Life and Death Experience (Part 2)

     I ever lived in another part of Indonesia, West Borneo, when I was a child. I lived for five years since my father, he is an army, was transferred there. There are many things happened at that time, started from my experience saw the 'ghost', spent all the money my mom gave to me that supposed to be the money for buying a vegetable, and my experience in almost died because of my friend.

     I lived in an army dormitory and my neighbours came from many areas from all over Indonesia. I still remember that my house was located near the street and had a little ditch with some plants next to the ditch. Every afternoon, around 3-4 p.m., it was a common thing that the mothers accompanied their children playing around near our house. While their children played around, the mothers talked and shared their own story about the household world or sometimes gossipping the other neighbourhood.

I had many friends either they were from the same age or the older ones. I could get along with all of them. 

     Usually, I spent my afternoon playing in the large field next to my house, but that time, all of my friends gather in the front yard of my house. Indeed, my house had a small hut and plants which its leave can be used as nail colouring. Me, Anjar, his sister, and another girl I couldn't remember the name, played near the plants. We collected the leaves and the small yellow fruit from the plants. I still remembered my mom that sit in front of my house with the other moms told me to be careful because the distance between the plants and the muddy ditch was really close. 

     I collected a lot of fruits than my friends. I did not know why Anjar tried to take mine. Well, I think that it is common that children at our age very often try to snatch something that not belongs to us. He chased after me and I ran, too. I did not want him to have my fruits, obviously. When I stood up between the plant and the ditch, he suddenly pushed me to the muddy ditch and left me. Instead of directly screamed, I mumbled to him. I complained why he pushed me and told him that if he wanted to take mine, he could say nicely to me. I did that while my body ready to sink in the mud. I know I was silly. Then I screamed for help. My mom heard my voice, but she could not find me in the front yard. She saw Anjar and asked him where was I. Innocently, he just pointed out the ditch. "She is there", he said. 

     My mom said to me many years after that when she knew me in the dutch, she could not feel her heart beat again. She ran after my poker-face-and-unresponsible friend showed where I was. When she found me, my body already covered by mud, unless my head. She and the other moms helped me out of the ditch. My mom directly brought me to the backyard of my house and cleaned my body and put a lot of amount of soap and shampoo. Luckily, my father was not in the town. He was still on his way back to the house. Three hours later, my father came. He felt suspicious why our backyard was so wet and it smelt good. My mom was good at pretending but then I could not hold back to tell him the truth. I told him everything. My dad was angry at my mom and accused her of not paid attention to her daughter carefully. But then he calmed down, he as well as my mom relieved that my body was not in the prone position. I could really die if my body in that position since I could not breathe. 

      After that accident, my mom never allowed me playing around in the front yard. What about Anjar? I heard that his mom was super angry to him and he did not let to go out for three days. When I heard what his mom did to him, then it my turn to have my smirky face while I said to my heart, "Screw you!"

        Now it has been 17 years from that terrible accident. I still can recall the memory. Sometimes I feel that it was funny but heart-breaking at the same time. The fact that I am now still alive, I am beyond grateful. I miss Anjar as well even though I do not know where he is now.