Part 2
Lately I was banned from playing in the evening. My village not secure. My mother said. There was no sounds of children who study in meunasah (a prayer place). There are no more peoples who play dominoes and chess until the midnight in a coffee shop. There are no more children who play with the fireflies in the dykes. At afternoon, the village suddenly silent. Sometimes the sounded of gunfire. The eruption of a curse. Perhaps bring death.
"Mom, I want to see the fireflies this evening." I said to Mom one night.
"No, son," the mother of banning. "Out of the many burong (ghosts). Ghost will bring you far away. If you brought a run by ghosts, the mother will miss you forever. "
"But I miss the fireflies. Been a long time I could not enjoy the light of fireflies. "
"Be Patient, Son. If the ghost was gone from us, you can surely see the fireflies back. "
I am very sad. The night seemed to no longer be blissful. In addition, the father had rarely came home. Earlier father always got home at midnight. After a night spent with friends in a coffee shop. But now the father comes home once a week; The father came home with gun.
When the father returned home, mother of many silent. And once in a while crying. I do not understand why mothers cry. I do not understand why father carry weapons. Isn't the weapon it belongs to the army? But I know father instead of soldiers.
Father always go without ever saying anything to me. He just looked at me. And then told his mother, keep our children well. Then the father went with the night.
"Mom, where father go?"
"The father had to go to the forest. There are many pests that has been disturbing our rice fields. The father and his friends must pursue the pest it up to the mountain. "
"Then why the father carrying weapons?"
"The weapon was to shoot pests. Come on, dear, let's go to sleep. The night is already late. "
But I could not sleep that night. I miss firefly. I miss father. Don't you also missed?
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One day, the head of village announced to its citizens to evacuate. "Bring valuables that you have. The village in the verge of war. Soon the war will break out here. Leave your village! We are looking for a safe place. "
"Sir, it is not possible we leave. The rice in the rice fields waiting for us just in a matter of days. " A resident told to the head of the village.
"Sir, for salvation, we must leave the village a while. The Government has sent the army to oust the rebels, "the head of village explain security situation to one of its resident with the patient.
I saw Mom looks busy wrap stuffs. I also helped Mom. But I just brought some story books and fairy tales.
"In new place, are there fireflies, Mom?" asked me.
The mother did not answer. Mother only cried. I feel guilty, I did just what mother said.
Late afternoon trucks escorted the army towards either as to where. In the hugs of mother, I still had a chance to imagine myself is fireflies. O, really beautiful.
Refugees came to a mosque with a large yard. The men set up emergency tents and the women looked busy preparing a communal kitchen.
Night arrived. Night wind brought peace to us. The stars in the sky makes me want to see the fireflies. Then I invited Laila to find fireflies.
"You don't wandering away. Here I did not know where all of you should be looking for. " The mother advised us.
But I'm not ignoring the ban. I would like to meet with fireflies. We are looking for fireflies along the dykes. But none of the fireflies we encountered. Maybe here there are no fireflies, I thought.
"Laila, where we should be looking for fireflies?"
"The stars were like fireflies, isn't it?"
I smiled. Yes, the stars like fireflies. Beautiful all. O, fireflies. O, stars. Thou fell to here! Play with us. Play along with the fireflies.