Papi had passed away to Rahmatullah nine days ago. His age is exactly 84 years 2 months 13 days. He was born in this village in 1982. Meanwhile, starting from today, Muslims will be fasting in four days. "We celebrate mameugang day, yes, son. Mami wants to cook beef bone soup for Ingrid, Robert, and little Meli," Mami said as she took my hand and went inside.
Papi telah berpulang ke Rahmatullah sembilan hari yang lalu. Umur beliau tepat 84 tahun 2 bulan 13 hari. Beliau dilahirkan di kampung ini pada tahun 1982. Sementara itu, terhitung sejak hari ini, empat hari lagi umat Islam akan melaksanakan ibadah puasa. ”Kita rayakan hari mameugang, ya, Nak. Mami ingin masak sop tulang lembu buat Inggrid, Robert, dan si kecil Meli,” ujar Mami sambil menggandeng tanganku menuju ke dalam.
“Mommy, I have to go back to America as soon as possible. I have some work to do on campus. After that, Ingrid, I and the kids planned to celebrate the new year 2066 in Honolulu. We have been booking plane tickets there for a long time. We even booked a hotel in Waikiki Beach for a week,” I said. What I said to Mami was all true. Besides, regarding Mami's offer to cook beef bone soup, I'm not sure if my wife and children will like tasting it. Maybe hearing the name of the menu will make their eyes widen.
”Mami, aku harus pulang ke Amrik secepatnya. Ada beberapa pekerjaan yang mesti kukerjakan di kampus. Setelah itu, aku, Inggrid, dan anak-anak rencananya akan merayakan tahun baru 2066 di Honolulu. Kami telah lama memesan tiket pesawat ke sana. Bahkan kami telah booking hotel di Waikiki Beach selama seminggu,” ujarku. Apa yang kukatakan kepada Mami itu semua benar. Lagi pula, mengenai tawaran Mami hendak memasak sop tulang lembu, aku tak yakin apakah istri dan anak-anakku akan suka mencicipi masakan itu. Barangkali mendengar nama menu itu pun akan membuat bola mata mereka membulat.
Benedict, from California, has called many times. My job as a lecturer at UCLA, has piled up.
From the balcony of this house, the street lamp of an Air Asia plane taking off from Malem Dagang Airport, Pidie Jaya, looks more charming than usual. Somehow. I think I saw papa's spirit fly with the plane. Papi's spirit that left his body in the arms of the earth.
Benedict, dari California, memang berkali-kali telah menelpon. Pekerjaanku sebagai dosen di UCLA, sudah bertumpuk-tumpuk.
Dari balkon rumah ini lampu jalan pesawat Air Asia yang sedang tinggal landas dari Bandara Malem Dagang, Pidie Jaya, terlihat lebih menawan dari biasanya. Entah kenapa. Rasa-rasanya aku melihat ruh papi terbang bersama pesawat itu. Ruh papi yang meninggalkan jasadnya nun di pelukan bumi.
When Mami took me into the house, I asked her some questions that had been bugging me about Papi. Papi is a controversial figure, said Mami. Even from a young age, Papa was the one who was ostracized in this village. Papi's controversial attitude was even more so when he was determined to abolish walimah 'khanduri seven' during his lifetime. Papi did not want to pray for other people who had just died or be prayed for by other people by inviting the people of this village and neighboring villages for samadiah, after he died. Papi wants you, as his children, to pray for him. Papi's reason for the 'seven khanduri' is because the Prophet himself never performed the ritual nor recommended it. Papi's will is based on the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad. that if a servant dies, then that person is separated from all things related to the natural world, except for three things, namely the prayer of a pious child, alms jariah, and useful knowledge.
Saat Mami menggandengku ke dalam rumah, kutanyakan kembali beberapa pertanyaan yang mengganjal di hati mengenai papi. Papi sosok yang kontroversial, kata Mami. Bahkan sejak dari mudanya papi orang yang dikucilkan di kampung ini. Sikap kontroversial papi lebih-lebih saat papi bertekad meniadakan walimah ’khanduri tujuh’ semasa hidupnya. Papi tidak mau mendoakan orang lain yang baru meninggal atau didoakan orang lain dengan mengundang orang-orang kampung ini serta kampung-kampung tetangga untuk samadiah, setelah beliau meninggal. Papi mau kalian sendiri, sebagai anak-anaknya, mendoakan beliau. Alasan papi mengenai ’khanduri tujuh’ karena Rasulullah sendiri tidak pernah melakukan ritual itu ataupun menganjurkannya. Wasiat papi bersandarkan pada hadist Nabi Muhammad Saw. bahwa jika seorang hamba meninggal dunia maka seseorang itu lepas dari segala hal yang berhubungan dengan alam dunia, kecuali tiga hal, yaitu doa anak yang saleh, sedekah jariah, dan ilmu yang berguna.
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