MY ONE HOPE FOR YOU
Chaptre 020

“Assalamualaikum.” said Jaka from outside was heard parking his ontel bike in the side room.

“Waalaikumsalam.” reply.

Jaka came up to me with a happy face. Her smile was so wide on her face that it made me wonder what had really just happened.

“What's the matter with smiling by yourself?” tanyaku brief.

“Let's go yes, Ma'am. I want to shower the same clean room.” reply.

In my mind, I guess if my sister this one just got a gift either because she managed to answer a question from her teacher or maybe just did something nice.

Yes, Jaka is a person who is very easy to see his expression. It's not easy to hide things and pretend like nothing's happening.

When Jaka was in elementary school, he tried to keep smiling when he just fell off the bike.

But her smile so easily faded when Mom hugged Jaka. Innocently, Jaka immediately let out a tear and told him that he fell off the bike because of his own negligence.

Automatic Mother who heard the way Jaka told stories laughed out loud. Seeing Mom laughing, Jaka felt irritated and bit off Mom's hand.

It was Jaka's innocence and way of revealing something new that made me and everyone in the house feel that Jaka was one of the entertainers in the midst of his long days impassable.

I am currently waiting for Jaka in the living room, impatiently waiting for what story Jaka, my sister, will tell.

My back rests on an old sofa chair that I don't know how many times I've taken to a tailor to cover countless tears.

Come to think of it, Allah is Most Just. The departure of Father, Mother and Jaka who gave deep sorrow to me and Jaka would definitely be something that makes us both grateful to be happy.

I don't want to be hypocritical and strong-willed, several times I plead to be enough and exaggerated in terms of wealth so that my life and my sister can change faster.

Though I know, God will give his servant what he needs and not what he wants.

Sometimes, I feel ready to accept the delusion of a lot of money. But the truth is, God has not given it to me.

That means, I forced myself and considered my readiness was at its peak. But a God who knows me better than myself disagrees with me.

There was nothing I could do but keep moving and trying, praying non-stop if nothing I did would be in vain.

In the middle of my daydream, suddenly there was the sound of the room door squeaking. Jaka who already looked fresh approached me with a small box wrapped in light blue gift paper.

“What is this?” ask me to Jaka who still maintains a smile on his face.

“Open first, Ma'am. But promise can not cry, can?”

I looked at Jaka with a suspicious face. How not, only this time a Jaka said if I can not cry.

“No crying, why?” my reply.

Jaka did not answer, and simply threw a face to me. I immediately took the box and opened it in front of Jaka.

I don't know why because of Jaka's words just now, I felt bad when I opened the box in my grasp this time.

I slowly opened the box so as not to mess up what was inside. Seen there is a red box made of velvet.

I pulled the box, and I opened it. It was a gold medal. There is a carving “Vote 1” and my sister's name.

How surprised I am. I couldn't say anything until I didn't realize that my tears were dripping slowly.

Jaka hugged me and whispered.

“Mbak, I won the building design competition.” whispered.

I cried, moved, and forgot the agreement that Jaka had given me.

I ignored all Jaka's words and continued my harrowing cry. In my heart, I just this time felt the proudest thing obtained by my sister.

Maybe this is the picture when a mother cries touched to see her child can get the expected achievement.

“Alhamdulillah Ya Allah.”

My words quivered, still unable to stem my crying.

“Jaka..” says.

Jaka let go of his embrace and looked at me in the shade.

“Yes, Ma'am. Why?” his reply.

“Jaka want to eat what tonight let Mbak make ya?” my many.

I want to give my best appreciation to my sister who just won the race she participated in.

“No need, Ma'am. No need to bother.”.

I finally had the idea to make a goat's skull, and tried to offer it to my sister.

Jaka actually does not have a favorite food, but he will always be enthusiastic if there is a new cuisine the first time he tried.

And before, in my family no one had ever made a goat's skull before.

After a pretty good offer, Jaka finally agreed to eat the skull of a goat.

“Ya already, Jaka wait yes. Mbak want to buy the ingredients first.”

I immediately went to a stall that sold groceries that became a reference for people in my village when it was late afternoon. The stall was quite large, until people called it “pasar afternoons”.

The term is because the stalls there provide a lot of complete cooking ingredients. Almost everything was there, and the shop only opened when the afternoon where market activity had begun to stop.

On my way to the stall, I thought about what materials I had to buy.

Starting from goat ribs, goat tripe, galangal, cinnamon and many more.

The plan is to buy all raw materials related to goats that are clean and ready to cook to further cut the time to cook.

After all, for this time I have also taken some of my savings to cook the middleman.

“It's okay.” my inner self in heart. Because things and moments like this are rare, I will not regret reaching into my pocket deeper to be able to cook a good meal.

Sure enough, when he arrived at the afternoon market, so many residents were busy choosing their own shopping.

I too soon joined in there. I took the basket provided in front as a container of material to be purchased.

Aisle after aisle I slowly walked through and took every ingredient in the cooking inside my brain.

To the point that I didn't realize that my shopping cart was full.

Cashier queues are quite long, indeed the market this afternoon in management is very good where the owner adapts as in the minimarket but still at a more affordable price.

“What are you cooking, Ma'am? Kok buy a lot.” asked the cashier when it was my turn to pay.

“This is mbak, want to cook tengkleng. Coincidentally my sister just won the race, so want to make a dish that has never been tried before.” That's how proud I am of Jaka until I always say that my sister after winning the competition.

“Yes Allah, thank God. Hopefully it can be consistent yes, Mbak.” said the cashier.

I replied with a smile and secured it in the depths of my heart.