Between Our Love and This Morning's Rain
PART 4'S

Today is the first day of MOS, and Cipto and I are ready to go to school. The MOS equipment and attributes we have directly used, even though it looks like a fool or a fool.

“Why does it mean in school, anyway, Mik?” Cipto protest, gaping.

“And I told you, they, our seniors, again test how big we are mentally. Now let's show them that we are mental guys,” I replied, motivating.

“We are a new kid with mentality means?”

“OK. It's up to you.”

After we were ready, we left, but before leaving, we said goodbye to Mother Kost who was cooking in the kitchen.

“Bu, we go to school first,” I said to Mother Kost. Cipto was standing behind me.

Mother Kost who was cooking rice stopped her work for a moment. “Yes, you guys be careful,” he replied. “Learning diligently, let be smart, let not lose equally abroad, let our country do not continue to be controlled by outsiders.”

“Yes, Mom,” I nodded. “Our prayers.”

“Yes, I will definitely pray for you.”

I kissed Mother Kost's hand.

“Wish also me, Mom,” now Cipto's turn to say goodbye.

“Yes, surely I pray.”

“Prayer so I can girlfriend.”

“Huusstt... You are this!” Mother Kost menoyor Cipto head. “School first, don't think of a girlfriend!”

“He he he..” Cipto is just a crybaby.

After saying goodbye, we went to school, passing the path, not the highway. We prefer to go across the road rather than having to pass through the highway, avoiding pollution and passing vehicles that start to get crowded.

Arriving at school, I went straight into the classroom and Cipto went straight to his classroom which was quite far from my classroom. Before we parted, he said :

“Entar if you go home first, wait for me!”

“OK,” replied. “Part yourself well!”

“Oke.”

And we split up.

Shortly after, after I sat down on the bench and placed the MOS fixture on the table, the sign-in bell rang. All MOS participants were asked to immediately enter the designated room yesterday. I was sitting on bench number two, by the wall full of scribbles, I don't know who did it. I sat down with a man that even I myself did not know his name.

“Hei..” say, warm-hearted.

“Hei..” reply me, nod and smile.

“Udah from earlier?” she asked.

“New,” answer.

“Gue Riki,” said, extending his hand to me.

I welcome him well. “Miko.”

He nodded and slightly smiled, I saw on his neck hanging a piece of paper that read ‘IGUAN’. Hmm. That's the name of the animal he chose.

“Iguana?” I said, slightly frowning.

“Iya, at home, I keep iguana, I like the animal. He was gallant,” he replied, reasoned. Turns out he's got a pet, I have one too. Chickens. “Eh, why is your name paper still empty?” looks like he just realized I don't have a nickname yet.

“Gue hasn't found the right animal name yet,” I replied.

“Lo likes what animals?”

“Engga no.” Yes, I'm not an animal lover, I like beautiful women.

“Hmmm.. lo engga fear punished?”

“Fear the hell, but...” not finished I talk, three seniors, two men and one woman, have entered and immediately greet the occupants of the room.

“Good morning everyone.” greet senior women, Image the name. I know, because yesterday she introduced herself.

“Morning too, Brother.” says to all MOS participants.

“Aready to follow MOS?” now it's the turn of the men to speak.

“Siap..”

“Lack of spirit!”

“Ready!”

“More excitement again!”

“SIAAPPP!!!!”

“Good!”

This MOS what is military education? I asked in my heart.

“Back to the purpose of MOS activities, which is to adapt and get to know the school environment, so for today your activity is to get to know the teachers in this school,” said Citra Kak. “But before that, you have to get to know each other in this one room first,”.

We just listen and occasionally nod our heads.

“Now, you go forward one by one and introduce yourself to your friends. You guys ready?” kak Citra's.

“SAY!!”

“Good!” Citra nodded. “Live it we start from you!” Brother Citra pointed at the man sitting in front of me.

Without further ado the man came forward and stood in front of the class. His small but rather tall body looked nervous.

“Include yourself!” kak Citra's Order.

“Hai, friends.” said. “My name is Rudi Hartono, 16 years old, my home is in Putra Rumbia Village,” he introduced himself.

“Name Rudi Hartono,” said Kak Lukman, one of the senior men, “ada who want to ask further?”

Everyone is silent, no one is talking, maybe reluctant to ask or maybe still shy. I, I feel like there's nothing to question about him.

“Rudi, what is your favorite food?” ask Kak Citra. I'm sure he doesn't really want to ask, he's just setting an example for others.

“Pecel lele, Kak,” replied a man named Rudi.

“Others would like to ask?” kak Citra said later.

No one raised their hands, no one wanted to ask, and the poor man returned to his seat.

“You!” Brother Citra pointed at me.

“I?” I was a little confused, I thought that the person sitting next to Rudi would come forward first.

“Iya, you!”

I stepped up and tried to calm down so as not to look nervous.

“Include yourself!” kak Citra's.

“Good morning everyone..” my greetings, everyone answered my greetings by saying morning too. “My name is Miko Satria, my home in Indonesia, I hostel near here.”

There are some who laugh at my words, some are just ordinary smiles.

“In Indonesia which side?” ask the senior of the man from earlier who was just silent. Name's Sardi.

“In the west, Brother,” I replied.

“Ha ha ha..” friends are laughing.

“What's your hobby?” ask Kak Citra.

“Read book, Brother.”

“Picture book.”

“Ha ha ha..” and they laugh again.

“Picture book?” Brother Citra frowned, maybe my answer sounded strange.

“Iya,” kupertegas. “The book has the picture, but it also has the writing.”

“O.. comic?”

“Iya, people say it's comic.”

“Ha ha ha.” Citra laughed too. “This is a strange child, nih, others will ask, lnga?” said, then.

“His favorite food, Brother?” a woman sitting in the middle seat.

Citra gave me a signal to answer. “Hmmm... Favorite food yes?” i muttered. “What aja deh, the origin of the meal is the same you and you who pay.”

“Ha ha ha.”

“Cita-ambitious?” there was another screaming.

Immediately I replied, “Cita-designate to be Minister of Education.”

“Reason?” ask Brother Lukman.

“Let's abolish the MOS tradition as a venue for senior bullying of his juniors,” I answered boldly.

All were silent, both senior and new students. I knew the answer would ruin the atmosphere that was once crowded would be calm, which had been merry would be a little stressful.

“Sitting you!” brother Lukman told me. And I stepped towards my seat.

“Eh, wait a minute!” said Sardi, and I stopped my steps. Sardi's sister approached me and grabbed the name paper hanging on my neck. “Why is it still empty?” she asked.

Finally what I was worried about happened too, this is their chance to punish me severely because I have made two days because of them.

“Not found a suitable name, Kak,” I replied.

“Coculate?” kak Sardi's face looks upset.

I'm down.

“You think this name matches-match?” he said, his voice sounding strong. “You see him!” Sardi pointed at a slightly fat girl and I saw her for a while. “On the paper his name reads the word ‘butterah’. Do you think she fits called a butterfly?”

I'm shaking. Slowly.

“Dia!” Sardi again pointed to one of the students, this time a thin-bodied boy. “He wrote the word ‘panda’ on his name paper, are there skinny pandas so?”

I'm shaking. There are some who laugh.

“There is no one human who is suitable to use the name of an animal, humans are still humans, animals are still animals,” said Kak Sardi. “So it's not about matching, but it's about responsibility, Miko.”

“Iya, Brother,” I nodded.

“So, you have to we law.” That was I expected. “The punishment is that you have to look for an animal whose name you should write on this paper and the animal you should bring here!”

“Her home is free, Sis?”

“Free! The important thing is that you bring the animal here.”

“Good, Brother.”

“One more..” Sardi added, “before you can bring the star, you can not enter the class, and if the time comes to go home later you still do not get the animal, you can not go home. Understand?”

I nodded, then walked unsteadily leaving the classroom.

Shit, because of the name of the animal I got punished. This is my fault, I should have just received a proposal from Cipto yesterday. Yesterday he told me to use the name of a rabbit but I refused because the rabbit is the symbol of a playboy. Then he told me to use the name of a turtle but I refused also because the tortoise was slow, except the turtle turned into a ninja. Never mind, it's my fault and let me take the risk.

I took a walk in the school garden, circling some plants in the hope that there was an animal I could catch and I would borrow his name. I continued to observe every ornamental plant, flower, even to the grass, but unfortunately there was no animal I found, not even ants. Among the vexation that clumps in the heart, among the plants that grow in the garden, the, I found a woman gathering the fallen leaves and I was a little surprised to learn that she was the woman I saw yesterday as I sat on the front steps of the mosque, the woman who stood by the road yesterday and disappeared after the invitation came, the woman I had imagined last night would meet again and now it becomes reality.

“Hey..” gently sweep it as soon as she realizes my arrival.

“Hei..” I returned the greeting, then ventured to approach him. “What are you doing again?”

“Again nyari leaf, I got a penalty,” he replied. “Delivered to feed a hundred freshly fallen leaves.”

“Seratus?”

“Iya,” she looks at me, her eyes wistful.

“Now how many have you got?”

“New twelve,” answers.

I held my hand up, counting with my fingers. “Means less eighty eight, huh?”

“Ha ha ha. yes.”

I approached the cantile plant that was growing not far from where I was standing. It was quite large and quite tall, taller than my body. I held her trunk and shook it so hard that many of her leaves fell off.

“What are you doing?” he said, surprised to see what I did.

“You're looking for fallen leaves, right?”

“But I was told to look for leaves that fall naturally.”

“This is also natural? Without touch hand.”

“He he he.. Yes, yes?” said it. “But if you get angry later, how?”

“Say me who fell in his leaves,” I replied. “If you do not, you said aja, there were monsters that rampaged in the park, trees on the fall, leaves falling.”

“Ha ha ha.. they will not believe.”

“If you don't believe, they should receive the leaves you brought.”

“Ha ha ha.. You can aja.”

“He he he..”

Then he swiftly gathered the leaves scattered on the ground, some were yellow, some were dry and some were still green. I helped him, picking up strands by leaves that were helpless on the ground.

Every now and then my eyes steal a glance, glance at her, see her beautiful face and still be radiant even under the heat of the sun. One by one the leaves moved, from the barren land into the delicate grasp of the hand. Ah, I can imagine how happy those leaves are.

“Oya, you came here what?” his voice sounded melodious without stopping his flickering fingers.

“From you.”

“What?” he looked at me, this time he stopped what he was doing.

“Eh.. anu.” I was nervous, I was flabbergasted. “Anu.. what is its name. eee.. ngga nyari nothing. Yes, I did not know anything,” I replied, wrong behavior.

“Totally?”

“Iya, really.”

“You no longer punished?” he asked, his eyes still staring into my eyes.

“Iya, I'm again punished,” I said, getting nervous. “You're right, I'm again punished. But what punishment am I?”

“Cock nervous that?” said.

“Eh, no kok,” I try to calm down. “You continue to grind the leaves, I want to seek my punishment first. Later if the leaves are still lacking, you shake your own tree, yes.”

“Ha ha ha. yes,” answer.

And I'm getting away, hiding my shame. I walked away, leaving behind the beautiful woman who was still collecting the cluster of leaves. I don't know what made me so big that I lost control and misbehavior in front of him. Ah, how shameful I am. Of course you know that.

Damnit damnit! I forgot to ask her name. You idiot! I grumbled at myself, in my heart. But at a glance I could see, on the name paper hanging on his neck there was the inscription ‘marmut’. Ah, what might be the name of a marmot, but at least, I can remember it as a beautiful marmot, which has managed to make me nervous and lose confidence in front of him.

“Marmut...” I muttered. Smilingly.

Connect, gangs......