Glass Bottle Sundari
Chapter 2

FLASH BACK VIEW

"Sundari," The girl called her name softly. His head was down on the floor. Junab, the man her parents introduced, looked on with anxiety.

"What are you calling? The sun? Or Ndari?" Junab asked in a slightly seductive tone.

Sundari gasped in surprise, not expecting to get a question he thought was so ridiculous. He lifted his head and smiled.

"From aja mas," he said with a red face. His head lowered again.

"Why the floor? Bigger than me?" Junab asked pretended to be annoyed.

"Eh... Not a mas." Answer Sundari timidly. Inevitably he looked at Junab's face which though not as handsome as Amitabh Bhachan, the Indian star of his tribe, but was eye-catching. At a young age, Junab seems more responsible than her ex-husband who could leave her for another woman.

"Saymbok, you already have a child, yaa" Junab opened a conversation between them.

"Yes, one boy. But my son was taken by my ex-husband. She is 5 years old now."

"Oh that,"

"Why did your husband bring you?"

"He said I was a poor man, unable to send my son to school. Can't bring happiness to him. It's true maybe mas, he better be with his father." Answer Sundari with masygul.

"Yes already... Its nothing. If you want to marry me. Don't you want to have kids?" Joked Junab by pulling the tip of her lips mischievously.

"Ish, I could do it," Sundari pouted getting such a joke. No doubt her heart is flowery. He had never received any dreadful words from any man before. Not even from her ex-husband.

*****

A month later.

"Nfrom to? it's pretty, too,"

"Yes, pangling yes,"

"This is the widow of flowers,"

Sundari who wears white kebaya with sidomukti motif jarit brown color is walking slowly to the table for a wedding. In front of the table was Junab wearing a white shirt without a suit. Wearing black kopyah.

Behind the table were his father, the ruler, and the witnesses of the men and women. His arm was grabbed by his mother.

After sitting side by side. The qobul syjab was pronounced Junab in one breath. Legitimate. Alhamdulillahot.

After signing the files. They stand for the handover of the dowry. Afterwards, Junab placed his hands on his wife's head to recite a prayer. Sundari grabbed her husband's hand and kissed him. The man her parents chose, she accepted with a big heart.

*****

"Racid?" Junab asked as they were already in the bridal room. Sundari shook his head.  They did not have a large reception. It's just a ursy show.

"Mas, are we going to stay here?" Sundari took off the little bun on her head.

"Ndak is the deck, I work in Surabaya. Then just come there. I've contracted meaki's little house." Junab helped remove the bun on Sundari's head.

"Thank you," Sundari said as the bun slipped off.

Junab approached his wife. His hand was stretched out onto the tiny face in front of him. His heart skipped like it was on a trampoline. The tip of his eyes was drawn towards the small lips that were still polished with a bright red lipstick.

Sundari was only silently glued, as the chewy object stuck to his lips. His eyes blinked slowly then closed for a moment enjoying the soft cold sensation.

"Yes..." Sundari cut off Junab's already peaked flame.

"What?" Husband's sigh.

"Sholat first,"

"Astaghfirulloh." Junab patted his eel. Sundari blushed seeing that.

"Relope..." They walked to the bathroom outside the room.

*****

"From I took to Surabaya, sir," Junab said goodbye to his father-in-law.

"Yes. Careful. I'm taking my son Jun. Just be patient if he gets hold of you often,"

"Yes sir. InsyaAlloh...." Reply Junab steady.

Today they will leave Sundari-born village in Gresik to Surabaya. He had previously worked in Surabaya. He had just graduated from Junior High.

Due to her family's economic condition that did not allow her to continue school, she accepted the offer of her friend who asked her to work in the convection company. Even without expertise, but the company still wants to accept it. Perhaps because the need for cheap labor at that time was very rare. Because Sundari quickly learned, he was finally able to follow the request of the company.

But he did not work there long. Because a married man often teases him. Exasperated by the old man's increasingly bold behavior, made Sundari resign after a year of work. He returned to the village, helping his father and mother work in the fields.

When there is an earth alms event in his village. He met a young man of his old friend. The man managed to make Sundari crazy. Until without a second thought he accepted the young man's proposal and then married at the age of just 16 years.

Nope. Not because she was pregnant. But he wanted to marry young. But, my marriage did not last long. A year after she gave birth to her son. Her husband began to seduce other women. Although he has tried various ways to maintain his household, but it seems all his efforts always fail. She surrendered when her husband filed for divorce.

Sundari became a widow at the age of 20. And that made his heart ache even more. Her husband took her only son with him. By reason of her poverty that would not be able to send her son to school and make him happy, her husband managed to get custody of her child.

But Sundari is not a whiny woman. Though crying because of the suffering he went through. But he's not in a slump. He went back to working hard to help his father manage his rice fields. The result is not much, but able to distract him.

Up to three years later. His parents arranged for him to marry Junab.

"Away, my mother?" Sundari rested his head on Junab's shoulder. On the bus between the cities, they were sitting.

"No. Are you sleepy?" Sundari nodded slowly. Closing the mouth that has evaporated many times.

"Sleep first. Later when I wake up," he said, rubbing Ndari's hair on his shoulders.

Sundari nodded and closed his eyes. Junab just smiled at his wife's behavior. Although he was a widow, but he was grateful to marry Sundari. The woman did not say much and always followed what she said. So Junab had no trouble directing his wife.

Now, they are about to start a new life as a married couple. May Junab be a priest for Sundari and his sons.

Junab smiled to herself as she imagined herself holding beautiful and handsome children. His hand was still stroking the hair of his wife who was asleep on his shoulder.

~next~