Behind the Eyes of INDIGO
Tohpati

Three days after the hospitalization, Aji's father was finally allowed to go home. Alia was very happy because her papa was declared healthy.

Ms. Mia and Mr. Aji came home in a Charter car and brought their belongings, while Alia came home on her motorcycle.

Once at home, Ms. Mia immediately laid Mr. Aji in the room and Alia took a drink for the two of them.

"Alia you take care of papa first well, mama wants to see Sita"

Alia nodded while Ms. Mia went to see her youngest child at the grandmother's house.

Mia was amazed when she found the house of Grandma Imah empty and there was no one.

"Where is this?" mummified Bu Mia.

"Eh, Miss Mia's home from the hospital?"

Suddenly a neighbor passed by and greeted Mia.

"Ah yes Mom, this is just now. Want to nyari Sita but here there is no one" explained Ms. Mia.

"Oh Bu Mia doesn't know well that if Grandma Wanda is sick again, they might go there"

"So, thank you, ma'am"

The mother left after giving information to Ms. Mia.

Grandma Wanda is a cousin of Mbah Arsa, you could say she is his cousin's sister, so there is still a sibling bond though far away. Wanda's grandmother was an elderly widow with no children, her husband died when she was young and decided not to remarry. She has only one sister, Sasi's grandmother, she also has the same fate as Wanda's grandmother, an old widow and no children.

They both live in one very simple house and take care of each other. During this time who often visited them only Bu Mia and grandmother Imah, because their other siblings were far away and had never even come to visit them.

Ms. Mia was already considered like their own child, once Alia and Sita, they were already like her grandchildren.

Ms. Mia went straight to Wanda's grandmother's house not far from her home. After walking for about five minutes he arrived.

"Assynoltom..."

"Goddessalam..."

Ms. Mia went inside and found Grandma Wanda lying limp on her bed.

"Mama!" Sita immediately approached Mia and hugged her.

"Mia, is your husband home, son?" grandma Imah was shocked when she saw her son following. Bu Mia simply nodded answering grandmother Imah's question.

"What pain did she have?" ask Mia Ma.

"Something like a stroke, half of his body is numb"

"Oh my God, what a pity"

The atmosphere became silent, they did not say much, the two old widows could only accept their fate. Ms. Mia sat down next to Grandma Wanda and massaged her legs slowly. He intended to calm Grandma Wanda's heart to be ready to accept this ordeal.

After a long time there, Ms. Mia remembered her husband who had just returned from the hospital. He said goodbye and promised to come back tomorrow morning.

_____------_____

"Where is my mom from? long time ago" Alia grumbled after a long time her mother just returned.

"Sorry dear Mama went to Grandma Wanda's house, she was sick"

"What pain?"

Ms. Mia also told all that experienced by Wanda's grandmother, Alia so feel sorry because considering they do not have offspring that can be relied on to care for them when sick.

"Well, actually why they don't have kids. And her husband died young, which could be just as fateful"

Ms. Mia also invited Alia to go into her room and chat there hoping that no one else would hear.

"So they had a deadly birthmark"

Alia became increasingly confused by her mother's statement. She just kept quiet hoping that her mother would continue the story soon.

Ms. Mia said that Wanda's grandmother when she was young married first than her brother, Sasi's grandmother. Not one month after they married her husband died mysteriously, because Wanda's grandmother loved her husband so much that she decided not to marry again.

If Sasi's grandmother, she was married twice, but the fate is the same as Wanda's grandmother, her husband died.

They both have a toh (sign of birth full of meaning) that is blackish-red in color on his body.

Their Javanese elders used to call it Tohpati (which brings badness).

They believe that a stealth snake resides behind it. When they get married and get in touch, the snake will come out and kill the woman's husband.

"Oh my goodness, but that's not their wish"

"Yes my mom knows, but it's also fate"

"Then will all the women who have the same fate?"

"As long as they can find the right partner, that can change"

"What do you mean, I don't understand"

"You know Jonah sir?"

"What's Mushola?"

Mia tells Alia that Jonah's wife also has Tohpati, but she manages to get rid of him.

Alia became increasingly curious how Sir Jonah could dispose of the Tohpati.

Ma'am Mia said that Yunus sir did tirakat/fasting for 40 days and also patigeni (remove from all worldly pleasures, stay in the room or do not go out, reduce the use of light, and so on, be it a lamp or a fire, and use all that time to pray and recite).

Then on the 40th night he would lay his wife naked and pray beside her. He continued to pray until the snake came out of the wife's body and caught her with his bare hands.

The snake was no ordinary snake, only people who had been tirakat and patigeni for 40 days could see it. Then Jonah put the snake in a bottle and threw it away.

The next morning, he could see that the blackish-red mark was gone from the wife's body and could lead a normal married life.

"People who can do that must not be random people huh mah" said Alia.

"Of course, only high believers can do it"

"But isn't Jonah sir his only adopted son?"

"Well, maybe God predestined them not to have children of their own. In reality the wife of Jonah was barren, and she also died of illness"

"What a pity Jonah sir, he must have loved his wife very much"

Ma Mia then looked at Alia, she fell silent for a moment and said "Alia!"

"What!?" Alia was shocked to hear her mother's words. He immediately thought of the no-no because he had heard the story that conveyed his name. He became thinking if he did not find a suitable person then he would have the same fate as Grandma Wanda and grandmother Sasi.

"But mah, I never saw in my body such a sign!"

"You don't think anything weird! yes, my mother wants to give medicine to your papa"

Ms. Mia came out of Alia's room, while Alia was still silent and thought about her mother's words.

"I have one too? my fate..."