I touched my stomach and laid the right hand rested on it while my left scrapped my temple. The Dangdut music from the radio has been on since early in the morning from the guest room, I followed the few minutes in full attention, felt nothing in particular.
The phone rang again, it was 10:16 pm.
A burst of laughter on the background then soon Renata's voice took over the speaker, 'Hello brother, how you doing?' she continued to laugh, 'Mom tried to call you earlier, here's she is.'
They all are in my late dad's hometown, Nenny came along which relieved me, ' We arrived this afternoon and everyone's practically has arrived,' Mom sound enthusiast. Renata was talking with some people behind her and boy, it sure sound like a very merry reunion.
A wedding on Valentines day, how cool is that?
Mom went on naming close relatives and some unfamiliar names who are staying at the house of late uncle. I tried to imagine how the house looked like in that time of the year, 'It looks so much nicer and clean after the renovation,' mom reported.
'I thought you all are sleeping at Uda's house,' I said while wished I could be there with them. The short walk each morning and evening down the misty road to the
'I can surely boiled an egg or two!' I joked when I joined the group of naked men in the swimming area, laughed at my cousin who by then was still in middle school, stared at my pale naked skin with stupid grin plastered on his face.
Starvation is usually the next thing after a long swim and bath, shivered inside the jacket, we would sing in the dark, a Batak song or gospel song which always trailed off unfinished. Playing with the smokey breath, we would run as we got closer home, fixed us some coffee and waited for the homemade old-time cookies.
No fancy foods yet every single simple-ingredient food, no matter how salty or spicy they are, feel so special in that cold village.
'Um, why are you so silent?' mom suddenly asked. I was already sleeping was my smartest excuse, 'so what are you doing now? she asked.
'Sleeping?' I answered and heard she laughed.
She is happy.
'Hey wanna talk to your brother ********? she asked. A question of marriage and job would ensue so I stopped mom before she even called out for him who was in the room with his kids, 'Mom, please no. I mean, just say my hi to them all, I think I'd catch up some sleep now, tomorrow will be a long day at work.'
She said okay and right before she said goodbye I heard Nenny's voice in a distant, 'Is she getting better, mom?'
She is.
With a content heart, I said I love her and let her hang up first.
