The Long Night of Amelia
Chapter 18: Interview of Mr. Darsim II

"Father, can you tell me the story of your life journey with Ayu ?" amelia asked that afternoon at the deserted Al-Fatah mosque. There was only him and Mr. Darsim after some people had participated in congregational prayer in the mosque. Mr. Darsim took him to a small room in the mosque area. Commonly used as a resting place, when he became a marbot after cleaning the entire mosque area.

Amelia turned on her recorder button.

"Hmm. here's the story." Darsim finally told Amelia his story. How he moved to Jakarta. But he did not give details about Mursidah, Ayu's mother.

"So after Ayu was 5 years old.Her mother left me and Ayu somewhere.so now there is no news from him ..Ayu did not know about this, said Amel...I told Ayu that his mother had died since he was 5 years old", explained Mr. Darsim told me about his life story until he lived in Jakarta.

"Hmm ..Bapak didn't try to find out where Ayu's mother was ? Sorry in advance sir.doesn't his mother leave a letter or does it tell him where he went ?" cecar Amel sesopan maybe. He feels awkward with the statement of Mr. Darsim.. When a husband does not know where his wife went and disappeared for years without news. Or at least there is no effort to find it sich?, said Amel membatin.

"Hmm.how do I say it .." Mr. Darsim is weighing something. He wanted to tell the girl in front of him but he was a new outsider. Only.he felt this girl might be able to help him in this personal matter.

"Why sir ?"amel asked suddenly to see the change in the look of Darsim's face. He seemed to be thinking and hesitating. Like he wanted to say something but he held it.

"Is there anything you want to say ?"ask Amel slowly.. He was worried about forcing the respondent too much.

"Can't it be without mbak ?"darsim replied as he stared at a small black box with a red light on.

Amel nodded which was then followed by turning off the recording button on his recorder.

"Actually... Ayu's biological mother asked me for permission to become a TKW in Hong Kong.. It was a pity to see me banging to suffice us..Ayu who began to grow, slowly made me and my wife feel overwhelmed enough living costs here.not to mention the preparation to enter the school.." said Mr. Darsim with a sigh. There are strokes of sadness in the sea and the tone of his voice when telling stories.

" The first years my wife worked in Hong Kong she still gave me news through letters and money that she thought through money orders..."

"But after that, he did not send any news except for a sum of money that was enough to finance my needs and Ayu daily and school money.."

Since then, I have not received any news back from him..I don't know if he's alive or how.I tried to find through the foundation that channeled him there.but they said my wife's contract with them was only a year...after that, the dealer did not know where Mursidah was going, and it was not their responsibility to return after the contract expired ..Until..", Pak Darsim can not hold back the tears in his cultivation. He shed the tears that he had been trying to hold. Ayu took out a tissue that was always in her backpack. Mr. Darsim wiped the tears that suddenly flowed from his eyes with the tissue that Amel gave him.

" Until about 2 years ago, someone sent a package containing a mobile phone and its number. I think my wife sent it so we could contact easier. It turns out that my guess was wrong...

The next day, someone called me. He confessed to my wife's new husband and asked me not to interfere or look for her whereabouts again." Darsim told Amelia.

"Did the man tell you his name ?" ask Amelia to come back.

" Hmm...iya.if it is not wrong he said his name is Lee .." said Mr. Darsim with puffy eyes.

" Trus..is there anything else ?" ask Amel.

"Hmm.no.." replied Mr. Darsim briefly.

"Did Lee call you back ? Or maybe your wife ?" ask Amelia curious.

"Hmm.it doesn't seem. I also do not know mbak." replied Darsim hesitated.

"Hmm..begini mbak.a few months ago someone contacted me. I don't know if it's a guy named Lee or not. But. because the first time the person who confessed to Lee called me, and I knew how to speak. His voice was firm and there was a Chinese accent. The Indonesian language also looks raw and rigid. But.who contacted me a few months ago, just by SMS. I don't know where my phone number came from. It's just that.from the language used I think not the same person mbak..

At first he sent me a message and said that he knows where my wife is now and who she is with. He knew that my wife still likes to send money to me. He spoke as if he knew all about my wife." Darsim told Amelia.

"Trus...?"I asked more and more curious to hear the life story of this old man in front of me.

"Well.finally.me and the man we often chat via SMS. Until one day he cursed me as a man who had no self-esteem. Exterminating the wife to cover the cost of living. I felt humiliated and then asked her to meet. The man accepted my invitation. He gave me a spot to meet...And..that's when I met Mbak Amel for the first time.." replied Darsim back.

"What ???He meant when we first met in the city park ??" amel said with surprise.

Mr. Darsim nodded his head. His face was sad and looked sad

"Trus...Trus...father met the man?", urged Amel increasingly made curious.

Hmm.that's the problem...

"I waited for him at the city park, but he did not give any news.until 15 minutes passed...He said he was still stuck in traffic. He gave me a street name, he called me to just wait there because it was closer to his position at that time..But..when I got there.I saw from the front of the alley has a lot of people there and not far from there there are many police cars in a luxury house...I was confused at that time.The man did not give any special characteristics to him. He said he was wearing a white shirt and holding a cell phone in his hand..

I couldn't find it at the time. I called back and he didn't answer my SMS. I'm on the phone, the phone is off. I was confused not to understand at the time...

I asked people what was going on there. They say a maid was killed..I don't know why my heart was beating so fast...

I finally decided to go home at that time. I felt something was wrong with all this, mbak.lantas I just saw in the newspaper the next day, from one of my neighbors who subscribed to the newspaper, mbak, that a former TKW woman in Hong Kong was found murdered in her home.

Either by coincidence or how..I feel suspicious mbak. But the newspaper wrote that the woman was a childless widow. But my little conscience feels.., does this have anything to do with the loss of my wife...I don't know who to tell.mbak Amel is the only person who knows this...For some reason when Mbak Amel asked about my wife earlier .. I feel that Mbak Amel might be able to help me..makanya I told him what is now on mbak Amel..".", bright sir Darsim. He looked confused, sad, emotional, all seemed mixed in the aer and the look on his face.

"Huh ???!..." Amelia seemed really flabbergasted by Mr. Darsim's confession this time. His brain is spinning fast. He felt anxious thinking about everything.

He also felt there was a common thread between the family of Mr. Darsim with the death of the former TKW woman from the old man's story.

Now his brain is filled with a bunch of puzzle pieces that he must assemble to form a complete picture. And.he just remembered..

Yup, reminded of what the lady waiter said at the Tiam restaurant earlier. Is this all a coincidence ? Or is this God's scenario on her ? Like a blink of an eye, everything happens..

Just yesterday the day after he met Mr. Darsim.and now he seems to have known this family for a long time and he really fell into a big problem ? Should he be involved in it or he just passed it, and have Mr. Darsim report it to the police...

But...if this is a red thread that is connected.Maybe the life of Mr. Darsim will be threatened also if he told him to report to the police ? If anything happens to Mr. Darsim...Ayu will lose both her parents at once...Could Amelia be that hard ? Or should he get involved in this family matter ? Maybe his life would be his bet...But..., if he succeeds, he will also benefit.this will be a big news...The throbbing in Amelia's head felt tight. The more he thinks, the more he feels dizzy. Like it's in the middle of a puzzle tied to a string of crumpled red threads.

Now he is thinking hard...