
"May Nara know the continuation of the story, Bund?" I asked my mother after her cooking was on the stove.
Mom's stunned. But I managed to persuade him to tell me a story I didn't know yet. He nodded, then said, "Mother growled. Mother told Yanti, if she does not provide valid evidence, Mother will come to him, Mother will strip him and will parade him around the city of Sekayu. It is not difficult for Mother to find him there, because we have many families living there. He was scared until he finally called your father. Your father was gone from home. Your father said, Mother don't go anywhere, she'll go home and get everything done. After he came home, he followed the will of Mother, swear under the Qur'an on behalf of all women who are in blood with it - they will also suffer the same bad luck and pain if he lies and lies to Mother. Mother said except you, but your father...."
"He included Nara's name in his vow?"
My mother nodded, with tears streaming down from earlier. "I'm sorry, Mom, son. Mother does not intend to harm or curse anyone. Not at all. Mother just wants to judge the honesty of your father. And hopefully, he won't dare to swear or even be honest if he's guilty. But...."
Tight-tasting. It means he doesn't love me. Just for the sake of covering up his lies, so that his affair with Sandra Wijayanti was not exposed, he dared to swear a lie. Include my name, anyway. "What about the others, Bund?"
My mother shook her head while wiping her tears. "A few months after that oath, in the same year. Her older sister was married to Siri by a man without her and her father's knowledge. You mean Mother, unbeknownst to your father and your grandfather. He said he worked in Tangerang, but it turns out he was made a babu by the man's family, they were in Palembang. Then her husband returned to his ex-wife. Your father's dizzy. Not long ago, his sister was rumored to be pregnant, had entered the new six months of good faith from her boyfriend. That means she was gauli her boyfriend not long from the time your father swore. Hearing of the mess of his two daughters, your father's mother fell ill. Already having to endure the embarrassment, he also messed with his family affairs. Maybe for others, it's just a coincidence, but not for Mother. That's real evidence because your father dared to play around with perjury. He is not afraid of God and the severity of it means he is abusing the Qur'an. At first you thought because he dared to swear, even including the name of his biological son, it meant your father was honest. But it turns out.the damn man was even willing to subvert his biological child in order to cover up his depravity. She's...."
A cry runs down the throat. My pain is as great as my mother's.
Again he shook his head. "none. After Mother and your father separated, everything was even more exposed. Mother feels unworthy of relief above the suffering of others. But. his feelings..it's worth a reply to your father. Two years after the split, Mother heard a more complete story that her sister had chosen to divorce because she could not stand being married, plus treated like babu. From there, the story repeats. The father of your father, the man you were supposed to call the grandfather, for the second time rejected the grandson born of his first daughter. Again he said no need to go home if the child was not thrown away. But this time your father did not obey, so he married Rhea, and left his sister and nephew at Rhea's house. He cheated on Yanti. Meanwhile, his younger sister, whom the irresponsible man married, on the grounds of wandering, the younger sister of your father and his son, Aska, was left in the village. While the man wandered to Bangka, and there he was in love with another woman."
"And now it's Nara's turn to take the plagues of the perjury?"
My mother's breath was deep. I know-the heart in there must be aching from being pinched by the past. "Mother wishes it didn't happen to you, son. Mother wishes your husband was honest. Mother feels guilty if you have to be a victim also from the past Mother and your father."
I don't know since when, Reza was standing on the stairs. With glazed eyes he descended and rested at my mother's feet. "For God's sake, Bund. Reza has never and will never do that. To this day, Reza is loyal to Nara. The marriage never happened. Reza never married Salsya or any other woman. For Chrissakes. Reza respects Mother as Reza respects Reza's birth mother. Reza apologizes because Reza often has no heart for Salsya and hurts Nara. But I swear, Reza never married Salsya. Please believe in Reza, Bund. Please...?"
Lord... Is he really honest? How do you prove it, God? What do I do to clear my doubts? I should how?