The Light of Love for Seroja
CCUS 3: Homes and Residents

Seroja stared fixedly at the small house that stood in front of him. A house that only has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a small kitchen, and a terrace that doubles as a place to receive guests.

The color of this blue wall paint has appeared to fade to leave only white as the base color of the wall. Not one bit darted in the mind of the twenty-seven-year-old woman to re-paint this house. As if the same as his desire to shed all the stories and bitter memories that had been stuck in there so as not to leave a trace left behind. However, how much he tried to erase, the trace was still clearly recorded in his brain memory.

"Seroja, is that you?"

The loud voice of a small eight-year-old woman successfully broke Seroja's daydream. His consciousness seemed to be being forced to turn towards the source of the voice. On the side of the door, where there was a bamboo chair, a little girl was seen sitting there, welcoming Seroja's arrival with a smile on her lips.

Seroja brought her body to get closer to the little girl. He slightly bent down and gently rubbed his brownish curls.

"Why are you sitting outside by yourself? Where's Sister Ana? Why isn't he visible here?"

A sweep of Seroja's eyes circled around the terrace. Usually if Manda sits on the terrace like this will definitely be accompanied by a young woman who is none other than a nurse who is given confidence by Seroja to take care of Manda.

"Suster Ana is inside, sister. Mother threw the things in the house, making Sister Ana so hard to calm Mother."

Sister Ana, in addition to being in charge of taking care of Manda, she is also in charge of taking care of all the needs of Dahlia who is none other than Seroja's mother. A woman who is experiencing mental disorders due to bad things that she experienced in the past. Things were bad in the past and left only a state as devastated as the destruction that Seroja is currently experiencing. Somehow the ink scratches of Seroja's life destiny will work, so slowly he can come out of the confines of pain that increasingly feels shackled heart.

Seroja tried to sigh deeply while smiling towards Manda. Although he knew that Manda would never know what kind of facial expression he looked like, there was always a smile that was painted when his net was fixed on the face of this little girl. Seroja's hands are stretched out to gently rub Manda's chocolate rikma. "Did Manda get scared when she saw Mom go berserk? If Manda's scared, Manda's just staying with Big Brother huh?"

There is a bitterness implied from the offer that Seroja offers for his sister. His heart throbbed with pain until Manda agreed to what he had to offer. Although currently his life is guaranteed in the arms of Randy by being his mistress, but Seroja does not want if Manda knows how he gets all the pleasures of life that he lives today. As bad as she became a mistress and a pela*cur, she didn't want Manda to see her. Although the girl's eyes did not see it, Seroja was sure that her sister felt it.

Manda shook her head slowly, still looking forward with a blank look and not blinking at all. "No Brother, Manda wants to stay here to accompany Mother. It's a pity if you're home alone. Manda also does not want to make Kak Seroja hassles. Brother is tired every day of work, Manda does not want to burden Brother. Seroja focus on working. Let Manda stay here to accompany Mom."

There was an invisible knife that stabbed a piece of flesh inside the twenty-seven-year-old woman. His heart seemed to be increasingly pinched to hear the plain words that came out from the little lips of the little girl sitting next to him.

Manda said that he was tired of working, but for one year as Randy's mistress, he did not have to bother to sweat to slam bones. Just sweating on the bed and removing a sigh*sensual vandalism from his lips to serve and satisfy Randy's desire, by itself the rupiah coffers flowed profusely into his account.

Unknowingly, the clear grain of Seroja eye pelup freefall. There was a form of guilt when he realized that for the past year, he had been living his sister and mother in this dirty way. But what if this was the path he had chosen? The way of life that is filled with the mud of sin and more and more days actually makes it more mired into the maelstrom of mud.

"Has Manda eaten yet?"

Seroja tried to find another subject. He could not lie if talking about the work he was doing, as if making his chest feel tight. If only the dark events of the night had not happened to him, surely his life could be calmer at this time with the work he had previously been in. Although only getting a small salary from the factory making gloves, but actually a good result, because he got it in a good way anyway.

Manda shook her head again. "Not Brother. Manda hasn't eaten."

Seroja's forehead shriveled a little. It's not usual that Manda hasn't filled her stomach in the middle of the day like this. The timepiece already showed twelve o'clock, the girl should have eaten by now, right?

"Why hasn't Manda eaten yet? Has Sister Ana not cooked yet? But if you have not cooked, usually Sister Ana buy food outside, right? But why hasn't Manda eaten yet?"

Without even looking at her sister, Manda only gave a slight smile. "Manda is fasting, Brother."

Both of Seroja's netra are more perfectly rounded. The woman was flabbergasted. "P-fasting? Manda fasting?"

A nod of the head he appeared before Seroja as a form of affirmation that what he said before was indeed true. "Yes Kak, Manda fasts sunnah Monday Thursday. So, every Monday and Thursday, if it's noon Manda doesn't eat and drink."

"D-where did Manda learn to fast Monday-Thursday? Is there some kind of TPA near our house that can teach Manda?"

Seroja was wracked by high curiosity. Where does his sister know the Monday-Thursday fast? But all this time he had never taught him about religious knowledge like that. How could he teach his brother religion if he knew nothing about religion. Living in an environment like this, slowly has indeed kept it away from the owner of life.

Or is there some kind of TPA around his residence? But he stirs up such a thought. In such a localization there cannot be a TPA for children or some kind of spiritual study for the people who live here. Perhaps religious experts have first felt reluctant to set foot in a place loaded with activities such as this place of residence.

"No Brother. There are no TPA activities. Manda learns about fasting and prayer from Sister Ana. Sister Ana said that Manda should pray a lot for Seroja and her mother. So that one day brother Seroja and mother will go to heaven."

A plain answer from Manda's lips again stabbed the heart of Seroja who had previously been stabbed by an invisible knife. Manda, the little girl was talking about heaven which was a completely inappropriate place to be occupied by a sinner like her.

The bitterness is still raining down on the soul. Again, a drop of clear crystal again slid free from both of Seroja's heart windows. And only a bitter smile could he paint on his thin lips.

"Alright if Manda is fasting. What do you want to break open wearing? Let brother Seroja buy."

"No need, Brother. Sister Ana cooked soy sauce chicken. Later Manda break the fast using soy sauce chicken." You appear*************** the end of the shirt that he is wearing. As if she wanted to say something to her brother. "Sir, can Manda ask for something? If I may, Manda wants something from Brother."

"What is that, honey? Let's say. Whatever Manda wants, Seroja will buy."

"Can Seroja buy Mukena for Manda? Manda wanted a new mukena, so that Manda could use it for prayer. Because if Manda wants all the prayers that Manda says to be granted by Allah, Manda must be a child first. Sister Ana said, one way to do prayer."

I don't know how many times this little girl managed to tear apart the heart of Seroja who has long been untouched by anything and anyone. He always cared for his ears, indifferent to the bad words that led to him. So that none of those bad words affected his mood. But this time, when Manda spoke lightly of heaven, prayer, and God, his heart seemed to be filled with a sense that was very difficult to describe. A sense that increasingly dragged his body into nothingness alone.

Seroja smiled knot. "All right, sweetheart. I'll buy you a new face. So you can wear it to pray."

"Thank you so much Seroja. Manda dear Brother!"

A warm hug Manda gave to her sister. The close embrace in which the breath of prayer and prayer flows, may God always bestow happiness on the brother.

"Suster Ana?"

Seroja broke a little hug from Manda's body, when the thirty-three-year-old woman who was none other than Sister Ana swung her legs to reach the terrace area.

"Bak Seroja has already arrived here?"

Seroja nodded slowly. "It's been a while, Sus. It's just that I accompanied Manda here. How's mom doing today?"

Sister Ana seemed to be smiling knots. The condition of Dahlia's soul in the past few days is often shaken. I don't know what caused it. But for the past week, Dahlia was seen raging more often and throwing things that were nearby.

"Mom's condition is a little different than usual, Ma'am. But thank God I can still control."

A smile full of relief rose on Seroja's lips. "Thank God then. Is she asleep right now, Sus?"

"Yes, Mom is asleep. If Seroja wants to see his condition, I say please. Let me accompany Manda to rest."

"All right, I'm going to mom's room." Seroja leaned her body towards Manda. "Darling, you're now resting. Don't be too tired."

"Okay sister, Manda will rest in the room." Manda's small hand grabbed a stick made of fiber, then he stood up his body. Slowly, the girl walked away from the terrace with a cane that became a tool to find out what kind of terrain she went through. Whether it is a smooth, steep or bumpy road.

"I'm going in first, Ma'am." Rising from her sitting position, Sister Ana intends to follow Manda.

"Good Sus. Sister Ana also rest!"

Only leave Seroja body alone on this terrace. It breathes the air deeply and slowly it exhales. Trying to prepare the heart to meet the mother. He unzipped the bag he was carrying. He took a long cloth to cover part of his face. This he was forced to do, because the emotional turmoil of the mother will again peak if the two middle-aged women's eyes catch the shadow of her face.

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