The Devil Worshiper

"Daddy, when can I buy a bicycle like Fahmi's?" asked Dewantara after playing from the house of Sumini and Dulmana, Ajeng's parents.

Ajeng and Darma did promise to buy Dewantara a new bicycle after he was circumcised. However, a promise is just a promise. The price of a bicycle, in fact, has not been able to buy by Darma and Ajeng.

"Alah, how can your father buy a bicycle like Fahmi's? Your father is poor," said Sumini, who walked after Dewantara to take her grandson home.

"Mom, don't be like that," Ajeng hissed, not wanting her mother to continue insulting the environment, which, according to Sumini, was on the poverty line.

Ajeng can only be silent when Sumini insults Darma downstairs, but when insults to her husband are thrown in front of their son. Ajeng always tried to stop her.

"You defend your husband. You want to blame me? That's the truth. Darma is poor and useless. How could he afford to buy Dewantara a mountain bike like Fahmi's?"

Ajeng exhales. It's useless to argue with Sumini, who never disappoints in insults to her husband. Darma himself had entered the house because he did not want to keep hearing directly about Sumini's hatred, which he always insulted.

With all the economic difficulties experienced by Darma and Ajeng, The insults from Dulmana and Sumini- Darma's father and mothe in-laws and the landlords where he works are already very immune to Darma's ears. However, Darma could not contain his anger if anyone insulted him in front of Dewantara.

"Dewan, enter the house with your Daddy." Ajeng pointed at the door of the house with her eyes.

"I want to talk with your Grandma first," said Ajeng. Dewantara nodded and immediately ran after Darma.

"Mom, now you can humiliate my husband and I as much as you want. Please don't do it in front of our son," Ajeng asked hopefully.

"It's up to your bat to fight with me. Just keep defending your poor husband," shouted Sumini before turning back to leave Ajeng.

That afternoon was the start where Dewantara kept on whining for a new bike like Fahmi's and his friends'. Dharma is only able to say yes and promised to work as hard as possible to be able to buy a bicycle for Dewantara.

He didn't know when he could fulfil the actual promise because the residents of Rancarawa hamlet had to go to the sub-district center, which was far enough away to buy a bicycle. It's not only the price of the bicycle that Darma has to think about, but also the transportation to get there. While the results of daily porters are only fit to meet daily needs.

"Darma, sit here. I'll bring you some young sugar cane," shouted Amir, waving his hand at his best friend, who was still very comfortable living a mediocre life as a coolie.

Yesterday he heard Darma's mother-in-law's chatter, who so often insulted his son-in-law not only in front of Darma and Ajeng directly, but also in front of his neighbors.

Amir,who felt that his fate was not much different from Darma's felt sad to hear that his best friend was insulted just because he couldn't afford to buy a bicycle for his son.

"Mir, your clothes are really cool now. You have retired as a farm laborer, so you are even more dashing," said Darma to his friend, Amir. It's been two years now since Amir is no longer a farm laborer, the profession he used to be in with Darma.

"I'm tired of hearing insults from my mother-in-law because her daughter is living a miserable life in my marriage."

The situation is not much different from what happened to Darma. They all have the same fate. The only difference is that Amir's economic situation has gradually improved.

Initially, Amir chose to become a travelling ice seller. Within a year, he was able to build a basic food shop in the village of Rancarawa. Even Amir's ramshackle house had been built into a permanent house, which was quite magnificent for the size of a house in a rural area.

"I'm still like this. Moreover, Dewan-my son kept whining for a bicycle. It made Ajeng's mother insult me even more." Darma admitted while sipping the iced sugar cane brought by Amir.

"That's why I came here. Ajeng's mother talks about you everywhere. I'm concerned. I've been in your position. Every day, my mother-in-law nags. My wife is the same as Ajeng; she just keeps quiet because their parents are actually the same kind. She likes to nag and doesn't like to be denied by her daughter."

"I work every day in the field. I didn't know Mom Sumini talked about me with other people too. I'm really poor. It's just that I can't accept that my pride is being trampled on like that." Darma again sucked the sugar cane in his hand.

Downstream, the farmers and labourers who return from the fields often greet those who are sitting on the side of the road.

"You just come with me, Ma," whispered Amir in Darma's ear.

Amir glanced around them to make sure that in the hut where they were sitting now, no one else could hear their conversation. The hut on the side of the road was where Darma and Amir often spent time together when they were both working as labourers for Harto.

Across the road, there is a large kapok tree whose leaves are different from other Kapok trees, right at the bend of the road that will lead to the Randusewu forest. Before returning home, this hut became a place for them to take shelter while watching the farmers back and forth, who also started to go home before evening approached.

"You mean, I follow you to sell the ice, Mir? Where do I have the capital, Mir?" Darma admitted it in response to Amir's invitation.

"That's not what I meant, Darma."

"What are you working with?" asked Darma, who still remembers that his friend's initial success started with selling ice cream.

"How can there be ice cream sales? And you can get rich suddenly like me," Amir whined, admitting something that actually made his friend even more confused.

"Well, it's not that, as far as I know, you were selling ice cream when you stopped being a coolie. So now you are successful because your ice cream is selling well in the market. Do you have any other work besides selling that?" Darma could not hide his curiosity.

"You're too innocent, Darma. You don't know if you pretend not to know the common secret that many Rancarawa residents discuss."

"Confidential? What kind of secret do you mean? Don't make me confuseeven more. I'll just say it straight. I'm not very good at guessing. I'm dizzy when I say you're twirling around and don't go straight to the destination." Dharma scratched her head.

"Come here, near me." Amir pulled Darma closer.

"I'm like this because I'm a devil worshipper. Not because of selling ice cream, " whispered Amir very slowly and softly as he admitted to a secret he had been keeping. Darma's long and round eyes also seemed to widen because they were shocked to hear his best friend's confession.

"Are you a devil worshiper? What do you mean?" Darma inquired curiously.