"Yeah, let's just wait for it" mother replied while looking around to see if someone happened to pass by.
However, after waiting for a long time, it turns out that no one has passed. My feet started to hurt standing up. "Nimas, let's just go home. It's okay for the two of us to go for a walk, let's go," said the mother, although she looked doubtful, she had to. If we don't dare, how long will we wait there?
We started walking down the bridge, mother embraced me quite tightly as well as I, holding mother's hips tighter. It felt more terrifying than when we first left, maybe because there were only the two of us there it made it even more scary.
Just halfway down the bridge, suddenly heard a soft voice like a woman who was giggling.
"Hi hihihi" the voice sounded shrill, low but audible enough.
Mother's footsteps stopped, it seems she also heard the sound. I turned to the bamboo trees. "Nimas! Let's just walk. Don't look anywhere!" said mother immediately grabbed my face and covered it with her palms.
We proceeded with caution, mother was pregnant so there was no way we could run. "Krupyaakkk" the sound of river water crashing as if something had fallen there, but my mother still told me to keep going and not to stop. We try not to care about any disturbance that comes.
Until one time there was a sound that was quite disturbing to me, I heard a faint sound of a baby crying like a newborn baby.
"Oooeee... Ooooeee..." the baby's voice broke the silence. Even though my face was covered by mother's palm but I can still hear clearly.
"Mother... Did you hear that?" I asked softly.
"No, I didn't hear anything. We're almost there," said the mother, changing the subject.
"Oeeee... Oeee... Oeee..." the sound of the baby's crying was getting louder and closer. From between my mom's fingers I glanced at the bamboo tree. There was a woman wearing a white dress standing floating in the middle of a bamboo tree while holding a baby who was completely naked.
"Mom..." I whispered and closed my eyes.
"Yes, look, we have arrived" said the mother relieved that she had made it through that spooky bridge safely.
Thank God, after going through the fear we finally arrived at home. I didn't tell her what I saw just now, my mind immediately went to dad "Mom, can daddy come home?"
"Yes, tomorrow the day after tomorrow father will come home" mother replied with a cheerful expression.
"Mother... On the bridge earlier... Did you hear a baby crying?"
"Baby crying? No. Mother only heard the sound of water crashing and women's laughter"
"But earlier there was a baby crying mom, then I saw a woman holding a baby in the middle of a bamboo tree"
"What???" mother was shocked. "I told you not to wander anywhere!"
"Sorry mom, I accidentally saw it" I replied regretfully.
Mother took a deep breath, then looked at me with a glazed look. "Okay, let's not talk about it anymore. Now let's wash our hands and feet, then we'll go to bed."
Mom took me to the bathroom.
*****
Several years passed. After my younger sister was born, my mother intended to leave me in the village and left me with my grandmother because my mother was bothered by my little sister. Actually not only that, we were also experiencing a severe economic crisis, that's why my mother decided that I should return to the village so I could continue my schooling.
A difficult time for me, especially for my mother, she often cried and my father rarely came home. I couldn't bear to leave my mother and sister, but there wasn't much I could do at that point.
I cried saw my mother crying when she took me to the front of the house, that day it was my father who took me home to the village. It was very hard when I had to part with my mother, I couldn't accept it. Throughout the trip I was just silent and made a sound when my father just asked. My neck hurt from holding back tears.
The next day, finally arriving at my birthplace, a warm welcome accompanied by kisses of love from my grandmother greeted me when I returned from Jakarta.
I'm sad because I have to part with my mother, but on the other hand I'm also happy to be able to live in my homeland and also to be able to play with other village children, moreover our village is still very beautiful, the air is cool, the view of three mountains can be seen on the east side and north. You will definitely be spoiled with beautiful views every morning and evening.
Grandma's house still stands strong with classic village buildings, but in my opinion grandma's house is a special house because it has a carved door when entering the living room. The door has 4 doors that can be folded when opened, and has a glass in the middle. Antique door.
After dropping me off and taking care of my school transfer, three days later my father left for Jakarta again. For several days I still often cry at night, sometimes I look in all directions where there is usually a mother sleeping beside me
"I missed you, mom" I mumbled sobbing.
Now there's only my grandmother beside me, a new atmosphere, a new place, I have to be able to adapt to all of this.
I cried until my throat was dry, I shook my grandmother's feet to wake her up so she could take me to get drinking water in the kitchen. But grandma didn't budge at all, grandma must be tired after working all day in the fields. Finally, I had to walk alone to the kitchen to get a drink.
I also started to get out of bed and after leaving the room I was greeted by dark rooms, every night my grandmother routinely turned off the lights except for the kitchen.