CUTS
Newspaperman...

We got to the tent and the unexpected came back. Khalid scolded Halimah for taking me away without taking the others on guard. Halimah just looked down not to refute even a little of Khalid's words. Only sorry is always spoken in his mouth.

Seeing Khalid like that made me hate him even more. He's the arrogant guy I've ever seen. “Why Are Only Kak Limah getting scolded? Brother should have scolded me because I took Kak Limah away.” Khalid turned to look at me.

“Dek, here are many wild animals. You can't just leave at will. If you want to go invite some fighters who are men.”

I threw away my face not looking at him. “Come out, I want to talk to Cut.” Halimah came out while holding back tears. Being scolded by a man in public is not something to be proud of. It can make our self-esteem fall. Now, only we were in the tent with the light from the burning fire in front of the tent.

I sat down and opened a simple serving hood made of bamboo. “You haven't eaten?” Ignored him. I filled my already very hungry stomach to recover the energy to be strong to run away from here. Even though it's risky, but at least I've tried. I'm determined to run away from here tonight. The road leading here my eyes are not closed although it is very difficult to remember that route again. The path is not even visible in the thicket until the trees in the forest are very difficult to determine which direction I can go.

I kept chewing the dinner they gave me. May they not give poison in this food. As long as I'm eating, Khalid looks at me.

“What do you want to talk about?” I finished my food until it was finished.

“You want to add?”

“Not necessary. Too full can make someone lulled with the state.”

“It turns out you're good at word play. Don't try to run from here, Dek. You will only be a tiger's meal.”

“If the tiger did exist why didn't he come?” I glanced at Khalid who seemed to be holding his breath. Maybe he's tired of facing me.

“Tomorrow we will get married, so be prepared.”

“No wedding if the guardian of the female is not there.”

“We married under the hands, your walimu can be represented by Teungku Wan. He once lived in a pesantren.”

“Did he study false science? How can he be my guardian if my parents are still alive and do not approve of this marriage. My parents rejected my brother for the second time. Why keep forcing me to marry me?”

“Dek, Brother just wants to execute the request of Ilham for the last time. Marry you and look after her son.”

“Whatever the reason, I still don't want to get married. Because this is adultery not marriage. How can you be a husband who will lead me to God's heaven if this is not your understanding. The Prophet told his people to choose a future husband based on his religion, but what happens now is that Brother wants to take me to the hell of the afterlife. Amazing, I'd rather die eaten by a tiger than fornicate in the form of marriage.”

“As a woman you are too haughty, Cut. You are only a woman who is a slave to a man. You should be aware of your nature.”

“As a man, Brother seems to have no authority and shame. Forcing girls people to marry.”

Plakkkp....

“I will show you how the nature of a woman is so that your sharp tongue will no longer speak of me.” Khalid got out of the tent after slapping me.

I grimaced holding my painful cheek. For the first time someone who was not blood related dared to slap me. My decision not to accept it turned out to be very appropriate. He is not a good man who will be my priest. A good man does not hit a woman.

After Khalid's departure, I came out of the tent to get Rendra. The boy was playing with his father's men first. I took a quick glance at one of the men I thought was in their 40s. The man was wearing a shirt and a vest. On his neck was a long necklace but made of cloth. And at the end of the necklace there is a small paper with a photo. A black bag accompanied the man while his hands were busy writing in a book.

The man was not far from where I am now. “Whose father?” I asked one of the teenage boys.

The boy looked at my gaze. “Oh, the Bang Siregar. Reporter TV.”

“Why is he here?”

“She often meets with our higher-ups. Now he's a hostage because he already knows this base.”

“Terus tied to that tree who?”

“Why is Father not tied like the others?”

“Bang Siregar not cuak. He never leaked our place to the police. But, since he already knew this place so we forbade him to come out. We are afraid he will be arrested by the apparatus if he returns.”

I nodded slowly as I walked towards the seat of the man who worked as a journalist. “It's night, why not rest? Your trip must be very tiring, right?” I flinched, it turned out that he realized my footsteps. With a smile emanating from his face made me immediately sit next to him. “It turns out this guy is not creepy.” My mind looked at him who was back to writing.

“What's up? I feel being watched if you see me so.” He closed the book and looked at me. I smiled as he looked at me.

“How old are you?” Ask back.

“19”

“You're the same age as my daughter. I'm Siregar, whose name are you?”

“Cut Zulaikha's. You been here long?”

“New a week.”

“Father is not afraid?” He's laughing a little. “I am a reporter why I became a resource person?”

“Narasumber?” The vocabulary I just heard.

“The source was the one who answered the question from the reporter. I should have asked because I am a journalist and you are the source. But now it's upside down. I'm Siregar, call me Bang Regar. You're Khalid's wife?”

It turns out everyone here already thinks I'm Khalid's wife. “Not and don't get to.” The man scrunched his forehead while looking at me.

I put my head closer to him. “Father knows the way to escape?” My whisper made him snort.

“Why do you want to run away? Aren't you happy to be here and live here with Khalid? Especially your children. Surely he was very happy to be close to his father.”

I looked at the man with a serious look and the look on his face that was joking immediately turned serious. “Father ever by name ‘Pang Sagoe’?”

“Everyone knows Pang Sagoe. The leader of the rebels who are notoriously slippery and clever set the strategy. Last news I heard if he's dead with his wife and son.”

“I'm sister of Pang Sagoe, Teuku Muhammad Ilham.” I can see his reaction of surprise.

“You're really his sister?” I nodded my head and looked at Rendra who was playing.

“And it was Teuku Rendra Muhammad Nur or Teuku Muhammad Fikri the youngest son of Pang Sagoe who survived during arms contact.” This time the man looked at Rendra with a face that was difficult to decipher.

“After news of your brother's death, I tried to enter your village to cover but I did not get permission at that time. I can only cover from the hospital where your brother's body and some of his members also died. Then, his relationship with Khalid?”

Then I recounted the beginning of Khalid's proposal as a result of an arranged marriage made by my brother to him until the incident where one of my villagers, Jannah's parents, took me by making Rendra as bait for me follow him until I am here now.

“You really want to escape?”

***

The reporter in the story above is real. He is a journalist from the private television station RCTI. He was a brave journalist at that time in covering the Aceh conflict. In fact, he was one of the journalists from the domestic TV station who dared to go in and out of the headquarters of the guerrillas and meet with their officials. You can search for his digital footprint which may still be on the internet.

'ERSA SIREGAR'S'

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