BLOOD PASSAGE
The House of Sri Weningsih
Kevin stopped his car when we got to a house on stilts with signboards in front of a wooden fence that read Sri Weningsih House. That sentence was able to make me gulp my saliva in discomfort. We all finally got out of the car and unpacked our belongings in the trunk of the car. The lira with a fiery step, immediately shouted in front of the house that looked lonely.
“ASSALAMUALAIKUM, MOM. ANNEX, THIS IS LIR”
“BU ANIH”
After shouting with all his might finally the lira stopped and chose to sit on a bench made of bamboo whose size could accommodate all of us at once the goods we carried.
“The page is clean, and also well maintained. It is very unlikely that this house has no occupants”
Dion said so and then moved from his seat and looked up at the mango tree in front of the house owned by the family.
“Yes, what is bu anih not at home ya bi?”
Lira asked me which I only answered with a headband not knowing sign.
“Then we have to how?”
Fika asked with a slow intonation and laid her body on this bamboo bench, followed by kak naisyah.
“We just wait a few minutes”
We who are women nod, while Dion and brother kevin choose to sit on the trunk under the mango tree. A few minutes passed by and there was no sign of anyone or anyone coming out of the house. The neighbors in the house also no one showed up, how loud the lira called out to him. Lira already wanted to go up to the stage house but before her intention was carried out, Dion's index finger made us all turn back.
“Whose are you?”
I glanced at the lira as she instantly developed her smile, and sprang into the arms of a mother who might be older than her mother.
“Lira has been here. But mother does not exist. Mother where?”
You all crucified the middle-aged woman in front of us who was none other than maam anih, the mother of sri weningsih.
“Are you lira anyway? you're already this big now, son. Mother of rice fields, delivering food to husband mother”
Lira just smiled in response to Mom's words.
“You guys are busy coming here, but the house of little mother.it's okay?”
We all nodded and followed the footsteps of the mother into the house.
“You're here first, I made a boiled sweet potato. Momentarily get me”
Maid stepped into the room and climbed through a small staircase inside the house. While we are busy arranging the items we carry neatly in one place. A few minutes passed and froth back to our place with a tray containing tea and boiled yam. A very good meal to eat especially our trip here which although not far but still draining energy. I said a word of thanks to the mother who is now beside me and the mother just smiled while telling me to take another boiled sweet potato. After lunch with boiled yams and a glass of warm tea. We who are women finally choose to rest for a moment and lay down the body on the mattress on the first floor of the stilt house owned by foam.
“I'm so full, that I want to fall asleep”
We all nodded in response to Naisyah's words. The satiety left my eyes gradually closed and we all ended up sleeping in a very chaotic position.
...
A small clock hanging on a triplex board shows exactly two o'clock. I stretched my body and stood towards the outside of the back of the house where the bathroom was. I washed my face and shivered softly feeling the coldness of the water touching my skin. Ah it feels so fresh. I said so and went straight back into the house. I ran into Naisyah's sister in the doorway who said she was peeing. I just smiled as I continued my steps and met the fika and lira who were sitting next to each other on the edge of the bed.
“I'm very sleepy, but if sleep continues it may not be the right choice”
I smiled in response to Fika's words.
“You've woken up bi?”
Lira asked me with eyes that were still hard to open normally.
“Not really, but I've washed my face with water. So I'm not sleepy anymore”
I opened my eyes wide in front of the lira.
“Then I also want to go to bathroom”
Lira was already standing but I immediately withdrew her hand.
“In the bathroom there is kak naisyah, so you just wait here first”
Lira nodded and sat back languidly at the edge of the bed.
I asked the two people who were in front of me now.
“The idea is to go outside the streets or just breathe fresh air in the area here”
Lira immediately raised her thumb right at the hadapaan fika which made fika directly widen her eyes.
“Jeez I'm surprised to know ra”
Fika rubbed her chest slowly.
“For serious chat what is it?”
Naisyah's new voice made us all look straight at her.
“Magain think of the right plan to make up for this time kak”
“Good idea tuh”
Naisyah immediately pulled out a small wooden chair inside the house and sat in front of us all.
“Do you have any ideas?”
I asked a question to kak naisyah while kak naisyah just held her chin while looking up.
“Maybe a walk to the rice fields owned by bu anih it's exclamation”
We all looked at each other and with just one nod of our heads we agreed on the idea of kak naisyah.
...
I came out of the house and met brother kevin and dion who were helping foam anih drying mangoes that had been cut into small pieces.
“This what bu?”
The lira who was probably the first to see such a thing immediately asked bu anih.
“This is a mango whose mother has cut the lira. I want to sunbathe this, so that it can be used as a ingredient in” cuisine
“Cupper ingredients?”
Lira who returned confused then asked questions again to ma'am anih.
“Iya. Usually if there is a fish that my mother's husband bought in the market, then the mangoes that have dried this mother made as a substitute for asam”
Lira nodded, and after the question was no longer there she helped bu anih to hang the young mangoes.
“Bu the plan I'm with friends want to go to the rice fields, all streets”
“Iya please, mom will also go there. But if you want to go wait until the afternoon, if it is still this hour we go there is still very hot once”
We all nodded in unison, and continued to help the foam back. Time went by quickly after spending some time drying some young mangoes that had been cut into pieces, we got ready to go to the rice fields.
“Oh yes ma'am, lira was screaming in front of mom's house. But, none of the mother's neighbors went out of the house or felt disturbed. What is on the right and left side of this house no occupants?”
Lira asked as she walked slowly beside the foam.
“There are children, but usually the mothers of the residents of the house when the morning go to pick tea in the garden. And just came home when Adzan maghrib. If for her husband her job is the same as husband's mother is to take care of and keep the rice fields”
Ma'am Anih said slowly and we all nodded our heads to understand the words of ma'am anih.
“If mom herself after delivering food to rice fields for dad, mom is only at home?”
Ma'am shook her head and smiled.
“No mom usually also go to the tea garden after delivering food for dad. Mother chose to work as a tea leaf picker so as not to get bored and just at home continue. But since you guys are here maybe mom will just stay home for a few days”
We all smiled and walked enthusiastically to the rice fields owned by the husband of Bu anih. Today in a very warm afternoon we will spend a pleasant time playing in the rice fields.
...