Om Pamungkas
know yourself

" My life used to be hard. I couldn't even buy the books I needed at school,

every time you ask Dad, you always tell me to ask Mom,

I didn't give my salary to my mom.." Leaning beneath a lush, shady tree, the story recounts her childhood to Frans.

" Why didn't your mother report it?"

" hhh. I guess that's the power of love.." I smiled bitterly.

" As the wife of a soldier, my mother's life was too difficult back then,

she is not like any other mother,

the quiet wait for salary every month.." continued Pamungkas.

Frans was downcast, so he regretted having asked about the ultimate life before meeting his new family.

" I'm sorry Pam, didn't I mean to wake up your grief?"

" it doesn't matter. anyway I've passed..

I'm grateful that my mother had a happy life after all that pain.."

" is that why you find it hard to be honest with your brother? that you're saving a heart for his daughter?"

" maybe.which is obvious.I'm afraid to be considered not to know myself and do not know thank you.."

" Are you sure taking another woman as your wife can erase your feelings?,

what if after marriage that feeling keeps growing?

in fact, even though your niece was married at the time, your feelings also still didn't diminish at all right?"

Looks lazy to think.

" I've been lazy to think about that, at least I've tried,

Ratih wouldn't acknowledge me as a grown man who was interested in him,

he just wants to know me as his mom..

therefore, I think whatever I do will be free." explained the end.

" Don't rush to decide to marry Pam.kasian women who will be your wife later if your heart is not fixed on her.." advice Frans.

Finally smiling, he did not answer, instead busy looking at the sky and watching the passing birds marching.

" It's late in the afternoon.let's go in.." take Pamungkas,

the two had long since chatted behind the hall, the safest place to talk in an office environment,

under the tree of the curls and mango trees, the hot weather so not felt.

A few months passed, everything seemed fine, except for Ratih.

His body was getting thinner, for some reason, it made papa and his mother worried.

" What the hell is Rat, what are you thinking?" ask her mother, please,

" no ma," replied Ratih who had just picked up the plate.

" Tell papa, what's bothering you?" the papa spoke, too,

" no pa.. Train well,"

" where is it, you're getting smaller..?"

" That's because Ratih is more busy, so often forgets breakfast and lunch,"

" didn't you say Rat, morning meal at home, don't go straight away?, sir?,

you're like working with people, don't you care about your health?!" mama's firm.

Ratih was silent, not answering, he sat quietly with rice and side dishes on his plate.

" Eat a lot." said the father,

" Have you seen Arga again?" ask her mother to arrive, then,

" what about Arga?" Ratih looked at his mother,

" yes, he had met me a few times while shopping at my mom's subscription fabric store..

he said he was going downstairs and taking his mother,

but twice I didn't see her mother, she said she was still in another store,"

" just throw ma out?!"

" ah you are nduk..is that your shop?, mama?,

mama just felt like she still hadn't let you go,"

" he's married to Tias ma...?"

" mama heard that, but she said she was only responsible to Tias.."

" it has no effect on me ma, what he wants to say..

just looking at his face I'm sick of it" said Ratih, his appetite so lost.

" Ratih was full ma, Ratih went into the room first." the young woman got up, and just left her parents.

" Wes, just let the mak. bad mood continues since the storm with Hendra," said his mother to mak karto, mak,

" Did not eat at home?"

" whether the boy, he said he wanted to go to the workshop arrange the goods,"

" o'alah nggih.." mak Karto cleaned the plate used to eat Ratih.

Hendra came home an hour later,

he looks tired and shabby.

" Have you eaten Hen?" asked his papa who was sitting in the living room, the old man loved to watch documentary chanel, so a fairly large television always accompanied him from afternoon until night.

" It's pa, eat next to the workshop.."

" sit here first Hen?" call the papa, call him,

forced Hendra who really wanted to take a bath and sleep was obeying his papa, he sat on the sofa, beside his papa.

" What's the matter, pa?" ask Hendra,

" Why is your sister?" his papa question astonished Hendra, though,

" you know? why is it that Ratih?" ask Hendra back.

" Don't you see your little brother getting smaller?"

Hendra seemed to think,

" Hendra is also kurusan, papa just don't see?"

" compare that little brother of yours? you're a man?"

" h. papa choose love.."

" this papa is serious, he rarely eats huh Hen?"

Now that Hendra's countenance was getting serious, he slightly confusedly replied.

" Hendra was also confused as to why Ratih was so.." he murmured,

" Ratih often cried. several times Hendra knew..

first look Hendra came up to him and asked, but he said fine pa, just a little tired, just a little,

then the second and next Hendra did not come to him, because Hendra felt useless..

Ratih is now closed pa.." continued Hendra.

" Why??"

" Hendra thought because Hendra had a storm with him back then,

but it looks like there's something else that makes him a nelangsa.."

" don't you ask Hen again?" adi's face began to worry.

" No pa, I thought he was an adult. He would not want Hendra to interfere too much with his affairs.."

" she's your sister, unless there's no physical change you can pretend not to know,

but he's getting smaller like that??

try to meet the teacher's friend, or the kid he works with at the cafe??"

Hendra nodded.

" Tomorrow Hendra will meet. Now Hendra to the room first yes pa, want to shower continue to sleep. tired.." Hendra got up and told his papa to go up to the room.

The cafe was crowded with high school children as usual.

Ratih and Ria were busy making orders, though,

" Ratih Ma'am?! I added the lemon tea?!" a girl in a brown hooded scout waved her hand.

" If a message comes here, don't yell, disturb others who are reading?!" sahut Ratih is firm.

" Duh ferociously, mbak Ratih mens again huh?!" the girl then sat back down.

" Children today.courtesy is less.." said Ria from the kitchen carrying some orders, but,

" Yes, astonished.." said Ratih.

From a distance the cafe door opened,

The look on Ratih's face suddenly looked unhappy.

" Rats?!" A woman with a distended stomach approached,

he stopped right in front of the cashier's desk.

" I told you not to see me again" without waiting for the woman to speak, Ratih preceded ketus.

" Who else am I talking to, Rat? you know I'm pregnant and I can't be stressed?" the woman who had been a good friend of Ratih complained.

" That's not my responsibility?!" firmly Ratih set his voice as calm as possible so as not to attract attention.

" You're telling me you don't love Arga, but why are you still mad every time I come to you?" Tias stroked her already quite visible stomach.

" You and your husband are the same, just as shameless, go. I have to work, no time to talk" Ratih ignored Tias and walked as quickly as possible towards the Kitchen.