Around me stood a lot of trees whose leaves were falling down caught up by a cold wind. In front of me was a tapering puddle with its clear water. The water was channeled from the springs by three bamboo waterspouts. The stream flow of the waterspouts sounded melodious along with the sound of the trees swayed in the wind. I sat on a rock in the edge of the puddle looking at the waterspouts, stunned. A sequence of memories was haunting me apparently..
“Come here, Rohib. The water is cool,” asked Rini.
“No, I won’t. I’m afraid of being sick. It’s too early to take a bath,” I refused.
“Come here, hurry up! You’ll feel sorry if you don’t come here.
I didn’t answer.
“Come on honey…..we seldom come here recently, right?”
I plunged my feet into the water of the puddle. It’s cool. I then bent my face down seeing my face inside the water. I saw Rini’s smile there.
“Come on, Rohib!” she forced. I finally encouraged my self to get closer to her. She welcomed me by spraying the water on me repeatedly. My dress was wet now. I jumped to the puddle and replied her attack. We sprayed the water on our faces and laughed together.
I jumped to the puddle letting my dress wet all over. I laughed, and then shouted loudly reverberating in the mountain rage.
She held my hands. Sincerely she smiled at me. I replied by holding her body lovely.
“Honey, I want to say something important,” I said
“What is that?”
“Ehm…I got my scholarship.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but…”
“Great! Let’s celebrate it.”
She released my hold. Quickly she swam to the edge. Then she neared her bag, opened it, and took something.
I got back to the edge of the puddle and opened my bag.
“Come here, honey! I’ve brought something for you. I know you’ll get the scholarship.”
“What you brought for me?”
“Come here first!” she said happily. I followed her instruction. She then asked me to sit before her. Various foods were put in front of me.
“Eat these, honey. These are your favorite foods. It’s bothok(1) , it’s fried catfish, it’s rice, and it’s the chili. I’ve prepared them for you only,” said she.
I ate the foods enthusiastically. They’re very delicious. The mixture of bothok and chili which was hot and kept my eyes open was the best taste.
I took a bottle from my bag. I opened its lid. Then immediately the strong smell of Ciu(2) reached my nose. It’s just like the smell of sugar cane when being burnt.
“Honey, when are you going to Jogja?” she asked me after having finished eating.
“I’m not going to Jogja.”
“What did you say? You got the scholarship, right?”
“Yes, but…”
“But what?”
“But I’m not going to Jogja. I got an offer from my teacher that I could continue my study in Australia. And…and I accepted it,” I said carefully.
Our eyes met. She said no word neither did I. We kept silent for a moment. Her profile began to change.
“You will not come back, will you?” asked she as her tears started to flow through her cheeks.
I held her hands and said, “of course I will come back. I will finish my study as soon as possible. Then, I’ll be back and….I’m going to marry you.”
“Promise?”
“Sure. We’re going to get married after I come back here..”
I drank the intoxicating beverage enthusiastically. It was very bitter. My throat and my stomach felt very hot. The cool water in the puddle was directly unfelt. Afterwards, I took a letter from my bag. I looked at it sadly. Then I read it, again.
Dear Honey,
Honey, when you read this letter, meaning that I have met God.
After you went to Australia, I felt so lonesome. No one could understand me, neither did my parents who at first I thought as the only people who understood me deeply. Even, they are the ones who made me died.
You really know the environment I live, don’t you? Yes, the village beneath the waterspouts we used to meet is the central of prostitution. There is where I was born.
Even my parents rent their house to be the place for whores to do their job.
Yesterday, honey, there was a man looking for richness-as the other men who came to my village. He rented one room in my house. Last night, I saw him having a conversation with my father.
In the morning, my father asked me to keep staying in my room. He locked the door. I couldn’t go anywhere. I cried all day. I had a bad feeling. I thought my father has sold me to the man.
My mother came to my room at the afternoon to give me lunch. I saw her face was bruised. I asked her why I was jailed in my room. She did not answer. She immediately left the room after putting the food.
Close to the evening, I called and gave this letter to her asking to give it to you.
Honey, I’m scared….I’m scared
Your beloved,
Rini
I shouted loudly reverberating in the mountain rage. What’s wrong here? Whose fault?
········
Note :
· (1) => a kind of traditional food in Sragen, a part of Solo.
· (2) => a traditional intoxicating beverage from Solo.
Jogja, 2005
