AWAKENED
Three: The Plan

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This story is just fictitious. All events that occur are free authors' essays, not actually occurring in the places and locations mentioned......

In this century, humans have been able to reach anything with the technology that is constantly developing, including being able to easily find addresses and places to go.

In a modest house with wooden walls, Salfa and Kinara enjoy host-made ginger tea.

A woman's eyes continued to look on in wonder, what made the two girls come to her house all the way. Among them, there was one more girl. A gray white uniform that is dried in the yard of the house, simply explains its age range. Surprisingly, the girl's gaze seemed unfriendly to her two uninvited guests.

"Anyway, would you like to ask for a donation?" ketus the girl, make Salfa and Kinara stuck. "Don't see what, we're poor people? Still asking for donations?"

"Fine!" the jolt of the mother who then directed her gloating smile at Salfa and Kinara. "Sorry, Teteh-Tea. My son likes to talk."

"So, what's up?" connect the mother again.

Here was the great dilemma filling the hearts of Salfa and Kinara. Both of them could not explain the purpose of their arrival. Wrinkles on the mother's face add to the restlessness of both. But anyway, it's been so far. This spontaneous. It is impossible to return without fulfilling their purpose.

"Mom, sorry. Really sorry. I wanted to ask before. What in Jakarta, besides the husband, the mother has a brother or other relatives?" salfa asked with no heart. "Why—why am I being mandated, Mom? W-if I was the one who was asked to tell you, doesn't that mean that the police can't find any of you?"

Realizing her sentence was very messy, Salfa closed with clenched hands. He doesn't know how to say it. His chest, it felt like being stabbed by a knife in a row. Pain, tightness, everything became a unit that made him want to shout loudly.

There, then Kinara held the hand of Salfa who was still firmly in the head. Wishing it could provide an invisible force of support for all. His eyes turned to look at the mother who was frowning confused. Kinara knew, with her holding her chest, that she must have started to understand something unusual.

"Seehe what the hell does that mean? It's not clear pisan!" sahut Pak Karni's daughter with a bad tone.

"Gini, Deck, Mom. We do not understand ourselves, how can you until now not know anything. But clearly, we came here." Kinara lowered her head to hang her sentence. "W-we, bring word about Mr. Karni."

I don't know if it's just the feeling of Salfa or indeed it is the thing that the mother had expected. His reaction was like one who had not heard anything, but had resigned. Salfa only saw the mother who until that moment he did not know her name.

"Every night I dream of my husband. He didn't say anything. Just stand up, shut up, smile at me. But I could see, my husband was sad," said the mother, her eyes already glazed over. "My husband why, Tea?"

Hearing that, Salfa shed his tears. He was completely powerless to hold back his cries anymore. Kinara who was sitting next to him also wiped away tears for a moment before turning to Fina, Pak Karni's son. His expression was shocked after hearing the mother's words. "Mother why?"

Slowly in disbelief, Kinara replied, "Sir Karni died, Dek. Six days ago."

Fina pegged for a moment. Half of him wanted to be angry right then and there, but his heart seemed to forbid. The reason he was surprised to hear that his mother dreamed of his father every day, was because he also experienced the same thing. "No way. It's a lie, right?"

Both Salfa and Kinara shook their heads, their cries still continuing.

"I'm the same mother I don't know who you are! Come and give you bad news, you wish we believed?!"

Just about to explain, Salfa found the presence of Mr. Karni on one side of the house. Slowly, he approached. The closer, the closer. A few seconds later, Salfa's body flinched. Spontaneous Kinara, Pak Karni's wife, and Fina looked in surprise.

Salfa looked down, feeling that he was no longer a Salfa. A moment ago, Mr. Karni darted like he hit him. Now, it felt like he had a view that was the answer to all his questions. What it felt like was a person watching a documentary video.

He saw Mr. Karni was walking, trading like every day, and without realizing his wallet fell. All important cards, be it ID card or SIM, are in the wallet. It happened just a few days before the fateful incident happened to Mr. Karni. Then, Salfa saw how the owner of the contract drove Mr. Karni away one day, made him sleep in one of the restaurants that at night, he worked washing dishes and was given a residence permit there as payment.

"Sal's? Salfa?" occasionally he heard Kinara's voice faintly. "Salfa?"

A moment later, his gaze quickly continued. He saw that Mr. Karni never gave a definite answer as to where he lived whenever asked. His reticent attitude, making him always answer 'contract', as well as when it is no longer contracted, the answer is always the same.

"Hahhh!!" erang Salfa when he opened his eyes again. A moment ago, it felt like something was blowing out of him. After seeing Mr. Karni who suddenly was in front of him, Salfa only realized, that earlier, Mr. Karni who entered into him. Unlike the time at Pak Aji's house the other day when he was possessed. Which now, he seemed to be able to control, moreover, Mr. Karni did not intend to take over his body, but only limited to stop by.

This is called mediumization.

"Sal's? You're not papa, are you?" panicked Kinara whose face had turned pale.

"This is why the real Teteh? My question has not been answered and it is not clear!" sulk Fina because she felt so fed up.

Salfa's gaze then alternately scanned Fina and her mother. "Sir Karni's wallet is gone, ma'am. All the cards and all the important cards are gone. That was about three days before the incident. That's why the police can't trace his family to tell."

Mr. Karni's wife and Fina looked at each other, Salfa understood the meaning of their questioning gaze. "Where does Teteh know? I am tired of it. Now go away! GO!" drive Fina away with her jolt. "DON'T COME BACK HERE AGAIN!"

Salfa and Kinara who were already standing were still reluctant to get out of the house. Even now Salfa stared pleading with Mr. Karni's wife who had been silent since.

"Bustusan Mr. Karni, look at me, ma'am! He stayed at the restaurant because he was evicted from the contract. No one knows where Mr. Karni lives, and the people in his rented neighborhood no one knows where Mr. Karni is! For God's sake, I'm not lying! Trust me!"

The mother, who seemed to be consumed by her daughter's words, when her logic overcame the premonition of the heart that had originally believed what the two girls before her had said, then spoke up. "Where could my husband have lived in a restaurant and been evicted from the contract? My husband works in the office, Tea! If the situation is as Teteh said, it is impossible for my husband to send money every month."

This time not only Salfa, but Kinara also shook her head, indicating that what Pak Karni's wife said was a big mistake.

"Pak Karni, in Jakarta is not an office job, ma'am. I'm sorry, but he's a hawker." said Kinara.

"And every night work at the restaurant where he lives with half the salary, because half of it is he is allowed to live in the restaurant" said Salfa. His memory then led him to what the grandfathers who gave Mr. Karni's address said. "Pak Karni there willing to eat only white rice, so he can send money here. Mr. Karni can never be honest, perhaps because you don't want to be disappointed."

The crying then broke. Fina immediately rushed into her mother's embrace. Believe not believe, but it feels like their little hearts believe everything that Salfa and Kinara say, because of the dreams they experience every day.

"Twenty years, Fin. Twenty years old, you're living there.." said the mother in her tears. "Where can I not know all that for twenty years, Fin…?"

"Father.." - Shout Fina with a sob in her mother's arms.

Salfa saw Mr. Karni crying, hugging his son and wife without them being able to feel. It was the height of the pain that Salfa felt when he witnessed all this. He could clearly feel how sorry Mr. Karni had been harboring lies for twenty years.

Kinara, who was still crying, grabbed Salfa. There, who was embraced to see Mr. Karni approaching him, and said, "If I knew when I would die, I would choose to come back here. My last breath next to my wife and kids. I'm just sorry. My ambition of not wanting to go home as a failed person made me lie for so long. Thank you, Neng. Thanks for everything. Now I can go."

●●●●

In the living room with blue wall paint, gather one family with a very noticeable tension. In fact, Vin who did not know anything could judge that this was a serious matter. The familiar face of the man he called Om Dody seemed restless with a stiffened jaw, as well as the woman he called Aunt Nilam.

You could say the Salfa, Kinara, and Vin families already know each other because they are neighbors of one RT. The familiarity of the three makes the three families each familiar as well. So, when Salfa seemed to be in trial, there was no problem even though Kinara and Vin were there.

"Where can you, Sal? How can it?!" asked Dody in a high tone. There, Salfa knew, when the father called him by name, it signified that his father was angry. Normally, his father always called him 'Sister'. "Where can you go to Bandung not saying goodbye to parents?!"

"This is why so much is overkill, Dad? Usually I play out of town with my friends?" reply Salfa.

Nilam sighed slowly. "But now the situation is different, brother. You're not the one who used to go anywhere."

"If not forced Salfa also will not go suddenly, Buk."

"But I can tell you the time on the road, Sal," replied Dody.

"Well, I'm great. The proof is now I can get home, all right. I can take care of myself, Dad."

Hearing that, Dody's emotions somewhat decreased. It justifies what Salfa said. Maybe he was overprotective this time. Salfa had also always come to Pak Aji's house every day as he asked, to ask for guidance on the talent that his daughter could get. His name is also old man. Especially a father, worrying about his daughter is common.

"Yes already, maybe this time Dad was overdone. But next time, don't do it again, brother. At least tell me where to go. Don't come home just saying. You usually never like that, so—"

"That's why you should understand that I really had to do that. Try it if suppose I say, you guys will definitely be more thoughtful and I will also not calm down." Salfa was tired of listening to his father talk at length. At first glance he glanced at Wira who was looking at him unwell. He understood that his attitude towards his father was impolite. "Sorry, Dad. Sorry, Buk."

Dody was still fixedly staring at Salfa, this time with a faint smile that hinted that his anger was gone. "You're Dad's responsibility, brother. Of course I'm afraid that you're okay, and I don't know where you are."

It may have seemed very sinful, but for Salfa, seeing his father speak such sincerity made him even more fed up. "Dad, just calm down. So far no one has hurt me more than pa—"

Salfa's words hang when the mother holds his hand. Spontaneous movements from Nilam made Salfa immediately turn his head and understand the signals given. There, Kinara who had been silent since, understood. So does Vin. In fact, Dody also knew that the continued sentence of his daughter who stopped earlier was the word 'Dad'. Once again, Dody gets a slap for the mistakes in his past.

Shortly thereafter, Dody decided to leave the living room. At that time, the look on his face was made as usual as possible. "Yes already, the three of you are hanging out there on the terrace kayak usually. Later Aunt Nilam makes your favorite hot chocolate. Om want to go to the room continued office work that has not been done."

Salfa was silent. His mother's gaze made him die a flea. But Nilam chose not to comment. Although his daughter had just reminded him of the old wounds as well, he could not get angry. However, he understood what Salfa felt when he was a child was very heavy. But Nilam believes, there will come a time when Salfa can forgive Dody.

"Yes, Aunt made a drink first. There is also a sponge, this afternoon Aunt made aided by Wira. Isn't that right, Wir?" said Nilam with a fluffy smile.

And Salfa knew, the smile of his mother, forced.

Walking with an unusual jolt towards the terrace, Salfa then began to sit on the bench closest to the door. Feeling the tightness coming again to his chest. Almost. He almost revealed a sentence that he should not have spoken no matter how big of a mistake his father made. Really, if there were no Kinara and Vin nearby, it was certain that Salfa would cry.

Knowing what Salfa was thinking, Kinara took the initiative to melt the atmosphere. "Eh crazy, I was slapped right now Om Dody said not fit to have just come home and said," he said.

Vin immediately replied. "When if you want to go to South Africa do not say also Nyokap lo ordinary, right?"

"Yes anyway. Uh, Sal. You know not—"

"NO!" sergeant Salfa before Kinara could finish his sentence. His mood is not good at all right now.

"Ih, seriously! Ms. Afifah and Fina since arriving at the boarding house did not stop crying until I lived here. I know I'm trying to catch them. I don't have to, I swear."

Yes, Ms. Afifah is Mr. Karni's wife. She and her son, Fina, went directly to Salfa and Kinara to Jakarta to come to her husband's grave. Ms. Afifah also asked for help to the tomb guard to give a name on the tombstone that was stuck in the cemetery of Mr. Karni. After that, they were given a place to stay at the boarding houses owned by his mother Kinara, before returning to Bandung tomorrow. Kinara, meanwhile, immediately follows Salfa's house to explain their selfless journey.

On the sidelines enjoying chocolate drinks and sponge presented on the terrace table, Vin suddenly sparked an idea. It was unthinkable in his head because he could not bear to see Salfa moody and agitated like now.

"Eh, guys! I have an idea, here. I think we all need a vacation. A lot has happened lately, right? K yuk Island, gas!"

Kinara who was chewing the sponge immediately choked. "Check, uhuk! Is that crazy, huh? Just had the Salfa scolded for going to Bandung, you even want to ngibarin the war flag to Om Dody with ngajak to K Island which is far away inono?"

Another with Kinara, Salfa responded with a sparkling gaze to Vin. "Lo really, Vin. This is I'm almost crazy. I really need entertainment" said Salfa enthusiastically.

Vin pointed at Salfa with two fingers. "Well, as we thought, Sal!" he turned to Kinara. "Absolutely, you don't want to, Ra?"

Not immediately answering, Kinara bit her lower lip, putting on a plain face. "Yes. It's gas!"

Sontak Vin immediately pulled Kinara's nose, making the girl's glasses position so inappropriate. However, not Kinara. A strange murmur appeared in his mind. It was warm to be treated like that by Vin. But, when his logic tries to remember that they are friends since childhood, he chooses to try just plain.

Salfa glanced withholding a smile at Kinara's expression which he thought was strange. He chose silence, as always.

"But, you guys told Nyokap Bokap I did? Convinced they. I'm sure it's okay" Salfa said later. "Somehow, they seem to know that I really want to go there."

"Hopefully yes. To the island was our dream for a long time, please. Next Monday UAS, it's free. It's time for this, when else?" reply Kinara who now turned enthusiastic, as if he had forgotten that he had cursed Vin for his idea.

Simple things like this are what makes Salfa always able to survive. The funny behavior of his friends never failed to make him forget his struggles. The disruption of the holiday idea felt like a way out for all that Salfa felt.

●●●●

Hello everyone, double update again today yeay!! How's this part? I hope you like it, friends. Continue to support AWAKENED with votes and comments^^

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