Dwarf
67. Sarongs

"What's up, son?"

Saoda immediately turned his head and rubbed his wet cheek with his hand.

"What's Tuo's cooking bad for, son?" tanya Puang Dodi made Tuo who was eating so coolly turn his head.

Saoda just shook his head.

"You don't like it?" ask him again.

"I-I like the food," Saoda replied in a trembling tone.

Saoda tried to hold back her crying that felt tormenting her chest. His chest hurt as if something was stabbing him in there.

"Why, Son? If the food is good and you like it then why are you crying?"

Saoda only shook his head as he rubbed his wet cheeks. Puang Dodi let out a long sigh and then he stroked Saoda's head.

"What's up, kid? Just say! Its alright. You better tell me than keep it."

Saoda stopped his chewing and looked up at the two eyes of Dodi who looked so caring.

"I miss Indo and my Father, puang," replied Saoda who immediately burst out in tears. He covered his face with both hands.

Again and again he came back crying after recalling the memories of his parents.

Puang Dodi nodded then immediately stroked the head of the daughter of his best friend.

"Then like this Indo Saoda always feeds Saoda."

Puang Dodi who heard that immediately turned to look at Tuo who now had his chewing movements slow down.

"Do you want me to feed you like what Indo you do?"

Saoda quickly shook her head while wiping her tears that were still wetting her cheeks.

"No need, puang. I'll learn to eat by myself. I don't want to trouble you all. I'll eat" he said and immediately fed his mouth with rice.

He ate voraciously and this was all a charade. To be honest Saoda had no appetite, but he also did not want to trouble Puang Dodi.

Here Saoda realized that he was also hitchhiking in this house. The rice he ate was rice from the work of Dodi pours. He couldn't have let Dodi's money feed him.

...****************...

The sound of crickets sounded so melodious as if singing in a series of grasses that grew green. Not far from the rice fields area of this house until the sound of rice frogs was also heard. The sound of barking dogs chasing wild pigs in the garden not far from the house can also be heard.

It seems like the night is not too late, the cold brought by the wind managed to penetrate from the gap of the house wall that had paved.

Saoda sat on the bed hugging her knees. There were some mosquito noises that slightly disturbed Saoda's ears and did not even hesitate to bite him, making Saoda occasionally dispel the bloodthirsty mosquitoes with his hands.

"This," Tuo said.

Saoda turned to look at Tuo who was now sticking a sheath towards Saoda. Saoda glanced at the golden-yellow batik glove with a beautiful looking pattern.

"This is my Indo sarong. In this house there are only three sheaths. Just wear Indoku!"

"But this, it's got your Indo. The scabbard will be broken. I don't have any money to replace it" Saoda said in a soft, soft tone.

"It's okay. Now this is your scabbard. My father gave it to you. Just take!" clearly, while bringing the glove closer to the hand of Saoda who was still tightly hugging both knees.

Saoda was silent now. His mind had been asking whether he would take the scabbard or not. To Saoda the scabbard seemed so precious.

Long enough Tuo was silent waiting for Saoda to take the holster made Tuo immediately put the glove on the mattress right in front of Saoda, barely touching the tip of his toes.

"Take it! You wouldn't be cold if you put that glove on. You take the holster otherwise you will feel sad because you are not wearing the wife's sarong as well as Indoku," he explained.

Hearing that, Saoda who had been silent with his bow now turned to look at both of Tuo's eyes. He stared at her for a moment until Tuo decided to leave Saoda who was now sighing deeply.

The atmosphere of the room now again felt silent exactly as before where he sat contemplating along with the silence of the night.

Saoda scrunched his forehead after he heard a faint sound from outside. The voice of who it was that clearly Saoda was curious made him immediately step down from the bed and approach the door of the room.

From here he could see the figure of Tuo who was now being stroked by Puang Tuo's head. I don't know what is clear Puang Dodi looks so dear to Tuo.

"What you're doing is good, son. You know you came once with that scabbard because you didn't want to wear it either and it's your Indo relic, but you want to give it to Saoda."

"You should know, son. We have to help Saoda because Saoda has no family but us."

"Father knows that Saoda is not our family but now Saoda has entered this house and that means Saoda has become part of this family."

Tuo just nodded. He looked up at his father.

"I'm not sad because someone is wearing Indo's sarong but I'm sad because I can't give a better sarong than that" he explained.

Puang Dodi nodded back then rubbed Tuo's head back.

"I've regarded Saoda as my own brother, Father."

"I'm glad Saoda's here. I could have a brother, a sister and a friend later, but it doesn't seem like Saoda wants to be a brother, a friend and even my sister."

Saoda instantly nodded where he stood. He didn't mean it that way. Saoda turned his head back after Tuo spoke again.

"It seems he's not happy living here. He won't even talk when I ask him to. It seems she hates me."

Hearing that Saoda immediately shook his head. Although Tuo did not see it, he spontaneously rejected Tuo's sentence. That's not true, Saoda didn't mean that.

"You must not be sad, child! Saoda is still saddened by the passing of his parents. He's still in trauma."

"Soda being quiet doesn't mean you don't want to be with you. He wants to be a brother, a sister and even a friend you just haven't had the right time."

"Give him time to adapt then he will improve as well. Not like this now."

Tuo just nodded making Saoda smile behind the room curtain cloth that he opened slightly.

Saoda stepped into the room and laid her body on the bed. He put up a mosquito net and a sheath to cover his body.