Women of Choice
A Tale Behind the Gates of Pesantren 2
"To Meylani's sister Syafira awaited her arrival to the courtroom after Isya's prayer."
Melan's steps that were taking the stairs to get down from the musala suddenly stopped. Santri princess who was still sitting in the first class Aliyah was trying to sharpen her hearing carefully. His heart became pounding uncharacteristically imagining himself having to deal with kismullugoh (part of language) which is notoriously firm and authoritative.
"Mel, your name was called to face the language section, you know," said Ika, a classmate after now they walked together to the dorm room.
"Seriously that was the name ane was called?" ask Melan. The woman hoped that what she heard was wrong.
"Yes, that's very clear, really, your name from the first class of experiment," said Ika sure.
Arriving in their dorm rooms to their respective closets. Melan, Ika and her other friends began to change into neat clothes preparing to follow the next cottage activity which was to learn the night that began as Isya until later at ten pm.
Little heart Melan kept wondering what she had done wrong so she had to face the language section. That was the first time he was called to the courtroom.
"I wait for class, yes," Ika said when she saw Melan start walking up the stairs to the courtroom on the second floor. There were some santri who were standing in front of the door of the room that was used as the courtroom.
A girl dressed in a Muslim suit and a rectangular hijab slowly opened the door and told everyone standing to enter.
The medium-sized room was originally a cottage library room that was prefixed for the courtroom by the manager Kaka.
Melan sat on the floor with the others. Waiting for the moment the trial begins. After saying hello and a little opening. Kak Uswah, as part of the language began to interrogate his classmates who were considered to have violated the rules of the cottage, especially the language section.
In the cottage of modern boarding school Daarul Muttaqin it has been disciplined about the use of language that can only use two languages, namely Arabic and English in every daily activity while still in the cottage environment. Both when in the bathroom, in the kitchen when taking rice, in musala or in class when learning takes place. It is forbidden to speak Indonesian, let alone regional languages. If there are santri who recklessly violate it then must face and get sanctions from the language itself.
"Melan, do you know why you were called to this room?"
Question from Kak Uswah disperse the daydreams of Melan who was sitting on the floor.
Melan shook her head slowly. Even his own signs did not understand what his mistake was.
"So afternoon you were heard by the part we were talking in Indonesian to your friend," Kak Uswah said.
Melan tried to recall the incident earlier this afternoon. Justright. The small-bodied woman had just realized that this afternoon she had shouted for the nitip of the hawker lupis when she saw Yuli, her roommate was about to go to the sirkah(cantin).
Spontaneous Melan nodded her head. Telling what the upperclassman just said.
"As punishment you must deposit the memorization of do'a salat tahajud and duha three days ahead" said Kak Uswah later.
***
"Ente why daydreaming from earlier, Mel," whispered Ika concerned and then came to stand right beside Melan who was sculpting in front of the class. Both hands rested on the wall that extends like a pillar that serves as a guardrail in the second floor building.
From where it stands, Melan can watch the movements and other santri activities that are in the field which is located exactly opposite to the dorm room.
"Either, Ka, I suddenly remembered Abah who was at home," Melan replied as she wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.
Hearing his best friend's answer suddenly Ika's laughter exploded.
"Why are you even ngetawain ana?" search Melan with a frowning forehead.
"Something's funny, huh?" continued.
"It's been a rich kid who's just a day away from the parents."
"Patience, Mel, a child who grew up in a cottage environment away from a family like us must be smart to maintain emotional intelligence so as not to be careless," said Ika acting wise in front of her friend.
Ika assured her best friend that if they both must be able to pass every test that must be passed during their stay in the cottage so that later they can achieve the predicate of passing with good grades and make themselves proud as well as parents who have given a lot of support and costs that have been spent a lot.
In his heart Melan called for infinite gratitude to have a friend as good as Ika who is always there when difficult or happy.
Although far from family but Melan never felt alone because it was always surrounded by good and solid friends and friends. Such is the life of the cottage children, living together in the dorm for years makes them like their own brothers who always strengthen each other.
"We go down, yuk, later ana treat chicken noodles in the cafeteria," Ika asked Melan's shoulder.
***
Melan had just left the library when Halimah's ustazah called out to her from behind.
Ustazah Halimah invites Melan to sit for a while in a chair that happens to be right in front of the room. The adult woman with an understated appearance also said that Melan's parents called and wanted to talk directly with her daughter.
The soft-faced statue returned to make a re-call. Once the connection is connected it then extends its phone towards Melan, who is greeted doubtfully by Melan.
"It's okay, Mel. Speak up!" the ustazah assured.
Melan answered the greetings from her mother by phone.
"healthy, Mel?" ask her mom on the other end of the phone.
"Alhamdulillah. Mom and I are healthy too, right?"
"You who are patient, yes, son, your Abah is now gone" said the mother, staggered with tears.
Hearing the last sentence of the woman who had given birth to him, Melan's hands slowly decayed. The girl was stunned with the phone still in her grasp. He could not afford more to talk to the mother who contacted him to bring news of his grief.
Usatzah Halimah embraces Melan in her arms. Letting the poor girl spill her nestapa in his arms. The good-natured bastard gently rubbed Melan's back as if to strengthen the heart of his protege who was getting the ordeal must be left by the father for good at a young age.
"Welan the good boy, the good boy must be strong and can get through this, yes, dear," the ustazah said in the girl's ear.
"We must remember that all beings will surely return to His Owner. Just a different time as stated in the Qur'an,:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَاۤىِٕقَةُ الْمَوْتِۗ وَنَبْلُوْكُمْ بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۗوَاِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُوْنَ
Meaning: Every soul will feel dead. We will test you with ugliness and kindness as trials (the real ones). And to Us you are returned. (QS. Al Anbiya: 35)
As much as possible the Halimah Uthah provides moral support to Melan in order to be strong to accept the bitter reality that is being faced.
***
Time keeps rolling. Sped like an arrow that brings the life of a human child to enter every episode that must be lived.
For Melan to lose one of the people she loved so much did not discourage the girl to continue to study and still choose to stay in the dorm until the woman picked up success.
The mother in the house is not stopping to provide support both in terms of material or moral support to her daughter. No longer have a father figure is not an obstacle to keep studying in the boarding school. Until now Melan can graduate with a mumtazah value and have the opportunity to continue studying abroad with the scholarship fee he got.
End.
