MOON IN PESANTREN

The Night of Release

As previously scheduled, tonight is the night of release for the twelfth grade santri by the pesantren leadership. The event was held in a multi-purpose building located right in front of the Madrasah Ibtidaiyah dormitory, the dormitory I was in. In contrast to the auditorium during the annual force event, which is located near the main gate of the pesantren. It is quite far from the dormitory because it takes about 20 minutes to get there, while to this building it is not up to five minutes.

The multipurpose building is commonly used for events such as the campaign of prospective leaders of student organizations and their election, the sermon of pesantren leaders, the expo event of each generation, santri relations with pesantren leaders, class meetings, etc, santri arts performances, as well as all kinds of events held by student organizations.

In this event, the pesantren leadership will embed medals and give trophies as an appreciation of outstanding santri. After that, he will announce that our force has officially graduated.

"Who's got the sky blue hood again? My blue hood is both non-existent. I think it's still in the laundry, deh," lamented Iffah to the room children.

I took a sky blue rectangular veil from the pile of veils in my closet. "This, Fah. I'm there again." I'm handing it to Iffah.

"Aaaa .. thanks, Selina."

Formal events such as this santri are required to wear shirts according to the color of the force with black subordinates. Don't forget to have a black suit or blazer. However, usually there are santri rijal who wear a suit milk brown or gray.

"Temen-temen, cepetan get ready. Later we are late," said Aidha reminded.

Syilla who was still busy polishing her face with a moisturizer immediately gasped. He knows himself the longest in getting ready. The other friends were wearing veils while he was still busy on his face.

"Temen-men wait for me, you know," pinta Syilla with a pushy tone.

"The chips, Syill. There will be a lot of guys." Zahra's scuffles saw Syilla's long-standing behavior when the preparations went off.

Aidha could not stand it either. "Syill, if over time, later can not choose a strategic place. Later on in the front, whining you can't talk."

"Yes-yes. Our dormitory is the closest of the rest, really. Just calm down we will not come last," he replied.

I opened Syilla's closet. Initiate taking her blazer, skirt and veil. "Syill, are her socks still in the closet?" I asked a little scream.

"No, it's on the shoe rack." Syilla who saw me prepare the equipment was immediately excited. "Aaaa .. thanks. All perfumer spray, Cell. Hehe ... ."

Then, I sprayed on the shirt that Syilla was wearing, as well as on the other gear. I sprayed Syilla perfume on the clothes I was wearing. I happen to have my perfume gone. "Syill, I'm asking for the perfume."

"Seli, there's your sister in front" said Nisa who had just looked at the window. Our room faced the central corridor so that just from the room window, we could see the situation in the central corridor.

"You want him here?"

Nisa looked back at the window. "Perhaps not. Faaz again talked to Andra. Just like that Andra was giving a parcel of food to your sister, Sel."

"Andra gave a parcel of food to Faaz?"

"Yeah, they were laughing. Yes, Faaz seems to love Andra more than you, Sel," ledek Aidha who followed Nisa peeked at the window. Then, accompanied by the laughter of roommates.

I grunt. "Ih, Faaz, dear as I know. Even though I was fierce to him," I replied while wearing socks to prepare to leave.

"Living Syilla," led Zahra while running out of the room and followed by others to make Syilla scream begging to wait.

...***...

The seats in the back and center are filled. Only the front seat is still empty of residents. Already a habit, the students rarely choose the front seat. The rows of chairs are made of steel, one class is made two columns to the back. Santri rijal in the west and santri nisa in the east. In the middle of the red carpet title from the main door to the stairs on the stage. This main door is used for pesantren leaders and their ranks into the second floor hall of the multi-purpose building. For students to enter through the door that is in every corner of the building.

We sat ten apart. Zahra sat next to her best friend. I sat next to Aidha. Behind us sat Syilla and Dilla. While the other five people at the back were a bit far away from us.

"Later anterin me to the bathroom yeah, Cell." Aidha whispered to me because of the atmosphere of the super large hall that was very crowded. Understandably the event has not yet begun, while the participants of the event amounted to about 600 twelve-grade students.

"New time already want to pee anyway, Dha?"

Aidha smiled wooingly. "Not now I want to pee but later I think I will want to. I'll make a pact to let you get ready."

"Hmmm. Yes, yes, yes."

Waiting for the event to begin, the sound system on the left side of the stage issued a melodious sound sholawat 'Pejah Husnul Khotimah'. With a loud enough volume and a soft voice, able to vibrate the heart, enter the spaces in the heart and mind that hear it.

"Cell," call Aidha. Seeing that I had turned to him, he put on his sad face. "I'm sad, we all want to separate. We're really going home tomorrow, Cell? Why so bad?"

I chuckled at Aidha. "Do you still want to be here? If you still want, yes you have come home ngaret, but alone because the others have gone home. Ha ha ha ... ."

"Ih, what the fuck." Aidha pouting.

Without me noticing, the atmosphere here seemed to drag me into space-time. Where all the moments that I have passed here are like recollections. I can still clearly remember the beginning I set foot here as a new santri. My heart is still stiff, not completely sincere to be a santri. However, as time went on everything changed, I tried to look at it with a different point of view. It turned out to be so happy to be a santri.

My eyes are moving west. My gaze caught the figure of the man who always made me wonder. My memory goes back to the story that Zahra told me. A conjecture about Andra. Andra has someone in the past, who she says she couldn't forget until now.

I can't guess who and who that woman is. I've known for a long time that Andra does have a lot of ex-girlfriends. I knew that his handsome face made him coveted by many women in his school at the time. Andra once told that there were some women who had expressed their own feelings to Andra either directly or through letters. Wow, indeed Andra was as handsome and as great as it was to make the women smitten.

"Okay, the show's about to start. Ladies and gentlemen please calm down." The readers of the eleventh grade began to stand up. This event is special for the twelfth class, then the entire committee comes from the eleventh grade.

Organize the event after the opening, followed by the recitation of the holy verse of the Qur'an and the tilawah sari which is also brought by the eleventh grade santri. They read the letter of An-Nisa verses 122-124.

"And those who believe and do good deeds, We shall enter into Gardens under which rivers flow, and abide therein forever. And God's promise is true. Who is more true than God? (The Father of Allah) is not your imagination nor (the) the 'dreams of the People of the Book. Whoever commits a crime will be rewarded according to that crime, and he will have no protector or helper other than Allah. And whosoever does good deeds, both men and women, while he believes, will enter into heaven, and they will not be wronged in the least."

The ayu fences with uniformed PASKIBRA members stood along the red carpet with respectful hands. Ready to welcome the Sheikh of the pesantren leadership along with the ranks to enter the hall. After the leadership of the pesantren sat in the chair that had been provided, followed by arranging the next event which was a short greeting from several Ustadz and Ustadzah.

"Aidha, who's Ustadz Zidan talking to? Zahra huh?" I pointed to the front row, where Ustadz Zidan was standing at the edge of the nisa seat row.

Aidha followed my hand and narrowed her eyes. "Yes, that's Zahra. Ustadz Zidan deket am Zahra. I think Ustadz Zidan has a crush on Zahra, deh."

"Again Zahra, huh?" Syilla and Dilla suddenly joined from behind. Then, Aidha gestured for silence and returned to the front.

The host read out the names of the santri who won 1-3 in each department. Johan majors IPS rijal and nisa took the stage after being mentioned by name. Only now are the tense moments for my majors, IPA majors, although some of us have guessed johan this year is johan years before. Because, it is very difficult to shift the predicate of Johan from them.

"Great Shahla, MashaAllah. Syahla could be the third johan in the majors IPA nisa, even though this year he was busy in the organization," praised Dilla after champions two and three mentioned by the MC.

"Barakaallah fiikum, Shahla," I said. "About johan one of Zahra's tenets isn't it?" I turned to Syilla and Dilla.

"certainly, deh. Zahra mah consistent sinter."

"Furthermore, the champion of one IPA majors rijal fell to ... Harsa Al-Hafidz" said the MC who was immediately greeted by applause and cheers from the entire hall. "For the champion of one majors IPA nisa, falls to ... Az-Zahra Maulida ... ."

"Wowwww ... Congratulations, Ra." The four of us gave a big round of applause to accompany Zahra on stage.

Twelve Johans received trophies and medals handed over directly by the Shaykh, not forgetting the beautiful bouquet of flowers. Continued with photo sessions with the Sheikh and Ustadz and Ustadzah our force builder.

Syilla said a little quietly between me and Aidha. "Infant if Harsa can like to go back to Zahra and keep them married, then their child will be as cool as what try? Johan's father's father's record holder."

"But, kasian also if it turns out that his son is less sinter, must be pressure for him because his parents are too late to pinter," argued Dilla.

In the middle of the Shaykh giving a speech on his pulpit, Aidha invited me to accompany him to the toilet. As Aidha was in the toilet and I was looking in the mirror, there were loud cheers coming from the entire hall. Sontak made me and Aidha join the scene because of confusion again curious.

"That's why, Cell? How about a yell?"

"Where I know. I'm right here. Uda, that's why the spit. Haven't you?"

"Yes-yes, that's it." Aidha and I came out of the toilet and were about to rush towards our ranks. However, suddenly a hall of this size became pitch-black. Instantly made everyone scream hysterically.

Aidha immediately grabbed my hand and stopped in place. "Seli, I'm scared."

"Well, it's a flame. Just a few seconds, really. Good thing we got out of the toilet, yeah. Come on, cheeses." I pulled Aidha's hand to run small towards our seats.

"What was that before the lights went out? How about a yell?" I asked Syilla and Dilla after landing my body in a chair.

"You must be surprised. This has never happened in the previous generation. Didn't the Shaykh say what?" Syilla rounded her eyes.

"What's? Spiel."

"We can't go home tomorrow!"

"Huh? Meanin?"

While facing forward, Aidha and I listened to Syilla and Dilla's explanation from behind. The Shaykh had not yet finished his speech so we had to remain calm and watch him standing gallantly behind the pulpit.

"And from the beginning the twelfth class always went home first from another generation because it had already finished the exam. So, the Shaykh said, we have graduated and are not students anymore. But ... we still have to stay here. The Shaykh still wants to feel the month of Ramadan with our generation. The month of Ramadan will be a few days away, so that our return is postponed, we will also still have a lot of time before preparing for college registration."

"Seriously? Keep our forces on the agree?"

Dilla raised her voice. "You want the force to agree or not, this is the decision of the Shaykh. Who can try to fight? God willing, this is the best thing for everyone."

I nodded at the sign of understanding. "Again, he said our status is not santri anymore, right? Then we're alumni, yummy dong."

"Eh, yes, really. Maybe we're a little free. You can go to the cafeteria anytime, not school either. As long as we know ourselves. Not that it violates all the rules."

"There is other wisdom besides that. We can also make many memories together while waiting to go home. Can spend a lot of time before we actually split up and fly to their respective goals."

...***...