Assalamu'Alaikum Love
Abstinence
Fazas
I just activated my phone after I let it die in the morning, as my eyes narrowed when I found an email. An email made me drop my intention to sip a drink from the bottle in my hand and choose to close the bottle again.
“Ainun?”
For a long time I looked at my phone screen and examined the address that sent me the email. No, not the email address I was looking at, but a name formed from a row of alphabets and numbers on that email address. A name that is no longer foreign to me and a name that I have been thinking about lately.
To: Aulia Faza's
From: Nisa Ainun
Sub: Assalamu’alaikum warahmatulllahi wabarakatuh
How are you, Za? How are you, baby? May Allah ta’ala always protect you.
Sorry for missing so long and not contacting you even though I promised to call you. I just opened an old note when I found your email address. Maybe this is the answer God has given me for the past two weeks. Since we parted three years ago, this is the first time I've been so anxious about you, Za. You're okay ‘kan?
Please reply to my email as soon as you read it.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
Ainuns. A roommate who's like a big sister to me. Ainun Nisa, a roommate who bears witness to the mischief of a Faza during his santri at a boarding house in Blora. The innocent girl I used to pick mangoes next to the babysitter's house. An innocent girl who always understood my feelings even though I didn't say them directly.
“So the bond between us is already this strong?” my murmuring while shrinking tears that suddenly had come down without me noticing. I miss Ainun. I miss the figure of an older sister who can always understand me whenever my ego as a young girl starts to rebel.
*To: Nisa Ainun
From: Aulia Faza's
Sub : (Re) Assalamu’alaikum warahmatulllahi wabarakatuh
Wa’alaikumussalam warahmatulli wabarakatuh
Ainun, I don't know how to tell you. Maybe our inner bond has gotten stronger since we separated three years ago. Good news is that God has always bestowed His goodness on me. The only thing that makes me almost breathless is because I miss you, Nun.
When will you visit Surabaya? I will always wait for you. Maybe there are some things you want to hear from my trip after stopping the cottage. And I'm sure that I really need your advice at times like this.
Greetings from me, sister*
I can only drop my head on the table in front of me. My chest that suddenly became claustrophobic and my longing for Ainun left me at a loss for words and could only endure crying. Hopefully no one will suddenly enter this meeting room because the national seminar discussion meeting will still start in half an hour. Just because my lecture was over an hour ago, that's why I chose to wait for LPM's friends in the meeting room. Just the initial plan, before my feelings actually became unreasonable for opening an email from Ainun. The real email I always wait for, but also the email that makes my chest tight is not bad.
“I need you, Nun.” I murmured once more and touched my chest which was getting claustrophobic. “I need your advice.” is right, in fact I do need the figure of an Ainun Nisa who although sometimes mouthed sharply when commenting on my behavior, but Ainun can always give an answer to my grief.
“Please promise you won't change your email address, Za.” The memory of the time when Ainun wrote her email address in my agenda book and I wrote my email address on the girl's notebook even re-played it in my head.
Three years ago, when the students of my generation and Ainun had just finished memorizing our book. It was two weeks after my graduation from school and the day before my return to Surabaya because my brother asked me to continue my studies in Surabaya. At that time I was even at a loss for the words I wanted to say to Ainun.
“I will contact you once I get permission from abi to use smart phone.” Ainun continued while handing over my agenda book and I returned the girl's notebook.
During my seven-year stay at Blora I had no idea what a cell phone was and how people communicated with it. I also got an email address from a school assignment made by a classmate named Inayah. We, the students are not allowed to use mobile devices or the like to prevent us from things that are not desirable.
“Where will you continue your studies?” my much at that time. Not realizing that my voice was starting to roar because it had been holding back the crying.
“I don't know, Za. Either I will continue college like you, either I will marry a male of choice abi, or I will teach at the mosque near the house in Kendal, I do not know yet.” so Ainun. In fact, the girl was raised in a family environment that so upholds religious teachings. Not once did Ainun oppose his parents' wishes as I often did to my mother and brother.
“How about one day I need your advice, Nun?”
“That's why we exchanged email addresses, Za. In order to later in the day we can exchange news.”
And it took us three years until we finally told each other. Either I was so busy with the world and my lectures that I forgot the agenda book where Ainun wrote his email address, or God did plan our meeting like this.
*To: Aulia Faza
From: Nisa Ainun
Sub : (Re) Assalamu’alaikum warahmatulllahi wabarakatuh
This time I could not help but tear up as soon as I read the reply email from Ainun before writing down the row of numbers that the girl gave me.
“How come God is so generous to us, Nun.” I muttered while shrinking my tears for the umpteenth time. True, how fate is so good because it brought Ainun to Surabaya at a time like this. “Suy? I guess I missed so many things from you since three years ago.”
It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders as my phone clanked and opened a reply from Ainun for the message I sent ten minutes ago. Smiled with relief as the girl agreed to meet me on Thursday afternoon after I finished my studies.
Again I thank God for being so kind to me because it turned out to be the hotel where Ainun and her husband were staying not far from my campus.
Ah, it may be true that the inner bond between me and Ainun is already this strong.
* * * * *
“Oke, then the proposal for prospective sponsors must have been spread no later than Friday and Saturday we have another evaluation.” once again I just nodded to hear the explanation from the Gilang mas, said the president, the chairman of the campus LPM who every time spoke as if he was in front of the government building. Noting what I really need to note on my agenda book while occasionally chatting with Aruna who was sitting right next to me.
Well, actually I'm not a typical badung student who likes to chat when others are expressing their opinions in front of the meeting room. I just did it to distract myself from someone sitting in the front seat that was only two rows away from where I was sitting. Someone who inexplicably has been watching me ever since he stepped into this meeting room and took a seat in front of the meeting room and presided over the meeting today.
“Faza?” again the firm voice of Mas Gilang made me lift my face from my agenda book and look at it. And, again I was distracted by him who was still sitting in his chair while writing something on his notebook before with his left hand he took off the glasses that had been framing his face.
“Ya, mas?”
“Tomorrow at noon you and I go to the Tempo press office to negotiate our proposal. We leave at 1pm. Your lecture finished at 12.20 ‘kan?” I narrowed my eyes for a while hearing the explanation from the Gilang mas. Not because he turned out to have my college schedule, but because the sentence mas Gilang which actually sounded like an absolute order to me. Wait, what did he say? Thursday afternoon?
“Thursday afternoon? Why Thursday afternoon, mas?” I didn't brag when I said that Mr. Gibran, who had been seemingly indifferent, turned to me as soon as I opened my voice.
“Because Tempo press is only open until Friday, Faza.”
“Then Friday we go to Tempo press, mas. Thursday afternoon I can't. There is already an appointment.”
“Dating appointment, Za?” seloroh Tania who sat in front of me and made me glance at her with her tail eyes without intending to return the taunts.
“Cannot, Faza.” Truly a Gilang mas that cannot be denied. The man even sighed in annoyance as if I had laughed at him dozens of times. “Friday I was in full lecture from 9 to five. And the proposal for a Tempo press should have reached the hands of the editor by at least Friday. You know for yourself that they are the hardest to sponsor.”
“Then let me meet Tempo, mas. Let me negotiate with Reynaldi.” Really, I can't just cancel my appointment with Ainun. I am not a typical person who will put my interests first over the interests of the crowd, but there are times when I need space and time for my own.
“Without the accompaniment of the committee chairman? Oh my, Za. I'm not underestimating your negotiation skills, but what does Mr Reynaldi say if the chairman of the committee leaves this important matter to the public relations department?”
“Pak Reynaldi? Meaning Agung Reynaldi chief editor of Tempo?” this time my eyes were fixed on Mr. Gibran who opened his voice. Perhaps the man could not bear to hear the debate between his two students who were arguing with each other. Making a real rebuttal already at the tip of the tongue to give to mas Gilang back the cut and choose to sip a drink from the bottle in front of me.
“Iya, sir. Great Reynaldi. Mr Gibran knows him?”
“We had met several times when Mr. Rey was still an assistant editor at the Tempo office in Jakarta.” Unknowingly raise eyebrows when glancing at the Gilang mas who look so amazed and amazed to hear the explanation of Mr. Gibran. After a while ago the man seemed like he wanted to pounce on me, now he even put on a cute face as if he was a cute and adorable kitten.
“Then let me and Faza meet Mr. Reynaldi at the Tempo office. Tomorrow friday.” Connect Mr. Gibran who seems not to need to ask for approval from anyone. Well, of course the man can decide anything because he's in charge of the seminar next month.
“I can go to Tempo office by myself, sir.”
“It will be easier to get a sponsor from Tempo if you go with Pak Gibran, Za.” Really typical of a annoying Gilang mas half dead. She why the hell? Is that obsessed with the sponsorship funds from Tempo?
“With us going on Friday, you do not have to cancel your appointment tomorrow Thursday, nor do you have to interrupt Gilang's lecture hours, Za. We can go after Friday prayers because my teaching hours are only up to 10.40.”
‘But going to the Tempo office with you is not an option I want to take, sir. Then how will I behave when we are stuck in the same situation after a few days ago I confessed to Hana if I like you, Mr Gibran Wibisana honorable?’
Actually I wanted to shout that line to Mr. Gibran and make him let me see Mr. Reynaldi alone. But really, I haven't been that desperate to yell like a crazy girl at my own lecturer. That's why I just nodded without intending to turn my head towards the man.
“Good, sir.”
Well, let's just say that I am carrying out my noble duties as a member of a civilized committee by following orders from the person in charge as well as the chairman of the event committee.
* * * * *
