Brajamustis
Rehearsed
Perih, linu and the tightness of Dul Karim felt when he managed to reach the wet grassy ground. For a moment he unwinded and then crawled up into the weeds. It's dark. The grasshoppers are back. Hidden crickets crackling. The perfect silence. Dul Karim tried to get up and step up, but collapsed and momentarily gathered strength. His breathing began to be regular, sore and the pain increasingly felt whack. He thought he was dead. But apparently, he's still alive. He remembered very well, those fierce faces. Dul Karim swore, if he met again he would finish.
***
Ratih appeared to be asleep in the backseat, next to Hendrick. The car drove slowly through the already deserted village. It's already night time. Hendrick's phone rang, and he opened it.
"Hello Bang, he's done" said a voice from Hendrick's phone. Hendrick understood. It was one of his men who he told to take care of Dul Karim.
"Yes, back to their posts" Hendrick said, then hung up.
***
Dul Karim stepped staggered on the grassy dirt road. His eyes are blurred. Dark night perfectly cupped the earth. The clouds blocked the stars. Crickets are accompanying.
Dul Karim does not memorize where he is now. Too dark. He just kept stepping. He happened to find a bright spot at the end of the road. He went to that distant bright spot before him. Nearby, he found the bright spot was a secluded coffee shop by a quiet road between rice fields and moorings. Now he seems to understand where he is now. All over Dul Karim's body was dirty and muddy, so it was natural that a stall owner looked strange looking at Dul Karim who was tired walking staggered.
"Sir, please sir, my bike is in the trunk" lied Dul Karim. He had to lie.
"Here you why? Until it's battered like this? Sit down first, sit down" astonished the owner of the stall. Lucky for Dul Karim, the owners of the shop were kind and responsive people, immediately welcomed and fulfilled Dul Karim.
"I fought back, luckily his sharp weapon managed to snatch and I threw it away" Dul Karim said. There was no way he could tell the real story.
"Well, there's a lot of stuff here, where are you going?" ask the Father.
"May I have a drink first" said Dul Karim, grimacing.
"Yes, yes of course. Ma!" the father shouted to his wife as he himself tiptoed to pick up and open a bottle of mineral water and help Dul Karim drink.
"Mom? Bring clean water with a bucket" he continued.
"What the hell did you do, sir? Astaghfirullah??? Why this?" a mother stopped as soon as she came out and found her husband was taking care of a tired-looking young man in dirty clothes and his face was bonyok.
"Accident, get some water, quickly" said the Father.
"Yes, yes." The mother complied and rushed to fetch water.
"Awhile, I called my son first, I don't have a bandage" said the father.
***
The bodies were in plastic bags and immediately put in ambulances. Ambulance went over to the crowd.
"Sir, this is lucky that my money was not taken," kindly Dul Karim while giving a piece of money to the person who had helped and cared for him.
Dul Karim was swept and laid on a recliner made of bamboo.
"Ah, just save it for your fare home, Oh yes, my son will be here soon. He has got medicine and cloths, the SMS," said the father looked relieved.
"Other times if you go this way do not be alone, only magrib once there was once in begal ya sir," the story of the mother of the stall owner. He looks enthusiastic. Dul Karim's lies provoke a long story.
Not long after, the shop owner's son came and brought all the necessities his father mentioned on the phone. Dul Karim should be grateful, his wounds treated, his body cleaned and dressed as well as food.
Dul Karim is also resting. He ate a packet of bread, although his teeth and lips hurt.however he had to eat something. He swore he had to live, he would not let his son be born without a father. Remember that, Dul Karim's heart felt a much more pain than the wounds all over his body. Dul Karim could not imagine anything else, he was tired and soon he fell asleep, staying at the stall.
***
An unconscious coach was put to sleep in a room by Hendrick and his driver.
"If only you weren't pregnant. The order must be different" Hendrick muttered with a grin and stared gently at Ratih's face for the last time.
***
Dul Karim looked confused at a crowded terminal.
He thought he wanted to catch up with his wife soon.
"But is it possible that Hendrick was honest about what he said?" thought Dul Karim. "Kalo Hendrick Honestly, why did the others gang up on him and not give him the money??" Furthermore, he also remembered Boss Boim.
"What is it that Boss Boim has trouble getting me out of prison if only to be killed by his men. Dul Karim so remember the gaze and speech of Boss Boim that was so convincing.
"It can't be all this at the will of Boss Boim," Dul Karim's mind continued to swirl. Closer now, Dul Karim is confused. Where he's going now. "Following Ratih with a face still battered??" There's no way Dul Karim feels. Ratih hated people fighting so much, moreover it was now happening to him. "Go back to the contract?? Ah, what for?" Dul Karim sighed. The rent has not been paid for a month. "What else is left there? Just clothes and no possessions, there will only be questions of neighbors and friends." Dul Karim lazy to go to the contract, Dul Karim lazy to face the owner of the contract and the questions of the neighbors. "Go home and face the questions and her Mother's Nagging???" Dul Karim also refused to go home. Not to mention his mother's question, about where Ratih is going. "Okay" Dul Karim nodded. Baffled. But not long after, he remembered a place and that place now as his only answer. He rose up with certainty and reassured himself.
Dul Karim was steady and passed by bus heading out of town.