Ballad Inmates
Ballad Inmates (Part 9)

By Dalem Tehang

I opened a packet of rice cadong. I stared at the dull-colored rice for a long time. Ijal approaching. Put a glass of drinking water.

“Eat, Mario. Bismillah aja,” said Joko who noticed my concern.

“Bismillah,” I said while feeding rice to the mouth. And it's true. Three mouthfuls, Ludes had the food.

“Alhamdulillah,” I said. Slowly. I saw Joko and the others watching me.

“There's a weird ya?” my many. They just smile.

I'm tearing down. Start to feel tired. Inner born. Not feeling, I fell asleep. Until then my hand was interesting.

“Wake, Mario. There is a provos check,” Joko who said while pulling my hand.

I hurried to sit. I saw two people dressed in provosts standing at the door. Room occupants were told to come out. Line up in front of the room.

One by one the items in the room were inspected. All bags are removed. Scattered on the floor. Cigarettes whose packaging has not been opened have been confiscated.

One of the officers went into the bathroom. His eyes pushyly saw a bucket full of soaking clothes.

While closing his nose, he said loudly: “Who is hanging this shirt?”

We're staring. Edi signals Ijal. The young man raised his hand.

“This time, directly rinsed and sunbaked yes. If later I check the mallm is still kayak gini as well, I ask to drink this rendeman water,” said the officer while out of the room. Ijal.

After the provost officer left, we entered the room again. Each one tidied up personal items scattered on the floor. Only Edi the head of the room was sitting the henchman in his place. All his belongings were tidied Ijal.

The voice of Adzan Ashar. I went to the bathroom. Wudu. After the prayer, I laid down my body. My eyes are staring at the ceiling. Penetrating tile. Greeting sky. Thoughts and feelings sway without a hold. Hold up.

Highlight the sun that since morning crawled the room, began to fade. Shift in slow but confident movements. The wind started to say hello.

One by one the occupants of the room, alternating baths. Sparks of water from the dipper several times hit my face.

The bathroom wall with my place is very low. And if anyone has a bowel movement, the smell of it roams. Forcing should be closing the nose or inching to a corner near the cell door.

“Om Mario, his wife dateng,” said Adit. Tamping it directly opened the room door. I nodded at Edi. Requesting clearance. He just nodded.

I said if you were friends from my office, savings and loan cooperative, came to swipe.

Also his sister, Laksa, who gave me the money and I used it to pay the monthly room money.

Wife's down. Crying out. Haru and pilu combined.

“We continue to pray for each other and just say yes. Inshaallah mother and children are strong,” he said in a soft voice.

I'm nodding. I removed the tears that were on her cheeks.

“Mother bring rawon three packs and rice six packs. There are also six salted eggs. Let me eat malem with friends in the room,” said my wife later. Her voice is raucous.

I saw two big plastic bags on the guard's desk. I believe it was my wife's. I can't say anything. I just wanted my wife. We're speechless. Only souls speak to each other.

When the voice of teaching signifies the time the Maghrib will be approaching from the mosque near the mapolres began to be heard, my wife said goodbye.

We cuddled. Longtime. Still no words. Only the sound of a soul beating. It crackles up to the bone marrow and settles hard in the mind.

Gontai once site by site my wife while leaving the detention room complex. He kept his head down. Shoot his gaze down to earth. Until his figure is lost behind the building in front, towards the parking lot mapolres.

When the Maghrib prayer time came, I was again ordained a priest. Only Edi and Doni did not pray. I took out the yasin book that my wife gave me this morning.

In a quiet voice, I read God's lines of words. The Life Regulator. I felt someone sitting close. Trying listening. I turned my face. Apparently Aris.

“I want najai yasin too. Read together, huh?!” she said. In his hand was a book of Yasin. Similar mine.

I'm nodding. We read yasin at the same time. Joko who was originally lying down, sat down next to Aris. Ijal who previously played cards, approached. Asnawi and Iyos.

They seem to understand, listening to the reading of the verses of God is a reward theme to remove point by point the lump of sin that settles on the man of life so far. Yasin's reading was finished just as Isya's adhan was reverberating. Aris invited directly to pray worship. While we were praying, the guard did the apples.

“O, again on prayer. This why you two do not pray?” the voice of the officers was directed at Edi and Doni.

“Out of this apple we pray, sir. The place is not enough together,” said Edi. Reasoned.

Shortly afterwards, there was a step of the officer who was accompanied by tamping, away. The night apple is a marker of the change of guard officers in custody (connected).