SUKMA: The Deal With the Devil

Lonely

Sukma entered the class with a lethargic bow. His heart was still saddened to hear Nauval's mother's hurtful words. In fact, when he was about to sit on his stool, Sukma was expelled by his friend named Lulu.

"Well, why can't I sit here? I, right, both want to learn."

"You can't sit here. Mama said, if I hang out with you, then I will be following along disrespectfully with the parents," replied Lulu lightly.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm looking for another bench."

Sukma walked in lethargy, looking for an empty bench as well as a friend who would sit with him. But no one wants to be with him. The reason remains the same, their parents do not allow to be friends with Sukma.

After a long time looking for a seat, Sukma finally stopped at the corner of the classroom. The distance between the blackboard and himself is quite far, so that the presence of Sukma escapes the view of the teacher. In addition, the bench he sat on was quite dirty and was worn out. Ah, it is very sad today for Sukma.

While waiting for the first lesson to arrive, Sukma opened the book. However, when he was about to take the stationery, Sukma's calm was disturbed by the presence of Nauval with his two friends, Ajun and Boni. The boy was sitting next to Sukma while looking at him from top to bottom with a dumbstruck look.

"Are you concerned about me like that?" tanya Sukma scrunched his forehead.

"You're great, Sukma! You can beat the kids until they can't get up again! Where did you get your power from? Are you a creature from Crypton Planet like Superman?" asked Nauval with sparkling eyes.

"Mother Crypton? Superman's? I look like an alien, don't I? I am also an ordinary human like you," replied Sukma asserted.

"You don't look like an alien, Sukma, but a Superhuman!" decak Ajun was amazed while smiling widely.

"really?" ask Sukma with a fluffy smile.

"Yes! By the way, where did you get your strength from? I saw your video on the phone, the fathers were screaming like that" asked Boni in surprise.

"I don't know. Only at that time I was once again the same gondrong hair fathers because they had kidnapped my monkey," said Sukma.

"Oh, that. The wicked must indeed be quelled, Sukma. Surprisingly, my mom doesn't want to understand. He said you're not polite, but what's wrong with reclaiming your rights?" nauval.

"Yes, Sukma. Have you ever fought other bad guys too?" tanya Ajun.

"Yes. I also used to fight bald om-om at the station. He stole my father's suitcase, I kept pushing his body so as not to steal anymore" replied Sukma with an enthusiastic look.

"Wow!" the three boys were amazed.

"Sukma, next time teach us to fight dong," pinta Nauval.

"Overbrush? No, ah. I don't like fighting," Sukma refused, shaking quickly.

"Well, what is it? You are strong! Time won't teach us?" ask Boni.

"So, if you are taught, then it will become a real fight. Boys are different from girls. Someone touched on a little direct fight. Like grandparents in Om Hilman's house."

Nauval insisted, again pleading, "But, Sukma, we promise not-"

The words in his mouth were not finished yet, a teacher had entered the classroom and had all the students sit on their respective benches. Nauval and his two friends immediately run to his stool, leaving Sukma alone in the corner of the classroom. The originally rowdy students, instantly fell silent when the teacher came.

After greeting the teacher and praying, Sukma sat back down and opened the book instructed by the teacher. When he was about to write a task exemplified by the teacher on the blackboard, Sukma accidentally saw the figure of a boy walking from the door. His presence seemed to escape the teacher's view. The boy sauntered leisurely, sitting next to Sukma.

"You who? How did I just see you here? You're sick again, aren't you? Your skin is so pale, your lips are blue too" Sukma said astonishedly.

"I'm Andra, you just saw me, yes" said the pale-skinned boy with a big smile.

"Yes, I just saw you here. You just got into school today?"

Andra nodded quickly. "I've been here a long time, even before you came."

"What?! So, you didn't go to class?"

Andra bowed lethargic.

"Ah, okay. Now you better open the book. Madam Guru told us to write it," said Sukma pointed to the blackboard.

Andra nodded, then took the stationery out of her bag. Meanwhile, Bu Guru rebuked Sukma who spoke to himself in the corner of the classroom. Sukma also complied, then wrote the letters and numbers written on the board.

"Andra, why did Master Teacher from earlier not look at you? He told me, if I talked to him myself. Ma'am Guru was strange, yes," said Sukma astonished as he occasionally stared at Andra.

"Later to tell me why Master can't see me. You write it first."

"okay."

Sukma continued his writing activities. Meanwhile, Andra had finished writing quickly. However, Master still did not pay attention to him, even though Andra handed the notebook to his desk.

After writing, Sukma handed the book to the teacher's desk. After that, he sat back down on his stool with a astonished face. The little girl looked at her countryman in surprise while propping up her chin.

"I wonder at you. Why from earlier Master Ma'am with other friends like not looking at you? Are you like Maurin?" ask Sukma impatiently.

"Maurine? Who's she?" Andra asked back with a frowning forehead.

"He was my friend at TK. People can't see him, not even every nginep in my house, my parents the same Tea Atikah can't see him."

"That means, he's just a curious spirit," Andra said casually.

"Arwah curious? So, you're the same she ...."

"Yes, usually, curious spirits can only be seen by certain people. Our business in this world is not finished, so it's still wandering."

"Oh, yeah." Sukma nodded, then quickly, his countenance turned startled. "So, you're kind of a ghost like people say?"

"I've been out of my body for a long time, Sukma. But I still want to learn. My mother said, I can reach my goals if I study hard."

"But you .. you, right ...."

"Death is no obstacle for me. I still want to learn, Sukma. There's still a lot I don't understand in this world. At least, now I can study quietly without feeling any continuous pain in my chest."

"What disease do you have until a continuous pain in the chest? Are you hurt?"

"No. The doctor said my heart was leaking. I was operated on so many times I didn't go to class. Mama I told you to stay home, but I can't play with my friends. I went to school, but ...."

"But why, Andra?"

Not yet Andra answered, Bu Guru called Sukma to take his book. Soon the little girl ran over to the teacher's desk, and picked up her book. Before turning around and returning to his stool, Master prevented him first.

"What's up, Mom?" ask Sukma.

"From this moment I noticed, ever since you moved to the corner, you were like talking to yourself. Try the same story Mom, are you sad because of being shunned by your friends?"

"No, Ma. I'm not sad."

"Keep why?"

"I'm talking to Andra, Mom. I didn't see Andra, did I?"

Scratch the feather of the Master when I heard the name of the boy. Still clear in his memory, the moments of Andra exhaled the last breath in the corner of the bench now occupied by Sukma. Afraid of being mixed with sadness, that was what the current Master Teacher felt.

"Mom, can I go back to my bench?" ask Sukma.

Madam Master nodded, and said, "Yes, go ahead."

As Sukma sat back on his stool, Andra looked blankly at the teacher teaching today. His lips smiled bitterly, considering that the teacher could no longer see him there. Sukma felt concerned to see Andra who was pensive next to him.

"Andra, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm okay, Sukma. Just thinking about the past."

"What is your past like?"

"You knew? On the last day I felt pain in my chest, it was Master who first embraced me. She looked terrified and panicked until I was taken into the ambulance" Andra said with a sad face.

"Jeez." Sukma smothered his mouth. "Andra, if you cry, cry. It's okay, really, I won't bother you" he said.

Andra nodded weakly. "I can't cry anymore, Sukma. Every time I feel sad, I can't shed another tear."

"Oh, yeah." Sukma. "If Master can look at you and hug you again, then all the students here can see you, how?"

"That's impossible, Sukma. A living human cannot see the curious spirit of my kayak. Let's just say that Master doesn't care about me, I'm used to being lonely sitting here, really."

"But I can do it. Some of my friends have also been made to see ghosts. In fact, Ami and Kezia had reached such screams because of seeing ghosts."

Andra was pensive, thinking about her decision between agreeing or rejecting her new friend's advice.

"Where? You want to, right? I'm sure, all this time you really want to be noticed again the same Master Ma'am as before."