BROMOCORAS
That Old Man, Back

After Dzuhur Ajimukti prayer is not as usual out of the mosque together with Dullah. This time he was seen ahead of Dullah and walking unsteadily towards a bench under a mango tree in the courtyard of the pesantren mosque.

Ajimukti sat himself half bent with his elbows resting on both knees. Both of his palms were clinging to each other and affixed to him in front of his gritted mouth.

Ajimukti now changes his sitting position, slightly upright and his back rests on the bench. At first glance his gaze was fixed on his left wrist before the view was discarded and finally his head was leaned on the bench. Now his eyes were blankly staring at the clustered white cloud. While his right hand is still seen occasionally stroking something on his left wrist.

Dullah had just come out of the mosque when he found Ajimukti sitting alone on a bench under a mango tree in the courtyard of the pesantren mosque with an expression on my face and seemed to be thinking about something. Even Dullah felt strange to Ajimukti since his meeting with Ajeng earlier.

Dullah walked over to where Ajimukti was sitting by himself.

"Something seems to be thinking, Mas?" Ask Dullah while sitting next to Ajimukti and light his cigarette.

Ajimukti just smiled and sighed but did not change his sitting position.

"I've seen it since I met Prastowo's son. Mas Aji looks like that. Is there something, Mas?" Ask Dullah again.

"Nothing, Lek." Ajimukti now holds his head up.

The answer is flat and sounds very heavy. Dullah is not so sure that there is nothing.

"Even when the sampeyan can hide all the problems from Sibu, the sampeyan still can not hide it from me, Mas." Said Dullah slightly insinuating Ajimukti.

Ajimukti looks smiling wryly. Then he grabbed a cigarette in his pocket.

"Maybe right, Lek. I too can't hide anything from the sampeyan." Say Ajimukti while lighting his cigarette.

"And for times I was confused." Ajimukti.

Dullah turned to Ajimukti who was enjoying his cigarette smoke while his fingers were agile to play a cigarette.

"Does this have anything to do with Ajeng his son Prastowo?" Ask Dullah then.

Ajimukti sighed, "No, Lek."

"But since meeting Ajeng earlier, the attitude of the sampeyan began to look different." Dullah protested.

"This has nothing to do with Ajeng, Lek. Precisely thanks to Ajeng I know something. And I honestly don't understand any of this. Even with myself, Lek." Ajimukti.

Dullah looked at Ajimukti inside. Indeed, it seemed like something was weighing on the thoughts of the young man beside him.

"Just tell me, Mom!" Pinta Dullah while patting Ajimukti's shoulder.

Again Ajimukti was heard sighing, "This is about Habiba, Lek?" Ajimukti's voice sounded soft.

Dullah who heard that smiled immediately. "From the beginning means right, doesn't it? From when you've been wearing that bracelet?"

Ajimukti raised his left hand and looked at the kaoka bracelet tied to his left wrist.

"Yes, Lek. This bracelet is Habiba who gave it to me time." Ajimukti said he still looked at the kaoka bracelet.

"Time in the competition?" Dullah.

Ajimukti just nodded lightly.

"Did Mas Aji really love Ning Biba?" Ask Dullah full of investigation.

Ajimukti laughs, "Come, Lek. I am confused too. Whether to deny it or deny it."

Dullah understood the position of Ajimukti at this time. Nor did he know what to give input.

"Kemarin Ajeng told me that Habiba had been asked by one of the students here. His father santri directly met Kyai Aminudin and promised the construction of a princess cottage if the proposal was accepted by the Habiba." Ajimukti in a heavy voice told him everything he knew from Ajeng this morning.

Dullah slightly frowned, "Who is that santri, Mas?" Ask Dullah a little curious.

Ajimukti shook his head, "I don't know, Lek. Because even Habiba did not tell who santri was meant to be."

Dullah thought for a moment, then frowned again, "Is it possible that the Budi, Mas? All the santri here would know how obsessed she was with Ning Biba."

"I thought the same thing, Lek. My hunch also leads to Budi." Sahut Ajimukti again lowered his body as his original position.

"Then that became the mind of Mas Aji at this time. About the santri proposal or is it about the initial plan of Mas Aji who in the end is faced with the feelings of Mas Aji?" Ask Dullah to investigate.

Ajimukti once again sighed, "I want to focus on the original plan, Lek. I don't want this feeling to ultimately get in the way of my original plan, Lek. Because I realized that I did have different feelings for Habiba after the story of Ajeng. And when I realized something was going on in my heart, my mind split over my original plan. And honestly..." Ajimukti stopped his speech for a moment.

Dullah waited anxiously.

"To be honest since I realized that feeling I was scared, Lek." Ajimukti again sighed.

Dullah rubbed Ajimukti's shoulders, trying to calm him down even though he knew this was difficult for him at the moment.

"I'm sure God will make way for Mas Aji to overcome this." Said Dullah later.

Ajimukti just re-enforced his sitting position and slightly threw a smile towards Dullah.

At the same time, Manan came to stop the conversation Dullah and Ajimukti this afternoon. His hunting breath seemed like he had run out.

"Why are you, Nan? Like we've been chased by a demon." Sapa Dullah saw Manan slightly regulating his breathing.

Dullah and Ajimukti immediately looked towards Manan simultaneously.

"Where, Nan?" Sahut Ajimukti fast.

"Next to the food stall. He's wearing a hat. I watched him for quite a while. Make sure his father snatched it or not." Manan.

"We're there, Mas." Take Dullah to Ajimukti.

"Come, Lek!" Ajimukti quickly stepped behind Manan.

Not long after they arrived at the stall that Manan meant.

"Where, Nan?" Dullah asked curiously.

"There, Lek!" Point Manan towards the big tree by the roadside.

"Where, Nan? Who is not who?" Dullah and Ajimukti look wild looking for the person Manan means.

"There it was, Lek. He's behind that tree." Manan assured.

"Maybe he's moved on, Lek. Never mind, maybe another time." Sahut Ajimukti later.

"I'm sure he's not far, Jik. How about we split up to find him?" Manan's proposal later.

"But don't I know the guy yet, Nan?" Said Dullah plainly.

Manan immediately patted his forehead, "Oh yes."

"Look at this, Lek. Lek Dul with Manan there I go there!" Say Ajimukti while pointing in two different directions.

"But not papa, Mom. Sampeyan himself?" Ask Dullah a little worried.

"No papa, Lek. Trust me." Ajimukti.

"Yes, then. Come on, Nan." Dullah and Manan immediately stepped quickly in the direction Ajimukti pointed at. Ajimukti in the opposite direction.

"He shouldn't be far, Lek." Manan reassured.

"Ease we can find him and find out what he really means." Sahut Dullah among his hunting breath.

Meanwhile, Ajimukti who searched in different directions had not found any sign of the father's existence.

When Ajimukti set his eyes in several directions without him expecting an old man suddenly appeared from behind the wall.

"Sampeyan must be looking for me?" Ask the old man later.

Ajimukti terbalak and was shocked when the father arrived suddenly appeared.

"How did you know?" Ask Ajimukti later.

The man smiled and walked towards Ajimukti. Ajimukti is still calm but he is also alert if something he does not want happens.

"Just calm down young man. I have no evil intent. Instead, I deliberately wanted to meet this sampeyan just because I wanted to thank you. If there's no chance, I don't know what my wife's fate is anymore." The father slightly lowered his body. Ajimukti was a little sure that this father did not have any evil intentions towards him.

"Then why do you look after me? And even hit my friend?" Ask Ajimukti has begun to master the situation.

The father smiled, "There are actually some things I want to tell you. But among all those issues, I would like to ask a little help to get you back!" Said the father then.

Ajimukti frowned, "Help? What help is kira? Do you need money back?" Ask Ajimukti full of astonishment.

The man shook his head, "Not a young man. The money that I gave the other day was not able to change. And I promise I'll definitely return it." The father sounded sincere.

"That's it, sir. I sincerely give it and do not want you to replace it." Sahut Ajimukti "But if I may ask. If it wasn't about money, what would I do for you?" Ajimukti wants to immediately pay off his current curiosity.

Meanwhile, Manan and Dullah are. They still continued to observe in various directions to look for the old man, but even today there was no sign of their efforts.

"It doesn't seem to be this way, Lek. We've come this far enough. If it had been this way, we would have found it by now." Manan then said.

"I thought so too, Nan. Is it possible that Mas Aji actually met my man huh, Nan?" Dullah was again worried.

"Come, Lek. But we better get to Ajik." Manan's Proposal

Dullah simply nodded and then turned around and rushed to find where Ajimukti was at the moment.

Sure enough, when finally they both saw Ajimukti talking to someone whose characteristics as told Manan earlier.

"That's the guy, Lek!" Manan exclaimed at Dullah by speeding up his pace

Dullah did not want to lose.

"Mas Aji!!!" Seru Dullah once he was not far from where Ajimukti stood.

But Dullah stopped his steps. Her eyes widened. For a moment his heart beat faster. He felt like he was falling into a dream. Disbelief in what was seen before his eyes made his body harden and stiffen instantly.

Seriate...