GIFT

fixed

My name is Tara. I lived with my grandmother and my sister, Titi, in a small town in Central Java. My parents passed away when I was 7 and my sister was 15 because of a car accident. I lived in the city, it wasn't really different from the countryside area, though. It was nice, but boring. There were no malls, play parks and whatsoever. Only rice fields here and there.

My grandmother was old, but she was pretty tough to do all the things by herself. She woke me up everyday, made breakfast for me every morning, she took care of me and my sister when we were sick, and she gave me all the love she could, everyday, everytime. My sister was mentally disabled. She can't read, can't write, can't really talk, even when she talked, it all nonsense.

I went to high school near my house, I wasn't popular, just a girl with an ordinary life. I wasn't smart, but wasn't that bad either. I went home right after school ended. I never went out with my friends, both because I didn't want to, and no one ever really asked me out with them. I was just a girl with a very ordinary life.

My grandmother never really asked me to be a good kid, all she ever asked me to do was to take care of my sister, and I always said yes, even when I sometimes got tired of her. I kept bathing her, and fed her.

*

On a Friday afternoon, my grandmother went to her friend's house to hold a recitation. But unlike usual, she didn't come home on time. I was worried, my body were cold, I'm afraid something happened with my grandmother. I called her friends, and they said that she went home right after the recitation ended. I didn't know what to do. I just prayed to God, asked for the best, my Grandmother was the only person who can help me take care of my sister. My mind was blank. I suddenly remember the words she said to me when we had dinner together, "You are the only person who can take care of your sister, love her, and accept her unconditionally. Be sincere, and happiness will come to you. You know what? she is a gift to you, she can help you change your life." Said her, patting on my back. I'm afraid that it was a sign. I was trembling, I cried hardly, I didn't know what to do and who to tell since my sister wouldn't know anything.

At 7, when it was all dark and I was just crying in my bathroom, my grandmother came home. Her body covered in blood, I was shocked. I wondered what had happened to her?

"Uti, what's wrong? where were you? I called all your friends and everyone told me that you went home right after the worship ended, I was worried, where were you? I missed you," I came to hug her, when I talked I can hear my voice trembling.

"Long story, let me sit first," told my grandmother. I can see that her face was so pale. She went sitting on her green-stripped sofa, I sat next to her, brought her a mineral water.

"Tell me, tell me now," said I.

"When I went home, there was an accident near the city square, happened right in front of me, a motorcycle got hit by a car and the driver ran away, you know what the saddest part is? No one helped the motorcycle driver." Said my grandmother, I could feel that she was shock, but since she was a nurse, blood wasn't a big deal.

"And then, you helped him right, ti?" asked me.

"Of course! Am I crazy?" answered her. "I can't believe no one helped him just because he is a Chinese man!" she added.

"Seriously?" I was shocked. Can't believe humanity was nowhere to be found.

"Yeah, then I and another Chinese man brought him to the hospital, then the police came and called the family. That was it." She continued her story. I nodded, still shocked. "I'm sorry, you must be worried. You fed your sister right?" asked her. I just nodded, and went to my room. I wondered how people can be so cruel to one another? It was crazy.

*

The next day was Saturday, I woke up at 6 and went to my grandmother's room. I woke my sister just so I could bath her and went to school. But something was a little weird. When I woke her up, she didn't respond, when I shook her body, which she actually hated, she didn't respond. My eyes were watery, I went to the kitchen to tell my grandma, she hurried to the room, and asked me to go call an ambulance. It took a long time for the ambulance to come, meanwhile I was just crying next to my sister, my grandma were praying next to her, she was whispering dzikir to her ears. I hope miracle would like to visit my home that day. Sadly, miracle won't.

My sister died in front of my eyes, and my grandma's. It was sad, but I know that was for the best. She would be a normal person in heaven, she would know how to write, how to bath, how to speak, how to have a conversation. She would be happy.

It was hard losing my sister for both my grandma and I. At the 7th day of her death, my grandma and I cleaned her room. I found out so many things that I thought were lost. I found my childhood picture, my favorite lip balm, and even my favorite snack, which expired 2 years ago. I also found her wallet, and there were a picture of me that I took on my polaroid. I cried as I held the picture. I never thought that she cared about me, and the truth was, she always did. I continued cleaning up her room, my grandma and I collected 20 scissors, and 17 combs, which she bought for her every time she went to Alfamart with me. I missed you. I said in my heart. I wouldn't have to spend so much money on buying scissors and combs anymore.

*

A year passed, I was on my senior year on high school when my grandma got a heart attack. Luckily I was with her when it happened. I hurriedly call an ambulance, and the ambulance came not long after the call. I was trembling, my eyes weren't watery anymore, it was full of tears. My grandma was the only person I had. It was crazy to imagine how life would be without her next to me, without her making me breakfast everyday, and without her hugging me when life got rough. I prayed to God, asked for the best. A nurse suddenly came to me, "Dek, can you please fill out the payment form?" asked her. Payment form? I wasn't aware about these kind of things, and I didn't have money, I didn't even know where my grandma put her money. I told her that I would call my family first before I fill out the payment form, when I actually didn't have any families to call.

Suddenly a man came to me, he told me that he knew my grandma, and wanted to pay all my grandma's hospital bills. I didn't even know who he was, all I know he was just an ordinary Chinese man who called my grandma a 'guardian angel', and wanted to help her. 

***