Earth Without Dusk
58. Childhood Memory

Earth returned to her home at about nine p.m. Today he worked late because of the many projects he worked on. As he entered his room, he took something from inside the drawer in his room.

There's a small wooden box with a carving of his name on it. The box is usually used to store handkerchiefs embroidered by the mother. The earth reached into his suit pocket and took a handkerchief with the mark of the lips of Dusk. He briefly kissed the handkerchief, there was a fragrant Senjq still attached there. Then he kept it neatly in the box.

Then he did his usual activities, took a shower and put on his nightgown.

He was now lying on his large bed. His eyes had already begun to shut, but a glimpse of the incident earlier this afternoon came back into his mind. The incident where he was so close to Dusk, the girl he loved in silence. Not that he didn't want to touch those lips with his lips, but he didn't want to take anything that wasn't his.

It was not that he was not tormented to withstand the turmoil in his soul to feel those strawberry-smelling sweet lips. He really wants to! But his common sense is stronger than the lust in him. He will not touch Dusk beyond the limits as long as Dusk is not his whole. That is the principle of the earth.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....

The earth breathed heavily. He opened his eyes and got out of bed. He intended to take another handkerchief that he stored in the drawer earlier, but his gaze was precisely fixed on a picture frame on top of the drawer. A picture of him as a child with his father and mother.

He took the picture and sat down on his bed. The face of the mother who was smiling sweetly hugged her in the photo. Suddenly a longing approached his soul.

“Mother...” down.

He closed his eyes and recalled his childhood.

“Mother, Mother, daughter what is her name?” bumi asked her mother while pointing towards Nesya who was sitting beside Tari.

“That's his name Nesya, his son Aunt Tari. Earth want to play with Nesya?”

“But does he want to play with me? Every time he came here with his mother, he was always near his mother.”

“Try Bumi play first. He must want.”

Earth nodded. “Well Mom, I'll try.”

The small earth began to approach Nesya. At first the little girl refused, for a long time she was also interested in playing with the Earth because the Earth is very smart to persuade her.

Starting from that day until the next days they get closer and continue to play together if their parents meet. Especially since the household Dance and Adrian hit by problems, Dance often met with the birth mother Earth to tell stories. It was from there that Earth and Nesya finally came close to each other.

“Mother, why is Nesya not coming today?” ask Earth when Nesya does not visit her house.

“Nesya no events with his family.”

“But I want to play with Nesya, Bu.”

“Earth is happy to play with Nesya?”

Earth nodded. “Nesya is also happy to play with Earth. He was not sad anymore since playing with Earth. Earth wants to be Nesya's friend continue.”

“Appointments.”

“Earth will not protect Nesya until she grows up? Let him not be sad anymore.”

The earth nodded with spirit. “Earth promise. The Earth will always protect Nesya and keep Nesya until she grows up. Just like Dad who always took care of Mom until now,” answered Little Earth innocently.

It is from the words of Bumi that Ana, the birth mother of Earth, has the idea to match her son and Dance from when they were little.

A few months after the incident, as Ana's health deteriorates, Ana calls Earth and delivers something to Earth, then 10 years old.

“Mother, Mom healthy fast, yes. I love Mom. I don't want Mom to leave me. Whatever you ask me to do, the important thing is that I stay with your mother,” said Bumi with a cry she held. She didn't want her mother to be sad to see her cry.

“Earth, believe me, mother also does not want to be separated from Earth. I love the Earth more than the world and the world. But if it's time for mom to come home, I have to go home,” said Ana while rubbing the son's hair just wayangnya. There was a sense of tightness in his heart when he said that to Earth. But he knew it was soon. Ana, who has liver cancer, the longer her condition gets worse. Although he has tried various kinds of treatment, but still the disease remains in his body.

“Mother, I'll be lonely without a mother. I'm gonna lose the light of my life without my mother. I just want mom,” replied Bumi who really loves her mother.

“You won't be lonely. There will be Nesya who will play with you later. He will definitely accompany you until big later.”

“No! She can't replace mom!”

“Earth once said to want to keep Nesya and continue together until you guys grow up, right?”

The earth fell silent for a moment and then nodded. He remembers saying that.

“For there is Earth, Nesya is now happier and never sad again because of her family problems. So, promise me to always take care of her until she grows up. Just like the father who took care of mom until now.”  

The earth is silent again. He understood every word of his mother. Was this a request from her mother? The small earth that had not been able to think long nodded its head. For him it is not a problem just to play with Nesya until he grows up. Not knowing it even ended in an arranged marriage between himself and Nesya.

Until the day the mother died, the Earth really experienced a deep sadness. The once cheerful earth has now turned into a quiet figure even always silent in the room. Even the presence of Nesya who tried to persuade him was not enough to drive away the loneliness in his soul due to the abandonment of his beloved mother.

The mother's departure also took half of her soul away. The soul is empty and empty. No more color, especially light. For many years he continued like that until he finally found his twilight.

The earth opened its eyes again. It was as if he had just realized his long daydream. He rubbed his mother's face again in the photo. The miss! That's how he feels right now. Slowly he brought the picture closer and kissed it.

Then he put back the frame containing their family photos. Then he broke down and began to close his eyes.