Diamond Luster
Chapter 24. Life debt
#Flashback
"The stars aren't wrong, om. Don't hit the Star" the 9-year-old boy was terrified of being cornered in a room when a man mercilessly whipped his little body with his waist belt.
"Mas, don't hit the stars again. He's not wrong. I've let Bintang go play with her friend until she's late" said the young mama with tears trying to hold her husband's arm so as not to hit her son again.
"Farida, freelance... Your son has broken my rules" the tall man still insists on punishing the Star for fabricated reasons.
"You run, son." tell mama Farida while continuing to hold her husband's arm.
"Ma... The star is afraid, the Star is not wrong" said the boy fearfully looking at his stepfather who likes to do rude actions if angry.
"You run now, you don't be afraid, mama will always protect you"
"Farida, move aside from you" the man violently elbowed his mama farida's face until he fell on the floor of the Villa where they spent the Star school holidays.
"Om, don't hurt my mom" The star ran over to her mom.
"Star, you don't think about mama. You ran away, now." mama Farida forcefully pushed the body of her son who intended to help her.
"Star, go son." again, because her husband was about to swing his belt, whipping the Star.
"Where are you going?" the stepfather shouted as soon as he saw the star running out of the house. He also intended to pursue, but was stopped by his wife.
Because of fear, the little star ran indeterminate direction from the villa until it passed the boundary of the plantation towards a tributary in a torrential stream.
"Aaaaaa....." The star slipped and fell into the river.
...****************...
"You wait here, son. I want to call your grandfather and brother who is fishing in the river" said a mother to her beautiful 6-year-old daughter when she wanted to go home after a day of work picking tea.
"Mom, Lian's coming" whined the little girl.
"Darling, you're here. Mom was just a moment away" the young mother tried to convince her daughter by fondly stroking the innocent face.
"Don't be long, ma'am!. Lian was afraid to be alone" said the little diamond who finally wanted to live in her mother's house.
"Yes, you're not going anywhere, wait for me here" he said.
Diamond's mother also left her daughter under a shady tree not far from the river where usually the father and his son like to fish.
"Father, Arya.sudah afternoon, we go home yuk" exclaimed his mother Berlian while descending the sloping riverbank.
"Where is Aryan father?. They usually fish here?" ayu's mother became confused herself not seeing the person she was looking for.
"Maybe they went home first" he guessed.
Ayu's mother turned around. But his steps were stifled when his ears slurred to hear a request for help from the direction of the river.
"Please.please.." pinta a boy was carried away by the river.
Without a second thought, Ayu's mother immediately swam to help the boy. But unfortunately, when he managed to save the poor boy to the edge of the river, the swift currents from the upstream suddenly came crashing and his mother Diamond could not save himself and was carried away by the swift currents of the river.
Residents around the area who knew about it immediately conducted a search until late at night and Ayu's mother was found in a critical condition and rushed to the nearest health center.
"Mother.do not stay with Lian." cried a little girl beside her mother.
Mama Farida immediately approached and calmed the little girl down.
"Yu, thank you for saving my son" said mama Farida with tears in response with a weak nod by her mother who is increasingly critical.
"Ber.li.an.." ayu's mother called her daughter's name stammering.
"Diamond? she's your child" mama Farida glanced at the little boy she was carrying.
"I.ya" answered mother ayu without energy.
"Yes, you saved my son's life. I promise I'll take care of your son and I'll match Diamonds to Stars if they grow up"
Diamond's mother's eyes immediately closed after hearing Farida's mother's promise. But before the eyes were closed forever, Mama Farida could read a ray of hope from the eyes of the person who had saved her baby.
"Well.." exclaimed a couple coming with a boy.
"Sir, mother, why sleep, wake up mother, cake" said Diamond sobbing to his grandparents who immediately cried hysterically to see their daughter was no longer alive.
"Sir Arya, mother why?. Why are you silent?. Grandpa and grandma had come to pick Lian up and mom came home" said the little girl, not understanding what she saw. Diamonds came down from Farida's mother's arms and walked up to her sister, who tried to hide her tears.
"We don't have a mother anymore, deck. Mother is dead" explained Arya and her tears broke.
"Sir Arya lied, mother only sleeps, not dies" argued Little Diamond sobbed.
"Mother.wake up..mom said just go for a while, mother don't lie to Lian" Diamond shook her mother's hand with all her might along with her cries.
Mama Farida who saw the heartbreaking incident was unable to hold back her tears and was determined to fulfill her promise to match the Star with Diamond will also finance all the needs of the two children Ayu. Therefore mama Farida shut the cause of Ayu's death from his parents for fear pak dharma and his wife rejected his true intentions.
#flashback off
...****************...
"So, the one who helped the drift star was Diamond's mother?" The stars can say nothing more. His chest tightened, a rumbling wave smashed into his heart as the mother recounted the chronology of the incident that almost took his life first.
"Yes son!. That's why mama is so persistent in forcing you to marry Diamond" mama Farida took a deep breath after being relieved to tell the heartbreaking events of a few years ago.
"You already know the truth. Forgive me, if it has forced you to sacrifice too far to fulfill the promise of mama to her mother Diamond. If indeed you still do not want to marry Diamond, mama will no longer force you. Mama also does not want to see you depressed because of the coercion of mama"
The star held his dizzy forehead thinking about this matter. Diamond's mother had saved his life and recently Diamond herself saved him drowning in the lake because of the trauma of drifting in the river used to appear again. His life was saved twice by his mother and son. Does he have to fulfill his mother's promise to make up for the debt of life?.
"Sorry madam, den Bintang, non Berlian already aware" a servant in the house came to inform the state of the girl in her care according to her master's orders.
"Alhamdulillah" said mama Farida relieved.
"Bin, mama wants to see Lian first, you want to come?" Mama Farida asked as she stood up from her seat.
"Ma, the stars want to talk to Mom for a minute"
"Speak what?" farida's mother's forehead shriveled in wonder at her son's unusual demeanor.