I Want to Go Home

2. Disappointment is bitter

My grandmother and I got on the bus, there were a lot of people in it. I sat on seat number 5, by the window and grandma seat number 6, next to me.

From the window, I could see Ningsih and her three children, Arif, Typhoon and Rahma. They waved, me too.

"Sadly, Johan?" Grandma asked me.

"Yes, grandma." Polo answered.

"If there is a chance, we go to Jakarta again to visit them." I replied with a small nod, then lowered my head.

The bus we boarded left the capital, Jakarta. Everyone calmly watched the streets around, the song played was also a minang song. I felt like I was close to the village.

It took us three days, two nights to get to Padang City. After that, we took a trip to Alahan Panjang, about three or four hours from Padang. I'm limp, drunk land.

"Johan, it's here." Grandma's voice woke me from sleep. Thank goodness I don't feel drunk anymore.

Immediately I brought my belongings arranged in a suitcase, if not wrong there are three suitcases of mine. Grandma only carried one medium-sized bag of clothing.

This period has not changed, it is still the same as last year. The air is fresh, there are lots of trees and no tall buildings.

I was silent looking around, until I realized that grandma had entered the house first.

His house also did not change, said the father again grandmother did not want to change it while he was still there. Yeah, well, my grandpa's memories mean a lot to him, they're romantic.

"From now on Johan lives here yes, but there are no shopping malls here." Gurau grandma.

"Hehehe, yes, grandma." Reply potluck.

I was tired after a long time on the way, immediately took a shower and immediately rested. While the grandmother did not feel tired, she cooked in the kitchen with a stove. When my grandmother was 60, she got married at 16.

Unlike in the City, in Alahan Panjang very quiet. It didn't take me long to get into the dream world, two minutes maybe.

"Johan, it's adzan maghrib. Johan wants to go with grandma to the mosque?" The voice of my grandmother standing at the door of the room woke me up.

I woke up and agreed to Grandma. Take ablution water and change clothes for prayer. The mosque is only five houses away from the grandmother's house. Many people filled the streets with their Muslim clothes, children, mothers, and fathers all went to the mosque.

"If it's in the village, it's like this." Grandmother said.

"Yes, grandma" I said.

"Iko the Johan mak? (This is Johan huh grandma?)" One of the villagers asked my grandmother.

"iyo, inyo ka basakolah di siko, (yes, she will be attending school here)" replied the grandmother.

"Oh plan that, lecture your son's samo pie, Robi. (Oh good then, can go with my son, Robi.)" I just smiled at the mother, her too.

After the prayer, the adults went home, except for the children. They taught after Maghrib until the time of Isya,

"Johan, want to teach?" Ask grandma.

"Yes, let's go home with Robi later" Robi's mother added.

"By, grandma." I agree, because my house is also not too far from the mosque.

"Iko Johan, this new inyo moved from Jakarta, ka mangaji pulo di siko. Pulangnyo samo Johan yo, (This is Johan, he just moved from Jakarta, want to teach here too. The same Johan will come home later)" said Robi's mother.

"Yo, ma" Robi agreed.

My grandmother and Robi's mom went home. Me, robi and the other kids.

"You're from Jakarta, right?" Asked Robi with his fancy accent is very thick.

"Let's go, discuss minang sajo. Johan can do it," I replied.

"Eh, better be Bahasa Indonesia. Let it go well" said Robi.

"Jude," I replied.

Robi and I ended up friends, he said he wanted to smooth his Indonesian language. He's the same age as me, the same age as Typhoon. Oh, I miss Typhoon. Every night he always said he wanted to be skinny, but the food went on.

I started teaching, he said here there will be a test if you want to enter Junior High School. I'm still Iqra', others have read the Qur'an, the sound is good.

If I'm still not good, still shy.

Teaching activities only until the adhan isya, then we are required to pray congregational prayer isya, continue to go home. Saturday and Sunday we have a holiday, but stay at the mosque to getong royong.

I went home with Robi and the other friends, they all spoke Indonesian, it was quite funny to hear that.

"Johan, I went into the house first" said Robin.

"Yes" I said.

It's fair that Robi's mom always said to go and go home with Robi, their house right in front of my grandmother's house.

Robi son is cute, his body is smaller than me and his hair is upright because of hair oil. If I was, normally, cut to the side without any hair oil.

"Assalamualaikum," I greet you as you enter the house.

"Waalaikumussalam," answered the grandmother.

"Johan's coming home with Robi." I said, extending a hand.

"Good, Robi's son is kind and honest" Grandma answered my hand.

"Tomorrow we go to school, Mr. Imam, our neighbor is the principal of the Elementary School" continued the grandmother.

"Same Robi?" My toot.

"Yes" answered the grandmother. Grandma smiled, and so did I.

After changing clothes, I immediately ate and then went to sleep. Grandma's cooking is no less delicious than dad's. Reportedly grandmother used to also have a restaurant business, but stopped because grandfather was sick.

"Abis eat, wait a while. Just sleeping," said the grandmother, I nodded in a sign of understanding.