riha.
"Four hundred and fifty thousand. Yesterday DP a hundred thousand." Said mom Contract. Riha then took out three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Mother Kontrakan receives, calculates and makes the receipt of the proof paid off. They talked lightly while enjoying fruit juice.
"Whoever contracted you." Ask Gapa.
"The last one, contracted by two bachelors. Worked at the expedition company. It was Mr. Ruyo and his wife Tuyi, in the middle of Mr. Yugus and his wife named Walah, next to here contracted Grandma Miss Rumi and her grandchildren." Obviously the owner of the contract.
"The house of RT sir, which side." Ask Riha.
"At the back row of the contract, block H. I'll accompany you there." Said the owner of the contract. "This is Dik Riha's guy." Ask the Contract mom.
"Wooohhhhw. Not buk, amit-amit with this woman. eehhhhhh." It was as if he had refused once. But his funny behavior made Riha laugh.
"Sir Gapa, my cousin Ma'am." Clearly Riha, she then struck the softly smiling Gapa.
"When the deck of Riha moved." Ask the owner of the contract.
"Tomorrow Ma'am, the day after I started working in Indomaret in front before entering this complex." Said Riha, the new landlord's mother understood why Riha had rented her contract, near her workplace.
...*****...
Salika and her boyfriend sit under a shady tree. The atmosphere is quiet and around a lot of bushes and there is a field of weeds. In addition, there were swamps with a lot of logs. The remains of people looking for fish appear on the side of the cliffs of the swamp.
Motorcycles parked beside them. Both of them still wear their school uniforms. From there they see a highway that is always crowded by motor vehicles.
"Darling, it looks like your mother doesn't approve of our relationship. Your mother also held you back. To separate me and you." Said Salika's lover.
"I've told you so many times, why aren't you sure, baby. I swear." Dehan was convincing. That's how the two keep talking until they forget time and forget everything. Even their sins are committed.
...*****...
Meanwhile, Salika's mother was very agitated. It was late afternoon, past five in the afternoon. The sun was almost setting, with a soft yellow light.
"Sritttt." The motorcycle stopped and there was a noise of exhaust racing. Salika's mother and neighbors are very disturbed by exhaust racing. Salika got off the motorcycle and stepped home. He stood for a moment on the side of the road. Waving a hand at Dehan who began to accelerate at high speed.
"Where are you my son. You don't want to hear Mom's words. What did you do, until you came home almost magrib like this. What do you want to be. If your father were alive, he would've hit him." Mother says.
"Ah, mother, it's normal, I've grown up. Not children anymore." Salika said, she went straight into the house and entered the room and closed and locked the door.
"Where are you from with your friend. Don't you have any friends other than that kind of friend. What are you doing with him. Salika, wake up son, listen to me. You'll be sorry." Said Salika's mother in front of the room door. Salika was silent. She doesn't like her mother's low regard for her lover Dehan. It is true that Dehan said that his mother did not like Dehan and did not respect their relationship. Salika was angry with her mother. For him, Dehan's love is everything.
Salika's mother suddenly had pain in her left chest. He walked to the sofa while holding on to the wall of the house. With a swamp she finally approached the sofa. But before he suddenly became breathless. Then his body fell to the floor slowly. While Salika cries, she thinks her mother is evil and does not love her. She then videocall with her lover venting about her feelings of aliases.
...l*****...
A mother in her forties and her teenage daughter walk to a Salika Mother's shop.
"Sir, buyin I'm softex huh, like tomorrow I'm flooding." Said his daughter.
"Husss, don't be so strong on the road. Whisper it in the stall at what mom." Said the mother.
"He. he." I heard the child's light laughter. Two motorbikes passed, making both eyes glare. Azan heard from the mosque.
"Here you go, let's hurry. Let Isha's prayer not be too late." Said the mother, the two then pouted the way and arrived at Salika's mother's shop.
"Yuukkkp. Ayukk Rewa oh, Ayukk." Call the mother. He looked around into the shop.
"No one, it looks like Mom." Son said.
"Try calling from the front door. Maybe in the kitchen." Said the mother.
"Yes like a ma'am." Said his son, who had opened his smartphone.
"Mom calls from the door, you wait here." Said the mother, she stepped into the courtyard and towards the open door. Several times he called but there was no word. While Salika did not hear because her ears were clogged with headsets.
"Where Ayuk Rewa, quiet but open shop." The mother, she decided to leave, as she was about to turn around. At first glance he saw the end of the leg beside the sofa. The mother felt strange, maybe she fell asleep she thought.
"Yukk. Ayukk." Call the mother to step closer. He shook his body many times but did not move. The mother panicked, she ran out and asked her son to call the citizens.
...*****...
Half an hour has passed.
"Tock. Geck. Geck." Sound of knocking on the room door.
"What a noise. Just bother, clueless parents and dear child." Said Salika while lying down and pouting. had repeatedly knocked on the door of the room he did not care, now the knock was getting stronger as if to be broken down.
"Aduuu, what else does this old mother want." Salika blames her mother. He was a hundred percent upset and stepped up with a stomp of his feet, a cell phone in his hand and a headset still stuck to his ear.
"Kreet." Door opens.
"What the hell is." Shouted Salika, her eyes were shocked and wide-eyed as many families crowd.
"Sir RT." Said his mouth slowly.
"You are this, so a very rude child. Your cell phone cares. The door on tap is not open. Is this the result of you being in school all this time." Mr. RT said angry and upset.
"What's wrong, RT, how angry." Salika feels innocent.
"People have been knocking on your door for more than half an hour. But you're not open." Said Mr. RT. Everyone looked at Salika in surprise. Some mothers seem to carry a lot of long cloth and have rolled out mats in the middle room of the house.
"It's up to me, it's my room." Salika felt innocent.
"Already, the child of today is insolent indeed. More important to yourself than to family. If you still want to meet your mother, meet her in the middle house. Tomorrow will be buried." Said Mr. RT. Like in a lightning strike Salika's body retreated a few steps. He who felt very great and was good at tongue-shinting was suddenly lethargic and weak. Smartphone out of his hand. She screamed, hoping everything was a dream. Then he poured into the middle room where his mother's body was stiffened. The neighboring mothers were around to calm Salika down. Some of the fathers read the Qur'an. While Salika's cries sounded bitter all night.
...*****...
Meanwhile, in Aram rented a warm and happy atmosphere. Figan and Luran wear new clothes with Spiderman's image. They also have a new toy car. Grandma got up and folded her alphabet. He just finished praying isya. After that, he sat down among them. Grandma felt calm and comfortable around the children.
"Tomorrow, grandma is going to school. Want to ask how Areha, Figan and Luran can get into school." Grandmother said.
"Oh, yes, Grandma. Does Aram need to come." Said Aram.
"Areha's saving is a lot of Nek, can buy the school supplies of the three of us." Areha. Areha saved the profits of selling dried cassava and banana chips.
"If we could go to school, for Figan and Luran we would sell ten chickens only Nek." Saran Aramaic.
"Yes, you are Aram. Grandma forgot that there are also chickens that can be sold." Grandmother said.
"Buying clothes and tools may be nearly a million for all three of them. It used to be Figan and Luran's school clothes in play, so it's broken, backpacks and shoes too." Said Aram.
"If Areha did not have to buy backpacks and shoes. Still good all." Areha. That was the atmosphere in Aram's contract that night. They discuss how Areha, Luran and Figan returned to school. Measure their money and their monthly expenses. Areha's savings, Grandma's savings and Aram's savings were collected. Plus Aram will sell ten chickens, to pay for their rent that month.
...*****...
