Dul
065. Back Stepping

Father, son and nephew gather to tell stories and throw jokes at each other. Bara who will be thirty-four years old, Heru who will be near the age of four, and Pak Wirya who has just entered the age of sixty-two. Everyone has agreed that giving a long name to Dul is the right thing. Heru who had heard Bara implying about it was no longer surprised.

And that's where they end up. Gathered in the hospital and watched how Dul's eyes sparkled just because of the two syllables. Satyadarma's Son. Everyone saw how happy a Dul was. They let Dul enjoy the roar in the heart through the look in his eyes.

Shortly after hearing about the addition of the name, Dul lowered his head long in Ibrahim's box. Looking at the baby as if unsatisfied. Moreover, hearing everyone say that Ibrahim is very similar to him. Dul's smile all day.

A week of Ibrahim's birth, Bara several times back and forth conveying Fredy's letter to Dijah. In fact, he could delay it from later to later. But, he himself was also impatient to know what the contents of the letter were. He also guessed whether the Colonial allowed him to read or not. How Dijah asked him to directly dispose of the letter. All the concerns and considerations of Bara that make it a little urgency. As always.

And finally on a relaxing afternoon when Sejah sat on the back porch enjoying a snack while holding Ibrahim who had just fallen asleep full of breastfeeding, Bara approached and sat in the chair next to him.

Bara advanced the position of the chair and leaned his body to rub Ibrahim's cheek. "Well asleep?"

"Her nose is more greedy than Mima used to be. At most an hour must have woken up again," said Sejah, looking at the face of a baby boy who fell asleep in his arms.

"If you're asleep, Ibra let Mas carry. You read this first. There's a deposit from Dul's father." He lowered his voice in the last sentence. One hand outstretched thrusting a plain white envelope that was still tightly sealed.

"Oh, what is this? A letter?" tanya Sejah with just an ordinary tone of voice. No surprise, and no reluctance.

"Yes. Letterbox. What other than letters?" Back to asking.

Colored even chuckled. "Who knows what money is."

"If money is from Mas aja," replied Bara, pinching the cheek of the Sejah. He lifted Ibrahim up from the arms of Sejah and kissed the baby's cheek before coming back to him.

Colored tore off the white envelope casually. His countenance now implied a little curious. "Length of the letter," muttered Colored before reading.

Bara leaned back in the chair and hugged Ibrahim. Her lips wiggled through the song nina bobo to hint at Dijah that she was giving her free time to read the letter.

The silence at that moment really felt. In the afternoon at the end of the week, Mbok Jum brought Mima to the complex park. Dul follows his sister on a bigger bike. There was nobody at home. Only the three of them were with a tiny baby who was soundly asleep. The colonized eventually folded the letter and thrust it at Bara.

"Why?" ask Bara.

"Will not read? Later curious ...," said Dijah.

"Mmmm?" A little prestige showed his curiosity. "Can you read it?" The question he judged was a little childish, but came out just like that.

"If I say no, I'll still want to read. Impossible not to be curious. Yes, read it. Here Ibra let me carry. I haven't had a baby gini in a long time. Last six years ago a baby girl who did not want to be placed every nyusu abis. This dapet is too cute." Sejah put Fredy's letter on the next table and took Ibrahim with an anxious look of a mother looking at her baby.

Bara takes Fredy's letter and unfolds it. The first thing he did was count the sheets of the letter. It was long, he thought.

Before starting to read the letter, Bara took a quick glance at Dijah. There was nothing strange and Sejah did not pay attention to him. I started reading letters.

Khadijah.

I don't mean anything. This letter will either arrive, or not. I just want to write again. It's been years not holding a pen. I'm not an office man like your husband.

Reading Fredy's opening sentence, inexplicably the mention of his full name Sejah made Bara slightly rustle. A bit of pity infiltrated, until Bara read the last sentence 'I'm not an office person like your husband.' His lips immediately snorted.

Bara continued reading the letter with various expressions on his face. Upset at the beginning, then turned flat, then turned grim. Towards the end of the letter Bara was seen taking a deep breath and slurping him. He was immersed in the sentence on the sheet of paper and for a while forgot the presence of the Colonized next to him. Very mixed taste.

Finally, say thank you to your husband.

Thank you for accepting Dul and taking care of him, financing him in such a way. I owe you what I could never pay.

I hope Dul can forget about his father. There will be no more stories after this.

Fredi.

I reread the last few sentences. Fredy thanked him. A debt that can't possibly be paid? I reflected on those words. He doesn't feel like Fredy, Dul or anybody owes him anything. He just does what he wants to do. Not because of anyone else. All because he loved Dijah and loved Dul. The mother and daughter deserve what they get now.

Bara folded the letter and put it on the table. Realizing that the Sejah had returned to nursing the newly awakened Ibrahim. A second saw the face of Dijah, Bara remembered the contents of the letter he read. Why is the school so relaxed? What does his wife feel?

"Jah ...," call Bara.

"Mmm?" He looked up for a while and looked back at Ibrahim. "Slow down, son ... nobody asked" Dijah told Ibrahim.

"What is your feeling? Read the letter ...."

"feelings? Yes, ordinary. What's the feeling, Mom?"

"Your opinion? Or is there something you want to tell Mas?" ask Bara.

"My opinion? It turns out that Fredy can be written too. I thought he couldn't read all this time." Colored grimacing looking at Bara.

"That's all?" ask Bara not sure.

"Absolute sorry, Mom? I don't know either. Maybe for those who read the letter will be easy to forgive because of pity. Because kasian. But for me, it feels like everything just happened yesterday. Still clear in memory. The pain is still the same. So, I can't talk right now I'm sorry or not. Because I also don't know what I'm afraid of. For Dul, no matter how bad it is still his father. Although I don't want to admit it, but that's the truth. If not now, maybe later I can apologize even though it does not mean I forgot. Maybe it needs cooperation with time," said Dijah.

"So, if you agree we close the conversation about Mr Dul? Mr. Dul asked you to do that. Request oblivion. Can you?" ask Bara.

"I've been doing that for a long time but why is it being asked now?" Colored chuckling.

"Jah ...," call Bara.

"I'm nothing, Mom. I am ordinary. I really don't want to bother about that anymore. The kids are big. I think it's time for us to move on. I ask permission from Mas not to bring any more news about him. If there is, keep it to yourself. Sorry if I asked for this."

Emar smile. "Yes. Any news, I'll keep it to myself." He then moved back to his chair. They are dealing very close. Bara lowered his head for a while looking at Ibrahim's sip on the chest of Dijah.

Then he massaged his arm gently, rubbing it very gently. His hands rose rubbing shoulders, allowing the location of the slightly sagging negligee collar. Then his hand arrived behind his neck.

"People love you" whispered Bara, sticking her forehead and forehead up. Their eyes simultaneously closed as their lips met to smear each other. Ibrahim fell into a deep sleep between the confines of the two old men who kissed him more and more hastily.

To Be Continued