Firefields
A Hope from Cloves

The rain has subsided. Jauhari invites his wife and son to take Patra to the clove fields. They also get ready.

Zian immediately picked up his air rifle, while the Princess helped her mother prepare a bushel of food. Meanwhile, Jauhari gives Patra a bike to make it easy when she comes home.

During the trip, Patra only listened to Putri tell him about the water reservoir after the rain. With beautiful language, the Princess explained about the process of the rainbow.

He said, the color of the reservoir water will be a mixture of brown, gray and greenish. If the sky returns bright, then the sunlight will be seen sweeping the surface of the water skin.

The light then bounces making it the color in each rainbow arch.

“I imagine the rainbow has stairs so we can go up there,” point Princess after arriving at the reservoir by using their respective bikes.

Everyone looks towards the rainbow. How come? thought Patra. Even though it's just the imagination of the Princess, secretly Patra also fantasizes the same.

“If the rainbow has rungs, I will definitely go up and sleep on the clouds,” Patra said almost inaudibly.

Different from Zian. “If the rainbow can be infested by birds, would be fun to shoot him from here,” said Zian did not want to lose with his sister.

Jauhari shook his head to hear the words. He then invited his son and wife to immediately go to the clove field.

As the Princess and her wife were worried about crossing the narrow and slippery road, they decided to continue on foot. After leaning their bikes against the tree, Zian decided to split up.

"Later I'll catch up to the field" Zian broke away with an air rifle.

Not waiting for long, Zian immediately acted by sharpening his ears when he heard the sound of birdsong.

Both of his eyes caught the origin of the sound. He took a bullet in his pants pocket and immediately went as good as a good hunter.

“Talk to Mat Yusi so that he immediately prepares the fireplace,” Zian's message beckons to Patra. He was very sure the aim would not miss.

Without delaying any more, Zian immediately set foot towards the thickets through the rocks surrounding the reservoir.

Patra understood Zian's intentions after Jauhari told him. During this time it turns out Zian always roasted the results of his hunt in the hut with Mat Yusi.

“Hopefully this time he got a lot, so we can get all the rations,” concluded Jauhari laughing as he wrapped his arm around Patra's shoulder.

The treatment made Patra a little nervous. Clumsily he immediately compensated for Jauhari's steps while staring at the calm water of the reservoir. The fragrance of cloves occasionally gently brushed his nose.

"Later you can be friends with Mat Yusi. He's a good man" Jauhari said.

While behind them, the Princess was forced to hold her mother so as not to slip while carrying a bushel containing food.

Patra had already heard about Mat Yusi. However, he had never met in the truest sense. Mat Yusi rarely leaves the clove fields. All the work he did himself. Start cleaning the fields, providing fertilizer, and also harvesting cloves.

Last night his father told him that he had to be careful if he met Mat Yusi. From his father he also knew that Mat Yusi was once a murderer. His father's impression of Mat Yusi was very different from that of Jauhari.

“Be careful with Mat Yusi, he used to be a killer and very evil. Don't make him stupefied,” his father's message.

“Means every day I'll be with an assassin in a quiet field,” bathin Patra imagines bad things that could happen to her.

“Ughh....,” Patra groans softly as her stomach hurts. He forgot that Jauhari was beside him.

“What's up, Patra. Feel sick again? You shouldn't have to work today,” said Jauhari frantically looking at Patra's stomach.

“E.., ti. Just remembered the clove fields owned by father,” Patra reasoned.

“Oh, about that,” Jauhari thought for a while and then the steps stopped. “Consider the clove field up ahead there it's yours. Later the clove sales money that you harvest can be saved for college costs,” Jauhari told his plan.

He promised to enroll Patra in college with Zian and Putri in Yogyakarta. Hearing that, Patra's spirit was fiery. If that happens, his hope to be able to see his father's hometown can be realized.

“I will harvest cloves every day so that they can quickly collect a lot,” Patra promised

Jauhari laughed when she heard that her best friend's son was full of enthusiasm. “Don't forget to learn too. In vain if later your value is low,” message Jauhari reminded.

Patra nodded. “Did Mat Yusi already know I would work in the fields?”

“Kurasa. That's why we're taking you now. He must be happy to meet you.”

Patra followed Jauhari's steps again. The clove field is getting closer. However, Patra had not been able to see the hut that had been inhabited by Mat Yusi.

Along the way, Patra purposely more quietly imagines her days together with an assassin. Although still plagued by feelings of anxiety, this time Patra was curious. What made him have to kill someone else?

Patra tried to let go of Jauhari's arm. With the reason of washing his face, Patra finally freed from the left hand Jauhari who burdened his shoulders since earlier.

Patra then scooped up the reservoir water with both palms before sweeping it to her face. It was intentionally slow. Meanwhile, the Jauhari family continued to walk.

From behind, Patra sniffed the remaining perfume fragrance left behind. Patra sure, the fragrance of the perfume came from the body of the Princess, the same fragrance when the Princess presented fried bananas.

So fragrant it made Patra's eyes narrow, almost closed. He breathed deeply. Unwittingly, Patra's worn flip-flops stepped on the wet grass growing on the edge of the road.

Patra tried to hold the balance, even though he managed not to fall into the reservoir, he still had to feel pain in the buttocks and scuffed heels.

Shamed and grimacing, Patra forced her smile as Jauhari, his wife and Princess simultaneously stared in astonishment.

Patra gets more nervous as the Princess throws her sweet smile while trying to get up. That's when, Patra only realized that the Princess has dimples on the right chin.

“If he knew I had fallen because of him,” bathin Patra while trying to get up.

After providing assistance, Jauhari asked Patra to walk beside her again. The daughter and mother followed from behind.

Although not loud, Patra can hear Mother and child whispering to each other ended with a giggling voice.

With a stiff movement, Patra felt the back of her pants. Patra's palm felt something cold, wet. The sound of giggling is heard again. Silent.