Anjani Darling
Travel with Mom

"Anjani, wake up baby. We've arrived," I heard a faint sound of my mother's voice waking me up while occasionally gently shaking my body.

"Eeeeeehh," slowly opened my eyes, and my mother's face smiled at me. "Where is this, Mom?" I asked, looking around, but this place feels foreign.

"We've reached Minangkabau International Airport, baby,"

"Where is that, Mom?"

"Dear of love, in Mother's hometown."

Mom took me off the plane. Near the exit, the pilot and flight attendant on duty said goodbye while smiling at us.

Once out of the plane, I was immediately stunned to stare at the airport building that resembles a rumah gadang, a traditional house typical of West Sumatra. I know from the poster on the classroom wall.

"Mom, that's a big house, right?" I said, pointing at the building.

"You know what, honey?" ask mother.

"Yes, Anjani would like to see pictures of traditional houses from the tribes in Indonesia."

My mom and I got out of the airport because there was no luggage. We continued our taxi journey. Before going to my grandfather's house, my mother took me to Minang Plaza, we bought some change of clothes for me and my mother.

"Please choose the clothes you like, then let me pay" said the mother.

Five sheets of pink and white clothes I chose. I added a few more sheets. And then pay it at the cashier.

Then we had lunch at the mall. Mom chose chicken rice and steak for me, while mom only ate salad and potatoes. Then continue the journey back to my grandfather's house.

"Mom, what's Grandpa like, anyway?" ask me again, to get rid of boredom during the trip.

"Grandfather's face is similar to Mother's," the mother replied, without taking her eyes off the taxi window.

"What's a good grandpa?"

I didn't answer, just glanced at me, then looked back at the window.

The taxi stopped right in front of a large house that was three times the size of my house. The courtyard of his house was very organized, there was a fish pond with a fountain in the middle. While in the garage looked some fancy cars lined up neatly.

"This is Grandpa's house, Mom?" ask again.

Mom nodded her head. Then take a breath for a moment. Then bring me in. In front. The door of the house, mom pressed the bell. Not how long out a middle-aged woman.

"Non Hania!" said it. "Miss is home?"

"Yes Bi. Papa any?" ask mother.

"Master there is, Non. Come on in, Auntie will call you. He must be happy to see Non coming!"

The middle-aged woman hurriedly entered the house, while the mother chose to wait in front.

Not long after, he came back out with a man who was a little old. As soon as he met, mother immediately ran in, welcoming him.

"Father!" call mother. "Hania misses Papa."

"What are you here for?" ask the man who turned out to be my grandfather.

"Hania wants to stay with Papa. Hania regrets having opposed Papa. Now Hania realizes that Hans is not a good man for Hania."

"You mean?"

"Pa, Hania will part with Hans because he doesn't really love Hania."

"And Papa said from the tribe, but you did not hear Papa's words. Because your mother has to leave us all with deep sadness!"

"Pa, forgive Hania."

"You really won't regret it?"

"Who is that boy?"

"That's Anjani Pa. His son Hania,"

"So Hans, too, right? What did you bring him here for?"

"Anjani her son Hania, Pa."

"Hania, if you really want to go back to living with Papa, you should also throw away all things related to that man."

"I mean Papa, what?"

"Dump the kid."

"Pa!"

"Papa doesn't care, Hania. Papa does not want in the future he will trouble us. If the boy is still with you, the boy will come back with his daughter's excuse."

"But Hania can't be far from Anjani!"

"You think Papa and Mama can be far from our only daughter? No Hania. But for nine years you stayed away from us just because of that man!"

"Pa, I'm sorry Hania. Whatever Hania will do as long as not to ask Hania to return Anjani to her father. Hania can't, Pa!"

"Then go away for good. Papa doesn't want to deal with you anymore."

"Pa, don't drive out Hania. Now Hania has no one but Papa and Anjani."

"Can't Hania, you have to choose. Papa or the boy!"

"Pa ..." mother cried, trying to kneel before grandfather while begging to take him back. But grandfather did not care, he instead pushed hard mother to be thrown with her head hit the table.

In front of me, my mother lay unconscious with her head covered in blood. But instead of pity, grandfather just stared coldly at his daughter.

"Mother!" I screamed as I approached my mother's body. As much as I shook my mother's body to keep her eyes open, but my efforts were in vain, she was still unconscious.

"Open!" grandpa called someone. "Take this kid out of my house right now!"

"Okay sir!" the man named Opick immediately carried my body.

"Detach .. release. Anjani wants to be with Mom!" my peek.

The man didn't care, he kept walking towards the car, then put me in the back seat. Then drive the car away from grandpa's house.

"Where's this? Anjani wants to be with Mom. Don't take Anjani away!" my yelling.

"Be quiet, little boy, or I'll kill you!" said the man.

The threat kept me quiet. While crying I continued to look at the grandfather's house which was disappearing from my sight for a long time. Where are they taking me? Are they gonna take me to Dad? Then what about mom? Mother's head was bleeding. Mom passed out. Is mom going to be okay?

My crying is getting louder. I don't know why I regretted ever praying to have a grandfather. Not all grandfathers are good. Like my grandfather who was different from Dino and Felli's grandfather.

The road I was going through was getting further and further. I don't know the area we're going through. It only felt the air getting colder and colder until my netra caught the image of the jicama fruit statue, then I fell asleep because I was tired of crying.

***

Slowly, I felt my body being moved. When I opened my eyes, I saw the old man drop me off his car. He put me on the ground. Then hurry up.

"Uncle, don't go. Don't leave Anjani!" I said.

I was scared when I looked around. There was no one, other than the pine trees on the left and right.

"This where? Dad, mom!" Call me.

The cold air made me shiver a little. Then sneezing. What is this place? How can I go home? My crying broke again. I'm afraid of being in a foreign place like this. I'm scared away from my mom and dad. Why did Grandpa beat me up? What wrong?