CUTS
MIFTAHS...

I sat on the porch of the house waiting for them to finish talking. At first glance I saw some soldiers in the guard post staring at me. They must know that their leader is inside.

Sayup-sayup still heard by me their conversation. Abu and Umi seemed surprised by this unexpected proposal. If my brother was here he would be the first to refuse firmly.

Rendra came out of my house, apparently he was accompanied by some of his men with full weapons. Just this time I saw a man proposing to a woman with a gun. All I know, if there is a proposal in my village is usually brought by the man is the hand in the form of a cake, sugar and fruits.

If you dare I want to say directly to them but unfortunately my guts shrivel before the time. "I'll excuse you, next week I'll be here again." Said Rendra while glancing at me with a glance with his smile. Umi invited me in followed by Abu. "Sit down!" Tell Abu to sigh. I'm sure Abu and Umi are not ready to answer Randra's proposal, proof of Rendra's words that will come back again definitely to get an answer.

"The man has asked you, Abu has not given an answer. Abu was confused as to how to answer it. You know, it's dangerous to be in contact with them. So what do you think, Cut?"

"Cut doesn't want to, Abu just reject the proposal!" My love.

Again Abu breathed. I'm sure Abu and Umi's thoughts are very messed up right now. "Last noon, Miftah was also betrothed by one of them." Abu and Umi looked at me with shocked faces.

"Did he accept?" I nodded my head looking at Abu and Umi.

"Cut, Abu didn't forbid you from getting married because your age was enough for that, but Abu just hoped that not one of them would be your husband. Abu won't calm down if you marry them. And your brother would definitely disagree.

"Cut also had no intention of marrying them, Abu."

"So how do we convey this answer to the man, Abu?" Ask Umi worriedly.

"Let Abu answer, if he's a good man, he'll take whatever we answer." Tukas Abu's.

If anyone asks how it feels to be proposed? The answer is I don't know. We never even talked about how he came to the house to propose to me. What does it mean to propose to me? Does this include his strategy to capture my brother? If yes, then he deserves to be their leader.

The next day...

My camp was in a stir, at 7 am the sound of a seven-time cough indicating that someone died in my village echoed from the village mosque. "Who died, Abu." I asked Abu who had just returned from the rice field.

Abu glanced at me, "Miftah." I took a few steps back, my tears coming out by themselves. Abu who planned to go to the rice fields but stopped when on the road met some villagers who were about to go to the house of Miftah.

"Why is he dead, Abu? He's never been sick." Tanyaku while holding the pole of the house.

"The villagers found his body near the irrigation floodgates. Get ready, we're going to his house doing fardhu kifayah!"

Many villagers have arrived. I also saw quite a lot of soldiers there complete with their weapons. I went inside wanting to see my friend one last time. And for the first time I saw the figure Miftah told me about yesterday with a happy smile that kept emanating from her face.

The man was sitting next to Miftah's corpse which was stiffened. I approached and opened the face cloth. "Astag." I flinched when I saw the mark on his forehead. The scratch mark is in the form of the letter x that has not dried. My tears spilled again, I braced myself to kiss her forehead as a sign of farewell. "I'm sorry for all my mistakes and I've forgiven all your mistakes. May we meet again in heaven." Whisper in his ear after kissing Miftah.

The man bowed his head next to Miftah's body. Sometimes she wipes away her tears. Apparently, that guy really loves my friend. My chest was tight to imagine how happy Miftah would be to be with this man. Not just his wife, he is already like this, especially if he is married. Their marriage will surely be filled with love and affection between the two.

All is gone, Miftah goes to bring her love. Love withers before it develops.

I need a place to lean but Umi is busy in the back. Umi is one of the people who always got the task of bathing the bodies in my village. I approached Miftah's mother and she quickly pulled me into her arms. "Mimi's gone, Cut. He was taken away by the criminals. What's wrong until they kill him so cruelly." Mimi is Miftah's parents' call to her.

I wanted to ask but the situation was not possible. Too painful his feelings where he might be able to tell a story. Finally, I kept quiet and just hugged her. Trying to give me a backrest when I myself need a backrest at this time.

Fardhu kifayah has been done perfectly. Starting from bathing, memorizing and then saluting. I will be attending the last prayer for my friend. All the best prayers are for him right now. I also drove him to the burrow, the final resting place. I saw the figure that became my friend's last happiness faithfully following Miftah. From saluting to lowering it to a burrow.

Miftah hasn't even told me much about the man. He has gone with the love story he brought to the end of his life.

We are still in the funeral home, helping the Miftah family, enlivening the funeral home so that the abandoned do not feel alone. The soldiers are still there and Rendra, the man seems to be accompanying his friend who is none other than Miftah's future husband.

Towards the zuhur we returned home. After the prayer, I chose to lie down in my room and again my tears spilled over my pillow. I'm not ready to lose Miftah. I don't seem to have accepted all the facts today. And that x, what does that mean. Why would they do such a savage deed to a girl? Were they born from a male womb? Do they not remember their sister, daughter or mother at home while doing this heinous act?

In the evening we went back to Miftah's house to recite. We walked along with other people. There were also some soldiers who went there. A girl approached me in the kitchen while I was helping to fill the coffee in the glasses that had been prepared for the citizens.

"What's this?" My toot.

"So someone told me to give this to Brother." His whisper and then he left.

***

Ask for prayers, hopefully this novel can enter you are a writer S5...

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