A Short Story: The Unforgiveable Sin

 

The Unforgiveable Sin

Zefania Gratia

 

Nian is her name. She was already 16 years old two months ago. Nian is one of the many children at the Kasih Ibu Orphanage who were abandoned by their parents for various reasons and backgrounds. She is an obedient and adorable girl, anyone will fall in love with this girl even if they meet for a short time. But unfortunately, Nian's fate is not as sweet as her attitude.

Since she was a baby, Nian was abandoned by her birth mother. At that time, she was found in front of the front porch of the Kasih Ibu Orphanage. Only wrapped in a thin batik cloth wrapped around her frail body and a small cardboard which was closed on the top to protect it from animals that would disturb it. She clearly remembered the story from Bu Asih, how she could find her. She said, it was still really dawn and dark and there was no sign of the sun starting to rise. The sound of a baby's cry broke the silence, a deafening sound that sounded so sad but also terrible at the same time. Even the residents of the orphanage thought it was the sound of a baby kuntilanak, no one wanted to peek at things for a moment. Until morning arrived, the sun had appeared, the sound of a baby's cry never stopped coming from the front of the terrace. Until finally Bu Asih dared to look to the front of the terrace. Sure enough, she found a tiny baby who looked lethargic and hungry because she wasn't given milk in the small and shabby box. This is the first time for Bu Asih to see a small baby who was abandoned in a box and then just left on the front porch of the house. So poor Bu Asih thought.

Nian smiled faintly remembering the story from Bu Asih. Bu Asih is a very important figure in Nian's life. Even though she wasn't her biological mother, Nian was really grateful that she could at least feel the love of a mother figure from Bu Asih. From afar, Bu Asih saw Nian pensively staring at a frangipani tree in a daze. Bu Asih really understands this girl's behavior. She is too young to feel the bitterness of life being left by his biological parents. Even so, Nian is a very mature child at this young age. She never complained of missing her parents or even cried bemoaning her fate as an orphan. It was as if she was so neat and tight that she kept all her pain and sadness alone without wanting to share it with the other members of the Orphanage, including Bu Asih. Bu Asih's heart ached to see Nian's determination. She could still smile cheerfully playing with her friends from the orphanage even though Bu Asih knew full well that Nian was harboring the pain while continuing to smile and laugh as if nothing had happened in her life.

Bu Asih finally made up her mind to approach Nian, she could no longer stand watching Nian from afar. "Nian, why are you daydreaming in broad daylight like this, my daughter? How if the ghost entered your body?" said Mrs. Asih while joking a little hoping that Nian would be entertained.

"Ah, Ibu! You were surprising me, hehe. It's impossible, Bu, those ghosts are afraid of me you know, I am a pious girl hehehe, right, Bu?" Nian joked back, immediately Bu Asih's heart was touched to hear that this child had the chance to joke back. Bu Asih's hand gently stroked the small back while smiling a little towards Nian.

"Honey, I've told you several times, right? If You are sad and you need a place to tell your story, I beg you to tell me, OK? You can tell to me anything, you can tell about how your day is at school, what happened, just tell me everything. But if you really don't feel comfortable with me, you can tell your brothers or sisters here or whoever you want. Don't be buried alone okay."

Nian smiled faintly while looking down without the slightest glance at Bu Asih. "Hehehe, there's nothing happened to me Bu. You just need to calm down. I’m really fine. I just…” Nian paused for a moment, reluctant to continue the next sentence, she glanced at Bu Asih's eyes asking for the continuation of her interrupted sentence.

"Just?" Bu Asih repeated Nian's last words.

"Ah, it's okay Bu. I just want to go inside.”

Bu Asih's guess was right. That's how Nian always dodged. Perhaps Nian was indeed waiting for the right time for her to talk to someone else.

Days passed and finally the semester break was over. The residents of the Kasih Ibu Orphanage finally returned to their activities back to school, and Nian was no exception. When she returned to school, she heard the news that there was a new teacher at her school. Apparently the teacher will teach the subject of Music Arts. Nian didn't really care about her friends' enthusiasm for the new teacher.

"WOW that’s crazy dude! she is still young and beautiful though!" said Gilang, the troublemaker in the class whose seat was not far from where Nian was currently sitting.

"Yes, she’s not that young I guess. She’s already 33 years old dude. but I swear she is still beautiful and sexy, hahahaha," Hengky replied, Gilang's best friend.

Nian only grinned and shook her head at the chatter of her friends who were so excited this morning and then she returned to continue her activities reading his favorite novel. Not long after, a young and beautiful woman appeared into the classroom. Instantly class 11 - Social 1 was boisterous with cheers, especially from male students, surely the new teacher would enter this class, thought Nian. Nian didn't move for a moment, she just remembered that the Music Arts subject started at the beginning of class and then she returned to continue reading her novel without ignoring the busy atmosphere of her class. After the sound of the teacher's footsteps stopped, Nian looked up at the teacher. She was silent for quite a while. For some reason her chest felt tight as if someone was stabbing her heart when she saw the teacher's face.

"Hello guys! let me introduce myself. I'm Wulandari Setiyaningsih. Starting today I will be teaching Music Arts subjects, hopefully in the future we can get to know each other better. Thank You." Wulan smiled kindly at her students, some of the male students' reactions were so varied that some even screamed with joy. Seeing that atmosphere Wulan then smiled. The direction of her eyes went around paying attention to her students one by one until his gaze fell on the girl sitting in the number two section from the front close to the window. Wulan seemed familiar with seeing the girl but really, for whatever reason, she had never seen the girl at all. Until suddenly the girl she was looking at seemed to be holding his chest out of breath, her breathing was irregular, and her face suddenly turned deathly pale. Realizing this, Wulan didn't stay silent, she immediately approached the bench where Nian was sitting.

"Darling? What happened to you?" Wulan looked left and right confused what to do. "Hurry up! Let me take you to the UKS." Nian seemed to refuse, but Wulan didn't let her, she immediately carried Nian to the UKS. Seeing this incident, class 11 Social 1 immediately became rioted by the heroic actions of the new teacher. Not a few heard the praise addressed to this beautiful teacher.

After arriving at the UKS, Nian was immediately put on a patient bed by Wulan. Nian still had her eyes closed. Faintly, Nian's voice sounded so soft, "Bu... Ibu..."

Wulan is looking at Nian starting to open her eyes, she stroked Nian's cheek gently then her eyes glanced at Nian's name tag. Wulan glared slightly at the long name Nian.

Niande Sekar Kirana.

Her name was familiar to Wulan.

Her name she once wrote on a piece of paper that she kept wrapped in a batik cloth that wrapped the tiny baby she had given birth to before.

Instantly, a flash of the past swirled in Wulan's head. The biggest sin she ever made came back to disturb her mind. Then her eyes fell on the small mole on Nian's nose. The mole was exactly like the mole on the baby she had given birth before and then abandoned it right in front of the orphanage terrace where even Wulan had forgotten the name.

Nian?

Is it true that Nian is the biological child she once abandoned?

Slowly Nian blinked her eyes. Her eyes wandered around the ceiling of the UKS room to adapt to the light. After that she turned to the left, right at that moment her eyes met directly with Wulan's brown eyes. Now Nian remembered who this person in front of her was. She is her biological mother. Yes, Nian is sure that Wulan is her biological mother.

16 years of waiting in search of her birth mother is now over. Nian could no longer hold back her tears, she cried uncontrollably. Her tears pierced Wulan's solar plexus. Just like crying 16 years ago when she threw away her little baby. Wulan's body instantly froze. She didn't know what to do anymore. It would be hypocritical if Wulan responded confused as if she didn't know what was happening to Nian. In fact, the bond between mother and child is so strong that she feels. Wulan's hands immediately stretched out to immediately hug the body of the child she had abandoned.

“Mom… I know you are my mom. my biological mother.”

Ah, Nian's words were so heartbreaking. She herself was confused about what to answer. She remembered her past selfishness, as if she was the one who suffered the most and then she had the heart to throw away the poor baby who has now grown into a sweet girl in front of her now.

“16 years I secretly looked for you. Now that it's done, I will finally be able to rest in peace.” Nian was no longer crying. Instead, she smiled at Wulan. But the 33-year-old woman was still silent. She don't know the meaning of Nian's words just now.

But the other side of Wulan still can't accept the facts that are happening now. Maybe this kid is wrong. No. Maybe Nian had the wrong person. Why was it so easy for Nian to recognize Wulan as his birth mother?

"Nian, what are you talking about?" Wulan finally spoke up. Disappointment was implied in Nian's glazed eyes. Wulan's chest hurt again when she saw it. "Enough of this conversation is enough, let's pretend this never happened." Wulan with quick footsteps immediately went out of the UKS room.

Since that incident, for some reason Wulan kept avoiding Nian. Wulan herself also didn't understand why lately she had been so hard and cold towards Nian. Even though after five months he became a teacher at this school she was known as a teacher who was so kind and friendly to everyone, except Nian. Wulan could be so harsh and harsh to Nian, Nian's heart was very hurt to accept the fact that her biological mother did not treat her as she should. Many questions have weighed on Nian's mind until now. Until time goes by, everything returns to normal. It was as if nothing had happened between Wulan and Nian. Even now Wulan is quite relieved even though she serves as Nian's homeroom teacher, for almost two weeks Wulan has never seen Nian again. No one knows  what's going on with that kid.

Until in the end this was no longer intolerable, Wulan immediately went to the Kasih Ibu Orphanage, where Nian lived. As soon as she arrived, she immediately knocked on the front door of the orphanage.

Tok! Tok! Tok! Tok!

“Excuse me!”

Not long after, the figure of Bu Asih appeared. Without saying much Wulan immediately stated the purpose of his arrival here. “Ma’am, can I meet Nian? I am Wulan, Nian's homeroom teacher. It has been almost a month that Nian has not attended school without providing any permit. Nian has scored enough and is in danger of failing.”

Bu Asih was silent, she really knew who this woman in front of her was. “You are Nian's mother, I know that. Come with me if you want to know where Nian is now.” Wulan was confused by Bu Asih's words. She saw Bu Asih immediately go inside for a while then took the motorbike keys and helmet. It didn't take long for her to appear from behind the house on her battered motorbike, Wulan, who knew what Bu Asih meant. She just got on her motorbike and followed where Bu Asih was going.

Bu Asih turned her motorbike towards the public cemetery in that area. Wulan frowned, what was wrong with this old woman, she thought. Then she just followed Bu Asih after putting her motorbike in the cemetery parking area. Wulan's feelings began to go awry. What does all this mean? She just wanted to meet Nian to go back to school, and that too at the insistence of the principal. Until finally Bu Asih's footsteps stopped at a tombstone that read Niande Sekar Kirana.

Wulan's knees suddenly feel weak, no longer able to support her body. She fall right beside Nian's grave.

Ni-Nian has passed away?

Wulan could only shake her head, she still couldn't believe all of these facts.

Bu Asih just stood looking at Wulan's body sitting beside Nian's tombstone. “16 years she was looking for her biological mother. Since she was 7 years old, Nian was diagnosed with a heart defect. The doctor had told us that Nian's life would not last long. Even when Nian was able to turn 16 years old, it was the greatest gift for our family. Nian is an obedient, sweet girl, she doesn't like to bother other people. She is truly an angel to us, the Kasih Ibu Orphanage family. She already knows how you used to abandon her, she tries hard to find anything about you on social media. Nian never asked to buy new toys, clothes or shoes. Only one request. She just hopes to meet his birth mother before she dies.”

Wulan's crying voice grew louder, remorse kept stabbing her heart. It was as if she had again committed a second unforgivable sin. Wulan's bitter face was unstoppable. Her hand kept stroking Nian's tombstone.

"I'm sorry, honey. I’m really sorry."

 

FIN.