Al Kahfi Land - Time Travel

Bandung At That Time

    Sincerely

    CoffeeShop, Kebon Sirih, 2014

    Be wise when you know things no one else knows.

    Accessing the world across time will leave you stranded in a dimensionless universe, turning you into an alien, and no longer in line with their assumptions about the color of the universe.

    Again, I hope, be wise when you get back.

    Penuls, Indra Wibawa

*****

　

1. Bandung At That Time

    Bandung, 1999

    Bandung is the most special city according to Uge. The cool city was able to make a cup of hot black coffee react quickly on the body, fusing with blood, flooding the right brain with a myriad of inspirations.

    Uge said, Bandung is not like other cold cities, its coolness even makes people stay away from thick blankets. The atmosphere makes the author's fingers agile stringing letters, pencils dancing on paper, the tone meet the verse, even a trivial object named cardboard can be transformed into furniture that won a design contest, a city that is very indulgent right brain man.

    Uge had heard the grapevine, it is said that God created the city of Bandung when he smiled, so he associated it with the texture of the speech tone of the Bandung people. Uge said, Sundanese dialect seems to follow the curve of the smile curve, so that the threat of even thugs still sounds friendly, but do not then you want to prove it. Better that tone out of the Priangan mojang, because according to Uge, her beauty is also another proof of the smile story earlier.

    That is why the city of Bandung has been named the happiest city on earth, but again, this is only said or said. Uge himself forgot, I don't know who first told the story, which is clear Uge loves the city of Bandung, had 4 years he settled in boarding Bodas to study at ITB majoring in architecture.

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2. Contrasting

    Kosan Bodas, Bandung, 1999

    The night is almost changed in the morning, but God favors the rotation of the earth, which makes this cool area has a third of the night get a dark ration, not an extraordinary natural event. According to Uge, at least try to be grateful with sleep, if we have not been able to visit God through midnight prostration.

    Time seems to turn upside down here. The night, the intensity of the noise of the residents even increased, even the heart to swallow the sound of night insects that should be able to sedate humans towards the deepest sound.

    In the middle room there was a loud voice of people singing, accompanied by the tangled strings of weathered guitars whose chords often missed. Laughter rattled, the clash of beer cans and the sound of a gaple card dings between the jolt of pennies, like additional instruments that must be there to complete the orchestration of the noise.

    Sorry, Uge can't protest! It's his fault that he lives here. O, yes, we met with Uge first. When he first came to Bodas boarding school, he introduced himself with the name Angga and said he was from Jakarta. His introverted attitude makes him look contrast when compared to other cost residents.

    Uge never touched the common sins of this boarding standard, namely drunkenness, gambling to bring a couple into the room without kabul ijab. That is why the nephew of the Bodas boarding owner, Bang Ucok once said, the presence of Uge is the only reason God postpones lowering the punishment at the cost of Bodas, Bodas, though it should be expected that the only record of sin that does not occur here is murder.

    As a general student of the past era, Uge made the lecture period as a golden momentum to have long hair. He also let the sideburns and subtle bauks inhabit his face. This architect student is indeed good at arranging space, but failed to organize themselves.

    Wait up! At that time, the slum men actually have the potential to have many female fans, Uge seems to believe that unclear information, even though according to some friends, Uge seems to believe the information, Uge actually had to renovate his appearance as clean as his boarding room if you want to take off his singles banderol necklace. I don't know which information he should listen to.

    We go back again to hear a piece of history about Uge's name. One night, all the residents of Kosan Bodas managed to force a young young alim named Angga to lead prayers at the graduation ceremony of one of the boarding houses.

    “Eating, Mr. Ustad,” invited Wawan while thrusting the first rice box on Angga.

    “Ngeselin, tomorrow-tomorrow you that I drag me lead prayer,” threatened Angga.

    Bang Ucok, a ignorant figure who was poured in Kosan Bodas interested in commenting, "hehehe, why is it apparently called ‘Ustad’, no matter the time you?”

    “No pantes, Bang, not enggak pede,” sahut Angga while opening rice rations box.

    “Hehe, but it could be prayer. You must have a new call. Here the name Angga there are two. Udah mukak kelen the same, the name of the kelen the same. Pening time I,” said Bang Ucok.

    “Agree, Bang. Ustad Angga, fit,” sahut wawan.

    “Tumben the time you dare to look for because of our friends,” said Bang Ucok to Wawan, then he glanced at Angga, “let not be seen his last time, he said, where would you like us to call Uge? " ask Bang Ucok.

    "Uge's? What the hell?" ask Wawan.

    "Uuu Geee, Ustad Gondrong, patent right? From Ujang, Ustad Jangkung, exchanging money with Kang Ujang. Hahaha, do you feel right?" ask Bang Ucok.

    The residents of the boarding house laughed, a sign of full support for Bang Ucok's decision.

    At first Angga all-out reject his new name, but the name Uge continues to be attached to him, finally the consistency of the public managed to defeat him, even later secretly he helped justify the words of Bang Ucok, who knows the nickname of the hidden ustad is indeed a prayer.

    Except in the case of the name, usually Uge never submit to the will and public taste. His favorite jazz music, his hobby of reading serious books, his own room hangout, even he did not participate in demonstration activities, even though it was an activity of student pride in a euphoric year of political freedom.

    Uge agreed that any regime that proved to be muscular and corrupt should be replaced. The problem is, friends who often invite him to protest, it is also necessary to swallow their own oration material. They themselves are hooked on truancy, disputing organizational money and have a moral disease as well.

    Uge is skeptical of politics. He once said, politicians are a group of people who are willing to beg to have the authority to rob.

    Uge does have a myriad of magical opinions about things. Serious sentences or jokes are often surprising, it makes it seem as if it has a magnet that can attract the occupants of the boarding house when they are horrified, even though he does not seem to be in the middle of the right audience.

    The right audience? This is one example, there is a tradition that applies in any tongkrongan, that guitar stakeholders must play a song that can be sung together. But that tradition must have been lost when Uge picked up the guitar. He must have chanted his own jazz instrumental piece. Instantly, the warm atmosphere of family karaoke turned into a cool atmosphere ala restaurant five-star hotel. The musician is immersed in his own sounds, the visitors are immersed in their respective chatter.

    Uge is like a creature from another dimension, no matter what makes the loner feel at home for years settled in a place that is not compatible with his character.

*****

Seriate

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Author, Indra W