The Dusk of the Middle East

Episode 6

"Jack Karaeng really?" A man asked from behind after the crew retreated backwards.

"Include me Jajan, sir." Said the man while directing his hand, wanting to shake his hand.

Saleh smiled, receiving Jajan's handshake. "Speak formally to me, as your brother is older than me."

"Well, is it okay if I call you Jack?"

"God. Just call Saleh.

"Look at Saleh, you may have forgotten that we met at General Felipe's house a few months ago. When you were arrested for spreading incitement to hate Japan." Said Jajan speaking as quietly as possible.

Saleh seemed to think, "General Felipe's house?"

"Right, it was a small commotion in the meeting room because of the stubborn Japanese Sarge." Jajan replied that his voice sounded excited.

"Haha, I remember. The brother who pulled one of the Japanese soldiers out of the room was not." Saleh laughed crisply.

"Well right." Jajan.

"Well bad news for you, there's about a platoon of Japanese soldiers aboard this ship."

"Ah, about that I already know. I even met with one of the Sarge when yesterday was going on board." Saleh laughed more.

"Who's boarding this big ship with?" Saleh asked.

"We five. There was my wife and the remaining three were our employers. You seem to know them well."

Saleh looked at Jajan confusedly, just now he was about to ask but the sound of Joseph's bang undoes his intention.

"Will you begin the morning prayer when the sun is up." Yusuf asked in a mocking tone.

Saleh immediately awakened, he rushed to the pulpit, the morning dawn prayer was started.

The first Fajr prayer on the ship was followed only by one pilgrim saf and several female worshippers. Even though it is a little, the dawn prayer still takes place fervently.

Saleh as priest. His hoarse voice sounded loud, the shade was calming. Short letter readings filled the small room.

"You can sit down for a minute, talk to me about a few things." Say godly words when finished praying and turned his body.

Some of the young men seemed interested, they then approached towards Saleh. Older men prefer to return to their cabins.

Who does not know Saleh. The news about the man who opposed the invaders from foreign countries was widespread in many circles. So if they do not want to deal with the invaders directly should they keep their distance from Saleh, maybe that's the way the men who chose to go out.

"We who are in this room are not all connected because we are one journey to the Holy Land. Not because we're on this ship, but most importantly because we're both Muslims."

"No matter how rich, beautiful what our faces are, how tall we are or from what class cabin we live on this ship. We are all one, Muslim brothers. Indonesia."

The young men watched closely the words that came out of Saleh's mouth. Mei from the women's saf also turned out to be still inside the Musholla. He looked attentive and guessed the direction of the young man's conversation.

"It seems that he did not deliver blasphemies to Japan this morning." Batin Mei wants to leave the mosque, but Saleh's question undoes his intention.

"How many people are taking the kids on this trip? Saleh asked.

Saleh nodded, "There are three families, if plus passengers who boarded at the next port, the number could be dozens or maybe dozens."

"I thought how if the afternoon after the ashar prayer, we might be able to hold teaching lessons for children. So that they have useful activities while on the ship."

Silent for a moment, they stared at each other.

"But bang, it's not just children who need teaching lessons, there are many adult passengers who have not really smoothly properly taught him."

"If about that, we can arrange a schedule for example every abis dzuhur prayer, any adult passengers who want to learn to teach can gather here."

Is anyone willing to teach?

"I'm ready." Answer one of the women from behind the saf curtain. "I am a teacher who teaches children in pesantren in Surabaya. It would be nice to be able to teach the children on this ship." The woman who looked to be the same age as May introduced her name.

After deliberating, all those in the Musholla seemed to agree that the woman would teach the children every after the dzuhur prayer.

"For adults, let my friend Joseph teach." Saying Saleh gives advice.

"No." Joseph answered quickly as he glared at Saleh.

But he hurriedly realized that he was among many people, "I mean, I have never been a teacher of Saleh. Maybe I can help improve the reading, but even then my knowledge is still very superficial.

"Not a problem, friends, it can still be useful. Anyway we can learn from each other to improve each other's readings."

"All right, but it's only for a while. Perhaps when the ship arrived in Brunei there was Qari or Qariah (Mandations for men and women who are fluent in reading the Quran) from there who could become teachers for adults. Qari of Brunei is famous for his reading." Yusuf.

The young men agreed.

"We also have to think about the school of the children during the ship. They need temporary classes so that when they return later to the homeland they are not too left behind." Saleh added.

"On that matter, I'll talk to Captain Diego. Maybe we have a crew member on board who can help." Replied the crewman who had spoken to Saleh about the direction of the Qibla, "We will also help prepare written schedules to be like to other passengers for all the discussions we have now."

"We will also talk to those in the Cathedral about the children's school plans."

Five minutes later, there was a lot they agreed on.

"Last, every hour finished the Fajr prayer, Fajr I will set up a science assembly in this Musholla. We can talk about many things, and learn together. If you can, we'll start tomorrow morning."

The youths nodded enthusiastically, One two seemed to nod happily. They usually spend one to two hours standing jostled just to listen to the oration from the mouth of the godly mouth about independence against Japan, even then with the risk of being captured by Japanese soldiers.

Now they had the opportunity to awaken the fighting spirit within themselves every morning. Just ghost this thing they can't just miss.

The whistle sounded loud, indicating that the sign of breakfast was about to begin.

May came out last from Musholla, he did not want anyone to look at him suspiciously because his face did not look like a native let alone as a Muslim. When he prayed, he always lowered his head.

From what he heard that morning, it seems that the man named Saleh did not look like a rebel, instead he was like a leader with all the tactics of preparing a schedule during the trip.

Mei sees no coercion, or misguided persuasion to hate Japan as her brother Heiho says. Mei even felt herself gobsmacked by the way Saleh could forcefully get the youths to volunteer to help.

"I think I have a fever." Say May to yourself. He felt his heart pounding, even his face was hot.