Behind the Veil (Aisha)
Towels
Very early in the morning.
Ummi, who had just finished his morning prayers and was shocked to hear the commotion outside his house, with his way limped, he immediately went out to find out what happened.
He was shocked to see so many people. The parking lot that is usually only filled with a few vehicles now looks full and dense, stretching out to the outside of the Pondok Pesantren gate and to the public roads and residential areas. Not to mention the people who thronged the secretariat office of Pondok Pesantren.
But it is not just Ummi. Ahmad was also his two younger brothers who had just come out of the mosque and the santri were no less shocked also in his making, they were dumbstruck to see so many people.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Ridwan immediately approached the secretariat office, where several Ponpes administrators were overwhelmed to dispel people who were scrambling to enter.
"What's this?" tanya Ridwan tried to ask one of them.
"Those parents who want to enroll their children into our Ponpes ustadz."
"What?" Ridwan.
He went back to his older brother, and told Ahmad Ali about what had really happened.
Of course the three were confused, why suddenly people who signed up became so many like this, especially after they knew that most of the registrants were people from outside the city even outside the province.
A few moments later.
Ahmad who was in his office and his two younger siblings as well as the Ponpes supervisors and managers seemed silent confusion, the registrants who continued to arrive and more and more overwhelmed them. It is impossible for them to accept all applicants to be accepted in this boarding school, due to insufficient capacity such as dormitories and study rooms.
"Why did it suddenly become so much like this?" ask Ali wonder.
Everyone was silent confusion.
Suddenly one of the managers came in a hurry.
He then showed me the laptop he was carrying, asking everyone to see what he wanted to show.
"They signed up because they saw this." The manager showed several social media accounts on behalf of their Pondok Pesantren.
Everyone was dumbfounded, looking at each other.
"They were interested in lodging their child here after seeing this."
Everyone looked back at the laptop screen. Looking at the boarding school that is promoted very professionally, divulging about the vision of the mission, learning facilities, educators who are each equipped with interesting photos, and, as well as other advantages that make people definitely interested.
"Who made this?" ahmad asked, looking at them all with curiosity.
No one answered, everyone shook their heads.
"I made it," said Andre suddenly who was out of nowhere in front of the open door, he bowed down with his wife beside him.
Everybody saw it.
---
"I don't know your intentions are good." Ahmad saw Andre and Siti alternating.
Andre and Siti further lowered their heads, as they both sat in front of Ummi as well as his other brothers.
"But if it's like this, what are we gonna do?" Ahmad pointed towards the window, where people were still huddled waiting for certainty.
Andre couldn't answer, because he didn't think it would be like this.
Siti looked at her three sisters.
"I'm sorry, brother, we didn't expect people's enthusiasm to be like this either. But if I may give you advice. Maybe half of them we can take it, the new dormitory seems ready to go."
"We can do the selection," said Siti again provide a way out.
A few moments later.
The crowd of people became a little reduced, after the Ponpes board announced if there would be a selection in advance for the students who had just registered. Selected students will be contacted back by phone.
While Andre looked dumbstruck alone while looking at the people who little by little left the Ponpes.
"What do you think, son?" tanya Ummi approached her daughter-in-law.
"Ummy. After the hijrah, my mouth became lucky."
Ummi scrunched his forehead.
Andre then told about himself and his prayers when he first set foot in the Ponpes.
"God granted all my wishes. Then this time too, I hope this ponpes is famous to all corners of the world, and it is also granted by Allah SWT."
Ummi tried to hold back his laughter.
"Then keep praying good, son."
Andre immediately saw his mother-in-law.
"I want Ummi to live a long life and my wife to get pregnant quickly. That's all Ummi wants now."
"Aamiin's." Ummi smiled as he rubbed his daughter-in-law's back.
***
After her husband went to work, Lela immediately cleaned their house and their room, after which, she who began to overheat intended to take a bath.
Moments later finished the bath, still wearing a small towel he came out to take his clothes in the closet.
Lela was standing in front of the closet picking clothes for her, suddenly the door opened and Zayn entered hurriedly with her eyes looking for something.
"Do you see a map here?" tanyanya saw Lela covered by the closet door leaf, so Zayn could only see her legs.
"Red map? It's on your desk." The shocked Lela replied quietly.
Zayn immediately approached his desk. "Where?"
"So I saw him there," he answered, holding the door of the closet, trying to cover himself.
"Nothing." Zayn ruffled everything on the table.
Lela's stunned. While continuing to hold the towel that wrapped his body.
"Can you please get it?" Zayn saw Lela at a glance.
"I'm in a hurry, today there's an important meeting."
Hearing that Lela immediately walked over to her husband who was still busy looking.
After arriving at her desk, standing next to her husband, Lela picked up a map that she had sorted out among the many books her husband had ruffled.
Zayn was shocked to see his wife's white arm sticking out in front of him.
He looked at the wife who was standing next to him.
Zayn retreated instantly seeing Lela and her appearance. His breathing seemed to stop with his heart beating uncharacteristically.
"It." Lela gave the map in question while turning her face away in embarrassment.
Zayn immediately accepted it. With his slightly trembling hands.
She walked to the closet again.
"Sorry."
"I didn't know you weren't wearing clothes." Zayn stutters.
"It's okay." Lela who had taken the clothes walked towards the bathroom and entered it.
Zayn was still there stunned. Look at the closed bathroom door.
He then walked out of the room holding his chest, making sure he was okay. His heart returned to beating normally even though cold sweat continued to pour on his forehead.
Zayn hopes he can stay concentrated today, even though he knows it will be difficult to do so.
