Why Do You Have a Long Life, Mom?
By: Dee Ann Rose
Harris was lying on the carpet. He wanted to relax after he struggled in the bus to get home. As the fasting month holidays approaches, everyone wanted to start the fast in hometown likewise Harris. So he had to be ready in facing traffic jam, crowd, sultry, bad smell, etc.
“Phew!” He relieved when he finally arrived in his home, then saw his wife, two daughters and his mother. His mother was very old, about 95 years old. So her talking was not fluent anymore and she just sat on the carpet when her son came. For Harris, they and his hometown were the shoulders of his pain. That was obviously shown as his hunger and fatigue’s suddenly gone when arrives there. Moreover the temperature in his village was cold and fresh as used to be.
Harris still lied on the carpet with his mother. They were watching television. As a usual, at 3 P.M there were some infotainment programmes. Unfortunately, his mother was one of its fans. So it made him boring and sleepy. Meanwhile his wife was cooking his favorite food.
Just the time she smiled and asked him, “What food do you want?”
Harris responded to her with a sweet smile too, “I miss your delicious fried chicken, honey...”
He also heard his two daughters were commenting his gift with humorous sounds.
“As a chef master.. I think this cake is delicious enough, isn’t it?”
“Really? Give it to me. I want to know the taste.”
“What? But you’ve eaten it.”
“Really? I forget..hahaha ”
“Ouch!”
Suddenly his eyes looked a picture beside the television. Someone in the picture was the one he missed the most in his life. He wanted to hug and kiss his little body. Yeah, that was his son; Jefrey, the only son that he ever had.
During his marriage he wanted to have a son. His heart was badly broken when his wife had miscarriaged a baby until twice and he knew their sex were men.
A neighbour ever told him sadly,
“I don’t know why it can happen. Perhaps they have a bad destiny. But, hum… May it’s just my damn thought. Hum… your mother has a long life… “
Harris cut it,
“So, what do you mean?”
“Ng… I... I just think that your son’s ages were changed by your mom’s age. It’s possible if… “
Harris stopped it and left him. Actually his opinion had disturbed his mind. He confessed it. He knew his mother had a long lifewhile his sons died quickly. And he couldn’t refuse the reality. He also didn’t know what should he do.
The last, exactly three years ago, a newborn baby came into his life. Harris was very happy. Even he often left his work to watch Jefrey. He wanted to spend his time to accompany the cute baby and see his growth. But one day, when Jefrey was about 9 months old, they were in a supermarket. Then he was reported that his mom was brought to hospital. Surely, he and little Jefrey went by motorcycle to hospital as soon as possible. Then the tragic moment happened!
After arriving to the hospital, Harris got his son was silent and cold. Jefrey died because of coldness. He wept and shouted hysterically without paying attention to everyone who saw him.
“Why, Mom? Why do I lose him again?” Unconciously he murmured. He remembered his other sons before Jefrey who died before him, a neighbor’s talking, Jefrey and his mother’s long life.
“Astaghfirullaah…” his eyes opened.
“What’s your dream? I see you panic… do you get a nightmare?” Harris’ wife lied beside him and gave some questions. But , Harris didn’t answer, he sat and moved his neck to the right and left side. He seemed so worry,
“Where is mom? Where is she? Is she still alive?”
His wife sat to make him calm,
“She is in the toilet, … don’t you worry, OK!”
Then,
“Mom… dad… grandma!” the older daughter was shouting. Harris and his wife were shocked and run to the sound source. Harris found his mother fainted. Immediately he lifted his mother and put her on the bed. He dried his mom’s wet body. Then he looked his wife and two daughters weft over their lovely grandmother.
“Is it her time to pass away?...Astaghfirullaah… what have I thought? How could I think like that to my own mother”. He regretted that for a live time and shouted in his heart. “I’m very sorry Mom!...”
The writer is Dian Rosdiana. Now she is a student in Kuningan University (UNIKU). Exactlyin The Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) education program of English.
source : http://annida-online.com/artikel-3779-why-do-you-have-a-long-life-mom.html
