100 Days of Being a Widow

Agreement before Marriage Part 1

Jasmine washed her body with water jug. The water has been mixed with seven flowers. Nyai said, to eliminate body odor, turmeric and herding mixed in scrubs. What Nyai said is already believed to be true.

Scarf jarit bandaging body tiny jasmine. The road leads to a room where the pingitan.

"Seven more days before your wedding. Don't go out of the room much. Pamali, it's Nyai's pesen".

A courtier warned Melati. It was already the thirty-third day Melati was pinched. Something he really doesn't like. Usually if the atmosphere is quiet or Friday night when all the courtiers and santri solemn read the chanting of the holy verse of the Qur'an in the mosque pendopo. That opportunity Melati used to get out of the room. He will go to the park behind the cottage and enjoy the atmosphere of the night sky. Maybe, seven days after tonight, he won't be able to feel the same way. An unwanted marriage, he must live.

Under the sky, he tried to harbor his big dream while in a modern boarding school in the city of Malang. Of Nyai's four daughters, only Melati chose to attend school in a modern boarding school. While his three brothers only attended school at the boarding school salaf. No formal educational touch in Madura. Melati becomes the only child Nyai Winah who has different thoughts. Sometimes, he had to contradict the pesantren family because his thought was considered radical, too free and eroded Islamic values and culture.

Since the beginning, Melati has been against underage marriage. For him, marriage is not just a question of puberty. It is not a matter of having met his soul mate. Marriage for Melati is a long worship, therefore it must be based on the heart. The meaning of sakinah, mawadah, warahmah must be truly upheld. Therefore, the feeling of love or at least liking a partner is the foundation of marriage. He who comes first is not necessarily love.

The marriage that Melati and Ustad Malik will have is not based on love. Matchmaking due to kinship between boarding schools became the main reason for this matchmaking took place. Melati only knows the figure of Ustad Malik son of Kyai Mansur, his father's best friend when together mondok in Madura first.

Melati's father, Kyai Basuki and Kyai Mansur, both studied and pioneered a boarding school in their respective cities.kyai Basuki in Lumajang Region, East Java, while Kyai Mansur in Bangkalan, Madura. Their flow is the same, their thinking is the same. Their relationship is always intertwined.

Every year, or if one of them makes a big event in his pesantren. They will invite each other. Unlike Kyai Basuki who has four daughters, Kyai Mansur has just one son who is one year older than Melati. That is why, to strengthen the friendship, Kyai Basuki and Kyai Mansur agreed to match Melati and Malik.

Malik and Melati are very different. Malik who only took formal education until the School of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah, the next education he spent in the boarding school salaf in Madura. Malik is very unkind with his father. Whatever his father says is always a guideline for his decision making. While Melati, from childhood was notoriously stubborn, had her own thoughts. If he is given a rule, then Melati will try to negotiate so that the rule does not make him constrained.

Kyai Basuki pampered Melati, more than any other brother. That was because Kyai Basuki understood that Melati had different thoughts, was very intelligent and independent. Melati has been a Hafizah since she was eight years old. I have been able to read yellow books since I was nine years old. Of the four brothers, only Melati has the ambition to become a teacher. He wants his father's pesantren also has provisions for the world's life. Not just for the hereafter.

In fact, Kyai Basuki was very supportive of Melati. As a form of support, Kyai Basuki is willing to obey Melati's desire to continue her Tsanawiyah Madrasah education in Malang.

Three years Melati studied at Ar Rasyi Modern Boarding School, jasmine always get a satisfactory achievement. In addition to the class champion, Melati also managed to win various writing championships, ranging from District, Provincial and even National levels. Unfortunately, when Melati sits in the tenth grade of the Aliyah Madrasah, she has to stop her educational dreams.

That morning, after the congregational Dhuha prayer, Melati who was ready to leave for formal education with a uniform and a bag, was called by the pesantren management. Ustadzah Sofi, Melati's brother came to pick her up. Early happy because Melati thought he was picked up because umi misses him. It turned into a hysterical cry, because the child asked Melati to pack all her belongings because she would not return to the pesantren.

"Daddy, come on, according to go home. Let Umi give you an explanation".

Ustadzah Sofi tried to persuade her youngest sister.

"Sir!. I don't want to!. Tell Abi why Abi broke his promise?!" .

Melati replied while shedding tears. It was like understanding why he came home and did not come back. Because her three brothers experienced something similar. When he came home from the pesantren, then a Ustad was ready to propose.

"Darken. Brother understands your feelings deck. Try to understand Abi and Umi, they are not happy because of the proposal from Kyai Mansur".

The roar of tears became the only impingement of jasmine. Even he did not want to leave the soles of his feet from the boarding school that had changed his thinking.

He has a moderate mind. He is very tolerant of people who are different from him. Although from childhood he lived in pesantren, but through the internet that he could access in the school computer laboratory, Melati was able to interact with the world.

Time seems to stop for a moment, when the time of departure from the pesantren has been determined. Melati must learn to accept her destiny. Lost his dreams and dreams?!

***

As a child who ta'dzim to his parents, he tried to obey this match. Before the wedding, Melati and Ustad Malik were given the opportunity to perform ta'aruf for one month. Ta'aruf period is intended so that the two do not feel awkward when they become husband and wife later.

Ta'aruf that was carried out did not and Merta made Ustadz Malik and Melati free to talk alone. Just looking closely at each other.

Ta'arufan event as well as engagement was held very luxurious. All santri and abdi dalem participate

the ta'aruf event.

Melati sees an opportunity to communicate with Ustad Malik. Through the letter, yes the only one like that. Because no one can operate a cell phone in his boarding house.

Melati goes to a room where she writes a letter to Ustad Malik. After seeing the conducive circumstances, Melati left a letter to Ustadz Malik, which he entrusted to the court.

***

Assalamualaikum Ustad Malik's

May the grace of God be the owner of body and life…

This letter as an introduction to my future husband. Ustadz, I want ustadz to know me first. I know specifically my characteristics that cannot be equated with my three brothers.

I am Melati Aisyahrani, a worldly devotee. An art lover, and a true science seeker. I don't speak ana or antum. Because I am used to speaking true Indonesian. Would you understand…?

I was destined to be different from Abi and Umi races. Not like my other brothers. Maybe I won't be Ustadz Malik's dream wife. My dream as a science seeker is so high that I do not know how to lower it. Will you understand?

According to you,

Is our marriage based on love?, and how do you cultivate love, while that feeling does not exist from the very first moment?

Thus is the letter from me, call it Melati, for it is not worthy of heart to be called ustadzah. I hope Ustadz understands.

Aisyahrani

After writing the letter, Melati was excited. I want him to take the education bench back, and he always fights for it!!!

***

Reply letter by Ustad Malik. An agreement that Ustad Malik approves if after marriage, Melati will continue her education, through non-formal education. They also agreed that Melati was allowed to pursue her ideals to continue higher education to pursue her ideals.

This agreement is not known by parents or parents. Just ustad Malik and Melati only.

Pre-wedding agreement?

Maybe, it could be!!!!