Not the First
Meet Aunt Rohmah

A moment later, Rey was already in the stall that was meant by Mr. Wibie. Meatball stalls are not how spacious but the building is neat, clean, and permanent. BAKSO OJO LALI, barner installed above the entrance of the stall.

Rey found a woman who was about forty years old was cleaning a pile of scallions and celery leaves that were in the look in front of her.

"Nothing has changed, Aunt Rohmah still looks like she used to. Young and beautiful" Rey bathed in her heart with a faint smile.

Reyeing the presence of Rey who looked closely at her the woman smiled and said.

"Sorry Mother. We open at 10. The meatballs are not boiling, yet" in a conditional tone with an apology.

For a moment their captivity was fixed. Rey still developed a smile on her lips and looked at the woman before her so hard.

With a slow step, Rey approached the woman and sat right in front of her. Calmly and still sharing his sweet smile, he greeted Aunt Rohmah who was still trying to recognize him

"Tante," said Rey so slowly.

"I'm Reyna, Auntie. Mr. Rohman's son," he continued to introduce himself.

At once, the woman in front of Rey looked at her face. He smiled and departed from his seat.

"Yes Allah. Auntie doesn't recognize you anymore, son. You've grown so tall and so beautiful" said the woman, hugging Rey's body and patting her nephew's shoulder a little hard.

Then the woman releases Rey's body and casts her gaze outwards. It seems like he is looking for something.

"You alone?" aunty asked a little hesitantly after she swept around and found no one.

"Yes Aunty" Rey replied briefly.

"Sit. Tell me how you got here?"

The woman immediately took a seat next to Rey and wanted to get an explanation from her ponakannya.

"Rey ran away from home, Tan,"

Rey bowed. He did not want to see the reaction of the Tantenya. Rey suddenly became scared. What if the Tantenya just did not accept it and told him to return to the village.

For a long time the woman was silent and soon she grabbed Rey's shoulder and calmed her niece.

"Why did you run away from home?" ask her so carefully.

Rey recounts everything in sequence including the behavior of her mother and Aldy. Rey tried as quietly as possible. He does not want to be considered a crybaby by his Tantenya.

"That's a pity for you, Rey. Why would your mother do that to you?" he muttered with such a concerned tone.

He held Rey's hand gently for a while. His gaze was now sweeping away the sorrow that was painted from the beautiful face of his nephew.

"Yes already. Don't be sad . You can stay here for a while. We find a way out together" said Aunt Rohmah in a very wise tone.

"Aunty also has to figure out a way, how can you tell your father? He should know if his son's okay here?"

"Don't let your father worry and will worsen his health condition" Tente explained again.

"But Tan, what if mom forces me to come home?" ask Rey in a panic.

"That's it. Rest first on top. The bathroom is on the left. Auntie's gonna finish this first,"

"Relse. There's no one upstairs,"

"Both Tan. Thank you for accepting me here,"

"We're family, Rey. Although it is rare to meet, if there are difficulties with each other, your father and I help each other. However after. Your father's sick, your mother's impressed to cut off communication between us. But yeah, that's it. Right now, being able to meet Mas Rohman's daughter I'm very happy" she said, hugging Rey back before she resumed her work and Rey left the room.

Upstairs, there is a large open space. There is a carpet that stretches wide and a long sofa that has begun to shabby. On the wall facing the sofa there is a large tv flat. It seems like this space is specifically for family gatherings.

In addition, there were two quite large spaces with doors closed. Rey placed her backpack on the couch for not daring to enter the room. On the side of the stairs, there seemed to be a bathroom and a small empty room.

"Taro here first. Aunty hasn't told me where to rest yet,"

Rey spread his eyes once again. This not-so-wide space was very quiet. Rey didn't find anyone upstairs.

"Why is this house so quiet?"

As Rey knows, Aunt has two boys whose age is not far adrift with Rey.

"Maybe they're in school? Uh, but now is it a holiday?"

Not getting an answer to his question, Rey went back down. He went down the stairs that only one person could pass through one by one.

Rey still sees her aunt finishing the same job. The pile of leeks and celery leaves in front of him is still not resolved.

"Rey help ya" said Rey offering to Tantenya.

"You didn't take a shower" asked Auntie because in an instant her bangs were back.

"Rey's had a shower. Before here Rey had stopped by the cement boarding school in Jakarta," Rey replied lying.

He could not have told his aunt if he stayed at the hotel and to Jakarta by plane with Mr. Wibie.

"Oh, it turns out you're with your friend. It's worth it to find Auntie's address,"

"Yes Aunt. I took the bus from myself. Temen Rey who was here first picked up at the terminal," explained Rey still with his lie.

"Thank God. The important thing is that you are safe, son," said Aunt in a happy tone.

"Where does your friend live?"

"In Deket market Senen, Tan"

"Oh, Deket from here. What was up here? Bus or ojek?"

"Rey riding ojol, use the friend app,"

The two asked each other and told various things until the contents of the look in front of him were clean without any noise. Rey and Aunt Rohmah at once also look so close, like a family that often meet.

The awkwardness between them melts instantly because Rey is so good at communication.