The Pledge of Love Embroidered Heaven

CHAPTERS 18. Heaven World

I see children so passionate about learning and discussing together with the teacher. They held exegesis books, hadith books, the Quran, and small notes, probably used to record his teacher's explanations. Their teacher is writing a piece of a verse. I stole the listen, the Arabic readings. Some are eloquent and some are not eloquent. But the spirit needs to be thumbs up at the age of children, this hour they should have been on the field to join and play with his friends but they gave up that time to explore the Qur’an. In addition, the Arabic script he wrote was also neat. That's what we call a passionate spirit. So incredible.

A sentence embedded in my memory when Mr. Abbyan, my elementary school teacher told his students in class. Learning in youth is like carving on a rock. Learning in old age is like painting on water. This phrase is often used by Mr. Abbyan to motivate us who are lazy and not passionate in studying. The devout spend their lives with knowledge, be it by seeking or practicing it, from childhood to death. So there is no reason not to learn because learning does not recognize age.

He's laughing. Smile faintly.

Presumably the boy realized and managed to catch my eyes that were as straight as staring at him earlier. “Hai.” I greeted him with a wave of hands. And he responded with a wave to me. The other friend also turned his head when he realized the friend next to him was shifting his concentration from the reading their teacher had written in front.

My eyes were diverted after two minutes of sitting on the terrace of the mosque waiting for Azzam to perform fardhu prayers.

“Ayo.”

I got up and walked with him. The plan is we will go to the Gramedia bookstore first, after that, if I still have time I want to watch the cinema so there are many films that will air in February. That's if Ustadz is ready.

The hustle and bustle of vehicles this afternoon looks so crowded. Some public places also look crowded visitors, as well as tourist attractions, markets, playgrounds. But this seems to have become a common sight if these afternoons, people will take advantage of the available free time to play with nature and peek at the tinge polygon twilight.

The APILL light turned red forcing our car to stop. Only about a minute the car stopped there were several hawkers who offered their sales. Soon came the beggar with a clear face while holding his son who might be five months old. Azzam's brother opened the windshield and gave the beggar money.

APILL lights that were originally red, have now turned green, hinting the rider to immediately walk back on his journey. Azzam's cars continue to accelerate to break up the city's density.

“Nisa, why we have to go to the Gramedia bookstore that is far away there is still a store near home.” Tanya Abang Azzam opened the conversation while in the car.

“No want Brother! Too close. Later meet with people Nisa knows, want to say what?” My eyes were still staring forward watching the passing cars.

“What a hard thing, just tell me the truth, it's not sinful.”

I smiled when I heard his words. “Uuuuh, no.”

“Why? Anyway someday people will also know about us, if we already live at home.”

“Then it is better to wait for the right time, which is definitely not now”. “If now Nisa wants to focus first on completing education and take the college entrance selection test after Aliyah graduation later.”

“Iya-yalah. Whatever Nisa. Brother relented!”

Not long after the conversation ended, our car had already turned into the Mall parking area. We walked straight to the second floor. I walked in front like a guide, while Azzam was in the back. I believe the visitors who come here each have different interests and tastes.

Before I reached the escalator my eyes stole a glance at the neatly arranged luxury products. This is a beautiful sight should not be bought. How to buy? When I stopped for a while in front of the store, my hand was already pulled Azzam. He reminded that the purpose of coming here is to look for books, not others. Sometimes growling themselves. I thought if I walked alone with Fey, it would be another story. Three hours may only feel like an hour. Not quite.

Now we're in the store. Waw! the latest published books are immediately decorated to welcome their loyal readers. I walked combing through the sections of neatly arranged books on the shelf. My eyes are still looking at the writing on the bookshelf.

“Where is the literature section?” muttered. Still going straight, glancing at each part of the shelf.

“Sorry anything I can help you with?” My ears caught the sound from the side.

I smiled broadly, and it was certainly not a contrived smile. Looking at him, my eyes immediately sparkled. My mouth stammered. This guy in front of me is not artificial. His face was glowing, his eyes were shady and narrow, his nose was pointed, his skin was pure white, his body athletic. Her stature is like a Korean opa-opa, my inner self.

He waved to my gawking face. “Hai, hello.”

“Ha.ha..halo” My mouth stutters.

Now I find it hard to breathe because of the beautiful charm God sent me today. The curve of his smile made the women decimated and aghast.

“What are you looking for?”

I answered with eyes not out of his face. “Log literature. You?”

The most handsome person I met immediately nodded. “I too,” answered.

“Previous, introduce me Hanan Khaisar Nadhif. Just call Hanan.”

Not yet had I welcomed his hand, two women came to ask for a change of selfie with Hanan. I saw him calm down, like not feeling disturbed by the woman who came and took turns to take a selfie with him. He seemed so friendly and respectful to everyone. This is called the complete package of heaven. Anyone would be fascinated to look at it. After the two women asked for a picture, they left Hanan.

Seeing me still standing unmoved, he immediately pitched as if he was not happy because waiting for him to serve the girls' selfies.

“Ouh sorry, what was his name earlier?” He put his hand back into the air.

I greeted him alacriously, “Syafahira Dhanisa. Nisa's familiar call,” I answered while throwing a smile. I felt his hands clasping tightly to my fingers.

Hanan the name of the man. There was no stopping to throw his friendly smile. I really like his big smile. I think people will be very happy to hang out with a guy who has this kind of personality Hanan. It's beautiful, and good deed. Usually, if the handsome guy must be mostly expensive selling pretentious and tend to be cold. But Hanan I think will be a friend to anyone.

“Then come on we go to the bookshelf literature section.”

We walked to the shelves of literary books. It didn't take long thanks to Hanan's help I was able to find a literary book quickly. Without having to pelanga-plongo to and fro looking for – search again.

“What book are you looking for?” I asked after we stood in front of the literature section that presented quite a lot of literary books.

“Para Priyayi by Umar Kayam.” He answered as his hands sorted through every part of the book lined up on the shelf. “This is for college duty.”

“What college is it?”

“Sastra.”

I'm nodding.

“You yourself are in college too or what now?”

Soon Hanan's hand grabbed a book and hung it right in front of me.

“Have you read this book?”

My eyes catch every letter on the cover of a brown book.

“Iya. Ever read a time in the school library,” I replied. “That's a story book to say?”

“Iya this book presents the background story of Babad Tanah Jawa. This is actually a trilogy book, Roro Mendut, Genduk Duku, and Lusi Lindri,”.

“Novel Roro Mendut tells the tragic love story between Roro Mendut and Pronocitro. He is an orphan who only lives alone with his grandfather named Shiva," he said.

I'm responding. “Iya. It's very tragic. He refused to be married by Tumenggung Wiraguna in order to maintain his chastity with Pranacitra. Roro Mendut was raised in a fishing village or arguably a beach girl. He told me the figure of a girl who was agile and brave, never hesitating to voice his thought idea. While Genduk Duku is a friend of Roro Mendut who wants to help him break through the palace fortress of the Mataram Kingdom and escape from the kingdom of Tumenggung Wiraguna.”

“If Lusi Lindri is the son of Genduk Duku who was chosen to be a member of the Sunan Amangkurat I forces by the Queen Mother because of the principle of Lusi Lindri, it is better to die as a rebel against injustice than to live comfortably in luxury."

The two of us are now taking turns to connect with each other about the story told by the author of Y.B. Mangunwijaya in his novel Roro Mendut. After that, we could only laugh together.

When I look at the smile line, maybe this is what makes him more attractive to other women when compared to other men.

My hand picked up a book perched on a literary shelf, by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Human Earth. He looked up at my hand. “If that one, tau?”

I'm shaking. “Nggak”

“If that, the central figure is the figure of Annelies whose beauty amazes the figure of a man named Minke. Minke is a man who is told to be very idealistic. But their love story must again end tragically.”

I frowned, then asked, “Why?”

“Nyai Ontosoroh who is none other than Mother Annelies, a strong mother figure must lose in a court that fights for custody of Annelies. Eventually the two of them had to let the Annelies go to join his colonial family.”

Then I looked at him and smiled. This is the first hour we told a great story.

“Why?” He asked as I smiled at him.

“No. I only salute men like you who are so desperate and love the literary world.”

He smiled back.

A short story from a novel by Pram. My eyes immediately caught one object of the book that stood upright pressed against the other books. Still the same, this is still the work of Pram the title Tiger Man. I didn't expect my hand and Hanan's hand to float towards the same book. Our hands were gathered on the book. As soon as I felt my body stiff as if it had gone into the freezer, the blood flow rippled violently. Oho! God what is this ordeal?

“Nisa, what are you doing there?” A sound sent airwaves up to my eardrum.

Azzam. His eyes were sharp not to be separated from staring at the man who had just been chatting with me. I immediately pulled my hand down.

I'm down. Ow hell! this situation makes me feel bad.

I grimace, “Search for this.” Pram book I brushed quickly.

“Halo, Om.” I saw Hanan trying to get familiar.

He just smiled bitterly, then said, “Come, go home! Want to get home in the morning?” He asked in a quip.

Without looking back at Hanan, we went first to the cashier to pay for the book I took. From the time of paying at the cashier to getting down to the very ground floor, he was the one leading the walk ahead. His long footsteps made it difficult for me to catch up. For the sake of following her footsteps, I walked with occasional small runs.

Azzam's body in front almost immediately hit me when he suddenly stopped his footsteps. He turned 180 degrees toward me.

“Try trying to appreciate the feelings of others,” he said flat, expressionless.

I frowned. “Why else?”

“Nisa is already Brother's wife. Nisa should be able to maintain eye sight, because the eye can muddy the human heart.”

In my heart, I believe that the direction of the conversation must be directed to the man at the bookstore.

“Abang, he just offered to help Nisa find a book. What's wrong anyway? Later if rejected thought arrogant again!"

“Abang not talking about men earlier.” He cuts fast. “But be it, Nisa won't understand your feelings Brother.”

Know I don't understand still he asked, I nodded. Long enough we pegged like mannequins here, until a woman greeted me.

“Nisa? Buy what here?”

My eyes were round when I found Miss Lydia standing near me.

I saw Ms. Lydia trailing her eyes towards Azzam, like a faint sigh of reluctance to look at her. “You two why are you here?"

"Due, Mother. I asked my brother to accompany me to buy a little something."

Azzam's heart suddenly jolted. Somehow it felt so painful, when Nisa only introduced herself as a cousin, whereas in the heart of the most Azzam really wanted Nisa to consider herself as a husband for the woman beside her.

“Ouh.” He said while nodding. “Then I go first, there is still something to buy.”

In my heart I wonder if Tumben once Bu Lydia did not greet Ustadz Azzam, usually he who always started first when he saw Azzam in front of his eyes. His gaze was also different, such as annoyed or angry so. I want to ask it with Brother but the intention was not because he saw it was wry face. Ahh...why are all the people I meet like that, is there not a sweet face that would appear before me? Instantly my memories were thrown back to Hanan. The man I call heaven.