Mom, I Want School
26. MOM'S HOME

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"Dad!"

"Dad! Wake Ari!"

"Oi Ari!"

Someone called me while shaking my shoulder that had been squeezing from sleep. That voice that had been calling out to me had managed to wake me up from my deep sleep. My head moved along with my two eyes that slowly opened to find the figure of the father who seemed to be looking at me.

I hurriedly got up from the porch of the house and looked at my father with a smile that was really very happy.

"Why are you sleeping here? Why don't you go inside the house?"

The question was thrown from my father and not long after he returned to talk, "Look at your body! Lots of freckles from being bitten by mosquitoes."

"It's a night and it's going to be very cold. Quick in! Later you can get sick," explained the father and then opened the door and stepped into the house.

I paused for a moment and moved my head in all directions and sure enough that the bright day had now turned pitch black. All I saw was a lamp on the houses lined up, not too many there were only a few and one of the houses was the house of Angga. The house is not too far from here. I can even see it from the porch.

I stepped inside the house to close the door tightly and follow the steps of the father who apparently went into the kitchen. I was busy taking the rice in the pot and putting it on the plate.

"Brother, where's mom? Didn't Mom come home?" asked me after I turned to the left and right trying to find the figure of the mother I never saw.

I sat in an old wooden chair and opened the food cover on the wooden table to find a piece of dried fish leftover food that was eaten last night. He stopped the movement of his hand and turned to look at me who had been waiting for an answer from the father.

"More you're still in the hospital. You will eat for a while and then go again to the hospital," he explained and continued his eating activities.

I scrunched my forehead for a moment thinking about the words of the father that he uttered earlier.

"Then what about Ari, sir?"

Father did not answer. He was silent and only his voice was heard.

"Sir, how's Ari?"

"Ari lives here alone."

"alone?"

"Just one night, tomorrow mom and dad can go home. You're staying at home by yourself is okay, right?"

I fell silent after hearing the explanation and questions from my father. He stroked my hair to seduce me a little so I would obey.

"But Ari is afraid to sleep alone here."

"Why should I be afraid? You usually sleep alone in the room."

"But it's different, sir. At home, there will be a father and mother so Ari is not afraid. If Ari sleeps tonight, mom and dad don't mean Ari's alone."

"Father knows but your mother would be more afraid if she slept alone in the hospital. You want your mother to cry there out of silence."

That sentence made me silent. True also what you said, there must be someone who accompanies your mother there. I could not have forced my father to accompany me to sleep at home while my mother was sick there.

He nodded as he gulped down the water in his mouth, placed the glass on the table and looked at me.

"Yes, tomorrow your father and mother will come home and also a new sister."

My sullen face is now turning into a sumringah. Smile expands matchless to hear the word new sister.

"really? Does Ari have a new sister?"

"Yes you have a new sister. She chick. Later that night you think of a name for your sister that's nice to you and after morning you'll tell mom about that name."

I nodded happily. There was no hesitation in letting you leave me alone at home.

Not long ago now I have been on the lip of the door while staring at the father who seemed to reach for the bicycle on the pole of the house.

"Close the door tight, Ri! You go for a minute, tomorrow you go home."

"Yes, sir. You be careful."

No more answers from my father. He put a flashlight over the head of his old bicycle and pedaled the bicycle leaving me who quickly closed the door.

I fell silent while leaning my body on the surface of the door for a moment. I took a deep sip of saliva as I stared at the room of the house that was so very quiet. It trembled as I felt the silence inside this house.

If only Ari had a brother or sister, maybe the water would not be this scared. If only Ari had an older brother, there might be someone accompanying Ari in this house. It seemed like this was the risk of becoming an only child and first child but now I smile again as I remember having a new sister.

I ran into the room, closed the door tightly, climbed into the basket and covered my entire body with a blanket. I hope there are no scary voices tonight.

God, please take care of Ari.

...****...

A commotion had been heard in front of my house since just now as I tidied up my bed. I opened the window of the house to find some people gossiping there. It seems they are still talking about the mother who was referred to the hospital. I don't understand why people are so fond of telling things that have passed.

Mom is going home today but they are still telling me about it without getting bored. How long will the story end? Yes, actually I didn't really hear what they were saying yet, I could see from their facial expressions as they occasionally turned their heads towards the house.

Perhaps they also gossiped about having left an 8-year-old at home alone. Ari is no problem. The one who will face the silence of the night is Ari, not them then why are they all feeling dizzy.

I cleaned the house, swept the floor and washed the dishes from my father's dinner last night. I didn't have breakfast this morning. As usual, my sister doesn't know how to cook. I don't know how to cook vegetables and rice.

I also don't want to go to play because today is Tuesday, there are no friends in the morning hours like this because they are all busy studying.

"Assynolajet. Mom's home."

The scream from outside made both my eyes grow in shock. That's mom's voice. I can recognize that voice clearly.

I immediately got up from the chair and ran out of the house to find the figure of a mother who seemed to step into the house while holding a small baby covered in sarongs.

That's the new sister, Ari!

...📗📗📗...