CUTS
My brother's...

As usual after the sublime I was preparing for the study but my steps stopped when some soldiers were already standing in front of my house.

"We want to see Father." Say it firmly.

I looked into his eyes and then went back into the house. They followed me in tampa with permission. "Mother is praying." I said.

One of them looked straight into Abu's room then gave a small nod at the person I thought was his boss.

I'm confused by the situation right now, the man I think their boss looks at me. I was terrified, let alone their faces looking creepy. I kept my head down hoping my parents would leave the room.

"Where are you now?"

Degs....

What do I have to answer, I'm confused. "D-in the pesantren." I answered a little nervous.

"What's his name?" His voice was very intimidating.

"Teu Muhammad Ilham."

"How long has he been at the boarding school?"

"From graduating SD."

"Now it must be an adult, is there a picture of him?" I shook my head. We live in the village, the photos we have are just photos for the degree.

Abu and Umi exited the room, I heaved a sigh of relief and the person I thought was 'Boss' glanced at as I sighed.

"Where is the son of the school?"

"Sd Subdistrict, sir." Answer Abu.

The 'Boss' gave the code to his men to the back of the house.

"He's in school until he's finished?"

"D-yes."

"Can I see the diploma?"

Abu was terrified when they asked for a diploma. Nervously Abu went back into the room followed by some of the 'Boss' men'. They were looking for other photos but nothing because we never took pictures.

Abu gave my brother's degree to the 'Boss'. I forgot, apparently there's a picture of my brother. The boss looked carefully at my brother's face and then looked at me. Maybe he's matching our faces.

A man ran from behind. "And." Call the men and then show some patchouli leaves that turned out to have blood spots.

The boss was staring at Abu sharply. Abu was terrified, his body was trembling just like me and Umi. "Father is old, I wouldn't be rude if you were honest. I also have a parent who always prays for his son to return safely. Just like you might not want your son to be a rebel. But these children are actually consumed by their irresponsible seduction. When the son of the Father is injured what are those who have managed to invite the son of the Father to help? Nothing helps the lower-level rebels like your son. All they get is hurt and torture and away from the family." The words of the 'Boss' were able to make Abu and Umi's tears spill. They held back the crying.

"Did you see the face of your son? Our guess, your son is the leader of the rebels in this area. He was known by the name 'Pang Sagoe'."

The 'Boss' aligned his body with Abu who was sitting limp on the ground with Umi. "Does Dad remember his face?" Ask back.

Abu shook his head, "He came before dawn, I didn't see his face clearly because it was still dark and there was no light there." The boss nodded his head to his men and then came out of the house with my brother's diploma.

I continued my intention to study, but unfortunately my trip was interrupted before arriving at the study hall. Miftah called me from her house. "Cut..here!" Call him while waving his hand.

I entered his yard, "You don't pay?" My toot.

"Eh, there's no study today. Teungku Zul called the same soldiers to their place." I was surprised to hear that. "Why?" Asking back.

"I don't know, I heard someone report that Teungku often sent food to the rebel headquarters." I swallowed the saliva very hard. That is the end when it comes to the enemies of the state. The state apparatus will call to the headquarters and they will be interrogated all-out.

There are some characters of my village. First, the neutral citizen tidal sided with anyone.

Second, the citizens of the sycophants or spies. They will give any reports to government officials about the rebels and their families. Like this happened in my house. The officer came back to my house just to ask about Bang Ilham. I'm sure someone told them about my brother.

The third is the rebel supporters. They will give food aid or anything secretly. And if it gets caught then the risk will end up like Teungku Zul.

I'm back home. Not many activities can be done if the contact ends. The villagers prefer to stay at home. On the way home, I again met a group of government officers who were patrolling on foot.

I didn't look at them, my way down even though I heard whistles from some of the soldiers. With quick steps I tried to get home.

"Assalamualaik." I said as soon as I got home.

"Getishalam." Abu and Umi answered. I can feel their anxiety. My parents were sitting on bamboo benches crying. "Why are you home, Cut?" Ask Umi.

"My heart Zul was called to the army post, Umi. Cut doesn't know until when it's covered."

Abu said nothing and then chose to go into the room followed by Umi. I am sad because in their old age they are experiencing sadness. A child should please his master but this is the opposite. My brother has hurt Abu and Umi, even making them sad and depressed with the situation now.

After the blasting of the rebel headquarters, the condition of my village was quite calm. What I heard from some of my friends, the rebels have run out of our village.

Teungku Zul has been released and reconsideration is proceeding as usual. One thing that made me feel strange, not far from my house was suddenly built an army headquarters. Just a week of time it takes, the headquarters is already standing complete with sandbags as a wall around the headquarters.

I also feel my home is in their sights. Our movements are always followed by them. What makes them behave like that? Question after question kept haunting my mind until one day I heard from my friend Miftah if they were after my brother who was probably the one they had been most after all. They suspect my brother is Pang Sagoe.

A month more the headquarters stood. I never went out of the house other than to study or help Umi and Abu in the fields. Don't ask me what I eat every day. Our village which is far from the sub-district market and which sells in my village also does not exist. To eat we have rice from our own rice fields, vegetables from the garden and freshwater fish that Ash sometimes brings home from the river. If there is no fish, then we will eat chicken eggs or duck eggs from raising.

***

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