DAMNED GIRL
51. REUNITED

I've been living with Auntie Ros for over two weeks.

No one lived with them less, but they were none of my family. They are just a family from Liana who should have deserved more of everything I received in this shady house. Their treatment was so sweet and made me feel safe

Today is a Sunday that seems like it will rain, for some reason lately the sky makes itself mysterious. Sometimes the rain is sometimes hot. Not to be expected even though this month is summer. This time the sky looked dark

After leaving the church with Aunt Ros and her husband in an old car from the nineties. At exactly twelve o'clock in the afternoon Aunt Ros took me to the kitchen, this invitation is not the first time but it has been from previous days

At the same time occasionally lightning seems to roll in the sky even though it has not rained but lightning is also welcome as if to flashlight Aunt Ros's kitchen

Now me and Aunt Ros are in the kitchen preparing the spices that we will cook.

"Dhira, you help cut the carrots. Auntie was going to wash the dishes for a while" he said

I nodded "Iya Bi" I said while looking for a knife

Aunt Ros started washing dishes on the washbasin "Don't forget the potatoes as well" he said

"Yes Bi, I say"

"All that is there you cut it. Do you know what vegetables are cooked for soup ?" heed

I nodded while peeling the carrot "Yes Bi" I replied

"OK, cook it with Auntie. This is a lot of dirty dishes Aunty wants to finish first" he said

"Yes Bi" I replied again

A few minutes of quiet kitchen, though, among us there is no timpal sayings to each other again there is only the sound of furniture that collides when washed Aunt and the sound of lightning that continues to roll even though until now it has not been raining.

Silence and condolence also if I start a chat but apparently Aunt who returned to start it

"Dhira" he said

I quickly said "Ya Bi"

"Auntie wants to ask but you don't hurt" he said

"Yes Bi" I replied, though I knew where Aunt's question was going

"How much are you ?" tannya

"Single child Bi" I replied

At the same time Aunt's work was done then she approached me while preparing the pot on the stove

"Dhira really is an only child ?" she asked again as if to convince me of my answer

"Yes Bi" I replied again

"You are a child, Mr Yanto ?" ask her again even though as I remember this matter has been talked about before by her Grandmother Liana. Her own real mother

I nodded "Iya Bi"

"Pak Yanto is my brother. We are just two brothers. I am the smallest kid" he explained

I smiled faintly at it and just nodded slowly.

This time I finished my job. Without any answer I stood by waiting for his order to return

"Sir Yanto is a good man, he never gets angry with me and at anyone just when he's fed up he just reminds me. But that does not mean he has no sin at all but his name is human there must be an intention to be a good person" he said while starting to cook soup

I just nodded slowly hearing him speak while being struck by the thunderous lightning

"Pak Yanto told me about you. He said he loved you as much as he loved his son" he said

Hearing as soon as I was moved, my tears started to stem but I could still hold back

"Pak Yanto always promises not to hurt you because he understands your sad story all along. He also never believed that you were the child cursed by your own biological father. But Mr. Yanto was only disappointed with your father's attitude that lost responsibility and just disappeared" he said

Hearing him the details of my tears finally fell as well. My chest is cramped when I remember that old story

"That's why Mr. Yanto doesn't want you to find out about your father" he added

Then Aunt Ros turned her face to me "I don't want you to look for your father" he said

I looked over Aunt Ros's face in wonder, when in fact I was still curious and wanted to meet my father

Aunt Ros smiled "For what ?" he said, turning around to ask me

He looked into my eyes as if he knew very well that there was a remnant of a heart wound still stored from the look of my eyes that continued to shed tears.

Then slowly she let go of his embrace "Never expect to meet him, for he is not your part anymore. Now part of your life is us. I am Aunt Ros's replacement from Mr. Yanto who has been your solder" he said

I lowered my head as if I could not accept the kindness of this family

"Thank you Bi" I said slowly

Aunt Ros rubbed my head gently "Yes together. Let's prepare the other one, like the rain has fallen, surely this afternoon dish feels good" said Aunt Ros

And finally we ate with Om Dudu accompanied by the sound of rain falling on the roof of Aunt Ros's house which sounded very heavy

Monday in the morning is very cool unlike usual morning and the sky is also a bit gray. There are two possibilities it could rain again or it will be hot

I stepped slowly down the asphalt road to school, carefully avoiding the residual rainwater that flooded the uneven asphalt basin

But, when he got in front of the gate

Byurrr!

Suddenly it rained so hard. The other students who had also just arrived hurriedly entered the school hallway

Fortunately, I arrived right at the gate.

This time the view of the front gate looks quiet there is not a single cart trader who is on guard like the usual morning, maybe they will come after the rain has completely subsided.

And sure enough, in a break at exactly twelve when the rain had subsided but still cloudy, hawker traders in front of the gate complete return and buyers back always crowded like the previous days. Many to the urgency, scrambling each other to get the snacks they want

This afternoon I thought I would eat siomay, the smell of the spice that makes me not resistant to hunger in cloudy weather like this. But buying it is like a struggle that must strengthen patience because so many people gather to buy in front of the siomay cart, as well as other carts. Everyone is fighting for the first to be served

"I'm Bang"

"I'm Bang"

"I'm Bang"

Say them one by one to each other impatiently.

But I also want to be served first by his brother Siomanya.

I ended up with other students too.

Since I was already starving once then I tried to speak out loud and rather loudly among the crowd of Siomay fighters

"Baaang.. I Bang...!" I said out loud while offering five thousand money like the way other students.

At the same time a student accidentally pushed me aside until I almost fell but I held on with my left foot

"Ouch!" I complained as I stood back up

The student who accidentally pushed me finally apologized but only turned my face for a moment because she was more focused on grabbing the attention of Abang Siomay.

"Sorry yes "he said it just like that and then turned his face back to Abang siomay

Even so I still had time to see his face, and I felt that I had met him but I forgot where.

I became fixated on him even though he didn't see me but I watched him from beside his face from the top of his shoulder-length hair to the end of his shoes that were almost broken and dirty

I seemed to recall who this girl was until I forgot my main purpose.

Fill my head as if looking for memories in the past but still haven't met either.

After he managed to get Siomay he was finally about to leave from the murmur but he also accidentally turned my face and stopped looking at my face for a while

He was just like me as if remembering who I was.

But he was stronger in his memory, he smiled broadly and skipped a little before me

"Dhiro!" dial him

Hearing him call my name straight away I told him I felt that he really knew me but unfortunately I forgot who he was.

But I responded as if I knew and remembered him

"Dhira, we can finally meet here. I didn't expect you to go to school here either" he said looking happy

But over time I finally remembered who he was. My smile finally broke

"Mira !" guess I'm excited