ALKISAH: Prayer for the World [1001 Indonesian Fantasy Stories]
STORY: The Bitterness of Life That Has Passed

When Jaka saw the child crying, Jaka could feel something very painful inside him. It is an incomprehensible and dark feeling.

Jaka does not know what the child has passed, but Jaka is sure, if the child has gone through a world that is very heavy. It was as if the six-year-old had just returned from the battlefield.

The time still marks four o'clock in the morning when Jaka hears a noise coming from outside the room. Probably from the family room.

Things like this rarely happen in this house. But once the incident means that Aunt Roslia has returned from her mysterious activities that she always does once every few months, from midnight to dawn.

“What is Aunt?” Ask Rian.

Jaka turns on the lights and notices his six roommates at a glance. In fact, everyone in this room were children picked up by Aunt Roslia from the streets, including Jaka.

“Ya.” Jaka answered while looking at the door that was still closed in the corner. Something was troubling her mind at this moment. “But... this time is a bit different... “

“Iya, it looks like so.” Ilham.

“So, how?” Ask Beni.

“We just wait.” Jaka Evident. “It's morning too, right?”

The other six children nodded following Jaka's words, and they all agreed to stay awake until breakfast time.

While waiting, Jaka turned his head to look at the window hanging on the wall. It was still dark out there, and the sky was emitting a somewhat sinister gray, but, somehow Jaka always liked this kind of scene. It feels foreign at once comfortable.

Jaka then turned his gaze and looked around while making sure the condition of his sisters one by one.

Among them all, Jaka is the oldest, he has also studied up to the famous university in Jogjakarta. And all that thanks to Aunt Roslia for sure. While his other brothers are still in High School, Junior High School, even SD.

Jaka doesn't know exactly where Aunty Roslia's money came from, but basically, she's very rich. The house they were occupying right now was very luxurious, and there were also four maids who were always ready to serve them.

Time after time passed, and now it was five past thirty minutes. Time to have breakfast together.

Everyone was now gathered in the dining room, but this time the situation was somewhat different due to the existence of an unknown child standing beside Aunt Roslia.

However, Jaka and all of his siblings looked very astonished by the figure of the six-year-old boy. Their eyes opened wide, and their breathing was held back. Not because he was a stranger, but because of the scars on his skin.

“What-what... “

Hand, foot, neck, chin, face. Almost all parts of his body were covered in wounds, and it was not the kind of wound caused by some sort of torture. The wounds attached to the child's skin were very different from the wounds Jaka had seen during his lifetime. And he simply could not imagine what kind of wound was hidden under his clothes.

“It... “ Muttered Aska while putting on an empty face.

“It.... sword?” Jaka's eyes were fixed on the black sword with a purple complexion tightly grasped by the boy. Want to be seen from any side, the sword must be real, there was even the first purple stone attached to the end of the handle. Why does the boy have a sword?

“Hey! Everything is up apparently!” Aunt Roslia exclaimed with passion. “Oh yes!” Aunt Roslia stood behind the boy, and held both of his shoulders. “Include, this child his name is Kakar—Eh! I mean Armarto, and from now on, he'll be your little brother too! Comeing! Where's your applause!”

Inevitably, Jaka and the others applauded with their faces**** while following Aunt Roslia's orders. Even the helpers also looked dignified as usual.

After Aunt Roslia sat down on the chair, Jaka and the others sat down. While the new boy sat right to the left of Aunt Roslia, who faced Jaka directly.

There was a lot of food on the table, and it all looked really good. Everyone flipped their own plates, and began to take the prepared dishes, until they made a clanking sound filled the hearing.

As usual, Jaka always breakfast with a plate of rice plus sauteed vegetables such as long beans and chickpeas. After praying, he ate well.

“Oh, yes. Aunty can't pay for my practice shirt? You are soon to test, and later we are required to wear practice clothes during the exam.” Ask Inspiration.

“Heh!? Wait, why are you asking now!? Crazy, even though you already want a test loh.” Asked Aunt Roslia who was shocked half dead.

“Well, just four months late no problem, kok.”

“No kidney problem you cracked!” Aunt Roslia's strangler. “Kan Aunty always said, if you need money for school affairs, better quickly paid off so as not to trouble the school.”

“Hah. His name is also forgotten, Aunt.” Answer Ilham kalem.

Aunt Roslia sighed deeply and resignedly. But, as soon as he realized that the new boy had not flipped his plate at all, Aunt Roslia came back into a frenzy.

“Loh! Ars! Why haven't you eaten! Come here, Aunt fetchin.” Said Aunt Roslia while taking food for Armarto. “Nih, eat a lot, yes.” Said.

Jaka realized, there was something strange between Aunt Roslia and the Armarto. Aunty Roslia's face looked very strange. He was smiling as usual, but his lips were shaking and his eyes looked as if he was in a lot of pain. It was as if Aunt Roslia was trying not to cry.

However, gradually, the boy finally lifted his spoon and fork, then, with trembling hands, he managed to scoop the rice from his plate, which he then put into his mouth. He chews very slowly.

Jaka was completely confused. The boy acted as if he had never eaten before. And strangely, Jaka believed in his heart.

Suddenly, the boy's tears began to fall down his face. His tears kept flowing and looked as if they would never stop. His face was empty and did not express anything, but he still cried in silence.

“I've never eaten such a meal before... “ Murmured Armarta while returning to continue eating. “This is very good... It's been a long time.. don't know how many years I haven't eaten.“.

Meanwhile, Aunt Roslia suddenly put her spoon and fork on the plate, then covered her face with her hands, and began to cry.

Silence instantly filled the dining room. No one spoke at all, all were silent a thousand languages. The world even felt as if it was stopping moving.

“Ya... in the end, this world is actually good, right?” Armarta. “That means, the war is over, right?” The boy's tears were flowing faster, and he ate more voraciously.

It's really a very painful sight to see. The boy was crying just because of the food. Jaka asked in his heart, what exactly has the child been through? What kind of life has he been through? In fact, he was just a little boy.

In the past, Jaka had lived on the streets without having anything, and his life at that time was certainly too far from easy. And at that time, Jaka felt that he was the one who suffered the most in this world, to the point that, every day he only thought about the beautiful taste of death.

However, after seeing the existence of the child, Jaka knew that his former life was nothing compared to the world that the child had seen.

This scene, was more than enough to explain how bitter that reality was.