Glass Bottle Sundari
Chapter 6

The ER room still looks crowded. Sundari looked at me with a glare. Rima who was whining in his lap never kept silent. Maybe the toddler was hungry, because since his arrival at the hospital, Sundari had not given him any food at all. She only thought about the state of her husband who was struggling inside.

It had been a while that his memories wandered into the past. The time when he first met Junab, the beginning of their marriage which although simple but very memorable.  Nearly 3 years of colourful togetherness. Sometimes sad, happy, resentful, angry, jealous, all so one word, happy.

A hand patted his shoulder slowly. Sundari looked up, seeing that Lek Nanik was already standing next to him. Instantly he slid into the woman's arms. Shedding all his fret and boughs. Lek Nanik stroked his back slowly, speechless. Make room for Sundari's grief.

After feeling a little calm. Lek Nanik grabbed Rima in his carrier. He took the toddler out of the room. The whimper stopped when a loaf of bread was in his grasp. Poor this boy. The sigh of Lek Nanik in the heart. He took some bread and snacks and two bottles of mineral water. After paying for everything, he went back to Sundari.

"Eat this first Ndar. You are patient, you must be strong for Junab and Rima." Lek Nanik held out the plastic bag of food he bought earlier to Sundari.

"Thank you lek," Sundari accepted. He only caught a glimpse and then placed it back on the chair.

"Eat Ndar!" Lek Nanik's orders.

"Sorry lek. Nfrom no taste." Sundari replied quietly, afraid to make Lek Nanik angry. But really, she doesn't feel like she can put anything in her stomach right now. Not until she gets certainty about her husband's condition.

Shortly after, a nurse came out of the ER room.

"Junab's father's family?" Sundari immediately stood up and almost ran over.

"I'm sus. How's my husband?"

"Let's come with me to the ma'am," They walked into the room, before Sundari looked at Lek Nanik as if to say, 'titip Rima first huh?' lek Nanik understood it and nodded for sure.

*****

"I'm sorry our son Ma'am" a man and a woman sit on Sundari's left right. They were the parents of the child who had injured Junab. Their son is still in the police station, to avoid a mob rampage. He who was still sobbing, was unable to say anything.

"We will bear all the expenses of the care of the husband, provided we make peace. Poor son I'm still Junior." The man said to Sundari.

"Sir, ma'am, is this how you guys sort things out? Will you always cover up the mistakes your son made? In that case, when will he understand the meaning of responsibility?" Sundari bent his face.

"I need the care of my husband. I don't want any more victims either. Not to rule out the possibility, events like this will happen again, right?"

They were silent at Sundari's words.

"Then what do you want?" Ask them later.

"Find me with the boy. Let how he says it all to me. We'll finish it. And you have to promise me, whatever our decision is, you'll approve." They sighed.

They met at the police station and finished it there. Junab's treatment cost them until Junab was discharged from the hospital 2 weeks later.

Sundari started doing his thing again. Selling herbs while taking care of her son and husband.

Junab was sad, disappointed, angry and desperate. He felt useless as the head of the household. He can't move. His feet are next door. What can he do? What will his friends say? What does the family say of his wife, who gave up her daughter for happiness? But instead serve a disabled husband like him.

Cursing his teeth every held back the anger in his chest. Sad actually saw Sundari shed tears every time he saw her silence not knowing the words of his wife. But he was flirting with that situation. He could not accept the sad reality of his life. He forgot that his wife was ready to accompany him through this test.

Sundari again sobbed in the corner of her crowded room. Increasingly claustrophobic with Junab's sad gaze was her lover.

*****

The more days Junab's condition does not improve but gets worse. His emotions are no longer under control. He often uttered hurtful words. Various ways have been done Sundari so that her husband can return to what he used to be.

That morning, the sound of Rima's cry came back as Sundari put the sinom into the glass bottles. Immediately the job was abandoned and rushed to his son. Rima was sitting on the floor with plates of food spilling everywhere.

"Astaghfirulloh's chat. Why is this mas?" Sundari stared at Junab for a moment before grabbing Rima and clearing up the mess.

"His own fault he's bothering me to eat." Junab said with a flat face. His words sounded coldly piercing to the heart. Sundari breathed heavily.

"Well, his name is a little boy. Maybe he misses his father's hugs and laughs. I didn't forget how to smile, did I?" Sindir Sundari carefully, she took a quick glance to just find out the expression of her husband hearing her words. Yet disappointed. Niente.

"Mas. Never mind. Don't be sad for too long. I was here mas. Accompany you." Sundari approached her husband.

"Why are you still here? Why hold on with me with a flaw like this? Can you file for divorce? I can't do my job as a husband anymore." Read Junab with hunting breath. He pushed Sundari's body away from him.

"Istighfar. Don't go too far. I'll be sick too." Sahut Sundari with tears.

"Go you. Find a better husband than me." Junab's whispers held back her chest tightness.

Sundari shuffled away from her husband. Almost every day that's all he hears. Her husband's ridiculous request to go away from her. If that was the case, he would just go to the back and make some more herbs. Let Junab alone and calm down for a while.

Sundari is fighting on his own. Since Junab was not working, then he had to make money to smoke his kitchen. Currently he not only sells herbs and fried foods, but also began to sell rujak cingur and lontong noodles.

The subscriptions are getting more and more. Especially around his house there is no one selling curry, be the stall to be the persuasion of people. Now he's getting famous.

He started all his activities at 03:00 in the morning. She also continues to serve the needs of her husband who is still not improving. Sometimes she also felt useless as a wife. She should be able to revive her husband's life. But he was too tired of his own activities.

"Bruck!!" The sound of a loud impact was heard from Sundari's room. He who was preparing his sales in the kitchen immediately rushed to see what happened. His eyes stared at the messy state of his room.

"Mas!" He shouted as he saw Junab slumped on the floor. His face looks pale. Suddenly panic came. Thought and hugged it tightly while shedding tears.

Istighfar continued to say. When she realized what had happened to her husband, she screamed for help.

~next~