CUTS
CORPSE...

Five men, three women and three toddlers were lying in the mortuary of an army hospital. I saw one by one the bodies were accompanied by Rendra.

There was a soldier who was in charge of removing their face coverings. I saw the first body that was opened and then I looked at Rendra while shaking my head. Then he led me to the second body and it wasn't until we stopped at the third body and yes.that's my brother, Teuku Muhammad Ilham.

I sobbed at the figure who had long since left the house. The figure that used to always take care of me even he very often pranks me and irritates me. Now the figure is gone, I don't know what to say to Abu and Umi.

My tears were getting louder and my chest stifled until suddenly I was in the arms of a man. "Don't cry corpse, pray for him. You have to be strong, there's still a body you have to see next." I tried to wipe away the tears and then escape from her embrace. For a moment I felt calm in there but I realized something I did not deserve to do.

He led me back to see the next body. "Astag." I flinched when the cover cloth was opened. That stiffened body was my sister-in-law. "They have two children." I looked at Rendra. As if understanding, Rendra led me to the next body. I shook my head after seeing the body of the child. Then we headed to the next body and..."This is Bang Ilham's first child, his second child is still a baby." Rendra nodded, I kissed my nephew's forehead before Rendra took me out of the room.

"You must be strong, after this your responsibilities will be even greater." Said Rendra who was walking beside me.

We walked down a long hospital corridor until Rendra stopped in a different room. This room does not look like a hospital room. Lots of toys and decorations in it. We went inside and headed to a room. There were a lot of kids in here and we stopped in front of a glass room. A nurse came out to bring a baby to us. "This baby is in your sister-in-law's arms, it looks like your sister deliberately sacrificed herself for this baby. Do you still remember?"

I looked at the baby, "Yes, I remember. He was Bang Ilham's baby son." I then reached out and asked the sister to carry her. The nurse gave the baby after getting a nod of the head from Rendra. "You're a baby but you're an orphan." I said with tears that came out on their own.

"He should be treated here first because it seems like he was poorly maintained while living there. He's also been immunized." I'm not arguing because the truth is like that. "Sorry Dek, what's this baby's name?" Ask the nurse.

God, I forgot to ask my sister-in-law. "Teuku Muhammad Nur." Rendra looked at me, "That crossed my head." My words made Rendra smile. The three-month-old baby was very handsome, he looked a lot like my brother. "Teuku Muhammad Nur, now you will be taken care of by this beautiful aunt huh!" Said Rendra while kissing Teuku's cheek which is still in my sling.

Degs....

My feeling is not good, Rendra's face is very close to me, even the smell of his body is very felt in my sense of smell. "We'll take her home later, now let the sisters here take care of her first. Psychically he was quite surprised as the gun contact went on." The sisters took Teuku back in my arms at Rendra's order.

I kissed her cheek before she walked in with the nurse into the baby room. "When can the body be brought home?" I asked to see Rendra.

"Tomorrow, are you ready to say this to your parents?"

"They were prepared at all costs when they found out that their son was with the rebels." We walked towards the armored vehicle that would escort us back to the base.

"May I know what the story is until there's gun contact?" I asked when we were on our way.

"Their base on the hill was shot with a missile from the air. Everything was destroyed but after inspection it turned out that the headquarters was empty. We went back for a sweep and it turns out they met an army coming from another direction."

"Why did we have gun contact? What, when they're surrounded, you're still shooting at him?" Rendra looked at me sharply.

"Cut, we were sent here not to kill. Our job is to catch them, when they fight with what weapons do we have to wait to be shot first by them? It's legal in war if you don't shoot it will be shot." Rendra's words this time were a little upset but I didn't care.

"From the two bodies of the man, was one of them a man who proposed to you?" Ask Rendra back.

Rendra no longer spoke to me until the vehicle we were riding in stopped. Rendra led me to Abu and Umi's room.

"Assalamualaik." Our spoken.

"Guildingsalam, Cut." I approached Umi and hugged her. "Mom, Umi, there's something Cut wants to say." I looked at the two but I had not yet started, Abu asked first.

"When can the body be brought home?" Ask Abu to Rendra.

"Tomorrow, Sir."

I looked at Abu and Umi with astonishment. How did Abu know that Bang Ilham was dead?

"He came to see Abu with his wife and first child. He apologized to Abu and Umi." Replied Amak with tears. Abu looked sad but remained calm. "Tomorrow morning, we will take the father of the family with the corpse to the village. Cut, you can stay here, your stuff will be delivered here. Excuse me first." Rendra disappeared behind the door.

After a few minutes, Rendra left, the door opened again. Some people brought one bed and my things. "Thank you." I said as I received the bag containing the clothes.

"Whose bag is this? I don't have a bag." My inner.

I opened the bag and was surprised to see the contents. There are several books on life and self-motivation and a veil and a mucena. "What's Cut?" Ask Umi.

"No, Umi. Cut's looking at a book."

"Book, when did you buy the book?"

"Umi's free books, here are many books that we can take for free." I'm not completely lying, am I? This book is free because I buy it with money people do not know.

After the magrib prayer congregated at the headquarters musalla, I immediately returned to the room. I'm curious about the book. I love reading, one of my hobbies is reading. Everything I read, from the old newspapers used to wrap cloth in the market or children's books SD in the village that is no longer used. That's why I can speak Indonesian fluently and fluently.

Abu and Umi are still in Musalla waiting for Isya. I can read the book calmly. An envelope appears behind the middle page of the book.

I opened the envelope.

And....

***

LIKES....LIKES....LIKES....