Intermissums

Chapter 5

Last night I was surprised by a notification from WhatsApp where I was invited to one of the groups.

I thought it might be a group to do group tasks as usual, but it turned out that when I saw the name of the group, I was completely dumbfounded.

I rubbed my eyes with my hands, thinking that I might have seen it wrong. However, as soon as I re-opened my eyes and went back to looking at the phone screen, I began to realize that it was real.

Ms. Ella invites you to the group "MTK 17/18 Olympics"

I really didn't expect. I mean, I'm not even sure that my election results are worth joining as a candidate for the Olympics. I worked on it completely without a formula, tried in a perfunctory way that I thought was right, and it seemed like I could only answer about not half of the total amount. But, did I succeed?

I don't know if I should be happy or not. I was happy because I was finally able to come along, but on the other hand I knew that what I was facing would be much harder. No, I have to be optimistic. I assured myself that I would not know before trying, as Eris said.

So, I just went out of the room, went to see Mama and Papa, told them that I passed the selection, then went back to the room to study because it was two weeks away (exactly early December), the final semester exams will begin.

Yes, instead of thinking about the burden of my Olympics, I now have to focus first on the final exam of the semester before the Christmas and New Year holidays.

A week ago, exactly one day after the Olympic selection in the library, I found my daily physical repetition value below the minimum. Stupidly again, when remedial, my value actually more plummeted than the value of the repetition. I even had to accept being lectured by my teacher in front of all my friends.

For almost six months in High School, I actually admitted that I was weak in physics. Especially because my teacher taught him too fast for my brain that has not finished digesting what was previously taught. Until now, I'm still looking for ways to make it easy for me to understand that one lesson, although I knew there was no other way but me to sacrifice even more time to study all the materials before the final exam began. At least maybe I should find a faster way.

Unlike my other friends, they have often traveled, whether it's to the mall with friends, eating at restaurants, or just hanging out on weekends. Nara used to take me on a walk, but at that time I refused subtly on the grounds that I had a tutoring schedule. Though my tutoring schedule is still two hours away which may be enough to surround the mall or to just drink a glass of coffee. However, I prefer to go home to rest for a while before tutoring because I know after tutoring I have to keep studying and can not rest before ten p.m.

Actually I'm really tired. Not infrequently, I thought about taking a break before starting activities as usual again. However, for some reason every time I relax, I am always surrounded by the shadow of fear of failure. I'm afraid my parents are disappointed again, I'm afraid I can't live up to their expectations as well as the people out there who are always curious about other people's lives.

So, for now, I don't care if it has to be like this.

Yep. I'm it's okay. I'm doing fine.

*

The first day of the final exam was over. I hurried to tidy up my stationery, then put my bag together and headed for the gate to go to the tutoring place.

During the final exam, the tutoring schedule is coupled with a preparation schedule for the lessons to be tested the next day. Automatically every day, I have to go to the tutoring place so that my preparation is more steady for the next test.

As soon as I got to the front of the gate, I looked towards the sky. It is gray because it is covered in dark clouds. I guess it'll rain soon. I immediately ordered an ojek online and hope that it doesn't rain first.

Fortunately, it didn't take me long to wait for the online motorcycle that I ordered. I received the helmet the driver gave me and the motor drove across the crowded highway.

Unfortunately, the clouds are no longer able to withstand the burden of rainwater. In the middle of my journey, one by one drops of water fell and hit my body.

"Wear a raincoat, huh, Neng? I think it's going to be heavy," bargained my motorcycle taxi driver.

I said yes and the bike I was driving started to pull over. I immediately received the raincoat he offered.

Sure enough, the drizzle drizzle suddenly began to be replaced with heavy rain accompanied by strong winds.

Arriving at the tutoring place, after giving money to the driver of my motorcycle taxi, I was caught running inside.

My shoes and skirt from knee down are wet. I don't give a shit. How else, I don't have sandals and a change of clothes.

"Oh, Ra, the skirt's wet. Dry first in the mosque, there is a fan," exclaimed Mas Kiky, one of the staff at the tutoring place.

I looked towards the clock. Five minutes to get in. How to dry the skirt first.

I smiled, then shook my head. "No need, my. It's okay, it's wet. I'm going straight to class."

"Oh okay. Uh, but the class isn't in a regular class, yeah. There's another handyman actually cooling your classroom. So, for today, your class joined the 11th grade on the third floor" said Mas Kiky.

"Oh that, Mas. Classes are in the corner, right?" my many.

"Yes. The room is the biggest to fit you all."

I nodded, then walked towards the class.

A little weird about having to join the upperclassmen, I chose to sit at the very back. I looked around, I didn't recognize any of them and I guess they were all upperclassmen. I haven't seen any of my friends coming, I don't know if they're caught in the rain.

Even until the lesson began, I still did not see the presence of my friends. I hope they come soon, although it feels impossible because from the window next to me, I can see the rain getting heavier. I took a deep breath as soon as I realized that I was going to follow this learning myself.

After my teacher split the blackboard in half with a line in the middle to separate the 10th and 11th grade materials, he began teaching. What he taught first was me, then afterwards he gave me questions to answer.

When I was working on the given problem and the physics teacher began teaching the 11th grader, my eyes were fixated on a male figure whose voice seemed familiar. The figure sits at the front, always being the one to ask when the others are just nodding (whether they really understand or not), and always come forward to answer the strange questions he can always answer correctly and can teach his friends.

"Hara, is it done?" my teacher surprised me. I shook my head, this isn't as easy as I imagined. In fact, I now better understand the 11th class material than the explanation given by that figure. However, as I expected, I was asked to come forward and answer the questions I had answered. Inevitably, I had to go forward because there were no 10th graders other than me.

As soon as I advanced, I could see that figure clearly. Apparently, he's my upperclassman. I saw him sitting not far from me in the exam room. It is only fitting that I recognize him from behind and from his voice.

"Where from High School, huh? You forget," asked Mr. Andri while giving me a marker.

"From Nusa Bangsa High School, sir."

"Oh, one High School dong huh with Rikardo?"

"Yes sir, one school." this time the answer was not me, but the figure that was now right behind me.

While writing the answer, I was flabbergasted.

"Oh so he is, Brother Rikardo, who is that smart?!" my question is in my heart. Didn't expect that the smartest person in my upper class was a student tutoring in the same place as me.

*