FOREIGN DESIRANT

Episode 2 Interesting Youth

Alif is checking for absentee students. As the class leader, he must know who is not present every day. Alif found only one sign of pain in the absent table. His index finger went down the line and found the name of a student there, Dita Kirana Rahmansyah.

Tumben Kirana didn't come in, Alif thought. It's day three. Alif decided to take class friends to visit Kirana, that afternoon, after school. Alif is full of responsibilities, classmates who are not present for days will visit with other friends. Alif believes the presence of friends when sick

will make them more eager to recover and return to school. However, Alif did not know his visit that afternoon would change one thing. One thing Alif had never thought of before.

***

Kirana woke up when she heard someone say hello from the porch. Kiara returned the greeting and opened the front door. Mom and Dad are not home. Kiara is assigned to accompany Kirana who is still sick. Kiara walked into the room with a pleased expression, she hurriedly grabbed the hijab near Kirana and put it on forcibly.

“Anaan anyway, de?” kirana asked while trying to get out of bed. But Kiara was still busy tidying up Kirana's tangled appearance.

“There are special guests for sister outside.” Kiara grinned wide.

“Who,de'?”

“Udah out!”

Kiara knew her brother was still limp so she swept out into the living room. In my heart, he planned something. Kiara is very nosy.

***

Kirana is happy to turn out to be a guest who came her classmates. However, his body immediately bumbling to realize there was Alif among them. This is what Kiara meant. Kirana's misbehaving, she's always not ready to meet Alif. His palms began to sweat, his eyes did not stop glancing indeterminate directions. Stammering he greeted his friends with a stiff smile.

“Sorry brothers, this is the bride-to-be just woke up. He is indeed a slacker, please understand.”

Kirana immediately pinched Kiara's arm. Kiara is familiar with Kirana's friends, it's easy for her to joke. One of Kirana's friends nyeletuk, “Who's groom De' Kiara?”

“Not Kak Alif ya?” Kiara grinned again, Kirana's friends excited themselves.

Kirana was surprised. His eyes were afraid to look towards Alif who was just smiling. Alif thinks it's just a joke. He looked at Kirana who looked even thinner and paler. For some reason, Alif just realized, Kirana looks sweeter in a dress and pink hijab that afternoon.

***

The twilight began to fade when Alif arrived home. He rushed to clean up and prepared for the mosque. He would return home after Maghrib accompanied his grandfather to prepare dinner even though it was a flat-rate menu. Alif never demanded more. He understands the condition of his grandfather even though it is not too old and is still strong to cultivate

his own rice field, but Alif did not want to bother. Since childhood Alif has lived with Hasan's grandfather, his grandmother has been gone for a long time. Alif's parents live far away from Alif. Maybe such conditions that form the person of Alif who is unpretentious and independent.

Alif put a glass of hot coffee next to his grandfather who had just tidied up sacks of rice that he would sell tomorrow. Hasan's grandfather invited Alif to sit on the porch of their stilt house. Looks like Grandpa wants to have a serious talk with Alif.

Every now and then Grandpa Hasan sipped coffee and looked at the front street of the house. Alif did not immediately answer he noticed the figure of his grandfather, Alif saw the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes deepened. Grandpa is getting older, Alif thought.

"Thank God, fine, Ato"

"Alif, Ato doesn't matter if Alif wants to continue to the city, there maybe Alif can learn better."

Alif breathed a heavy sigh. Actually, he also wanted to go to the city and continue his education there after graduating from school. However, Alif has decided for a long time, he will study here only. He also tried to get a scholarship so that later not too burdening his grandfather and parents.

"Alif is sure to go to college here, Ato. There's also a lot of good college." Alif convinced his grandfather. Grandpa Hasan smiled, but his eyes looked up as if remembering something. Grandpa Hasan looked at Alif, he noticed his granddaughter had already grown into an attractive young man. Isn't he someone special? Maybe at school?

"What about your friends?"

"Some of them will also go to college, Ato but many also want to go straight to work."

"I mean Ato, isn't there someone Alif will introduce to Ato any time soon?" Grandfather asked meaningfully. Alif wondered why his grandfather asked him that. But unabashedly, Alif blushed to hear the question as well.

"Nobody likes a young man who smells of mud like Alif, Ato" Alif joked.

Grandpa laughed, "It seems like there's no way Alif doesn't like it, a classmate maybe?"

 "Nothing, Ato."

But the shadow of the look on someone's face in a pink veil just flashed in Alif's mind. He still remembers the jokes of his friends when visiting Kirana.

"Ato think soon there will be a granddaughter in this house." Grandpa didn't stop teasing Alif.

"Ato could have. Alif's too young for that, not ready."

"Ato was the same age as Alif when he married his grandmother."

Alif did not know to answer especially, fortunately Adzan isya immediately reverberated. This time Alif survived the temptation of his beloved grandfather.

***

Ato: the name of the grandfather in Mandar language, West Sulawesi.