A Thousand Flowers
Chapters 22. Returnees

Morning sunlight through Ki Daud's recovery room ventilation. Izzah was still asleep while still holding his father's hand.

Ki Daud opened his eyes slowly, staring blankly at the ceiling of the room where he was.

“Definitely Jumali who has brought me here,” thought Ki Daud.

“Where is he?”

Ki Daud turned his head when he felt someone holding his right hand. His eyes glazed over, looking not at Jumali who was beside him, but Izzah. The child he had never known.

Ki Daud stroked Izzah's head gently, making the girl wake up from her sleep.

Izzah lifted his head from the bed. As soon as Ki Daud realized, he screamed happily.

“Dad is awake?”

Ki Daud smiled nodding and tried to sit down. Izzah.

Ki Daud and Izzah hugged each other. Both shed happy tears.

"Alhamdulillah .. thank you Dad for coming back,” whispered Izzah slowly.

Ki Daud stroked Izzah's back. His heart feels so warm. I didn't think he had a daughter. Meeting Izzah is the most beautiful gift for Ki Daud.

“I'm sorry Dad, Son. Dad didn't come with you when you were growing.” Ki Daud felt guilty and very sorry.

“No Father. Dad is innocent. I am happy to meet Dad now. Dad is the most beautiful gift on my twenty-first birthday.”

Izzah smiled, letting go of his father's embrace. Ki Daud was shocked.

“Really?”

Izzah nodded.

“Then, let's celebrate!” Ki Daud was getting excited. It's coming down from the bed.

“Shortly, Dad!” Izzah asked his father to sit back when he saw Ki Daud still walking by.

Ki Daud obeyed. Izzah massaged his father's legs at certain points. Cold and warm air running through Ki Daud's feet. Ki Daud smiled lovingly at his daughter. He knew Izzah was exerting his special abilities. Ki Daud feels really lucky to have two amazing women.

The sound of the door opening. Naimah and Jumali stepped in. Naimah brought a bowl of red bean porridge and a glass of milk.

“Please eat first, Mister!” Naimah placed the porridge and milk she had brought on a small table beside the bed, then pulled the small table before Ki David.

Jumali moved some flower pots from the room. Izzah realized that Ki Daud's recovery room was filled with several pots of natural anti-radiation plants.

“How do Aunty and Mr Jumali know that Dad is conscious?” ask Izzah curiously. He hasn't even come out of that room.

“Hahaha .…” Ki Daud and Jumali laugh. Naimah just smiles.

“Let's talk about that, Zah. Now let your father have breakfast first,” replied Naimah.

Izzah immediately fed his father. Naimah and Jumali are also happy to see the closeness of the father and son.

After breakfast, Jumali and Naimah take Ki Daud to a small garden behind the house, so that Ki Daud can breathe fresh air after a few days confined in the recovery room. Then, they left Ki Daud and Izzah. Giving opportunity and flexibility to Ki Daud and Izzah to let each other miss

and exchanging stories.

Many stories that make Izzah touched. However, not a few also made him flabbergasted in disbelief. The twists and turns of life is indeed a mystery that can be solved by some time.

To be sure, Izzah now understands that sometimes we have to be willing to let go of what we have and love. Not because we no longer want it, but because we believe that something that is destined to be ours will still come back, even though it has gone. Time will answer everything, even in unexpected and unthinkable ways.

Which favor of your Lord do you deny?

***

The rest of the full moon looked pale in the morning sky. Ki Daud, Izzah, Naimah and Jumali stood silently in Ki Daud's recovery room. Naimah and Jumali looked down sad and lethargic. Ki Daud hugged Izzah tightly.

The meeting was the beginning of a farewell. Now is the time for them to let go of Izzah to achieve a dream in his own world.

Ki Daud let go of his embrace, taking Izzah walking towards the painting on the wall of the room.

Four nature paintings lined up neatly. Ki Daud stops right at the third painting. A uniquely shaped tree stands on the bank of the river. Izzah recognized the tree. He sighed, looking at his father. Ki Daud nodded.

Izzah turned around, facing Naimah and Jumali who were standing behind him.

“Thank you, Bi .. Sir .. all this time you've been treating Izzah like your own family. Izzah will always remember Bi Naimah and Pak Jumali.” Izzah.

Naimah hugged Izzah without a word. Jumali looked at Izzah with reddened eyes holding back tears.

“Hopefully we can meet again, Zah,” said Jumali, smiling bitterly.

Ki Daud embraces Izzah's shoulder. Izzah turned his body back to face the painting on the wall. His hand now holds a necklace giving her bunda.

“Mother ... Izzah will be back soon,” whispered Izzah.

With a bismillah, Izzah attached the necklace pendant to a tree painting by the river. A bright light appeared instantly. A moment later, Izzah disappeared with the disappearance of the light in the painting.

Ki Daud, Naimah, and Jumali wiped away their tears. The happiness they once felt with Izzah now changed into sadness. They do not know if they will meet Izzah again or not. Ki Daud felt some of his soul was empty, lost somewhere.

***

“Tolooong .…” An eleven-year-old boy shouts while running towards the people resting in the dam.

These people stopped their activities. Some ran to meet the boy.

“What's up, Dik?” asked a young man in his early twenties.

“It ... there are dead people up there,” replied the boy with a frightened face while pointing at a strangely shaped tree.

The young man and the crowd immediately ran in the direction the boy pointed. Sure enough! A girl was lying motionless, not far from the tree.

The young man touched the girl's lying wrist. Feel the pulse.

“Alhamdulillah is alive, just passed out.”

The people who witnessed it breathed a sigh of relief. They immediately provided help. Some people helped raise the girl to the back of the young man who was already crouching. Then, the young man took the girl to a nearby village accompanied by his entourage.

***

Ahmad ya habibi, habibi

Greetings habibi, habibi

Salam'alaika .. habibi …

The sound of a cell phone ringing elicited the melodious chant of a salawat from Omar Borkan Al Gala.

Rahmi rushes out of the kitchen, snatching a cell phone on the dining table. He frowned. The name of a village chief was plastered on his cell phone screen.

“Yes? What?”

“Good. I'm going there right away.” Rahmi gets in the fog after hearing the conversation across the phone.

In a hurry he opened the apron he was wearing, turned off the stove, then rushed out.

Chequek! Chequek!

Rahmi locked the front door.

“Assalamu’alaikum .…” Sound of greeting. Rahmi looked over, smiling.

“Nak Ihsan.” Rahmi greets her son's friend. Ihsan shouts Rahmi.

“Mothers want to go huh? Seems to be in a hurry,” asked Ihsan to see Rahmi hastily stuffed the key into the small bag she was carrying.

“Yes, Nak”

“To where?

“Hospital.”

“A sick delay?” Ihsan was surprised and anxious.

Rahmi smiled uneasily. “No. Not Mother, but Izzah.”

Ihsan. “Izzah already found, Mommy?”

Rahmi nodded.

“Aalhamdulillah .…” Ihsan is grateful.

“Then, let me drop off, Mother!” Ihsan rushed out, opening the car door for Rahmi. Rahmi immediately got into Ihsan's car.

Ihsan drove his car at high speed.

The deg! The deg! The deg!

His heart was pounding with worry.

“Yes Allah, may Izzah not be okay," Ihsan prayed in his heart.

Beside her, Rahmi tried to calm herself down.

Arriving at the hospital, Ihsan immediately parked his car in front of the Emergency Installation.

As soon as he got down from Ihsan's car, Rahmi ran into the IGD room. Ihsan locked his car and rushed after Rahmi.

***