The Suffering of Si Kembang Village
Gatherer

Nilam got up slowly while holding his dizzy head. "I'm thirsty" he said.

It's looking around.

"Yes, my God, where should I go. And I don't know, where am I?"

"You're conscious, son?" the voice of someone who appeared from behind Nilam.

Nilam turned to the origin of the voice. "Whose grandmother?"

"Call me Grandma Samiah. Now drink. You must be very thirsty," he said while thrusting an elongated glass-shaped object made of bamboo, filled with water, to Nilam.

Nilam received the bamboo glass, then drank the water in it, slowly, until the toilet. "Thank you, Grandma."

"Together, Son. Where are you going now?"

"I don't know, Grandma. Actually I want to go home. But I can't. That guy will definitely keep chasing me."

"Dahlan mean?"

Nilam was shocked. "Grandmother knows?"

Grandma stared nyalang in any direction, then turned to look at Nilam.

"Yes, Grandma knows."

Nilam stared in surprise at Grandma Samiah.

"Grandmother knows where? Did Juragan Dahlan chase me all the way here?"

Grandma shakes. "No, Son. If he's gonna catch up to you, you're gonna have to get him out of here. Never mind. You better come with Grandma."

"Where, Grandma?"

"Wakeup. Just follow Grandma."

"All right." Nilam got up then stepped following Grandma Samiah who had walked first.

A few moments later...

"Come in" asked Grandma Samiah.

"This is Grandma's house?" tanya Nilam looked around.

"It is not worth calling home. Just a bamboo shack who doesn't know who made it."

"Grandma's been living here a long time?" nilam asked, he began to step into the old hut.

"From seven years ago."

Nilam surprised. "really? Alone?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"Then how did Grandma survive here?"

"God never sleeps, son. Every living creature in this world, everything has been arranged very nicely by Him. Including the sustenance business."

Nilam smiling. "Grandmother is right." He was sitting on an old bamboo cot with a cloth that looked worn.

"This is eating" said Grandma Samiah thrusting a burnt cassava she took from the stove where she cooked.

"Thank you, Grandma."

***

In the hospital

"How's my grandfather doing, Doctor?" ask Hana worriedly.

"It looks like your grandfather is under a lot of stress. His body condition is very weak. She needs intense treatment, to restore her health," explained the middle-aged woman's doctor.

"Just do what's best for grandpa, Doc." Kenzie took a voice.

"But we don't have any money for her treatment costs, Young Master," Pure said.

"You don't have to worry Madam, I'll take care of everything" Kenzie said straightforwardly. "And one more thing, just call me, Kenzie."

"Thank you... Nak Kenzie . Call me Aunt too" said Murni.

Kenzie smile. "All right, Auntie." He then turned to Hana. "Well, can we talk outside for a second?"

Hana nodded slowly. "Good, Sir."

Hana and Kenzie step outside leaving Murni with a doctor and nurse inside the nursery of Usman's grandfather.

Once outside, the two sat between rows of waiting chairs that leaned against the wall of the room.

"What do you want to talk to me about, Mr Kenzie?"

"Hana, don't talk and call me too formal. Just call me Ken. Can you?"

Kenzie smile. "So much better to hear."

"Then, what do you want to talk about, K-Ken?" hana's asking still looks stiff.

"Not to worry, just relax." Kenzie put on his smile again.

"Oiya, I want to ask. What do you mean in your house, Nilam d forcibly married by your mother?"

Hana looked down, with her fingers squeezing each other. "Mother sold Nilam's brother to Juragan Dahlan, the old man who owned the tea plantation, where Nilam's brother worked."

"Sells?" ask Kenzie in surprise.

Hana nodded weakly. "Mom really hates Nilam. And desperately wanted Nilam's brother out of our house. But grandfather always managed to get in the way of mom. Until finally...." Hana started to shed her tears.

"Yet your mother finally got rid of Nilam. By selling it to the Juragan. So, Hana?" kernels Terka.

Hana nodded weakly. "Yes, Ken." Hana then looked up at Kenzie's face. "Please find Nilam's brother, Ken. He's missing from the old mansion. I was so worried about him. She must have been afraid to return home," Hana asked expectantly.

"I'll try to help. But I want to know one thing first from you, Hana."

"What?"

"Why does your mother want to get rid of Nilam?"

Hana turned her gaze towards the front. "Because I said, Brother Nilam has taken away everyone's affection, which should have been given to me."

"Then do you believe?" ask Kenzie. "I've only known Nilam for a while. But I know, she's a sincere girl" she continued.

"You're right, Ken. He always gets bad treatment from my mother. But he never hated it one bit. Even he loves me so much" Hana smiled at Kenzie.

Kenzie returned Hana's smile. "I'll try to find him until I can."

"Thank you, Ken. I believe in you" said Hana sincerely. "Sorry, if I may know, what need did you come to this village for?" continues asking.

"I have business interests here."

"Business? What kind of business, Ken?" ask Hana. Then he nodded at the wrong behavior. "Emm, sorry, if I'm too presumptuous."

"It's okay, Hana. Doesn't matter. I came to your village because I was sent by my friend's company in town, to work with a businessman in this village."

"Cooperation? With the businesspeople in my village?" Hannah asked Wonder.

Kenzie nodded. "really. And you know who that guy is?" ask Kenzie to puzzle.

Hana shakes.

"Dahlan's Juragan."

Hana gasped in disbelief. "Ju-juragan Dahlan? Did ya? B-but why him?" ask Hana stammered.

"Because the company I work for, requires a considerable supply of tea leaves, for the purposes of our production industry. And it's Juragan Dahlan's tea, the most qualified quality and quantity of our products."

"That's it," said Hana briefly.

"Why, Hana?"

"It's okay. I'm just confused. Why is a man as rich as Juragan Dahlan, to want to marry forcibly a poor girl like sister Nilam. He already has three wives. All three are from the same group as him."

"Really, three wives?" kenzie asked a little surprised.

"Yes, even worse, everyone who borrows money on it, has to replace it many times over. Even from what I heard, he also had the heart to bring the girls in this village, to be made slaves of his lust. When their parents can't afford to pay the debt to him."

Kenzie rounded his eyes to hear Hana's words. "That's it, her?"

"Yes, Ken."

"Then Patchouli? Does your grandfather or mother also have a debt to that Jagan?"

Hana shook her head. "It's not like that, Ken. The old man had wanted Nilam's brother for a long time. Because of the beauty of Nilam's sister who captivated many men in this village, which caused her to obsess over having Nilam's brother and making him a wife."

Kenzie was silent for a moment. "Let me guess, that Juragan's wish had Nilam, paved the way for your mother, got rid of Nilam by selling him. Is that right, Hana?"

Hana covered her mouth with her palm. He began to voice his cries slowly. Then nod. "You, right Ken. My mother was that cruel" he said with tears that began to run down the river.

"Sorry Hana, I didn't mean to gossip about your mother. I just want to know. Isn't Nilam his nephew, and you're brothers? But why would your mother be so cruel to Nilam?" ask Kenzie.

Nilam took a deep breath. Then blow it slowly.

"I've only known lately from Grandpa. That Nilam's brother is not his biological grandson. He's just a pick-up boy from Marni's aunt, my mother's sister."

"The pickle boy?"

"Dian, Ken. Grandpa said, about 21 years ago, Vishnu's uncle, the husband of Marni's aunt, found a baby about less than a year old, lying on the side of the road to the city. And that baby is Nilam's brother, Ken."

Kenzie fell silent, trying to digest every verse Hana said. His eyes stared hard in any direction.

"21 years ago...?"