Asti Girl Carrying the Curse
Chapter 223. Finding Evidence and Alibis
The atmosphere that afternoon, at the Joglo house increased. The women dined indoors near the warehouse and the kitchen was clean with a mat. While the men ate in the spacious joglo yard. They can sit anywhere on the floor plastered with cement, piles of wood even on the stairs next to the joglo house.
It seems that the cuisine of Bulek Ratih and his cousin's sisters is very delicious. They eat with it. Though what they serve is a dish that is usually cooked by villagers every day.
On the big table there are two large basins containing purple eggplant and long beans with yellow sauce, fried chicken, dried tempeh with sambal terasi with basil leaf lace , cucumbers and boiled kale.
Two thermos of sweet iced tea are provided for thirst fatigue relief. Asti has opened two large papaya and melon. Finished eating and resting the men moved towards the mushola to pray the dhuhur together. They carry copies of cocoa clothes or sarongs.
The work will continue until 15:00. But some of the neighboring mothers who helped Bulek Ratih have been saying goodbye to their respective homes.
Bulek Ratih has wrapped up for all of them. Each got a bag of crackles that contained rice wrapped in banana leaves, vegetable lodeh in a plastic bag, as well as a side dish and a small bag of nape. There are even additional tempe chips or rambak.
The mothers had cheerful faces, as they did not need to cook again after arriving home. Because he had brought a bag of crackles for lunch husband and children.
" Come down, deck! Mbah No tired it has not rested! " asti Pinta. The baby girl nodded. Since then Qani anteng in the man's arms. Although Lek No was busy chatting with Mr. Muin, also with his two assistants. But finally Bu Jum managed to persuade Qani to escape from Lek No's sling, by preparing additional formula milk for him in his favorite bottle.
" Are you not well, Asti?" bude Mayang asked a little worriedly. Because often see the baby girl was given more formula than breastfed her mother with breast milk.
Because women hear that Qani is not yet a year old. But drink more formula milk a day can be two or three bottles.
"Asti had a rather severe pain before giving birth... So the milk is somewhat reduced due to the influence of drugs, which must be taken..." Said Bu Ratih trying to explain the state of Asti simply.
Pakde Muin's wife's eyes stared softly out the window. " Everyone has their own life path, which is different. I've been almost 6 years migrating to Purwokerto where Teh Lilis helped manage a production house that made food for souvenirs... My life was also quite difficult, because my husband married his coworkers in a factory in the open air!"
" Well, Ma'am want to be with Pakde Muin?" tanya Bulek Ratih teases.
" Mister Muin financed my lawsuit to the court! My husband and family are neighbors in the village. But he is an irresponsible man. I was not divorced, but I was not given a living. We already have two kids who are starting to grow up. They not only cost money to eat, buy clothes and also tuition! So my children leave it to the parents, when they get an offer in Purwokerto."
" I've known Mr. Muin for a long time. Ever since she was in business with Teh Lilis' husband. He even supported me to get a divorce by finding a lawyer! Mr. Cahyadi and Teh Lilis also supported our relationship. Until I accept his proposal. He also paid for my two children who attended school in a boarding school in Garut. Poor old man, still have to look after and take care of his little grandchildren!"
The sad story flows in the dining room. Asti was quite moved... Is life so sad and troublesome for women? Some are cheated, divorced and not even blessed. Only then do women struggle to give a decent life to themselves and the abandoned children.
So Asti pamit went home first. Just look! The children were already sitting sweetly in the middle seat, inside the Inova. Lek No had put a bunch of bananas king into the trunk of Asti's car. Sister Ning can only shake her head... The banana that contained more than ten combs looked yellow, ripe and appetizing to eat it. Earlier, Ms. Ning still had time to pluck some coconuts to Kang Asmat from the garden behind the Joglo house.
The departure of Asti who drove his own car was also witnessed by several other neighboring mothers... Especially the neighbors who are not too fond of Asti and Lek No family are increasingly skyrocketing economy. But they now did not dare to be too blatant to hate the family. Too risky, because the name Winangun always respected by the community as the founder and village figure of Sendang Mulyo who is very respected.
Especially with Bulek Ratih who Sekar has dared to fight, if Asti and his family are insulted or slandered! After bravely he hit Mother Dian, the Mother who likes to gossip the most in the cake and snack shop.
Nearly an hour later, a Fortuner moved out of the joglo's yard. In the car there was only Mr. Muin and Lek No... The black and dashing car moved through the village road to the east, towards the next village which was only limited by the presence of a large grass field, gardens and paths fenced in Teak trees on the right-left side of the road.
Inside the house, Bulek Ratih was still busy chatting with Bude Mayang, as well as his two cousins. They also work to prepare for lunch tomorrow. The harvesting job is only 3 days away. But some of the rice has been dried in the yard next door. Usually it was the responsibility of Kang Slamet and the other two workers.
For the Lek No family now, various traditional ceremonies from the customs of the old people in this village began to be eliminated. Though there is a series of traditions that must be lived by a farmer who owns rice fields. From them began to cultivate the soil, spread rice seeds, plant until harvesting the rice. It has to do with old beliefs. About Dewi Sri who is believed to be the incarnation of rice...
Usually there are several rituals in the form of preparing offerings in the form of setaman flowers, green coconut water to market snacks and cooked chicken Ingkung. Which is placed on the first road to enter the rice field.
Since Mr. Harjo Winangun began to accept responsibility when inheriting the rice fields and gardens of his parents. All traditions that are not in accordance with the Shari'a religion are abandoned. Because Mr. Winangun himself is a graduate of a famous pesantren in the Magelang area of Central Java, along with father Anwar Zahid.
Now the customary ceremony was changed with a joint prayer event or holding a tasyakuran. Easier still, Bulek Ratih will deliver a lot of food to the mosque in front of his house on Friday night... Sometimes Bulek prepares dishes in a stereo foam container containing savory rice, grilled chicken with sambal and lalapan in the form of cucumber, raw cabbage and basil. In addition to parents, children are increasingly diligent in coming to the mosque for yasinan on Thursday night after the so-called Magrib Prayer.
" Did Bude Ayu live a hard life when married to Mr. Kushari?" ask Bude Mayang again.
Bulek Ratih's face became sad. " Since returning to this village, Bude Ayu's marriage to her first husband has been problematic... Bude Ayu had two miscarriages, the last one almost took his life because it was barely helped. Because the house of his office is far away puskesmas or hospital. But at that time her husband was more concerned with the interests of others. Especially in the young girl the son of a village chief in his place of duty... So Bude Ayu chose to retreat! Because her husband did not want to pick up Bude Ayu who planned to stay in this village until Asti was one year old. Her intention is to take Asti, to her husband's official house in Bengkulu area. But her husband refused!"
" Yes, God!" bude Mayang whispered in surprise. " It deserves you to feel sad because you have not been able to get data or facts from the incident of Asti's mother's departure. Bude Ayu has given enough funds to find the whereabouts of Emilia or her relatives in the area!"
They're speechless... Maybe because Mr. Muin was still serving in his unit so not free to move to find the truth. Moreover, there is something that is hidden by someone with a hidden personal interest.
Asti was born orphaned and almost orphaned, because the news of his mother's whereabouts is increasingly unknown. Mr. Harjo Winangun was very worried about the whereabouts of his daughter-in-law. Moreover, there was a two-month-old baby that he had left in this house.
Unfortunately, the feelings of Mbah Sri Sumiarsih, his wife are even worse. He became very depressed with the skewed gossip of the people in his village. Because his family suffered a constant disaster. Until the woman fears herself about the retaliation of the rulers of the bamboo forest who have cursed the Winangun family... For her husband and son had disturbed their existence in the forest which had been in the forest for hundreds of years....