MARANTI (FOOD OF THE DEAD)
CHAPTER 27 BAD MEMORIES
The old grandmother followed me on public transport. I led the old grandmother to sit next to me. Inside the yellow-painted carry was just the two of us as passengers and the middle-aged man sitting behind the wheel as his driver.
"Where down, Mbake?" asked the driver, and we both managed to sit perfectly.
"TK Amanah Bangsa 3, sir. But, later we will go down for a while at the White Curah village hall. This grandma has been lost on the road since yesterday. His house is in one of the hamlets in the White Curah village," I replied diplomatically.
"Okay, Mbake" replied the driver kindly.
I have a thumbs up for this public transport driver. Good in clothes and how to behave towards passengers. The clothes are pretty neat, unlike other public transport drivers I usually meet on the road. They usually dress modestly. This driver looks nice and attractive. Batik shirt that fits the size of his body. The color is in line with the skin that looks clean and bright. The hairstyle is like a young man today, coupled with glasses that add to the good looks of the owner. I began to doubt his profession as a public transport driver.
"It's been a while, sir, being a driver?" manya suspect.
"Eh, no. Uh, yes, Mbake," he replied.
"Well, yeah what not, anyway?" ask again.
"Look, Mbake. Actually, I work as a private driver in Surabaya. I happened to be back home two days ago. The driver of public transport is my father. Well, my father today did not feel well, so I temporarily replaced my father. Understandably, his age is old, Mbake," replied the driver.
"Why don't you just have a day off, sir? Doesn't this reduce your vacation time?" ask again.
"What do you want, but can't you be the same father?" the answer.
"Well, why?" manya curious.
"Say you, if the holiday operates later will reduce the loyalty of the father to the public transport manager. It could be that this public transportation is passed to others," he replied.
"Well, time to it, sir? Are you sick?" I just can't believe it.
"Well, that's it, Mbake. The father of Kardi. A little wrong can be fired," replied the driver.
"Ooooo," I answered understood and also condemned the public transportation manager who Kardi aka Karepah Dibik which means selfish in the language of madura.
"Grandmother can get lost? Good thing to see this mbake," said the driver to the old grandmother next to me.
"Yes, Le. Granny did not paddle the road. He wanted to look at Grandpa's grave even stray far away," replied the old grandmother timidly.
"Other times if you want to go out of the house with the grandmother's children, huh? Poor grandma family at home, they must be confused looking for a missing grandmother," said Mr. Driver.
"Yes, Le," replied the grandmother briefly.
I smiled as I clasped the old granny's wrinkled hands.
"Sir, I won't be able to drive Grandma home. I can only leave my grandmother to the White Curah village staff, yes?" I said to the old grandmother.
"Yes, it's okay, Nduk. Let them take Grandma home. Oh, yeah, whose name is Nduk, huh?" ask the old grandmother.
"My name is Sinta, Grandma" I replied.
"Love???" granny granny while as if thinking.
"Hm ... It's okay, Nduk," replied the old grandmother.
"Well, Sinta won't play at my house?" ask grandma suddenly.
"I'm sorry, if I can't now, Grandma, because there's something important I need to get done right away. Maybe next time I'll go there to find Grandma.
"Galuh's grandmother" cut it.
"Yes. Next time I want to go to Galuh's grandmother's house" I replied lying.
'No, Grandma. I won't be able to go to Grandma Galuh's house. I'm sorry, Grandma,'
"Nduk Sinta is okay? How, you think something?" reprimanding Grandma Galuh as if understanding I was remembering something.
"Oh, yes, Grandma. Ki Sukmo is still the head of the village there?" ask suddenly.
"Not anymore, Nduk. Ki Sukmo has long since died" replied Grandma Galuh.
"Oooo ...,"
"Why, Nduk?" ask Grandma again.
"It's okay, Grandma," I replied again lying.
I leaned my body against the iron bar that was deliberately installed as a backrest on the public transport. The memories of the past came to my mind.
I was in Junior High School at the time. Mom was worried about my condition, who often screamed in fear at the sight of ghosts. Ja. Ever since the first month came, I couldn't eat the salvation of the dead. The soul of the dead man appears before me if I violate that prohibition. At that time I could not accept that. That's why I was screaming hysterically when the spirit appeared in front of me. Many neighbors thought I was crazy about it. Seeing my condition like that, mother intended to close my inner eyes. At that time my mother took me to the hamlet of Krasak which is in the village of Curah Putih. My mother knew Ki Sukmo well as the village chief there.
Ki Sukmo drove me to a shaman's house called Ki Santo who was still a relative of Ki Sukmo. At that time I was really afraid of the look of Ki Santo who I thought was a bit scary like a thug. After arriving at Ki Santo's house, Ki Sukmo left me and my mother there. That afternoon I was bathed in flower water and recited spells.
I thought after the event I'd be home soon. Apparently not, Ki Santo told my mother that we both had to stay there to perform the ritual again in the middle of the night. My mother finally accepted that. That night my mother and I stayed at the place. My mother and I occupied one of the rooms in Ki Santo's practice.
Right at midnight, Ki Santo woke the two of us up to perform the final ritual. It turned out that in the middle of the night, again I had to take a flower bath and recited spells by Ki Santo. The cold air temperature in the hamlet of Krasak makes me shiver. After the flower shower, I went to the bathroom to clean my body from the remains of the flowers stuck all over my body. As I was about to finish cleaning my body, I was like hearing the snort of someone's breath behind the bathroom wall made of woven bamboo. At first I thought it was just my mind. Apparently no, behind the bathroom wall there was indeed a shadow of someone who was peeking at me shower. I screamed out of fear too. My mother and Ki Santo came and checked around the place.
"Nobody, Nduk. It's just your feeling" said Ki Santo.
"No, Sir. I saw a teenager peeking out. The rest of the perfume is still there, right?" my protest.
"No, Nduk. It smells of my perfume" replied Ki Santo.
I sniffed back. Yeah, too, anyway. But, the fragrance of this perfume was heard before Ki Santo and my mother came. Ah, nevermind. Who would believe the argument of a little girl who has been considered crazy by some people.
"Sir, it's here" the public transport driver called out my daydream.
SERIATE