The Journey of Jinan

Chapters. 10

Berlin, Germany. 13.25 pm.

On a black prayer mat with a picture of mecca in the middle, a slim woman from Indonesia is now offering prayers to her Lord after completing her dzuhur prayer. That woman is none other than Jinan.

Jinan and Ria arrived in Germany at about eight in the morning German time, while in Indonesia it was probably two in the afternoon. From the airport they went straight to the house that had been rented by the distant relatives of Ria's parents who had indeed settled in Germany. With the presence of Ria's brother there, Jinan and Ria were not too troubled anymore in taking care of their initial needs there because all had been taken care of by Ria's uncle and aunt. Again, Jinan had to be very grateful for all the favors that God had given her.

After Jinan finished her worship, she joined Ria and her sisters who were already sitting sweetly at the small dining table beside her bedroom. Jinan's unwell heart had made them wait for him a little longer to enjoy lunch.

"I'm sorry, Uncle, Auntie, Rico, Elena, you've been waiting" Jinan said at the dinner table.

"Kak Jinan is like a teacher, everyone is absent" said Ria with a giggle.

Jinan just smiled shyly in response to Ria's words. She is very shy when she meets new people.

"It's okay, Jinan. Come sit down, let's eat. Later it will be cold food," said Ria's uncle named Marco.

Jinan nodded then sat her body in the chair beside Elena and Ria. They began to enjoy typical Indonesian food made by aunt Ria together. According to Jinan, it seems like Ria's aunt is used to cooking Indonesian food here, clearly visible from the taste of the cuisine is very typical with roadside food that is not far from the market in her village. Simple but very loose on the tongue.

After eating and talking for a while, Ria's aunt's family also paid back to Jinan and Ria. They want to give Jinan and Ria time to rest first after their exhausting trip from Indonesia – Germany which takes eighteen hours more.

While waiting for Ria to pray ashar, Jinan decided to clear all the items he brought in his place. They prayed alternately because Ria forgot to bring the face. After Ria finished praying, it coincided with Jinan who had finished putting her clothes into her bedroom closet.

In the evening after finishing the prayer and eating a simple dinner made by Jinan, Jinan and Ria prepare to sleep. They choose to sleep early because they are very tired, when the rest of the day they use to clean up. After all they have to prepare for tomorrow, because tomorrow they will be invited by Rico and Elena around the city of Berlin.

***

The alarm went off loud, waking the sleepyman in a simple, light-grey-painted European room. Jinan wriggled his body, he turned off the alarm that deafened his ears. It turns out that the time has shown at 05:30. Jinan deliberately set the alarm half an hour earlier before dawn so that he could get ready before prayer.

Almost twenty minutes of Jinan sitting on the prayer mat after finishing his prayer, he now went to open the window of the room that he and Ria occupied. Yes, they do sleep in the same room because the house they rent today is quite small and cheap. Actually Ria's aunt wanted to lend her apartment for them to live in with her daughter, but Jinan who did not want to be too much indebted and troublesome to others made Ria have to be forced to follow Jinan to live in this small house.

The location of their rental house is currently quite close to university X. Even from his current bedroom window, Jinan could already see one side of the campus building. The place where Jinan and Ria will be studying there. The place that Jinan's father had promised him to go to school there a few years ago.

"Dad, Jinan is now in Germany. Jinan will go to school there as you wish. Jinan will be a successful woman as you wish" Jinan looked at the building.

"Dad, Jinan misses. Jinan misses Mom and Dad. Jinan misses you," muttered Jinan softly. She wiped away her tears that were beginning to fall on her cheeks.

"But Mom and Dad are calm there, Jinan is not alone anymore. There was Ria and her family who sincerely helped Jinan. Jinan was convinced, if they were truly sincere in helping Jinan without expecting anything in return. Jinan promised, Jinan will always remember their kindness to Jinan. As Father said, sincerity must be reciprocated with sincerity, while evil is not to be cared for, consider it a test for our success." Jinan smiled as she recalled her closeness with her family a few years ago.

As he turned around and was about to open a face that had not been opened, he suddenly remembered that he had to wake Ria up for dawn prayers.

"Jeez, I can forget, yes" Jinan said in a panic.

In haste, Jinan woke Ria up by shaking the body of the red-haired woman a little stronger for Ria to wake up immediately.

It was not too difficult to wake the red-haired woman. Maybe because of the enough sleep time to make the woman quickly wake up when awakened Jinan.l

"Sister, are you seriously going to college next year?" ria asked him while eating them.

Jinan nodded her head without saying a word. Jinan was already planning to start college after she gave birth only, she did not want the learning process interrupted because of having to leave childbirth later. Let it be when the child is born, then he begins his education. For now, he had to start his business first.

Jinan plans to continue his bakery business here. And he also plans to open a typical Indonesian restaurant here. Who knows, many Germans who like Indonesian handmade food Jinan. And who knows there are also Indonesian colors living here who miss the typical Indonesian food. Although here there are already several Indo restaurants, but Jinan still want to try with a new feel, such as Asian nuances for example. Although he did not know whether it would work or not, he definitely had to try it first. Fight and pray first, let it be God's business.

***

Currently Jinan and Ria are already sitting sweetly in the white BMW car owned by Rico. They will today surround the city of Berlin as their initial introduction there. Rico who was driving the car at that time looked like their handsome driver, and beside her was Elena who already looked very beautiful in slightly exposed clothes. Perhaps the woman was already accustomed to western culture because she had lived there for a long time, even though their mother was a native Indonesian.

Rico and Elena take Ria and Jinan to visit Pariser Platz, which is one of the best tourist attractions in Berlin. The Pariser Platz is located on the edge of the Brandenburg Gate at the end of Unter den Linden. The Brandenburg Gate is one of the main symbols of Berlin.

Then they visited the Pergamon-Museum. The museum is located in Museum Island, Berlin, Germany.

According to a page that Jinan read on a website on google search, the museum is divided into three namely the Antikensammlung, the Vorderasiatisches Museum, and the Museum for Islamische Kunst.

Antikensammlung is a collection of Greek and Roman art that contains a collection of antiques such as architecture, sculpture, mosaic, bronze, jewelry and ceramics.

While Vorderasiatisches is a collection from the middle east including Assyrian, Sumerian, and Babylonian cultures.

The Museum for Islamische Kunst or commonly called the Islamic Art Museum, is a museum that collects various types of Islamic art.

At 14:48 they went to the Tiergarten, Berlin's most famous inner-city park. Before long they were there, just taking pictures and walking around. An hour before Maghrib, Rico invites Jinan and Ria to go to Gendarmenmarkt. An interesting square in Berlin according to Elena's explanation.

They were there until nightfall, after getting tired of approaching, Rico finally brought them home to rest. On the way home, exhausted Jinan finally fell asleep with his head leaning against the windshield. After arriving in front of Jinan and Ria's rental house, Rico who was about to hold Jinan's body because the woman was still sleeping was suddenly pushed by Ria.

"You what?" ask Ria.

"You need to hold your friend, what else. You don't see him sleeping that way?" said Rico.

"Just build, there is no need to carry," said Ria Ketus.

"You don't pity to see your friend so exhausted" Rico said.

"From him angry with me because his body is touched by the opposite sex, mending I wake up," said Ria.

Rico scrunched his forehead. What's wrong with her? Why is Ria so excited when she will hold her friend, even though she just wants to help.

******

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