DAMNED GIRL
6. EXPECT A LOT

Bruckk!

The dark atmosphere made Abas run without seeing the road so he hit something. Abas fell to the ground with an irregular roar of breath.

“Mas Abas?” say someone. Abas looked up to look at the source of the sound.

“Yum-Yumna?” Abas was aghast and suddenly made him retreat backwards when he saw Yumna was the person he hit in front of the yard.

“Iya, it's me Mas, Yumna,” Yumna said with a confused look at Abas' strange behavior.

“Bu-bu-not that you're in the room?” abas asked stammered and still stared cynically at Yumna.

Yumna helped Abas stand up and led him to sit in a chair in front of the terrace. “Gak, Mom. I just got home from the same musala as Ratih.” Ratih who was next to Yumna nodded confirming the words of his friend.

Abas swallowed. If Yumna had just come home from the musala, so who had she just seen in the room? Abas's mind was translating all this. Too much is awkward and cannot be digested by common sense.

“So who?” abas murmured inwardly as he stared into Yumna's face.

...***...

Abas sat on the porch of the house staring at the expanse of rice fields in front of him. Thought worried. His soul raged considering the strange events that occurred in his village were all absurd.

Two houses away from Abas' house looked as if Yumna was sweeping the courtyard. The wind-blowing cradle from the rice fields slowly brushed the strands of hair down blocking her pretty face. Sometimes Abas stared dimly at Yumna, and vice versa until unexpectedly they exchanged glances. Yumna smiled as she continued to clean the scattered dried leaves.

"She is a beautiful woman" murmured Abas as he looked back at the rice fields when the sky was covered in orange twilight.

Yumna was a virgin widow. A very impossible thing considering that he had been married three times but unfortunately the three husbands Yumna died a few days after the wedding. His closeness with Yumna lately slowly led to feelings of love for Yumna. However, on the other hand the related issue that Yumna is a female of Bahu Laweyan certainly no less worried about her.

"Come, Bas! Soon Magrib,” said the mother from the door of the house.

Without answering Abas walked into the house, he could see Yumna who sat on the porch of his house after finishing cleaning the yard. Once again they exchanged glances but this time Yumna's face immediately lowered to leave a longing opium in Abas' heart.

...***...

After finishing the prayer Magrib Abas was still sitting pensively at the dining table. His hands were busy flipping through the spoon without even touching the food.

"If you like it, wait three times and forty days. Give his heart time to calm down" said the mother, holding Abas' hand.

"But Ma'am, said many Yumna people were damned women. She's a female of Laweyan Shoulder" Abas said, stopping for a moment.

"Life and death in the hands of God, son. It is not good to believe so, after all, Yumna is also a godly woman. There is no shame in his life. Being a widow is not the choice of any woman,” said Abas mother again.

"Spend your food first, I want to go to Yumna's house with her, pity if she herself must be lonely.” The middle-aged woman left her son alone.

...***...

A month passed from that day. Abas almost forgot the strange events in his village until one night he was standing guard at the patrol post with Yayan, Wandi and Pak Udin, a strange event happened again.

"Please! Please!”

From the end of the street a voice sounded. Moments later a woman named Yuni ran around occasionally looking back like something was being chased.

"Yuni, what's up to?” exclaim mr Udin.

"In-there."

Yuni immediately gripped Mr. Udin's shoulder. His fingers pointed in a direction in the darkness of the night.

"I saw a huge fire coming out of Yumna's house. The fireball flew off and went down at Mr Tejo's house. A few moments later from inside the house came a scream of pain. I then went in and saw Mr. Tejo burned to death after being hit by a fireball." Yuni spoke with a breath of excitement.

Those who were guarding the patrol station approached and immediately ran towards Pak Tejo's house which Yuni meant earlier. Upon arrival at the house of Mr. Tejo other residents have been crowded together.

"Mistakenly, the damned woman killed my husband. I remember that when the fire struck my husband, he hysterically mentioned Yumna's name many times. Yes that unlucky woman has seduced my husband,” said Bu Wati, wife of Mr. Tejo with excitement.

Residents were enthusiastic to hear the chattering of Bu Wati. Some other people were busy taking care of the corpse of Tejo which almost completely blistered like the crater Merapi.

"Bas, is that right?" yayan whispered to Abas.

"But, Kang. Yumna says that Mr. Tejo once tried to touch her forcibly and threatened Yumna,” Abas replied.

"Well that's the case, as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Tejo likes to tease his neighbor's wife, you know. Even before he was caught by Munir when he came home from the famous Tejo pack being alone with his wife Ratmi Munir,” timpal Wandi in a whispering tone.

"Yumna must be expelled!" said Bu Wati with a tone full of emotion to all existing citizens.

"Silence, Mom. We'd better take care of the body of this Tejo sir. Ndak good bad thought so,” replied a resident followed by a nod of the head of other residents.

After Mr. Tejo's death, Abas had not had time to meet Yumna despite the proximity of their home. That night Abas intended to go to Yumna's house with his mother's company just a friend.

In the living room Yumna was busy folding clothes to put in the closet. On arrival Abas and his mother they chatted as usual. Abas never once touched on the issue of Tejo's death the other day, after it was felt enough finally Abas and his mother say goodbye to return home.

"What is this?” abas said astonished. At the entrance of the yard there is a container of bamboo containing flowers and incense is burned as well as a kind of brownish white cloth cut into the needle. Abas approached the object and looked around.

"What's up, Mom?" Yumna who was standing in front of the door walked up to him.

"Yumna, who put this witch doll?" asked Abas in wonder.

"Yumna didn't know, Mas" said Yumna looking closely at Abas.

Even so Abas and his mother still went home and told Yumna to rest immediately. Late night and slightly sultry weather made Abas sit in front of the yard. At times Abas's gaze was fixed on Yumna's house hoping nothing bad would happen.

After nearly two hours outside the house Abas was about to enter his house, he again looked at the house Yumna to check the situation.

His gaze was sharp when he accidentally saw a puff of black smoke as if gathering and slowly turning into a female figure in all-green clothes.

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Connect ....