ECLIPSE LUNAR
Episode 6
Two weeks of semester breaks are passing.
I dragged my way to the notice board. Today is class division! I reminded myself of that for the sake of comforting myself and for a moment forgot Kinan's quest that had not yet come to fruition. Seeing my name on the class list might be able to improve my mood this morning. Ah, but, if I were in the superior class, it would definitely not be in Karen's class. My best friend probably won't be in today. A few days ago, he went to Yogyakarta to track Kinan's whereabouts by looking at the items in his room. After that I have not heard from you again. I hope there's a bright spot this time.
It seems that everyone is very enthusiastic. The notice board that lists class divisions is crowded with my class students. I was still standing behind the crowd when a girl in a ponytail nudged my arm. I looked up, and he smiled broadly. He was my second-ranked holder last semester. “I'm in IPS
1. Featured class,” muttered semringah.
Of course I'm happy for him. “Congratulations yes, Ka.”
“How are you, Ser? We must be the class dong!”
I'm curious too. Very curious! I left Eka, then went into the crowd until I finally arrived at the front row. I traced the first sheet of IPS— majorsIPS sheet 1—seeded class. My heart rippled because I could not find my name there. The second sheet is the same. On the third sheet, then plastered my name in the row of letters S. I knit my eyebrows, astonished at the annoyance.
Serena Aldyathena's. IPS 3'S.
For God's sake! Why am I at IPS 3?!
I'm not amnesiac! Obviously at the end of last semester I was ranked first in the IPS department. According to the rules in this school, the students with the highest achievements are definitely placed in the number 1 class. I should be at IPS 1 now!
With emotions heating up, I traced the row of names on the IPS 1 class sheet. Aldebaran Karendra's name is on that list. Though Karen's rank is far below mine. In the same sheet, there is also the name Wahyuni Ekasari—the girl who greeted me and Bagaskara Dewa Aji—the third rank holder.
If those below me are placed in the superior class, then why am I not? This is clearly a baseless partisanship! I don't accept being treated like this!
“They thought, I'll be put on?” grumbling. “This is definitely due to scholarship!”
I pulled the paper bearing my name from the notice board violently. Regardless of the protests and the astonished gazes of the people around, I immediately stepped towards the teacher room. I need to get a reasonable explanation for this!
For the past two years, I have somehow been in and out of the teacher's room for protests. My move knew the purpose clearly. In just a few seconds, I had arrived before the table in the right corner of the adjoining room. The table was larger than the other tables in the room, blocked by a high bookcase so it looked like a private room.
A middle-aged man sat behind the table. He confirmed the location of his glasses as soon as he saw my presence. Mr. Burhan, famous for his sociopathic nickname because of his cold expression and his carelessness towards others. Herannya, a person like him actually served as a student vice— position that should require its holder to pay more attention to the needs of students.
Mr. Burhan was waiting for me to react, his expression flat. She must be fed up. She must have wanted to laugh at me because again I came to her. Surely he knows what I want to talk about because this class division I'm sure has something to do with him.
While trying to be as calm as possible, I slightly bent my body as polite.
“Sit, Serena!” muttered Mr. Burhan while pointing at the empty seat across from his desk. “I want to hear what your protest is this time.”
I held back my emotions by breathing deeply. “Still, Sir. But sorry, my goal came not to sit-down.”
I put the IPS 3 roster sheet on Mr. Burhan's desk with a firm gesture. “Dear Mr. Burhan, I came here to hear your explanation of this.”
Mr. Burhan glanced at the paper, then leaned back in his chair with a short laugh. The thick mustache is moving sucks.
“My time is class X. The school said I couldn't get to the top class because I was third best. I understood and accepted the time to be placed in a regular class. Time class XI, I'm second best.” I snorted for a moment, looking at my opponent. “And again for the same reason, I can not enter the class of excellence. Okay, I can still take it. Although I feel unfairly treated because it was included in IPS 3—class with the lowest achievement—padah I included outstanding students. But now, sir. I am top rank. There is no reason to put me in the lowest class! I should be in the class. Why again as before? I can't accept this. Explain to me, what is the reason I was placed in the lowest class?!”
Mr. Burhan's expression did not change at all. He straightened his body, opened some files on his desk, then took out a stack of envelopes, separating them into the empty space on his desk.
I clenched my jaws in anger. Those are letters from the school's suggestion box. I know because I wrote it. I'm not surprised to see all those letters in Mr. Burhan's hands. Wasn't my purpose in writing all those letters to get him to read them? Writing a letter and putting it in the school suggestion box has been my habit ever since so many things appeared in this school that I felt dissatisfied. When exactly did I forget. But obviously I won't admit that I wrote it. All this time, I've never had a name in my letters.
“You wrote all these letters, right?”
I'm not daunted. “What is the proof that I wrote all those letters?”
“Don't think I'm stupid, Serena.” Mr. Burhan returned laughing short. “I am your teacher. I know the behavior of all my students.”
“While it is true that I wrote those letters, what is the harm, sir?” I harden my jaw. “All the letters are from the suggestion box, right? Isn't the suggestion box really the purpose of accommodating the suggestions of the students? You have no right to accuse, let alone judge anyone who intends to give good input to the school.”
“You should know, Serena. Everything written in these letters is not advice. All charges without basis!” Mr. Burhan raised his voice an octave, but his tone remained in control. He opened one of the letters, then read it, “Three April 2016, during sports lessons, I saw Mr. Deni hugging Tiara—one of the tenth graders who was playing basketball on the indoor court.”
Quickly, Mr. Burhan opened another envelope. “18 April. Bu Eni, an Indonesian teacher, has not been in class for the past six months. He always reasoned to be absent. Instead, he always put a lot of tasks on us. But, a few days ago, me and some friends actually saw him eating with a teacher in front of the school, when at that time he should have taught in our class.”
Mr. Burhan threw the finished letter to the table. He looked at me flat. “What the fuck is all this! What nonsense are you writing, Serena? You know, how dangerous it would be if the education service were to read all this! Fortunately I saw it before the audit was carried out.”
I clenched my hands to ease the irritation, but still tried to be reasonable. “I don't know it turned out like it was the behavior of my teachers.”
Mr. Burhan snorted heavily. Seems increasingly upset. “Do not talk carelessly about your teachers.”
“It wasn't me who wrote that, Sir.” I stick to my answer. “Again, whoever wrote the letters, I'm sure he has a reason why to do it.”
“I know you wrote it. Don't dodge. I've matched your writing.”
I exhaled a long breath. “So, the reason you put me in the lowest class is because of these letters?” many sarcastic.
“If your scholarship is not kind, you may not have been in this school for a long time, Serena.” Mr. Burhan knitted his fingers while resting his elbows on the table. “Study well. You should be lucky to be accepted to this school. Don't interfere in what's none of your business!”
“What because I'm not like other kids?” ketus. “Because I'm here relying on scholarships. Is that right, sir? That's why I was treated differently.”
Right at that moment, the entrance sign bell rang. Mr. Burhan got up from his chair. A smile of victory was on his lips. “Are you not smart? You should have realized, Serena. Money distinguishes position. Those who have money are always in a higher position. You didn't spend a penny at all during school here. It's natural that you're treated differently. Now, you better get to class. Just study diligently and don't trouble me with things like this anymore. Troublesome scholarship holders are just you!”
Both of my hands were perfectly clenched on the sides of my body. I'd love to throw my fist in Mr. Burhan's face. A person like himself only tarnished the predicate of teachers. In exchange for wanting me to punch him in the face, I extended my hand. “Then thank you, Sir.”
Mr. Burhan looked at my outstretched hand with raised eyebrows. He couldn't return my hand, so without waiting for his reaction, I put my hand back down. “Thank you for letting me go to school here. I'm lucky to still be able to go to school, especially at a school as good as this. Then I'm sorry. Sorry to interrupt Mr.”
Mr. Burhan followed my departure with a look of caution. When I reached the door, I turned around. “One last thing, which you should probably know. Although we are only children, we never do anything for no reason. If you blame the author of the letter, you should find out why you wrote the letter. There's no smoke if there's no fire, right?”
I lowered my head for a moment before I finally walked away. A fresh breeze instantly welcomed her so out of the teacher room. Inside there was only a thick heat. I was never comfortable in the teacher's room for long. After this, Mr. Burhan will definitely watch over me more closely. But I'm not scared at all. I'll watch him too. He should be afraid because my eyes and ears are everywhere.
A gray shadow flashed before me.
I smiled as the shadow stood beside me. The shadow was intangible, just like a semi-thick fog.
“Awage him. If anything suspicious, immediately report me,” my orders to the shadow which then darted away through the wall, into the teacher's room. []
