The Staircase
Hot Porridge

Tomorrow is my sixth birthday. As in previous years, nothing special. Mom and Dad don't remember my birthday. They always returned my hopeful gaze with a sweet smile.

Nothing changed when I grew a year old. Just gray dad more and more and more mother taught me to write, read and count even though I did not understand and was no more excited than playing the car. Sometimes my mother was angry at me for not listening to him, but she still patiently taught me, so that I could count one to ten which made her finally smile happily.

My uncle said I was getting naughty. Uncle didn't take revenge on me when a week ago I made my uncle angry and in pain.

At that time, I was playing catapult around uncle's house, looking for birds that perched in the trees. Mom had called me many times to take a nap, but I just answered, yes ma'am. Uncle is annoyed at me who's still busy shooting innocent birds. At that time the uncle was cleaning his legs after coming from looking for maculata fish.

"The seal is so mana mempan on uncle's ass, just a waste of your time. Trying to take a nap is at least more useful than shooting at the birds. Not even if, what's even made you thinner and drier." Said my uncle who was looking up without any response.

I pulled my catapult with all my might towards uncle, then released the stone on my catapult as uncle was riding cleaning his legs.

"Bad. Watch out for you." Uncle angry. Running zig-zag after me. My shot was on target. I ran away from uncle.

From that moment uncle did not dare to rebuke me again who would have harmed him. My catapult was seized by my father. Right now, I can only play in cars.

Good night loyal listeners Radio Republik Indonesia. We will soon be presenting news about education.

Pause. The typical musical sound of Radio Republik Indonesia sounded evocative father spirit followed by a head shake up and down.

How are happy viewers. May healthy always and waged his fortune.

The radio host greeted, "Amin." My father replied as he moved from his seat, raising the volume of his radio.

Tomorrow is a long-awaited day for parents who want to send their children to school. You need to prepare the file, that is...

I listened solemnly, holding the stationery and the paper. Ready to record school entry requirements. Dad was even more excited when he heard this year's school was free.

I was silent not understanding. Although my ability to count is getting better because every inch when pushing my cars while counting in my heart.

"When is the plan to go to the market to buy school supplies?" Ask mother.

"Tomorrow I'll go there, see the Headmaster."

There is only one school in this village, Primary School. There is no Kindergarten Park, First High School, let alone High School. Of course, it will make students who are desperate to stay overnight or are far from their parents when finishing Elementary School.

Elementary School distance from our home is about an hour away on foot. Onthel's bike might be fifteen minutes.

"Let's buy school supplies tomorrow." Continue father. That means tomorrow I'll go to school and go to the market. Horeees. I murmured in my heart.

"Mom's son is ready for school yet?" I asked my mother who made me wonder about myself. I nodded flexibly. Mom smiled happily.

The next morning, I woke up my mother. My right hand was pulled, forced to stand up and say, Get up, son. It's noon.

I opened my eyes, which suddenly widened to see my father dressed very neatly. His whitened hair was neatly combed in the style of the sisiran of the eighties, halved midway. Black color pants as ironed, neat. The pants had been in the cardboard for a long time. Dominant black grey short sleeve shirt dress. Dad put up his shirt glasses while looking in the mirror, twirling his body while saying, still handsome apparently. I chuckle softly.

"Quick shower. You'll be late." Urge mother while thrusting my towel.

As usual, the three-five formula every time I take a shower is done to save water in the barrel. Incidentally dry weather, the water in the barrel was thinning.

On the cardboard, my clothes are ready. So I don't have to break it down anymore. My mother prepared everything perfectly. Even my sandals were washed to a shine.

Unfortunately, just set foot first, the sandal has stepped on chicken manure. Mother nagging very long as reading a greeting to the top officials of the country in historic momentum.

This is my first time at school. There are so many friends I met today. They looked friendly and welcomed me very well.

"Hay, what's your name?"

"My name, Aki. What's your name?"

"I'm Saga. Just call Aga." Shake hands.

Aga also delivered his father today. We will be in a class. While waiting for the parents to talk in the teacher's room, Aga and I played in the long, straight, school hallway. There were seven rooms along the school hall that we had been through. At the end of it stood the foundation of the new school building. It seemed that this straight school would meander half around the schoolyard.

The sixth grade door next to the left corner of the teacher room was wide open. Aga and I intend to take a peek at the sixth grader. We put our feet very slow. Suddenly, Aga and I stopped footsteps after hearing a song that was sung by many people in the sixth grade. The sound we heard was like a woman's voice, the tone of the intonation was down-and-out and very melodious.

Sweetheart, affection, babe

Look miss from afar, dear

That was the last lyric of his song that I repeated many times in my heart. Aga and I are off to sixth grade. We continued to browse through the very end of the classroom on the right, side by side with the teacher room on the left. The classroom is free. It turns out school is off today. But in the sixth grade there are those who sing cheerfully. We believe it's sixth grade because on the door there's a figure six.

Aga and I went back to sixth grade. It turned out to be the voice of the student who was studying the choir.

"Maybe to welcome us, Ki." Aga. Definitely festive. I muttered in my heart imagining the first day of school.

"Ki, it's our dad's done meeting." He pointed towards the teacher room. He walked up to the old man who was slightly bowing, Aga took the old man to the schoolyard to the way home.

"See you in first grade, Ki." Shouted Aga, saying farewell. I waved my right hand which is what people usually do when parting ways, da-da.

Dad took me to the market. This place cannot be said to be a full-fledged market. More precisely a collection per small shop. The shopping center of the people here.

We entered one of the stores that from outside the store to the many hanging school supplies. I was told to choose the color and size I like. Although I look at my father's eyes as if to say, look for a little cheap one. But which one am I confused about?

I picked up a white shirt following the direction of the shopkeeper in front of me who pointed at the Elementary School supplies. In the pocket of the white shirt there is a picture of students and students whose half body is covered with white flowers pentagon, standing in front of the house, left and right there is a picture like a rope. I also chose knee-high red pants, a brown uniform that was said to be a shopkeeper scout uniform. Beltsband. One book and one pencil. Fortunately, you get a bonus. Don't forget I chose the hat and tie for the flag ceremony. Then I looked back, it turned out that my father was following me choosing this school supplies.

I searched the back of the store, there were various types of school shoes that tempted me. I want to take it. But remember the story of the father a few years ago who said they used to not wear shoes. Without shoes, I can still go to school. Shoes are just footwear. Teachers also do not require students to wear shoes. Moreover, the price is certainly very expensive. One pair of sandals only about the price of rubber. What about these shoes? It could be up to five kilos of rubber.

One large plastic bag full of school supplies. I don't know how much money my father will pay. I waited in front of the shop, seeing that dad was having a long discussion with the shopkeeper. Then they shake hands, sign in agreement.

I brought the big plastic bag and walked home. We arrived home like a sweat bath, wet. The weather was very hot, the walk was quite far away, making me and my father spend the water in our small teapot. Thirsty.

"Why not buy a drink at the stall?" Ask the mother with an intonation of disapproving voices.

Mom nodded, "Oh..." Trying to understand.

Uncle came to our house when it was early evening, "Cieee, you uncle wants to go to school." He made fun of me trying on school uniforms, misbehaving.

I smiled, "Yes dong. Uncle wants another school?" I asked to make fun of.

"Don't ask uncle if he wants to go to school or not. Ask uncle when to get married again?" Mom nodded, laughing. Uncle smiled broadly.

"At least two days of wear is dirty. Nice to wear uncle's shirt." Pointing to his clothes that were hung beside the house, forest service clothes to look for maculata.

"This uncle is there. It's expensive. Should be treated well, not to be torn or dirty." Mom chiming.

I nodded as I spread out my arms, revealing the school uniform I had worn in front of my mother, father and uncle. They applauded, uncle raised his two thumbs up above.

The school uniform was folded back, stored in a cardboard box specifically for school uniforms.

I took the cars while playing. Father and uncle chat in the yard, mother cooks porridge for lunch. The fire furnace is burning very hot. Mother left the furnace, took the firewood outside.

I play cars in the kitchen. I was about to return to the living room, holding my cars tightly as I moved.

"Hot." Scorching heat. Inadvertently my head touched the firewood which instantly pushed the pot filled with hot porridge, spilling over me.

I squirm in pain. My skin was partially covered in a hot blister. Hot steam billowing upwards mixed with the smell of blistered skin. Mother took the water in the barrel and then poured it into my body.

Mom was crying. "Help, help her get to the hospital quickly." Panicked.

Dad took me. Take me out of the house. While the uncle ran to his house to pick up his onthel bike. I borrowed that bike. Carrying me by tying the sarong to his body is like carrying jamu around the village.

Onthel bikes are riddled with all their might. No matter the road. I was shaken helplessly. My hands are red, hot. My skin is peeling. In *************feel like a balloon, expand. A few jolts made it erupt, giving off a hot liquid.

Dad was riding his onthel bike very fast. The gentle breeze made me a little relieved. While on the climb, dad went down pushing the bike. I stay in his trunk. The sunlight is still hot. My father's sweat is pouring out. Sometimes I see my father wiping his tears.

On arrival at the Puskesmas, the father shouted, "Please, help my son." Opening the Puskesmas door.

Nurses scattered, some took a push gurney, called a doctor, and prepared other medical equipment. I was immediately laid down into the push gurney and taken to a special room.

I heard my father's footsteps running after me. "Sir, please wait here. Complete the file and the cost." Sounded sayup-sayup. Then the door closed.

"Smart sister, you're strong huh." The doctor injected my left hand, inserted an infusion needle. Well, I realized too soon, so I knew what it was like to be pricked by an infusion needle.

"Okay, doctor. It hurts." I complain. Although the doctor said the infusion needle was like an ant bite, but I know exactly the pain is more than an ant bite.

"A little while, right." The doctor smiled sweetly.

All my clothes are taken off. Two doctors dressed in pure white wore masks, one with glasses, the other with no-cleansing my body. I held my pain, scrunched my forehead and closed my eyes.

The doctor tried to calm me down.

"What's your name, brother?" Ask the bekacamata doctor.

"Aki, doc. Well, sick." My tears came out on both sides, wetting the sheets.

"Calm down." Moving her hands, touching my blistered skin. "How old are you now?" Ask the doctor who does not have glasses.

"Six years, doc." Reply quickly.

"Oh, you're going to school soon, yeah." The glasses doctor glanced at him. Like, don't say that. Then the doctor who was not wearing glasses fell silent.

Mother and uncle followed, entering along with father in a special room. I was lying staring at the drip water slowly.

"How are you doing? Still sick no?" Ask my mom with eyes.

I nodded slowly. Uncle brought food and fruit. "Come, eat. Must be hungry, right?"

It was our first time eating at the Puskesmas. The aroma of medicine is not ignored. My mother fed me with great attention. We stayed overnight at Puskesmas. Until finally my condition began to improve, then we were allowed to go home.

We went home on two bikes. My dad's bullshitting me, uncle's hinting at my mom.

At about six in the afternoon when the sun was half-sinking, we arrived home. Mom opened the door. Dad took me into the room. Uncle rushed to find banana leaves.

"Wait a minute." Shouted uncle as father was about to lay me on a mat of leaves.

"Lay here." Uncle arranged the banana leaves.

For almost two weeks I slept on a banana leaf without a thread in my body. My blistered skin stuck to that banana leaf. I, who disliked napping, had to lock myself up in my room.

Mom and Dad took turns looking after me. When my father took care of me, my mother took care of me. But when it rains, the mother immediately calls uncle. "Please take care of Aki for a moment."

Mom hurried to the rubber garden after dad collected the sap. The rain outside sounded heavy. If it is a little late, the sap will mix with water and difficult to print.

Uncle went into the room, "Not sick?" Pinched my swollen skin.

"Ouch. It hurts." Uncle chuckled loudly until he was gone. I laughed out loud, it was uncle toothless.

Uncle immediately put up his rent and raised his right hand while touching his index finger on his lips. I-i understand. Uncle was embarrassed to get his teeth tooth toothless.

My uncle took care of me all day until both of my parents got home. Starting from bathing, eating, and waking up, I helped them. I slept in my own bed. Banana leaves are replaced every day with new banana leaves.

"Go in next year, yeah. We see the conditions are not possible now." Mom and Dad were talking in the living room. I heard it clenching my eyes, tricking them as if they were sleeping tonight.

"Alright, save the school uniform first. Tomorrow I'm talking to the Principal."