The Old Crock and the Ambulance Siren: a Short Story by Bambang Kariyawan Ys.

The jar in front of my house is not just a jar filled with water. The jar is more than two generations old. Always filled with water to welcome those returning home before going on stage. the jars in front of their stilt houses are a symbol of our living habits. I always look forward to the water flowing from the jar. Signs, Taufik, my husband has come home from work as a ticket seller at the city bus terminal. Coming home with a pile of hope that love will overflow. After returning from traveling, the habit of washing your face, hands and feet is always done before entering the house.
“This is a good habit of the Malay people since time immemorial. Get used to it in our house”, said Taufik to me.
I always remember that message. The jar has become a witness to the life stories of the residents of our stilt house. Witness about our early love, our match, our marriage, and the times enjoying the sweetness of marriage.
Twilight is the time I always look forward to. After I hear the greeting, I will go down the stairs and get a ladle filled with water from the jar. I will pour water from the ladle for Taufik to clean his feet, hands and face. Twilight always leaves the best stories to glue our hearts.
Thank you Biah. Biah’s habits like this made her brother honored to be her husband. “Brother is happy to be a man since he was married to Biah for ten years,” praised my husband.
I smiled happily. inside the house on stilts, the nights become happy nights at the dinner table. Enjoy it with Bang Taufik’s favorite spicy sour sauce. Accompanied by Zainal, who was always chattering while eating, it was entertainment in itself when enjoying the food. but for a few days there was a disturbing sound in my ears, the sound of an ambulance siren passing by on the road in front of the house.
“If the ambulance siren sounds and there is a police escort, that is a sign that someone has preceded us,” explained Bang Taufik.
What do you mean, brother? I asked.
“Died because of corona,” he stressed.
Biah is scared, bro. Moreover, my brother’s workplace has the most contact with new people. Be careful, bro,” I explained. Just give it up. Don’t let the water in the jar empty. “So we can always wash our hands and be clean,” he advised.
Surrender is indeed the best way in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life changes that are now sweeping everywhere. Pandemic. A term that has become familiar to the ear. circumstances that have changed me, my family, my neighbors, and anyone I meet. But not for my son Zainal and his friends. Playing is a world that cannot be controlled. That day Zainal and his friends played football in the yard. Who knows who started it and who is to blame, the jar in the yard broke. The children were scared and ran away and went home. Zainal was left alone looking at the broken jars on the edge of the stage.
“Zainal, what are you doing with that jar?” I asked.
Zainal was just scared. no answer. I just took a breath. I can’t imagine the look on Bang Taufik’s face when he saw that his favorite jar had broken. Lost one habit when welcoming my husband home.
Don’t be sad, it’s time to replace it even though it’s hard to find a jar like that. “Just like life, there are those who come and those who go,” advised Taufik.
“What do you mean bro?” Bang Taufik only smiled.
“The sounds of ambulance sirens are becoming more frequent, bro.”
Yes, it seems like death is so close. Nowadays we are forced to change our living habits. Usually when someone dies, we will hear an announcement from the mosque, we mourn, we bathe, we pray, we interred together. Now, it feels lost.
I became restless again with the sound of ambulance sirens that I heard repeatedly. He was also anxious when he had not been able to find the jar which was a symbol of welcoming Bang Taufik home.
I’ve looked for it in the market, but haven’t found anyone selling jars like that. There are plastic jars, he said.
For the time being the good habit of cleaning oneself with a crock is postponed. and that’s why the disaster came. The ambulance siren approached the house and made my heart pound. This time, the ambulance came to pick up Taufik after he was found to be positively infected with corona.
Biah, take care of ourselves and our children. look for a jar so that Biah and our children can clean themselves before entering the house. I’m sorry, brother.” That’s what Bang Taufik said before the ambulance sirens left this rumbling heart.
I feel lonely without Taufik. I looked for jars in the corners of the market. It’s rare to find something like an old jar. Finally I found it at an old pottery maker’s place. I put the jar in its original place.
“Come back, Bang Taufik, Biah miss you.” I softly looked at the photo frame of the three of us.
The ambulance siren sounded again. Has Taufik returned?
“Mother, be patient, we are just informing you that Mr. Taufik has preceded us. Soon we will bury him according to the Covid-19 protocol,” said the medical officer.
My head was dizzy and slowly I heard Zainal’s voice, my son calling.
“Ma’am, wake up!”

Bambang Kariyawan Ys., a teacher. WA: 08117595971