Re - Growth of Life

Schools (1)

Have a good sleep. It doesn't feel like morning has come. The beautiful sun even hit my face that woke up because of it.

Abel smiled at me while holding the basket, “It's up apparently, now help me. After that we went to Adrian.” school

“School?” Stare at.

“Not expensive school fees huh?”

Abel ignored me, darting away towards the kitchen.

“No. Schools around here free kok.” Abel's voice echoed from the kitchen.

I hurried to tidy up the bed, roll up the mat. Then put the blanket back to its original place, which is on top of a wooden cabinet. After that, I went to the kitchen.

Mother who was cooking and Abel was weaving rattan, simultaneously gulping towards me for a moment, then continuing their respective activities. “Adrian just woke up? Sit down first, Mom again cook breakfast.” Mom smiled sweetly. Even though Mom didn't look back, I know exactly.

Abel gave me room to sit down. “Sitting Adrian. Meh help me weave rattan, so we can go to school quickly.” I'm nodding. Without asking much, my hand nimbly grabbed a few rattan.

“Eh? Have you ever wicker rattan?” Ask Tetam his face and body dirty out of the field.

I shook my head, smiling knot.

“Here I teach you how to weave rattan.” Abel approached, teaching him how to weave rattan.

Thirty minutes later, the rattan weaving event was completed. The three of us were told to take a shower and immediately go to school. Me and the others agreed without being told twice.

...----------------...

“Distance from home to school how far?” I asked who filled the room.

The drops jump forward, like leading the way. “Not far away, just fifteen minutes from home.”

I also nodded.

Fifteen minutes passed and we finally arrived at school.

A large building with cream-colored paint that almost peels and is dusty accompanied by many plants that creep around the building.

A field filled with wild grass.

From below, there are many students who are educated here. His voice filled the school building.

We walked into the hallways, up the stairs, then a few moments later we got to class.

“That's how the kids are. Is there anything you want to ask?” A young teacher in glasses, wearing a black suit was explaining something to his students.

Drtts...

“Morning Pak Arion.” Abel greeted awkwardly, scratching his head.

Mr. Arion smiles back, “Please Nak, come in. No word too late to learn.”

We also entered one by one.

“Eh? New student huh?” Mr. Arion looked at me.

“Please Nak, introduce yourself to your new friends.”

Tetam and Abel were already perfectly seated on an empty bench, while I was still standing rigidly in front of the class with all gazes fixed on me.

Mr. Arion smiled kindly, pushing me one step slowly.

“Eh? Eee... I'm Adrian. That's it.”

Mr. Arion fixed the position of his glasses, “Nak, please sit.”

“Good all. Since it's almost noon, we're closing this class and you can rest. Oh yes Adrian, at school we also have a canteen. And the food is free.” Mr. Arion tidied up the shabby books he was carrying.

Mr. Arion looked at Abel. “Well, Abel will take you around school. Can you please Abel?” The teacher smiled kindly.

Abel smiled back, nodding.

Mr. Arion's out of class, missing at the turn of the road.

...----------------...

A school? I had heard those words before when I was very young. He said schools were only for middle-class people.

It is unlikely that poor people like us can go to school. If so, where do we learn?

We learned only from a few events opened by students who attended school, to explain trading, how to produce plants well, how to find superior seeds, that's all.

And not once every week do we learn. At least once a few months the school held the event.

And... Mr. Arion, the first teacher I knew.

“Abel.”

“Hm?”

“How many teachers are there in this school?”

“There's five.” Answer's short.

“Five?!”

Abel waving, “Iya. We better go to the cafeteria first, you're tired from the school.”

I just nodded back.

...----------------...

“Hai Abel.” Three students greeted Abel.

Abel greeted back, then walked to the back of the line.

“How many disciples lined up?” Plain ask.

Abel took two food containers. One for him and one for me.

I tilted my head, looking at the neat long line. “Why should we queue? Not that we can just go ahead there?”

Abel turned around, shook his head. “Indeed the rules are so. Besides if we try to raid to take food rations, I guarantee the canteen mother will not give you rations. And even told to re-arrange.” I nodded in understanding (a little).

Ten minutes after, Abel and I immediately chose the side dishes available there.

“No need to hesitate, take that much.” Said the canteen's mother with a smile.

I nodded vigorously, directly taking out two side dishes at once. But Abel warned instead, do not take too much food. Later if it does not run out, the food you take will be wasted.

My response? Again just saying. Ten minutes I spent eating, ludes. Abel who had taken less food than I was full and still left the food. And even I have to spend the rest of the food.

“After this we go where?” I held a stomach full of food.

Abel burps, “Next we go to the field.” He cleaned his slightly dirty mouth as food scraps stuck around his lips and cheeks with a tissue.

“Fields? Make what?”

Abel got out of his seat, “Because today we have a school cleaning activity. Not only that, painting the walls, mowing the grass, and so on.”

“Tan easy, come on. Later we are late.”

I nodded, then piled up the food container and left.

...----------------...

Fifteen minutes passed, all the disciples had gathered in the field and Mr. Arion was his guide.

“Everything's gathered?”

We answer in unison, “Sudah.”

Mr. Arion fixed the position of his glasses slightly tilted, “Alright. As you told me yesterday, our school has received considerable assistance to renovate the school.”

Mr. Arion started walking to the sidelines of the student line, “But from the decision of the school, the renovating event can be held later. So our activities today there–”

One of the students in the back corner interrupted Mr. Arion's speech, “Why not today or tomorrow sir renovated it?”

Mr. Arion smilingly turned to the student who asked, “Good question, son. Why not just renovate the school? That's because we're going to do some school cleaning and some yard work. Renovation it does not have to be dismantled first kok.”

“But if the school is soon renovated in the next few years, the Father and other teachers still have no plans to continue their school studies where.”

One of the students raised his hand, “We learned in the field only Mr. Arion. More open also.”

The other students were noisy.

“One stop. That's exactly what this activity does, son. Look, the weeds here are getting higher, even almost as knee-deep as you guys, right?”

Mr. Arion walking back to the front, “Let's clean the field.”

All the disciples clenched their hands, and threw them up into the sky high, and in unison said,

“AYO!”