A story entitled "Listen!"

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Listen!

Like a nightmare that is put on a plate. It seemed not interesting and made her do not want to eat again this morning. The portion always contains the same food called fear. She did not want to remember. Yet, the hungry fear chewed on his mind mercilessly. The fear chewed her evenly. It swallowed her until it was full. Her mind began to mix. She should have gone down with the moon before morning so people would not be looking for her in the morning.

Miss Fanda had just entered the classroom with a red plastic folder and sheets of drawing paper. The students were curious, Naila was not. Miss Fanda greeted her students with good morning greetings with a cheerful smile and her students immediately responded with the same thing, Naila did not. Everyone enjoys Miss Fanda's never-boring lessons, Naila does not.

The woman shared the drawing paper to her students, each student gets one drawing paper. Then, she asked her students to draw anything related to their future on it. The students immediately rushed to their respective professions by thinking about what they should draw after the paper arrived in their hands, while Naila does not. In the back row, someone whispered to another student,

“What are you drawing? What is your future?”

On the right side, some laugh at the picture of their own friend’s drawing. In front of her, on the left side, on the corner, the students choose to focus and diligently drew their imagination that was in their heads. Everyone kept thinking and drawing happily but she did not.

The little girl just stared at her drawing paper which was still clean without any single pencil stroke, and the other students did not know what Naila was thinking either. They were used to Naila's habit of having a world of her own. Naila just kept frowning and seemed like she was deep in thought, but nothing came of it. Her hand was holding a pencil, but she could not describe the future that was in her mind. Until Miss Fanda stopped beside her and she felt compelled to speak to the little girl.

"Naila, are you okay?" asked Miss Fanda, lowering her voice near Naila's ear.

The girl was still silent. Keep quiet all the time. Naila did not look away or did not answer either. Miss Fanda is confused about how to respond to this child. Miss Fanda knew that the little girl was a new student. She had been here only for a few months, but she never spoke, except for the occasional nod, shake the head, and look away. The first time Naila came to this class she did not give any impression. She did not even want to introduce herself and when someone asked her question, she remains silent.

Her friends said that Naila is mute, but she is not. Others said Naila was a weirdo, but Naila did not feel that way even though she only spoke in her heart. Her sister, Fay said that Naila was not mute. The little girl is used to act like that, she is quiet and secretive. Naila had a hard time listening to other people. She is also difficult to be managed at home. She never answered when someone talks to her. Fay struggled to figure out why Naila never made any sound.

That is what Miss Fanda heard from Fay about her sister in the principal's office a few weeks ago when Fay tried to explain Naila's personality that made the teachers fail to educate her at school. Miss Fanda thought that there would be no irregularities if there were no problems. Maybe in Fay's attitude towards Naila, the past, or the problems within herself. The woman wanted to try to figure it out.

Miss Fanda rubbed Naila's back as lovingly as she rubbed the back of her own child. Naila was an orphan since the age of 6 years. Miss Fanda also heard that from Fay's story. The young woman only said that their parents were dead, then they lived with their mother’s sister until Fay graduated from college and she was able to work, Fay and Naila no longer lived together because she did not want to bother her aunt anymore. Naila often daydreaming and likes to be alone at home. She talks and laughs to herself when nobody around. This made Fay often cringe at her own sister.

Teaching and learning activities are over. Miss Fanda asked her students to come forward one by one to submit the drawings. She ordered students who are still lingering to submit it quickly. Until all the children have collected, Naila is still drawing. Miss Fanda had to come closer and take Naila's drawing paper because she knew that Naila would not answer her call and would not look at her at all.

“Naila, time is up. You have to collect it..." said Miss Fanda on her way to Naila's desk, about to get her drawing paper.

"Naila!" said Miss Fanda as she forcibly took Naila's drawing paper and saw what Naila drew because she did not pay attention to her.

Miss Fanda took a deep breath and glanced her eyes at Naila who was looking at her sharply. She tried to keep her role so that the other students would not be curious and asked with the sudden change in her expression. Fay was right, Naila also just made her cringe with her drawing Miss Fanda firmly believed that there was indeed something wrong with Naila.

After school, Miss Fanda kept Naila from going home for a moment. Miss Fanda wanted to talk to him one-on-one and Miss Fanda wanted Naila to explain what Naila's drawing meant in the counseling room. Miss Fanda put Naila's drawing paper on the table and faced it to Naila. The little girl drew a sad little girl in a school uniform and her eyes filled with tears. Then Naila made irregular shading around it and words like 'please' and 'I'm dead' at the end of the drawing.

"Naila, can you explain what your drawing means? I want to hear. You do not have to be afraid. Miss Fanda won't be angry with Naila. Miss Fanda just wants to help Naila," said Miss Fanda carefully. Naila still didn't answer and was still in the same position. Miss Fanda got up and sat down beside her. Miss Fanda hugged her and then she realized that Naila's body was shaking.

"Naila is scared..." Naila said very quietly and nervously.

"What scares Naila? Naila is afraid to be alone? Or does Naila have a bad friend? Miss Fanda will help Naila."

"They're all asking for help. They annoy Naila every day. I am scared! I want to go home!" She screamed and cried.

"Who's asking for help? Who's bothering Naila?"

“Them”

Naila quickly opened the doorknob and left the room. Fay was surprised to see Naila out of the room screaming and crying.

"What's wrong Miss Fanda?" Fay asked.

"Naila said earlier that she was afraid of those who asked for help and bothered Naila. But when I asked them who they were, Naila immediately screamed to go home. Maybe now is not the right time to continue talking. Naila should be brought home first. Tomorrow we will continue talking. " Miss Fanda said.

The next day, Naila didn't want to go to school. He wasn't sick though. Naila is afraid that Amira will come back to her at school and keeps asking for help with her horrible form. Amira is a dead girl who missed her mother and she asked Naila to help her. Finally, Fay made a letter of permission for Naila.

In the afternoon, Miss Fanda came to Naila's house to visit. Fay allowed Miss Fanda to visit, but of course Fay was always watching. Naila was surprised Miss Fanda came. Luckily Amira wasn't around. Miss Fanda came closer to Naila’s bed and rubbed the top of Naila’s head.

"Every time I see you, I miss my daughter. She is as big as you are now and should be in the same class as you. Every night I remember her looking and at her picture. She looks like you. Beautiful, quiet, does not talk much and only has one friend, but her friend could not take care of her. I am also sad and sorry for failing to be a good mother to her. So, every time I see you, I want to be someone who can help you."

Miss Fanda smiled and took out a picture inside her bag. She showed Naila the picture of her daughter. “Her name is Amira, she died because of an accident in school two years ago.” Miss Fanda said. Naila is shocked for a while and begins to tell the truth about her problem and Amira.

"Miss Fanda should not feel sorry. She loves Miss Fanda very much. Miss Fanda has been an amazing mother to her. Miss Fanda cannot be sad anymore.”

"Not yet. I have not been amazing to her." Miss Fanda shook her head.

"But she said that to Naila! Amira asked me to tell her mom that. Amira does not like seeing Miss Fanda sad and crying. Amira loves Miss Fanda very much. For Amira, Miss Fanda is an amazing mother. Miss Fanda must be sincere." Naila said firmly.

Now, she understands what is Naila's problem. She understood what was bothering Naila and frightening her. Miss Fanda hugged Naila's body tightly and realized that she had been wrong in lamenting her son too much and she decided to be sincere for her. While Naila was being hugged, she suddenly saw the figure of Amira standing behind Miss Fanda's body and smiled at her.

"Thanks, Naila... I am in peace now."

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A Short Story Entitled "Beloved Girl"

By Mohammad Rizal

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Beloved Girl

Let me introduce myself, my name is Ahmad Azka Aditya, my friends used to call me Ais. I am just an ordinary girl who dreamed to have a peaceful life, but having a beautiful and noisy sister makes it impossible for me to get what I dreamed about. Anyways, my mom is a different person compared to other’s mom in general. Both my mom and sister are beautiful, noisy, and crotchety. It makes my life far from the word ‘peace’, because of my crotchety sister.

I thought my life would be peaceful after she got married, even though there is still my mom who often overwhelmed me with her behavior. I don’t know why my mom adopting a girl to become her daughter even she does not adopt that girl formally.

Nadin Yuli Saputri, a girl who has a beautiful and cheerful look. She is a smart person and her intellect is beyond average compared to others who have the same age as her, but she hides it with her ridiculousness. She has the same characteristic as my sister, Dinda. I think the only reason why my mom adopting her is that she has the same characteristic as them.

“Hi, my brother Azka”, she called me with the cutest face that she could make.

“What? Why are you calling me”, I respond her fiercely.

“Oh, come on, I just need a ride to school. My mom only gives me some, and these are not enough for me”. She answered ridiculously.

“Really? Those are enough for me when I was your age back then. Ahh.. okay. just get in or I’ll leave you.

“Umm.. wait. I have something for you.” She pretends to take something in her bag.

“What’s that? Don’t be so long” I’m getting annoyed.

“This.” She bent her fingers to shape a heart as she gets into the car.

That’s the first time I met her, I often become awkward and embarrassed with what she’s doing. She’s so random and she makes me shake my head, but I started to feel my role as a brother and it’s bothered me. After her flirting finished, we arrived at the school gate.

****

This morning, Nadin wake up late because she has difficulty sleeping yesterday and she ended up watching a Korean drama at the midnight. She is running from her room to the front of the house. I’ve been waiting for her and keep honked the horn many times to make her come. She comes in a hurry carrying a couple of shoes on the right hand and a school bag on another hand. She pissed out and suddenly hit me with her bag. “Bro, don’t be noisy!” She said.

I’m complaining about what she did even though it’s not really hurt since Nadin hit me slowly. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time and this is what I got?” I’m complaining her while holding my left arm that was hit by Nadin’s bag.

“Don’t be so dramatic, that was a slow hit.” She said with a jeering face.

“Just get in or I’ll leave you”

“Hey, I got something for you.” She said while holding laughter

“Okay, I’m leaving.” I pretend to leave her by driving my car for a few meters forward.

“No no no no.. wait!” She is panic and get into the car once it stops.

We both enjoy the trip along with jokes from Nadin. I stop my car on the front of Cak Lontong’s stall, a stall that I used to frequent when I was in school. I ask Nadin to tidy up her uniform and use her shoes properly.

While entering the stall, Cak Lontong is greeting me and offering me some drinks “Oh hello, Azka. Do you want coffee or tea?”

I answered him politely “Hi Cak. No, thank you. I just need water because I won't be long, I just waiting for Nadin to tidy up her uniform, Cak.” I took water in the fridge next to Cak Lontong.

While Nadin busy with her uniform, Cak Lontong's wife is teasing me. “Ah... youngster nowadays, it's still in the morning and you guys are messy already. What you have done with your girlfriend, Azka?” She said and smiling at me. I laugh when I heard what she said. Once Nadin finished with her uniform, she runs to the school gate carrying my water with her. “Nadiiiin, that’s my water!”

****

Today is Sunday, the day that always been waited by everyone, especially for students. A lot of people are enjoying their weekend with family or beloved person. It’s different with this brother and step-sister. I’m still sleeping and covering my body with the blanket. In the middle of my dream, Nadin pushed me until I fell down from my bed.

“Awww” I felt down from my bed. When my soul is not fully gathered, I saw Nadin standing by me, showing her ridiculous face while she asked me to get up. “Come on, bro. Mom invites us to go to our sister’s house. Anyway, you are sleeping as if you were a dead man”.

I shocked when I heard what Nadin was said. I bet she doesn’t want to lose a handsome brother like me because it’s difficult to find a brother like me out there. “Move away, I want back to sleep. Just tell mom, Dinda doesn’t want to be visited by anyone” I go back to my bed and sleep. Unfortunately, my plan didn’t work and she begins to threaten me. “I will count till 3, if you aren’t get up I’ll call mom.”

After I heard her threat, I decided to go to the bathroom and getting prepared to go to my sister’s house. This time Nadin won arguing with me because when she said “Mom”, I can’t do much and obey her instead.

****

Once we arrived at Dinda’s house, I went in without waiting for mom and Nadin. Right after I went in, I got my ear pinched by mom’s beloved witch, Dinda. “So impolite, huh... bro? You think this is a forest and you can just come in without any greets?” Dinda who is in late pregnancy was grumbled at me. When I’m about to answer her question, my left ear was pinched by mom. “So, you want to be a Malin Kundang, huh?”

Gosh! I haven’t been here for an hour and I’m getting blamed already in this family. “Yes, mam, sis. I’m sorry, I just want to pee. You want me to pee outside? I would be ashamed of Nadin if I did that.” I’m looking for a safe excuse to avoid these two tigresses’ anger in front of me. I was allowed to get into the house after they heard my excuse.

After I’m out of the bathroom, I walked to the garden located behind the house. I saw a noisy girl jumping around to help a kitten on top of the tree. Instead of helping, I’m just watching her from afar and smiling when that small body keeps jumping. After a while, she climbed the tree and fell down when she’s trying to get down.

“Awww” Nadin said. I’m approaching and mocking her instead of helping. She’s mad at me because I laugh at her without any intentions of helping. “Why don’t you help me? It hurts. You must carry me… big bro” she begs me using her cute face to fulfill her wish to carry her. In the end, I carried her into the house.

While carrying her into the house, I teased her. “Oh my! You are so heavy… is this because of your sins?” After hearing what I said, she suddenly pinched my arm. I put her in the family room with my mom and Dinda once I arrived at the house.

I went to take medicines for Nadin. When I’m about to sit and treat Nadin’s leg, my ear is pinched by Dinda. She thought that I caused Nadin to fall. See? This is how my life going, a son but feels like a stepson.

I took a deep breath before I start to argue with her. “That’s not my fault, you can ask your noisy sister,” I said while treating Nadin’s leg. Nadin grimaced in pain when I treat her leg.

“What’s happened to you, Nad? What have Azka did to you?” Dinda asked Nadin

“So you don’t believe me? You know I never lie right, mom?” I replied to Dinda by convincing her through mom, unfortunately, mom ignored me. She is busy watching a short film on tv and crying while. Oh gosh! She’s so mellow.

Me, Nadin, and Dinda look toward her, and we take a deep breath when I saw her. “Nadin is still a girl… you know, right? She likes to running and jumping around until she fells down, as usual” I replied to Dinda’s earlier question that Nadin hasn’t answered yet.

Nadin who heard the answer from me is lowered his head, and Dinda is shaking her head hearing to my answer “Why are you running like that? It’s childish you know.” Dinda scolded her and she believed what I said.

Me, who heard what Dinda was saying feels so happy because my sister believed him for what I said. “The one that I’m chasing about keeps running away, sis. That’s why it’s difficult for me to chase it and I felt down” This noisy girl who being treated by me answered Dinda’s question. Me, who seems to be quipped by her answer lift my head and look at her face using an annoyed face, but I’m back being ignorant to this beautiful and noisy girl’s quip who is sitting in front of me.

Nadin sighed to face the ignorant and quiet attitude from her brother. Meanwhile, Dinda understood what Nadin mean and looked at her sad face, then Dinda stepped on my feet that were crouched in front of her. I’m complaining about it by seeing her face, but her eyes were stared toward me while glancing at Nadin.

I took a deep breath then stood up and held Nadin’s hand. “I’m sorry, Nad”. Nadin who heard my apologies that came out from my mouth suddenly melted and back to happy as usual. I don’t believe that her mood would be back this fast. Then I put the medicines back and bring some drinks for Nadin, Dinda, and mom.

“There you go, drink it to freshen your heart,” I said to Nadin with an absurd face while offering the drink.

“Hmmm… you’re not as usual as before, are you sure there is no cyanide inside the drink, right? I afraid that I would die, anyway do you want if I died before I could become your wife?” She answered with fear.

Dinda is smiling when she saw what her stepsister showed her interest in her brother. Indeed, she felt that there is something weird with her brother and stepsister, she knew that we are searching for each other when we were apart, but we are like cat and mouse when we were close to each other. “It means that your brother is responsible to you, he has made you angry and now he has to calm you down” Dinda laughed.

“That’s right, Nad. You become my responsible”. I teasing her when I saw her thinking about what Dinda said.

“Marry me, Azka. Makes me your responsibility in life and afterlife”. She replied to me while winking her eyes and holding my hand. I was shocked when I heard what she said. “Astaghfirullah, Nad. You’re so aggressive.” I slowly let go of her hand grip.

Dinda and mom laughed seeing Ahmad Azka Aditya becomes awkward because I am an ignorant person. Me who feels ashamed leaving them, but suddenly Nadin hold my hand. “If you don’t want to marry me, how if we become a couple? I become your girlfriend? Mom, will you allow me to be Azka’s girlfriend?” She is tempting me. I’m shaking my head hearing what she said. “You just entered senior high school and you want to be my wife? Finish your study first” I gave her advice. Unfortunately, she tried hard. “So, let’s become a couple until I finished my study and then we married.” I’m shaking my head and smiling when I heard her attempt to ask me to marry her. “If you finished your study, I’ll take you to your hometown and asking for permission of your parents to marry you”. Nadin who heard my answer is speechless. Then I let go of her hand slowly for the second time and go to the garden. Nadin, who was speechless, shouted loudly “I LOVE YOU, BRO”

The End

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Ramadhan Fest Article

By Mohammad Rizal

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“Ngabuburit” Moments During Ramadhan

Assalamualaikum, everybody. Welcome back to Semprul Blogspot. In this post, we will discuss the Ngabuburit moments during Ramadhan. Did you know that Ramadhan is a glorious and blessed month for all Muslims around the world? Perhaps, some of you who did not know yet are thinking why it is called so. Yup, Ramadhan is a glorious and blessed month for all Muslims around the world because, in this month, there is a lot of privileges for Muslims to increase their faith in Allah SWT rather than the other months. Ramadhan is known as a month of forgiveness, our rewards for doing a good deed are multiplied during this month, and the presence of a most glorious night which is better than 1000 months called Lailatul-Qadr. Despite all of the glorious things about Ramadhan, it obliges us to fast in order to learn about self-restraint from any temptations during Ramadhan. Ramadhan only happens once a year, so that is why this month is the most awaited month for Muslims because there are many unique moments or traditions during this blessed month. Those unique moments or traditions are different among the countries. In Indonesia, there is a lot of unique moments or traditions regarding welcoming Ramadhan.

One of the traditions in Indonesia is called Ngabuburit. It is an activity where someone spend their time outside their home at dusk while waiting for them to have iftar or breaking the fast. This activity is done during the Ramadhan and usually becomes a daily routine. There are many things that they do when Ngabuburit such as gathering with their family in public places, surrounding the city by walking, bicycling, etc., exercising such as jogging, playing ball, etc., read Qur'an and tadarus in the mosque. Usually, there is a group of people who gives Takjil, sweet food that is eaten to break the fast, to random people such as on the road, or in the mosque. They do that to share happiness with other people as we know that Ramadhan is a blessed month, and all the rewards for doing a good deed are multiplied. Anyway, talking about Takjil, there is a lot of people selling it on side of the road or market with various kind of takjil that we can choose. Kolak, coconut ice, cendol, fruit ice, blewah ice, etc. most of them are sweet foods and drinks. It is recommended to eat or drink sweet foods or drinks when we have iftar because our blood sugar level is decreasing when fasting, that is why it is recommended to have sweet foods or drinks during iftar.

Ngabuburit has become a tradition in our country, Indonesia. Also, this tradition becomes our uniqueness that distinguishes Indonesia from other countries, especially Islamic countries. Unfortunately, Ngabuburit involves a great mass, and interaction between each other. Ramadhan feels different this time since we are in a pandemic of Covid-19. Even though any traditions during Ramadhan especially Ngabuburit is still permitted by the government, but we must adhere to the health protocols in order to minimalize the spread of Covid-19 outbreaks. Stay healthy everybody, Wassalamualaikum wr.wb. 🙏😉