The Paranormal Academy

My Mother's Not Dead

Neo opened his eyes. Many people surround him. The morning sky is above it. He just now

saw mother. Her mother's there. Somewhere. His mother is said to have died.

            Neo's lying on the sidewalk. Between the legs he could see the morning rush in

the walk. There was a child fainting, said someone answering a question from someone who had just passed by.

            Neo sat down. A woman brought him a glass of water. But Neo still is

be silent. His mother is not dead. Neo can see his mother somewhere. Like all this time he often saw something happening somewhere else.

            Some people started to leave the place. It's a waste of time to see a weird kid

which does not want to be taken care of. Neo stood up. The people around him are no longer there. Mother who brought a glass of water has entered the stall again.

            Neo has to sit down. His feet are still limp. In the sewer he tried to rest. His High School Uniform looks shabby. His bag was not far from him. Neo realizes that he must rush to school. Several children in school uniforms passed by the street in front of him. But Neo's gaze was momentarily fixed across the street. He felt someone long standing there watching him. Between the traffic on the street, the man was seen in a neat suit. Middle-aged man.

Until Neo decides to leave the place. But just as Neo was about to take his bag, suddenly the person in the suit was already in front of him.

            “You are a special child. Rarely are people like you in this world.” The voice of the man was slow but clear.

            Neo looks up. It was not so clear he saw the man's face because of the morning glow behind him. At first glance his face was clean, his eyes were flat, his hair was neatly combed.

            “You have something no one else has. You should learn with great people,” said the person again.

            Neo doesn't quite understand what he's saying. He doesn't want to be late anyway

school today. But the guy's already thrusting out a piece of paper. I don't want Neo to take that paper. She read the above: Jakarta International Paranormal Academy. Then Neo folded the paper and quickly he put his pants pocket in. Without excuse Neo ran away a little and left an unknown person behind. The school is not far away.

***

Neo stands by the school fence. His body is still a little weak. The incident on the road he had experienced several times. He always hoped it wouldn't happen at school. But that's not what makes him still peck next to the tree trunk. Because what he was waiting for has come. A car parked not far from him.

Neo tries to concentrate. Because this is what he does every morning. I saw something in the car from where he was standing. Saw a woman in a high school uniform sitting in the back. Because this woman did not get out of the car immediately. His attention was still on the little book on his lap. A collection of poems by Kahlil Gibran, Neo knows that. Neo added to his concentration. He could see the verses that the woman had read. It was as if with the girl she read the writing there verse by verse.

I want to love you simply

like the word that wood can't say

to the fire that made it ashes

I want to love you simply

like a signal that no cloud can send

to the rain that made it nonexistent

            Suddenly

concentration of Neo. Two students came to the car.

            “Miska!”

One of the students called the woman in the car while knocking

the glass.

            Yang

called a little surprised. Then he quickly put the little book he read into

in bag. As if he didn't want his friends outside to know that.

            “Hai

Brita! Hi Kristin!” The woman called Miska greeted and hugged the two

his friend got out of the car.

            “So ntar afternoon

new brooch for valentine?” asked Brita enthusiastically.

“So dong! You guys watch,”

timpal Kristin girang's.

            “Pastile! We make an appointment at the cafe yes,” Miska is no less enthusiastic to respond.

            Then the three of them walked towards the school gate without stopping talking. Passing the delivery cars that are parked in a row. Leaving Neo out of his place. But only Miska is Neo's concern. Neo who did not stop watching the tenants of the three of them until they disappeared into the gate. Neo could see Kahlil Gibran's book in Miska's bag.

            The sound of the vehicle engine shocked Neo. In the back, a big motor stopped

away from her. The driver opened his helmet. Ponte, a classmate of Neo, still wears his Rayband glasses. His body is big and thick.

            “Naksy yes, same Sexy Gang? Which one is Brita, Kristin or Miska?” Ponte grinned while playing his gas motor.

            Neo quiet. Don't know what Ponte's asking. But he knows what to answer.

            “Udah, don't delay. Gebet only use motor.” Ponte put on his helmet again, still grinning while running his bike towards the gate.

            Neo is still. But for a long time he understood what Ponte said. Because he doesn't have a bike, let alone a motorcycle. And the bell rang. Neo ran before the gate closed.

            The second clock has a chemical replay. All the disciples had faced their own papers. Some seem to be having trouble. Next to Neo starts peeking at his cheat sheet. Neo's paper is empty. He just pretended to think, put his hand on his forehead. He knows who the brightest students are for each subject.

settle it. Neo closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. From his stool he could see Erwin's writing. Neo copied exactly the answer Erwin wrote. Waiting for an answer to the second question.

            The teacher came to the Neo bench. Neo tried to look like he was thinking. The student next to Neo was caught cheating and told to leave the classroom. Some students looked tense. But all Neo needs is concentration. He's already copied the answer to Erwin's second problem.

            Until the bell rings, all the paper is collected forward. Many faces are confused and

resignedly. But not for Neo. He's as calm as Erwin. Only the last question he answered was different from Erwin. Getting a little value under Erwin is enough for Neo.

***

“Put her clothes in the bucket!” stepmother Neo shouted from the kitchen. His hands were busy lighting the fire on the oil stove.

Neo put his dirty uniform in the bucket near the well. The cement tiles around the well are moss. Two weeks ago his father told him to clean up but Neo hasn't done it yet.

Oseng kangkung is in the middle of the dining table. Neo's already pouring rice into the plate. Her stepmother came to bring her a still hot omelet.

“Abis eat your sister's bribe yes. I want to wash first,” pinta stepmom Neo.

Neo nodded slowly, watching his stepmother enter the kitchen, preparing food for his step-sister.

Neo tried to put a spoonful of porridge into his sister's mouth. It's been a half hour since he was overwhelmed

he feeds his sister who does not stop crawling. Neo's sister's lips are shackled. The porridge in the plastic bowl Neo held was still half. But just as one spoon was about to Neo bribe, his hands trembled. Neo felt the energy in his body suddenly disappear. His sight began to twitch. Like the beginning of this morning and the last. In a blurred view Neo saw his sister crawling towards the open exit. Neo has to catch up with him because on the front porch there is a steep step towards the road. But Neo is hard to move. His whole leg felt tingling. Last time he saw a plastic bowl fall down. His porridge was splattered on the floor. After it was dark.

Then he saw his mother again. His mother was still the same as ten years ago when he was last still

there are. He was walking somewhere with other women with radiant faces. They were rushing to do something happily. His mother looked happy. Neo wanted to scream to his mother. But no sound came out of his mouth. His view is starting to become unclear. Then it's back to dark.

Neo stuttered to call his mother. But the one in front of him was now his father's face.

“Quiet Neo! Relax!” His father held onto Neo's shoulder, which was already lying on the bed.

“Mother is alive Sir! He's not dead!” Neo yelled at his father like a madman.

“You're why Neo!” Somewhat annoyed his father calms Neo down.

“I told you, mom's not dead! I saw it!” Neo's screams are getting louder.

“Quiet Neo! Don't act like that!” His father's voice was louder. “You know, your sister fell off the terrace, almost hit the bike!”

See Neo see the door of his room open. In the dining room his stepmother is seen holding her child who does not stop crying. Every now and then the woman looked at the room with an unhappy face.

“You should find mommy bye!” Neo whispered a little.

“Shut You Neo!” Father Neo's voice was loudly restrained. “This is the last one! I don't want you to act like this anymore!”

Neo's speechless. His mother's face is still in his memory.

“Today you may not leave the room until magrib.” Mr. Neo looks restrained in anger. Then he

shut the door, leaving Neo alone.

Neo is not going out of the room. Being cooped up in his room would be better because only this time he

I experienced that twice in a day. Neo had a chance to lay his limp.

In the dimly lit room, Neo tries to close his eyes. But his mind is always awake. Today she saw the picture of her mother so clearly. As clear as his memory ten years ago. It was early morning. The chickens refuse to crow. The rain is just drizzling. Then the voices that Neo never forgot. The sound of feet waking up his sleep. Like a lot of people lined up outside the house. But when Neo sat in bed, his gaze was dragged away from his home. To the great river that passes through his village. The rushing current roll in the dark. So much water hit the boulders. Then crack in that sturdy embankment. Which in the end is not able to stem the overflowing spray. Sweeping houses by the river. Drowning people who are still asleep.

Neo shouted to his mother. Banged on his parents' bedroom door. But the only one out was his father.

“What's Neo? Where's Mommy?” asked father.

Neo saw his parents' bed empty. Then the lights went out. In a matter of seconds, the water filled

her house. Neo clings to the pole, frantically calling his mother. The water was already cut off his neck. His father swam in and out of the dark rooms. But he still did not find his wife. The water is getting higher. He snatched Neo and swam quickly out of the house towards the roof. The roar of water was clearly heard in the rest of the night. Mr. Neo stands on the precarious. Sometimes calling his wife. Neo was cold in the back. But as hard as he could muster his concentration. He dragged his vision into the darkness there. He saw people being swallowed by the current. He saw the car rolled into water until it hit a twig. Then there was a cupboard that was dragging water. Then there's the garbage. There's a chicken coop. But Neo didn't see his mother.

***

New night rolling. Neo's father was busy flipping rice in the frying pan. The smell of steaming fried rice

filled his stall, making the waiting customers even hungrier. Neo's in the corner. His job of delivering drinks for customers was done. As usual, he held a textbook. But his mind is not there. Neo likes to see the contents of the bag of customers who come to his father's shop. Sometimes I write about them. Like a pair of timid teenagers sitting side by side at the middle table. The guy keeps a porn magazine in his bag. Then the gentlemen who pensive themselves in the corner. He was carrying a plastic bundle that contained a fold of shroud. Father Neo glanced at his son. Neo is trying to be seen reading a book. He holds a book on physics. But inside is a little book by Kahlil Gibran.

 Visitors who were once crowded now live a handful. Mr. Neo finished washing the dishes. He took

sitting next to Neo. Eliminate fatigue by straightening his legs.

“Pardon me this afternoon ya,” voice father Neo quietly.

Neo nodded, still pretending to read the textbook.

“You shouldn't be here. You should have studied at home,” added Mr. Neo.

“I like it here Sir. I can really help you make fried rice,” replied Neo without turning his eyes to his book.

Father Neo grabbed his son.

“You're a good boy. I am proud of you. Always top five. I will always try so you can go to high school.”

Mr. Neo tightened his hold.

“If your savings are enough, you want to take a bigger place. I'll hire someone to help. Let you learn more. So people pinter.”

Neo returned his father's embrace. But Neo doesn't feel like a pinter. And he never learned. He's not what his father thought he was. And he knew his mother wasn't dead. But no one believes.