Marlangens
Dreams of the Past

The river was so clear, it made me want to plunge myself. Although I am not good at swimming but I still want to feel the freshness of the river water.

Mbok Asih was busy washing clothes, so he wasn't very watching me. I was the first time I took part in the Asih washing in the river.

Usually you always do not allow me to play in the river, but at this time you have a puppet show outside the city and Paklek Agus participate, so I can be free to join mbok Asih washing in the river.

Initially mbok Asih objected if I came, but because I whined so mbok Asih let me come with him.

****

I did not feel like I had walked along the river until I did not realize it was far away from the place where the Asih Mbok was washing.

When I was about to turn to the Asih location, I saw in the river a goldfish that was so beautiful in color was swimming.

I was also interested and noticed, without realizing I had plunged myself into the river .

I was so shocked that the river was so deep and I drowned because I could not swim at that time.

I also tried to reach the rocks near me but my strength was getting exhausted because I held my breath in the water for too long.

I tried to scream for help, but my voice was swallowed by the river. Until finally my body went limp and my vision began to darken.

Suddenly someone grabbed me from the river and took me to the edge of the river. My eyes were blurry, unable to see clearly who was helping me.

But when my consciousness began to return, the face was so clear. The face of a woman wearing a black kemben and a red scarf, a beautiful crown appears on her head. The woman smiled so beautifully and whispered softly.

"Keep jah ayu, mother nang kene"

[Tenanh pretty boy, mom's here]

*****

I woke up with a gasp of breath, why do I dream of the past?

I thought that in the past, the one who helped me was Asih, but why was that half-snake woman present in my dream?

Is this just a dream or is this a glimpse of the past that I just realized the truth?

My head was dizzy thinking about all this, thinking about the death of my father and Paklek Agus and coupled with the figure of a half-snake woman who often appeared in my dreams.

I feel like telling a story, spilling everything I feel . But to whom? The people who are now close to me are rational people. They certainly won't believe everything I'm about to tell you.

*****

I was sitting in the campus cafeteria while eating fried rice made by the canteen, although not as delicious as mbok Asih but I still ate it with great voracity.

Suddenly I felt so missed mbok Asih, he who had been taking care of me since childhood. Without feeling like my eyes are already glazed, I miss my life first. There are napak, mbok Asih and paklek Agus.

But now my life is so lonely, even though there is Bagas and his family, but still I feel lonely.

I quickly wiped away my tears, not wanting anyone to see me crying alone.

***

While trying to enjoy my fried rice, suddenly two people approached my desk.

"Sorry, we're sitting here, yeah. The other table is full" said the beautiful girl in front of me.

"That's okay, please" I replied.

"Oh yes, know me Amel, this is my Bayu," said the girl named Amel while extending her hand to me.

"I'm Marlangen" I replied as I reached out to Amel.

"Peach mouth little napa, Bay," salak Amel while glaring at Bayu.

"I mean in that unique sense, Mel. Do not rent that, dong," grumbled Bayu.

I just smiled at their conversation, and they seemed to be pleasant friends. I wish I had a friend like that someday.

*****

It turned out that they were a generation with me and now they even invite me to talk, although I often answer them with just a simple smile, but they really make me comfortable.

It was like I had a new friend. We also exchanged whatsapp numbers. Even Amel had asked me to play at his house, but I refused. Even though she looks so good, I haven't been too brave to get to her house.

"But you should play at my house sometime, yes," said Amel enthusiastically.

"Yes, I'll play" I said with a smile.

"Gue wasn't invited?" tanya Bayu who had been busy trying his chicken noodles.

"It was taken, you have Bay's vehicle, so I'm the same Marlangen can nebeng," replied Amel honestly.

"Basic bermainin temen himself," muttered Bayu but with a smile.

I decided to play at Amel's house. It must be nice to play at a friend's house.

*****

Back in college I accidentally stopped by a store to buy some of my own necessities. Although Om Bagas has given all my needs but there are some that I bought myself.

I entered the store that looked ordinary, the shop was clean and cold probably because of the many ACs installed.

I picked out a few items I needed and headed straight for the cashier table. There stood a male cashier.

When I finished I went out of the store, but only a few steps out of the store. I remembered that there was one item that had not been purchased, and I turned to the store again.

By the time I got back to the store, the cashier had been replaced with a new cashier. But I don't care, I'm still looking for things that haven't been bought.

After I found him I took him to the cashier's desk. The cashier smiled kindly at me, in contrast to the cashier who was just silent and kept his head down.

"Jaga alone is difficult Mba, just want to toilet must hurry." Confess the male cashier.

"Aren't there any more male cashiers working here? I just bought it here, but the cashier's not Mas. This is my groceries," I explained while showing my grocery bag.

"Astaghfirullahaladzim, Mba really there was a ngasirin? This guy, right?" ask the cashier while showing a photo of a man who turned out to be the cashier in his handphone.

"Yes, really," I replied in wonder.

The face of the cashier in front of me turned pale and frightened.

"He's dead Mba, a week ago in front of the store, accident" the cashier said in a trembling voice. "So I went to the toilet again, so my shop stayed a while."

I did not heed the now-frightened male cashier's words and hurried to pay to leave the store.

As I opened the shop door, I saw next to the door the figure of the male cashier who was the first to serve me.

He was still wearing a shop employee's shirt, but now his face was half-destroyed with his puffed-up hands next door.

"Have you bought it, Mba?" tanyanya flat.

****