I'm Santri?

New Friends

The clock is nineteen hours and fifteen minutes. The sound of bedug echoed, followed by the sound of the adhan from the cottage mosque which was located not far from my room, about a hundred meters.

The room atmosphere is still quiet. There is no one but me. I'm curious about the activities outside the room, this whole thing? Or just more crowded?

I walked out of the room. When my steps were in the line of the door and I opened, suddenly Bruk!" someone hit me.

"Afwan!" Said the white hooded woman who hit me. It was seen that his face was in a hurry and went straight into the room.

"Sorry, what's wrong with you?" I said turn around.

His footsteps returned to me. When he was right in front of me, I was pulled slowly, then the door to the room was closed by him.

"What's closed again?" Askaqua.

He led me to the middle bed. Then tell me to sit down.

"Lo santri is new?" Ask him to me.

"Yes, why?" My answer.

"Oh yeah, I know Amelia Mahmud. Call me Amel, I'm also the new santri here." He offered his right hand.

"Greetings, I'm Aleya Ibtasamah Hababi, just call me Aleya." My right hand reaches out to his right hand.

"Lo sure you want to stay here?" Ask further.

"Yes." Yeah."

"Seriously?" I was surprised, suddenly his face came closer to mine.

"Seriously, why?"

"Gue story yes, I lived in this cottage for more than three months. I swear I can't stand the same rules, very strict. Now I also pray isya merama'ah."

"Rules?"

"Busyet by now, you really don't know anything? How dare you come in here?"

"I just want to improve myself, maybe I think this is the right place."

"Fixing myself what the fuck, I'm just bosen here, not better, even more severe. I never wanted my life to be organized. That's why I don't feel right here. You will also be doing it yourself. Moreover, the one-room room here the person is not cool. Some are pompous, some work molor doang, one song even too over-criticism, making me more uncomfortable here."

"It's not good to have friends?"

"What's wrong, you've never met them. Liatin aja exhausted isya. Your brain will not calm down with them."

It turns out true said Ustadz Fahmi, this room is specifically for those who have a strange background. I'm sure Amel has a dark record in his life. Until finally, maybe Amel decided to go here.

"If you may know, why would Amel stay here for what? "

"Lo seriously is that?"

"Yes. I'm curious. Good thing our destination here is the same."

"Okay, I'm telling you. Bokap same nyokap I now separated. I have a brother, his name is Akbar Maulana. But he ran away from home because he didn't take me apart. Denger-denger he is now again in Malaysia as well as his campus for nyari money. I am at home with my grandmother. Just as I said, no one is telling me. Now I don't know where they are. Finally, my grandmother sentin to mondokin me here, because my life fit in his work house just play online games, sleep, watch tv, video call-an same girlfriend. If I stay at home, I play with my girlfriend to the mall, spend money, shop for bags, shop for shoes, shop for makeup. Pokonya said grandma, my life is rich not to take care of. Moreover, I have quit school because I bokap same nyokap I separated. This year I graduated."

"What class are you in?"

"Gue should be third grade, just because I am not out of school, automatically I do not get a letter to move, ultimately I have to be first class again. I am as alive."

"Do you feel lonely and sad?"

When we were busy talking, suddenly there was a door that broke down from the outside.

"Brakk!"

We were surprised that two women impolitely broke down our bedroom door. Moreover, the question I asked Amel was not answered.

"Let's continue after this." Whisper Amel to me.

"Who are they, Mel?" Askaqua.

"They're our room's guidance counsellors."

"Brok!"" One of them hit the door hard.

"You heard no?! Even still chatting" continued the cry of the woman with glasses earlier.

Amel stood up from the bed. He moved his feet towards them.

"You again, you again!" It seemed like the anger of the woman with the glasses was getting higher. His hand was pointing towards Amel. Amel could only bow his head.

Seeing Amel's condition like that, I felt heartless and immediately wanted to vent it on the two women.

"Who do you want to go into someone's room? Keep on getting all angry. You don't know manners, do you?" I yelled at them.

One of them approached me. But Amel stopped his steps.

"He's a new santri, he doesn't know anything about the rules here." Amel said, keeping his head down.

"Oh, you're the new santri. You were facing us in front of the mosque. There's something we want to say. For now, you pray in the room first."

After saying that sentence, they went out with Amel. This incident made me even more strange. Is such behavior natural here? Is not the boarding house I imagine a boarding school that can bring Me closer to Him? I don't know, maybe because I'm new here. So I don't know anything.

I sat back on my bed. Oiya, I forgot, I had to perform my first Isha prayer after a few months I had left.

Miris indeed, leaving God who exists only because of life. When I think about it again, my heart hurts. I will make sure from now on I will never forget God.

After I have finished my duty. I sat on the bed looking at the night view from the window.

The sky is so bright, the stars look very much, especially on a green hill. My eyes are fresh tonight. But, there's a feeling I'm lacking. Oh yes, I remember, the ustadzah told me to meet them in front of the mosque. No need to think for long, I decided to meet them.

My footsteps were just in front of the room. I was surprised by the large number of people gathered in the square in front of the mosque. If I count, there might be about five hundred people. Because I was curious, my footsteps became faster and faster.

I clearly see, they're all veiled women. What are they gathering so much? Are they all santri?

My footsteps are getting louder. And it was time to set my foot on the bottom floor. What are they doing? In my mind I was still curious. And I finally got my footsteps between them.

What should I do after this. Of the many people gathered, how can I find an ustadzah?

When I was in confusion, I suddenly heard someone calling me.

"Hey you, here."

I'm looking for where the sound is coming from. Finally my eyes were fixed to the wave of hands in the back row. I approached him.

"You're the new santri?" Ask me.

"Yes." Yeah." My answer.

"I know, I have eighth grade B."

"Oh yes, I'm Aleya. What's so crowded, anyway?"

"It's a mandatory activity to learn Arabic and English speech. Later in the final session, there is an announcement santri who got the law."

"Because of law?"

"Yes, the wayward santri, will be punished after this activity."

Santris? Recalcitrant? What exactly does that word mean. It was as if my ears could not hear it.