MOON IN PESANTREN
That afternoon
Shalawat was already humming melodiously from the dorm speakers. Signs it is time to go to the restaurant to perform sahur. Many voices of children flocked to the restaurant with their eyes slightly closed due to drowsiness.
“Temen-temen, ayok sahur. Wake up! Wake up!” I shouted at the friends after looking at the window and checking the clock.
After all the children of the room woke up, Aidha and I went out while carrying their own places to eat and headed to our class restaurant which was a bit away from the MI dormitory. Upon arrival there, apparently the queue was quite long because we woke up a bit late until here was quite crowded.
“Where, Dha? Want to eat here what would you like to try to eat MI?
“We tried to MI restaurant first time, yes.”
“Oke.” Aidha and I turned around and headed towards the MI restaurant.
Arriving there, it turns out the queue here is the same length as in our restaurant. Aidha and I tried to go to the front to help the fathers who were in charge of distributing rice and side dishes in this buffet.
Home dining system first, each table is available 6 ompreng containing rice and side dishes so as not to need to queue, but because there are many greedy and picky students, a new system is created with buffets like this. The restaurant staff will distribute the food.
Aidha who saw that the one who was distributing rice was Harsa, he approached her. “Harsa, here we help you.” Aidha intends to take the rice to the parents of the children in line.
Looking at us who brought empty places to eat, Harsa asked, “You already sahur?”
“Not yet,” replied Aidha.
“Yes already, you just take the same side dish rice behind it.” Harsa pointed to the back.
“Totally?” my many.
“Iya, take aja. It is up to eat here what is brought to the room,” replied Harsa in the midst of her busyness.
“Betul, tuh. Have you eaten,” said Zafran who was between Harsa and Yusuf. Apparently the three of them were helping out with the food.
“Good, deh. Yes already, thanks, yes.” Aidha pulled my hand and took the rice and side dishes that Harsa had meant earlier.
“Dha, we just haven't helped them yet, play time took the name.”
Aidha chuckled while still taking the side dishes, so did I. “So it was Harsa who told himself. Yes already, if so this abis we help them.”
“Eh, Dha. It was every morning like Harsa, Yusuf same Zafran emang often help the fathers who duty here huh?”
“It looks like yes. Very hard for them. Subhanallah.”
When Aidha and I had enough food, we went back to the front.
“What to help with?” ask Aidha to them.
“You two eat. This is also not too rame,” said Zafran who was pouring vegetables to ompreng santri who was in front of him.
“Only have you eaten all sahur?” ask them.
Harsa directly replied, “Udah, really. You eat full, it's done too."
Aidha and I thanked them and looked for an empty table. We deliberately didn't eat in the room because Aidha and I wanted to help them organize the kids.
“Assalamualaikum,” said Ustadz Zidan who suddenly came to us who were eating.
“Wa’allaikumsalam, Ustadz.”
“Sorry Seli and Aidha, Ustadz bother you guys who are eating.”
Me and Aidha compactly replied, “Ngak papa, Ustadz. Not disturbing, really. What's up, Ustadz?”
“Ustadz want this nitip for Zahra.” Ustadz Zidan handed me the parcel of food. “And this one made you two, yes.”
“Sama-sama. Thanks too yes. Ustadz was confused about who to nitip to. Thank you for meeting you here. If so, Ustadz first. Assalamualaikum.”
“Wa’allaikumussalam.”
“Goddessa, Cell. Luckily Zahra was really married to Ustadz Zidan. Ustadz Zidan is very attentive, we are also given a parcel because it is designed please. Though I am also sincere for the sake of Zahra and Ustadz Zidan.”
I just chuckled listening to Aidha's rant.
“So I want to have a good Ustadz Zidan kayak husband, handsome, white and tall,” Aidha chatter again.
“Zafran is also good, white and handsome, Dha. Although not as high as Ustadz Zidan.”
“Ih do not discuss Zafran ah, Cell,” replied Aidha while pursing his lips.
I laughed satisfiedly at Aidha's facial expression. Zafran was rumored that he liked Aidha even though Aidha himself had never heard of it directly from Zafran. They often argue when they meet.
***
The scorching sun can cause thirst for those who do not fast especially those who fast. Resisting hunger and thirst is difficult but that is where the value of worship is. That's how we can restrain our lust. For lust is the greatest enemy of man.
It's been almost half the journey, there's no chatter whatsoever between me and Andra. There was only silence even though we walked together. We have just returned home to prepare for the Khataman Qur’an santri MI event which will be held one more week in the mosque. Ijtima or this meeting was attended by the takmir part of the mosque and the boarder of MI dormitory and mustami from class 11. However, because incidentally the twelfth grade alumni are still in the pesantren, then representatives from us are asked to nurture them.
From previous years, the twelve-grade students finished the exam and were declared to pass, immediately held a release event and could go home to finish the event. However, in my army this time was different. Even so, now we do not worry anymore because the Shaykh has just issued a policy that this twelfth grader alumni can go home for about five more days. The Shaykh also hopes that the twelfth graders can come again to perform Eid prayers here.
This pesantren is always open to anyone who wants to spread here. In one of the pesantren mosque which is able to accommodate 150 thousand people. The mosque was built in an area of 15 hectares which reached 73,125 meters to the dome. The area of the mosque itself is 6.25 hectares and the rest is the courtyard of the mosque.
Back to me and Andra who are still silent. I shouldn't have accepted Andra's invitation to go home together if there was only this kind of awkwardness. This morning I left with Zahra because we were representatives of the caretaker who was nisa, while Yusuf and Zafran were representatives of the caretaker rijal. It is not unexpected that Zahra was suddenly picked up by Ustadz Zidan because there was business, maybe about the proposal.
I knew that Andra was such a weight to start a conversation. I memorized his movements when he was confused and awkward. I don't think there's anything to take away because there's really no problem between us.
“Andra?” I finally got up the courage to open my voice. He should have spoken first because he brought me home together.
Andra. “Iya, Cell. Why?”
I laughed mockingly. “Kok asked why? I should have dong. I thought you were going home together because there was something to talk about.”
This man beside me scratched his non-itchy nape. “I really want to talk, Cell. Hehe.”
“Yes, what's it?”
“Adelia chat you?”
I raise both eyebrows and then nod.
Andra sighed. “Adelia talked to you if she wants to turn me back and have a commitment to marriage?”
I bit my lips and nodded again.
“How do you want?” ask Andra.
“Yes I told him to ask directly to you aja.”
“Not. I mean, how did you feel after that shock from Adelia? I don't want you to be disappointed anymore. You got the same feeling I had from us in eleventh grade, right?”
I stared at Andra's words this time. It's totally beyond belief.
“You want to hear how I feel about you all this time? If you want to listen, I will tell you now,” Andra said slowly.
***
