How She Can Be Loved
Chapter 8: The Wound

“HAH!!”

Kananga woke up shocked. Heavy chest hard to breathe. Her tears immediately flowed. The curse just brought him back. Who would have thought, a curse whose purpose was given as punishment, even this time could help him.. Breathing heavy. The panic in the hut woke up the entire population. There is no time to think long.

“Kananga..? What's up?”

“Kak..?”

His two brothers were half conscious. They thought, the girl was just having a bad dream.

“Kananga, relax. You just had a bad dream.” The middle man, Elfad, tried to reach out and calm his brother. “Kak..? Kananga sister okay?” Enrich yawns. Rubbing his eye rim that feels heavy and sore because it suddenly opened. Kananga looks pale. The trembling of his hands clasped tightly onto the Elfad's arm trying to calm him down. He didn't have much time to explain what would happen to his siblings. He was trying to gather energy to make his voice out. Silent moment. His grip on the Elfad's arm grew tighter, making Elfad briefly complain.

“Ki-we have to leave as soon as possible from this place..” The words came out of his mouth.

“Kananan.. Aren't we leaving tomorrow?” The elfad is confused by Kananga's behavior. Moreover, Enrich who had just heard the topic of the conversation.

“There is no time anymore - Please, do not ask first..We don't have much time-“

Grasping

The voice sounded again. Making Kananga's breath stop instantly. His whole body feels stiff.

“..Wh who? Tumben once the beasts of the night were this noisy.” The elfad tried to listen to the sound outside the hut that was getting closer and closer. This time the three boys could grin clearly. Adult's heavy footsteps. A bunch of adults.

Oh, naw!

Quick. Kananga quickly tried to grab the Elfad and Enrich. Trying to protect them at all costs. There's no time to run out of that shack. Even if they make it out, they'll only be taken prisoner by anyone out there.

DUARR!!

Too bad. It's very unfortunate. Kananga quickly tried to reach her two younger siblings. His frail body speed was still defeated by the shockwave that once again managed to tear apart the rickety dagger. The fire started to spread everywhere. The hut, which was built partly from wood, was quickly engulfed in flames. The sound of a boy screaming. There was a loud sound echoing between the rubble and the flames.

“KAK!!”

His voice was heard because of his cries and screams. That's the youngest, Enrich. He survived the explosion. The embrace of the body of the Elfad, who was unconscious. His head was hit by fragments of wood from the remains of the ruins of the hut.

“KAK!!” The sound of screaming mixed with that cry was heard again. Aimed at the frail body figure who was trying to hold the branch of a giant tree that also collapsed by the explosion. I don't know how many bones have been broken and fractured. His body is covered in blood. Wounds are open everywhere. With the rest of her calm, Kananga tried to hold onto a branch that was tens of times heavier and larger than her frail body. Enrich's cries and shouts kept him awake. Helping her not to lose consciousness.

“...Enriches.. Quickly take Elfad away from this place.” His voice sounds soft. His body began to tremble. Starting powerless to withstand the weight of giant tree branches that can certainly crush the body

his brothers if they hit them.

“Ta-But what about Kak-?”

“QUICK GET OUT OF THIS PLACE! I BEG!”

Enrich was shocked. This was the first time her brother shouted at her. His small body started to pull the body of the Elfad. Dragged him out of the rubble.

“Kak..” Her tears were soaked, melted with blood from the wounds on her little face.

“..Just chill. L'm..I'll definitely find you..Wherever you are..I-i promise..I must be.” The frail girl was no longer able to continue her sentence. Just connected with a smile to his sister. He saw the face of his sister who was covered in tears.

I-i promise.

“Kak. I'll be looking for help soon!”

No. gabe. Please just go. As far as possible.

There was no more energy left to say that sentence. He saw the little body of the youngest trying to drag the body of the middle away from the debris of the hut and a giant tree. Trying to scream with the remnants of his strength. I hope the miracle happens. Hope this time someone other than Kak Asa or Grandma comes to save her Brother. It was Kananga's last memory. Before he finally lost his consciousness.

***

The sound of typing a computer keyboard sounds boisterous at a time like this. Mixed with the clock ticking and several voices of employees interacting with each other. Asking for opinions, even to the point of wasting time by gossiping. Everyone in the office building was busy with their respective activities. No exception for a woman who had looked at the clock. Either from the monitor on the table right in front of him. Out of her watch. Out of her smartphone screen. Restless he kept looking at the clock. Waiting for the hour hand to be above the number four. The movement of his busy hand typing on the keyboard is getting faster. As soon as the hour hand was above the number four, the woman hurriedly got up from her seat. As fast as lightning snatched his things on the table. The little ridge ran out of his study. Get out of a modern office building. Tracing the streets that were crowded at the time. Time to go home from work. Immediately he ran across the street when the traffic lights turned his light red.

The woman ran. Smile on her beautiful face. Her hair waved gently along with her running steps. A little more he'll be there. The building right next to the intersection is the goal.

No matter the small fur of sweat began to wet his forehead. No matter what hair starts to fall apart. His smile continued to crack as he got closer to the building.

“Mother!”

Smiling that beautiful woman. His steps were once again accelerated. Approaching a child who is being held by another woman. It seems that woman is his teacher. Exactly at four in the afternoon, the teacher in daycare faithfully accompanied the child until his mother came to pick him up.

“Angga!” Hugged that little body. It feels awkward, even though they only parted in how many hours. No matter how tired. As long as you look at the child's face, the tiredness, the tiredness will go somewhere.

After saying goodbye to his teacher, the boy clasped his mother's hand tightly. Walk in line on the road.

“Mother, earlier Bu Guru muji Angga smart loh!” Proudly the boy began to tell his daily life. Just like always. The boy's chatty. They didn't stop talking all the way home. A daily life that Aylin, his mother, would never get bored of.

“Oh yes?”

“Iya, he said Angga smart counting. Later can work like Bunda”

“Unfortunately Angga knows what Mother's work is?”

“Angga tau.” He hesitated his son replied.

A sewing smile appeared on Aylin's face hearing his son, the pretentious Angga. His face thought hard. Trying to remember what the name of the work of the Mother Teacher said.

“Tau dong!” This time the voice was louder. The boy seemed to have found his confidence.

“Akutututu, right?” Proudly Angga said to his mother, convinced that the way the name was correct.

“Aquipment, nak.”

“Iya! That one! I know how!”

Aylin laughed hearing that. The boy really doesn't want to lose.

His small steps suddenly stopped. The sparkle in his eyes when telling stories with his mother instantly looked a little dim.

“Angga?”

Aylin was puzzled to see her son who had instantly stopped walking. The smile on the round face disappeared. He locked his eyes forward. Towards the small family who were also walking past them. Complete that family. There's Dad, there's Mom, there's also their daughter who looks as good as Angga. The sight that the boy missed. A happy family.

She began to hold her Mother's hand tighter, but at the same time her small grip also felt soft on her Mother's fingers.

Aylin, of course, realized what was in the mind of the son just the puppet. The smile on her pretty face also dimmed, changing sadly in her eyes.

“Mother..”.

“Hmm?”

“Today Angga can eat ice cream, yes?” His round face smiled widely. Like hinting that he's okay.

“Bby kok. But after dinner yes, son.” He returned his son's smile gently. Soon they were back walking down the street.

***

The humming sound of the lullaby was heard again. A smile that is always faithful every night brings Angga sleep in the arms of his mother. Aylin gently rubbed her son's hair. The boy looked very sleepy after dinner and ate the ice cream that his mother had promised.

“Mother?”

“Hmm?”

“...Mommy sad Daddy won't come home again?” The round-faced child hesitantly asked. Fear of hurting her mother's feelings. Didn't want to see her Mother sad again, just like when her father left them both.

“No, son. Mother still has Angga.” He answered his son's question without hesitation. He still continued his gentle humming. He rubbed his son's head gently.

“..Mother, ‘meat’ blood that means what?” The question continued with doubt. There have been many questions popping up in his little head since his father chose to leave them both. Choose to go with a distended woman who was once familiar with him, whom he used to call ‘Tante’. Which used to be very good with him and his mother. Who used to be like a sibling to her mother.

“Last time to meet Oma..Oma says Angga is not Dad's flesh and blood.” His round plain face looked straight at his mother's face. Aylin was shocked to hear that. That old jackass! How dare he-she

Throat's moody. His swearing-in stopped. Her tears will spill from the end of her eyes. Tears that came from his sadness because his beloved son who knew nothing also got ridiculed by the old woman. Her tears also came from her anger. Wasn't that old woman enough to make fun of herself?

He recalled how the old woman humiliated him. Striking her as a ‘disabled woman’. Her husband threw their wedding ring on her face. A smile on her best friend's face with her belly bulging and holding the man that Aylin loved so much. All those memories flashed back into his mind quickly. Just a split second.

“Kok Oma really hate Angga? Emang Angga wrong what yes.”.

“Mother fights same Oma because Angga, right?”

The question that came from his son's innocent face like thousands of arrows hit his heart. Even a child as small as Angga could understand his circumstances that day. The day when two people he considers valuable in

life betrayed him. About what and why it all happened. Aylin. His voice still could not come out of his mouth. He could only look back at his son's round eyes.

“Mother also hate the same Angga? Mommy will also leave Angga alone like Dad?”

“No, son. The goose is not wrong. Whatever happens Mother can not hate and leave Angga alone”

He hugged his son's little body. Her tears began to flow down her cheeks. He rubbed it gently back with his son's hair.

“...But right, Mother has already left Angga. Means Mommy also hates dong same Angga.” The boy's voice started to sound soft. Instantly the small body that was in Aylin's arms began to cool. Stiff, not moving at all, not even a trace of a heartbeat in his little chest.

“..Angga?”

The deg! Another memory flashed back in Aylin's mind. Same as the present. He can't do anything. He could only hug his son's body which was getting progressively colder. Panicked, Aylin began to shake Angga's body.

Nah! Nah! Please please! Not again! Please don't leave me again!

The set! A powerful grasp of the cold little palm suddenly grasped his arm. The small, round face of Angga has now turned pale.

“YOU DEFINITELY WANT ME TO VANISH!!”

Shouted that creepy little face in front of his face. It made him shocked to wake up from his dream.

The deg!

Kananga woke up from her stupor. I don't know how long he's been unconscious. He found his frail body lying on a couch, covered in a thin mattress. His body was full of bandages. Blood was everywhere on the bandage. His right eye, his neck. Everyone is killed. His left leg and both hands were numb. Difficult to move. Slowly he began to gather his consciousness. His eyes swept throughout the room looking at the familiar ceiling of the building. The ceiling he saw first as it opened its eyes on his new body. It was the home of Asa and Grandma.

Bruk!

The sound of the chair slamming backward sounded from his left ear. It was quickly followed by the sound of running footsteps. The tail of his eyes was trying to find the source of the sound. Had captured the silhouette of a village girl who ran down the ridge towards the door, out of the room.

“Grandpa! Ka-Kananga is awake!!” Shouted Brother Asa while running to call Grandma.

The state of the simple wooden house he made. Even so, it did not make Kananga's consciousness fully recover. The little girl was still looking at the ceiling. Feeling the wound in his heart that had just closed was now wide open again. Looked at his gaze. At first glance the memories of his son, his parents, the people who hurt and betrayed him flashed back in his mind. There's nothing left. His little angel left him first. He could no longer meet and hug his parents. There really is nothing left of him. Destiny is cruel. Just now the wounds in his heart were healed by those two foolish brats. Enrich who was in love with his son, Angga, at the close of age. Elfad whose age is similar to his son, Angga, if only the round-faced innocent child was long. Are they going to leave me too?

Elfad and Enrich.

Kananga. Those two bloodless sisters are still alive out there! Recall the cries and cries of Enrich who called out to him. The unconscious elfad. He begged his two younger brothers to go away from the ruins of the hut. Where the hell did they go?

“Ugh..” Kananga forced herself to rise. He's moaning. His whole body was in pain. Now he realized, his leg was broken, his bones were cracked everywhere. How could he still be alive without reactivating his curse?

“Stop, kid. Your body won't be able to survive out there even if you manage to stand.” Grandma walked quickly into the room where she and Kak Asa were taking care of Kananga.

Quickly Kak Asa helped Kananga lie back on her thin mattress.

“Elfad..Enriches..Where are they?” Stammering while enduring the pain, he finally managed to ask the question. The expression of the two people in front of him did not look good.

“Kananga, forgive Brother Asa.. Your sisters. They've caught”

“...What?”

Kananga's eyes heard it. Can't believe what Asa just said.