MOON IN PESANTREN

Strike His Darya

..."Science cannot be attained except with fortitude"...

..._Priest Syafi'i_...

"It's been 40 days, Cell."

Vira met me at the dorm this morning. His class exam session, which was held in the afternoon, made Vira take the time to come to my dorm. He only uses a short-sleeved shirt wrapped in an oversize knit cardigan, equipped with a bergo and a gray jersey skirt. Casual clothes are commonly used when going to the cafeteria, shop, laundry, and other non-formal places.

"You're worried about him? I'm sure he's all right" I explained so Vira wouldn't worry too much. "After all, it's not a severe punishment. He has often received a punishment far more severe than this."

"It should be finished today, right?"

I nodded while smiling. "Next time we talk again, yeah. I promise to return this book to my friend."

"You know, thank you, Cell. I'm going back to the dorm, huh. Bye, Seli." Vira walked towards her dorm.

"Bye." I wave my hand.

I should have returned Harsa's book at the next hour, but since Vira came and wanted to chat to pour out her heart, I accompanied her first. It's almost nine o'clock. I rushed towards Harsa's room which was in block A of this first floor.

"Asalamualaikum .. Is there any Harsa?"

Instantly the room of the caretaker who was once crowded became quiet when I heard my voice. So did my room, we were usually very noisy when chatting, and when there was a knock on the door or a sound of disgust, we immediately fell silent. Worried chatter sounded by them. But sometimes it just gets louder because it shouts at them.

Shortly thereafter, Zafran appeared from behind the door. "Vaalaikumsalam. Harsa's up there, Cell. It was a pesen nitip, he said if you come here to return the book, tell me to go back above it."

"Disclaim him? On what floor?"

"Three floor. I don't know if he's doing it. I think it's called Ustadz, maybe there's a job."

I nodded at the sign of understanding. "OKAY. Syukron, Zafran." Then, I went towards the stairs in the middle corridor.

The dormitory is quiet only there are dormitory students who have not had an exam session, plus some MI teachers. Arriving on the third floor, I immediately stepped foot into room 329, considering the room was commonly used as an office.

“Asalamualaikum.”

Harsa was sitting in a chair with a laptop on her desk. There were lots of piles of paper on that table. He stopped his activity and looked at me. “Waalaikumsalam. Login, Sel.” As usual, his smile was shining.

“Ente again what is it here?” ask me after entering and looking around the room that apparently only has Harsa.

Harsa who still moves her fingers nimble on the key board, answered me, “Bantuin Ustadz Dawn recap the results of santri memorization in school.”

“That's outside the duties of the manager, huh? Should it be now?”

“Ndon't know, anyway. I think Ustadz Fajar does not know our generation again there is a test and I also do not feel good to refuse it. You come here to return the book?”

"Oh yes, this. Thanks, Harsa." I handed over the LKS book he lent me last night.

Harsa. "Either. Emm... May I ask you a favor, Cell? Or are you busy?”

I, who had wanted to walk to the door, faced him again. “Not busy, just want to read the subject again. Ask for help what?”

“Well, coincidence. Want to learn with me here?”

Harsa who saw me did not respond, immediately explained, “Kalo do not want, papa, Sel. Later I immediately finish this and abis it directly learn.”

“Eh, no. I can help you read this question from LKS. So that you can while doing that task.” I pulled out a chair to sit not far from Harsa. Start opening the book. “Semalem you've been learning?”

“Not yet, nih. Coincidentally there is another task. Semalem's room studied together, huh? Very rame.”

Well, so embarrassed. Right, last night I and my friends in the room, alternately read the questions from LKS and others guessed the answer. Unknowingly, it seemed like our voices were very loud.

I'm laughing a little. “Iya, that's so. Try now to answer. The first Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty was Abu Abbas As-Saffah, he ruled from what year until what year?”

“Year 750 to 754 AD.”

“Further questions. The science that developed during the Umayyad Dynasty included the field of Religion, emerging Science of Nahwu or Grammar of Arabic Language to support Science Fikih. Who is known as the father of Nahwu Science? Need to read the double choice?”

“Father of Science Nahwu, Abu Aswad ad-Duali.”

I looked at Harsa, the answer was always right even without multiple choices. I turned the pages to look for questions that would otherwise be difficult to answer. “It looks like the question was too easy. Try now to answer, the decline of Muslims is caused by the weakness of brotherhood between fellow believers, it needs a container that can unite the world community, namely ‘Pan Islamism’. Who was the reformer who founded the organization?”

Harsa has not answered, she is still busy staring at the laptop screen. “Jamaluddin al-Afghani,” he replied later.

Half an hour had passed, out of about fifty questions I had read, Harsa had only seven wrong questions. He's really smart, I envy that intelligence and tenacity. Although he was diligent in academics, it did not make him leave other fields. He makes everything balanced, he is also easy to get along with and not stingy with the knowledge he has.

“Cell, read his SKI package book as well. Don't read from LKS only, it's too narrow.” Harsa handed over a package of SKI lessons that she seemed to have deliberately brought along. “Read the one I already gave you color stabilio. That's what matters.”

“Oke.” I accepted it and began to read on many pages.

Harsa closed the laptop and cleaned her desk. “I'm done, Sel.” He walked over, took the LKS and the package book from me. Give me some questions and Thank God I can take care of him, although not a little wrong.

“Sa, what time is it? We are long time here.”

Harsa checked her watch and showed it to me.

“HAAA??? Astagfirullah was at that hour. Aaaa .. exam almost started.” I immediately ran away from Harsa and down the stairs until I arrived on the first floor.

Looking at the closed window, I suspected my friends had left me and left for school. Immediately I ran up to the door that was plotted from the inside with the window unlocked. My hand entered through the window to open the door slot. Fortunately, I had taken a shower this morning so I quickly got ready. After locking the room, I ran to wear shoes on the sidewalk.

Looks like I have to accept his invitation because at a time like this a friend is very necessary. “Bby.”

Harsa walked in front of me. The pace was so fast, I almost fell behind. I kept my pace up until I sometimes ran. We walked on the special streets of santri nisa, I was amazed that a Harsa would cross this road. We arrived at school, the yard was quiet and shoes lined up near the basement door, a sign that our session had entered the room. Thank God, I set out with Harsa who walked fast so I was carried away quickly, if I walk alone maybe even late again.

Now we are in the operator's room to report our late arrival. All watching us from our glass rooms, I felt like crying. Shame and worry about running out of time to do the exam. If I'm late with a girl friend maybe I'm not this shy and worried. It's with guys, even the late ones today are just the two of us. Depressing.

“Why is it too late?” Ustadzah, who is currently serving in the operator's room, opened his voice after he only focused on the computer in front of him for a few minutes here.

I am confused as to what to answer, sometimes the answers we give are considered as an excuse only. I choose silence.

“Afwan, Ustadzah. We studied while doing dormitory work and we were not aware that the exam was about to start,” Harsa replied casually.

“The others can, not too late. Do not make other tasks an excuse. Get used to the discipline of time in anything. This Selina has been late before too. Harsa is the first time. Harsa also had no record of anything in the student section. Selina several times entered the school,” said Ustadzah while looking at the data on santri violations at school.

I tried to swallow the bitter taste. Why does this Ustadzah bring up the mistakes of the past, anyway? Everything compares me and Harsa anyway, it's clear I'm not as good as Harsa.

“Harsa who is accustomed to discipline do not get carried away by Selina. Yeah, well, later after you finish the exam, you guys clear the student hall, yeah. Now immediately return to the examination room each.”

“Good, Ustadzah. Asalamualaikum,” said me and Harsa together.

Immediately I went in and sat in my chair, after many eyes were fixed on me.

“Sel, we thought you had left first with Vira earlier. Your uniform is not in front of the closet, so we think you have left,” said Aidha with a guilty face.

I'm working on the number one thing after I've logged in. “My uniform on the balcony earlier.”

“Cute beautiful selina, sorry we are. We also accidentally slot the door because we are afraid you have not left.” Syilla who was still sitting in her chair added.

“Iya, Cell. We were confused where you were going. Kirain has left.”

“Ssuutttt. I'm not angry, just relax. I just signed one number, nih,” I replied.

...***...

UAMBN for three days is over. Today is the last day, so after the completion of the session, each class is allowed to take pictures with the homeroom as documentation.

“One ... two ... three ... .”

Czechoslovakia!

...

...

Aidha pulled my hand. “Ayok, Cell. Home.”

“You guys first, I want to clean up the student room.”

“Punishment earlier? Will you go home alone?”

I nodded while smiling forcedly. Then Harsa walked towards us.

Syilla came straight to Harsa. “Harsa, please take care of this slovenly Seli, yes. Don't forget to have lunch. Gih Seli, come with Harsa.”

“Iya, Hansa. Titip Seli, yes.” Dilla added.

“What are you, anyway?” my reproach.

Upon arrival in front of the student room, there were many students crowded, it seemed like tenth grade students. Maybe they're waiting for punishment like I used to. I followed Harsa to enter the student hall, splitting the crowd.

“Asalamualaikum, Ustadzah. We want to carry out the punishment,” said Harsa.

“Waalaikumsalam. Yes please just go straight.”

The tenth-grade crowd watched me and Harsa sweeping. Comes with whispers and cynical gazes, annoying. Considering that I swept with Harsa, then I had to sweep thoroughly before being commented by the prince-like guy.

“Kak Harsa again punished?” ask one of them.

“Yes, nih.”

“Kakak is not the same Sister Zahra?”

I pretended not to hear their conversation. It's fair that they see me as cynical, it turns out they're Harsa's fans. In fact, it seems they support the closeness of Harsa and Zahra.

The punishment Harsa and I have done. Harsa sat on the patio floor wearing shoes, and so did I. I sat a little far away from him.

“Pake his shoes spout, Cell. I know you are laper.”

Uhh! Is it the sound of my stomach twitching there?

I caught him standing up. “Instead if I am a laper, why?”

“Mau cepet-cepet buyin you food. Would you like to meet Andra, wouldn't you?”

“Andra?”

...***...