Halal Lover

Part 3

"The best friend is when you see his face you remember God, hear his words add religious knowledge, see his movements remember death."

***

"GODDESS!"

Spontaneous Nazwa covered his ears when he heard the screech of a girl he knew very well.

FY. Wawa is the beloved calling Acha gave Nazwa.

And sure enough, a moment later Acha entered with a worried face mixed with worry. The girl slammed into Nazwa's arms sitting on his bed.

Good thing it didn't fall, yeah.

"Astaghfirullah ... Acha! You're not in greeting, are you? Even screaming again! You think in the woods!" Nazwa nagged while forcibly taking off his best friend's embrace.

Acha. "I said hello at the main door earlier, have met ummi too."

Nazwa. "Who are you here with?"

"At the middle of Edi. Uh, you're sick, huh?" Acha then placed her right palm on Nazwa's forehead.

"What pain? The body was hot, not school. I mean, don't know me, anyway? Or maybe you don't think I'm your best friend anymore, huh?" Acha just keep on attacking.

Nazwa rolled his eyeballs as Acha began his action. But, he was also grateful, because his best friend always cared for him, not only when happy, but when Nazwa was down, Acha was always there. Like today, when Nazwa's life was dark because of Raka's actions now appears Acha as a rainbow that gives color in his days after his family.

"One-one dong asked." Nazwa.

"Yes, yes, sorry. Are you sick, Nazwakuuu? You didn't go to school and there's no news, so I'm here."

Nazwa then laid down his body which still felt weak. "Yes sorry. My phone is low like it."

Acha clucked bitterly, his best friend always underestimated the little things. "Jude, what's the pain?"

"It's just a fever."

"Just?!"

Nazwa nodded casually, making the girl before him dumbfounded.

"Oh God, Nazwa. How come you didn't know me, anyway?" Acha says with eyes that begin to glaze over.

"Don't be lebay! This part is a bit quiet. God willing, tomorrow we can go to school."

"Alhamdulillah. But if you have not been strong mending you rest first at home. Later let me permit it," said Acha.

Nazwa lowered his semi-thick eyebrows then smiled obliquely. "Nazwa Acha's best friend is not strong just to fight fever alone."

Although hesitant, but finally Acha also chuckles even with eyes that are still glazed. Then the girl hugged her best friend again.

"I'm sorry, yeah, Wa. I can't be a good friend to you."

"Ssttt! You're my best friend, Cha. Don't say that again, yeah. You are no longer a friend, but also like family to me. Don't talk about it anymore! Just watch out."

"But I'm not a good friend yet. The proof is that you're sick, I don't know. What kind of friend am I, Wa?" Acha started sobbing.

Nazwa stroked Acha's back. "Don't cry. I have good news that God willing will make you grin and stop crying."

"W-what?" ask Acha who is still as excited.

"I broke up with Raka."

"Huh? Seriously??!!" acha squeak directly. His eyes that had been cloudy were now shining as bright as the morning sun.

Nazwa nodded. "Yes. I actually have this fever because of the rain. That afternoon.."

Nazwa recounted all the events of the afternoon, Acha listening intently.

"Alhamdulillah O Allah! Finally You hear the prayers of the servant." What an amazing response, this time Acha immediately bowed in gratitude.

Nazwa smiled, though his heart could not yet be aligned with the straight line on his lips.

"Thank you, Cha. You are never tired of advising me on good things" Nazwa said sincerely.

"Together, Wa. I should always tell you when you are wrong. And don't forget, we should reprimand each other if anything goes wrong." Acha replied no less sincerely.

Nazwa nodded and immediately swept his best friend's embrace. He hopes that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala will always perpetuate their friendship until they come to heaven.

***

ALIF steps towards the entrance of the city library. There were several books he had to add as a list of material choices for his script.

He then looked for the location of the ranks of thick books that make anyone would feel embarrassed just by looking at it.

After retrieving some of the necessary books, Alif went back for a walk towards the other bookshelves.

Now Alif arrived in front of the shelves of the latest novels. While looking at all kinds of novels with different genres in front of him, but Alif is more likely to like novels with the Spiritual genre or some comics.

Sounds sweet indeed. Men who like novels that are too sedentary.  But that's not Alif's reason. He liked Spiritual novels that contained many religious lessons, some fragments of hadith and holy verses of the Qur'an for example.

His eyes focused on one book titled Kebasih Halal, of course with a mixture of romance and spiritual genres.

His hand was about to reach out, as the novel was at the very top of the line.

When it will pull, suddenly there is another hand that pulls it first.

Alif looked up, in order to see more clearly who the owner of the hand was. But still his view is closed to the ranks of other books.

"Take it. You take it first" said the man who picked up the book.

"Ah, no need. Just take you," Alif replied through the book gap.

The man approached Alif, patting Alif on the shoulder.

Alif turned his head, looking at the owner of the hand. Then go upstairs, looking carefully at the face of the man who patted his shoulder earlier.

"Aliff!"

"Nowfal!" Call them together.

"God Maasya. We meet again, Fal!" Alif then hugged the man in a male style.

"Yes, Lif. I didn't think it was, you're really Alif, right?" The man looked at Alif from top to bottom.

"Yes that. I'm Muhammad Alif Diafhakri" Alif smiled back.

The man named Naufal shook his head and patted Alif on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "Sheh! More handsome lo man! Gile!"

Alif chuckles. "How are you? Hear it now in Semarang?"

"Ck. I'm here now."

Alif rolled his eyeballs. "I mean-"

"Eh, yes, yes!" Naufal laughing. "Yes ... Alhamdulillahot. As you can see, I am healthy. I live in Semarang where my grandmother is. Thank God again I can trust from the bokap to manage the company there."

Alif nodded. "Young CEO dong."

Naufal laughed. "How was Lo himself? I'm afraid it's gonna be a young doctor, huh?"

"Gue still had to finish the thesis first, after which the apprentice. Only then can you call a handsome doctor." Alif laughed a little.

True indeed. Alif chose to finish the script first, only after that he will focus on internships. It was the choice of his supervisor. Reasonable dong. Pinter's men are free!

Naufal laughed again. "So, after the title want to marry directly what?"

Alif put both his shoulders together. "Not yet know me. But bokap same nyokap maksa I made a spit marriage."

Naufal laughed again. This time it was slower because it did not want to be reprimanded by the library officer. "Yaudah, what are you waiting to try? Do you have a blessing too-ah or maybe there is no candidate yet?!"

Hearing the word 'candidate' made Alif's lips form a thin line. "There was. But I haven't dared mastiin, the feeling that I'm feeling right now is a sense of love or just interested in awe."

"Eh, by the way. What is your own marriage?" Alif asked. Error, divert the conversation.

Naufal understood that, he also did not want to be too pushy if his best friend did not want to tell a story. "Yes not yet. Yes, the time I married I didn't ngundang lo. Loss of one envelope dong me."

"If only cursing were not sin." Alif grumbled in annoyance.

Naufal laughed again. For many years without seeing Alif, it seems that his best friend still speaks with a stiff tone.

"The plan is, anyway, the end of the month I want a girl's sermon. So I went home to ask for blessing and wanted to look at my sister. And this came here first for a present. He likes novels. Who knows if I recovered after I bought the novel. Uh, but I didn't even know you were here."

"Wait-wait!" Alif cutting. "Lo has a sister? Since when do you have a sister?"

"Ck. How the hell lo! How many years have I been together, woi?!"

"Gue seriously."

"Gue's serious too."

"When did you have a sister?" Alif repeated his question.

"Since seventeen years ago!" reply Naufal. "My sister's a girl. Still in 12th grade."

Alif rounded his lips to form the letter 'o'.

"Tell me some gebet!" Naufal threatened to joke.

Alif clucking. "Lo doesn't know me."

Naufal only replied with a snort.

"So, your sister is sick?" ask Alif later.

Naufal nodded slowly. "Yesterday ummi called, he said his sick sister had not healed for three days. That's why I came home. Who knows if his brother is the most handsome."

Alif rolled both of his eyes. Naufal is narcissistic. Until he does not realize that he is too. Basic Alif.

"What pain?"

"Fever. I also wonder why that boy likes to feel at home with a fever."

Alif patted his best friend's shoulder. "Remember, Fal. Don't denounce fever. Wallahua'lam Bishawaf, because all that pain could be a destroyer of our sins. No one knows."

Naufal looked at Alif in amazement. "More religious!"

Alif grunts quietly. "Lo forgot who my father was?"

A soft laugh from Naufal's mouth sounded. "I can't forget it."

Alif shook his head. "Gue wants to go home. Come by the house. Nyokap must have seen you go home to Yogya."

"Other times. I'm still here for a week. Inshaa Allah the day after tomorrow or another day I will definitely go home" replied Naufal.

"OKAY. I'm waiting."

"You don't want to go to my house? You must have not met ummi same abi for a long time? From Junior High, we did not meet. Especially now that I'm moving house."

Alif's thick eyebrows almost fused together. "Moving house?"

"Yes, I'll share the location, huh."

Alif nodded and then handed out a business card with his contacts that can be contacted. "Okay, I'm waiting."

"Gue first." Alif patted Naufal's shoulder. "Assalamu'alaikum."

"Wa'alaikumussalam's chat. Ati-ati lo!" Naufal told him and then replied to a thumbs up by Alif.

Seriate.