SANTRI'S CHOICE
Chapters. 1. ABAH PESANTREN

Today I was put into the pesantren abah which is in the city of K . I am currently in seventh grade. Both my parents only said that I could deepen my religion and worship better. I wanted to refuse but I couldn't, I always couldn't refuse my parents' requests, especially my ummi . Maybe it's because I love my parents too much or it's because I feel like the firstborn who should set an example for my sister, Dania.

I don't know..

One day after coming home from school, I went back to the boarding school. After lunch and prayer Zuhur congregated, abah approached me who was still thinking. I sat next to Abah, with a little poisi behind me. Still holding the prayer beads in his right hand, he looked at me as if waiting for me.

Instantly I stopped my remembrance, and greeted my brother.

" Abah Assalamualaikum" greeted me as I grabbed her hand and kissed her.

"Waalaikumsalam warrahmatullahi wabarakatuh, has Danu finished ?" abah

"Yes already, bah .. What can Danu help you with, bah ?" ask me politely and gently.

"If so we go in now" said my brother while standing, and followed by me behind him.

Abah's house is located not far from its pesantren, still inside one gate. Santri men are under the stewardship of abah and the senior santri men, while santriwati is under the supervision of abah's wife, namely ummu Kusuma and some of his trust managers ummu Kusuma.

If from gate , the dormitory santri is on the left, while the dormitory santriwati on the right, and in the middle is a house building abah. Behind the house there is a wide pendopo surrounded by trees - shady trees .

In the front yard there is a mosque commonly used for pesantren guests, and also a parking lot of vehicles from abah guests or parents of the students.

Next to the parking lot there is a school building SMP Al-Hidayah which is used for students to learn academic knowledge . The distance from the dormitory to the Danu school building is about a hundred meters.

While the school building for the students is located not far from the dormitory. It was less than fifty meters away.

In each dormitory is equipped with a mosque and a field for archery exercises, martial arts and sports, and other outdoor activities.

Behind each dormitory there is a garden that is wide enough for the santri or santriwati to grow crops . In the dormitory santriwati there is a fish pond filled with fish cultivation Nila and Golden fish. While the pond in the place of santri is used for the cultivation of catfish and Gurame fish .

The santri and santriwati have different access in and out, so we never met each other even though it is still in one area.

Abah invited me into her house and stopped on the back porch. After I sat down, I sat down next to him. Before long ummu came to bring two glasses of warm tea along with a small teapot and boiled pea.

I immediately stood up and said "Assalamualaikum ummu "greet me while cupping my hands in front of my chest.

"Vaalaikumsalam Danu's.. Please continue to chat with his brother, ummu want to go in first yes "answer ummu, after he said to abah, ummu also rushed inside .

"Let's have a drink first .." said my brother. I nodded, following my brother, drinking your tea.

Abah sipped his tea slowly with pleasure, after which he opened the chat again.

"There's something I want to tell you, and I hope you don't tell your friends anymore, you understand Danu ?" ask abah.

"Yes bah, God willing Danu will keep the trust from abah" I said, with mixed feelings due to confusion and deg - deg an. What is it, my mind.

I saw you chuckle "don't be confused and anxious, Danu .. Relax" said Abah. I just nodded while grinning. Many of the senior santri said that you can know the contents of the hearts and minds of others.

After taking a breath, nodding, I said, "Look Danu, there are some practices that you will give and that is only for you" said Abah.

I also quietly listened, waiting for the continuation of abah.

"Since the age of seven years until now, your abilities are growing. That's why both of your parents ask you to accompany and train you so that you can control it yourself. They just want you to be safe and be able to control those creatures, which sometimes are evil, Danu .

When you were a kid, your parents used to go to your house, sometimes you came to your house, just to close your inner eyes".

"Closing my inner eye, she meant how bah ?" ask me impatiently.

Abah also explained "you never sleep at night, from infancy to the age of four. You also do not want to eat, have a variety of vitamins given your ummi. If you want to eat, you only want to eat white rice at the end of a small spoon and only want to drink water. Various milk has been given but you do not want to drink it.

"And do you remember when you were about a year old you were always screaming because of the creatures you saw ? Makes both parents panic because they're confused not knowing what you're seeing"

"And when you're almost three years old, you yell a lot because you see an elephant in the bedroom, or a monkey in the bathroom and a lot more"

"From there your parents feel that there is something strange about your attitude"

I nodded, smiled, and continued the story. I looked up, smoked his cigarette and picked up the scoop of boiled pea. Open and eat it slowly.

" It's only natural that you remember, because your talent already exists. Therefore your inner eyes are open from birth. Even though it has been closed, but it always opens again as you grow older.

And the peak is when you are seven years old, at that time your inner eyes have opened perfectly"

"So that's bah, which causes me to always see strange creatures everywhere, including in my Elementary School yesterday ?"ask me while following me scooping nuts, and opening them.

While eating peanuts, I recalled an event when I was in elementary school.

At that time I just came to school in between by ummi , in my class only a few children who came because it was still quite early in the morning. Suddenly I saw a child wearing the same uniform as me, entering the classroom but not through the door.

He entered through the wall, I who did not understand trying to call and chase after him. Since he could break through the wall , I also thought I could , it turns out that I was hit so hard that I fainted . And was rushed to the hospital that morning also by my ummi.

I smiled shyly as I glanced at my brother, as if I knew what I was thinking, smiling along.

"Change will guide you slowly, you just wait later if you think you are ready, you will call you again. Now that you're back in the dorm, continue the next activity" your abah orders gently.

"Well, thank you for the explanation this afternoon .. Danu say yes bah" asked me politely.

" yes please , Danu" replied abah with a calm.

"Assalamualaikum, bah" I said.

"Waalaikumsalam warrahmatullahi wabarakatuh" replied abah.

After saying goodbye and kissing my brother's hand, I immediately brought my used drinking cup to my kitchen and washed it.

After that I immediately returned to the dormitory to prepare for the field. The clock showed almost two o'clock in the afternoon. I ran because I was afraid I was late. Training will start at exactly two o'clock until the ashar time arrives.

Arriving at the field my friends have lined up, I immediately entered the field and filled the empty part. I saw Kang Iwan still preparing on the sidelines.

Buugghh, suddenly Samsul punched me in the shoulder.

"Where are you, Dan .. Abis salat immediately said" he said.

"So chatted for a while as you were invited inside" I replied as I pretended to grimace with the pain in my shoulder. The real thing is not at all painful.

"Ohh that, wuah if you have to talk inside means that serious problem, Dan" he said again.

I did not reply, only looking towards Samsul while raising my eyebrows.

"May you not make trouble, Dan" he said while sneering at me, now it's my turn to punch him in the shoulder.

Buugghh, "Yes engga, if you say do not carelessly " said pura-pura angry. Samsul just grinned while stroking - elus my punch marks .

Before long kang Iwan was already standing in front of us, and asked us for a warm-up. After following his aba - aba , we also simultaneously followed kang Iwan running around the field.

His plan today kang Iwan will repeat the basic moves he has given. He will see the abilities of his students, before continuing to the following level of his.

I looked to the right, to the left and to the back, but found no one. Throughout the exercise I felt restless, until reprimanded by kang Iwan for lack of focus.

I refocused, but my heart felt like something was going to happen . But I don't know what and when . I tried to ignore and continue the exercise, my heart and brain as if working together to give signals that I did not understand.

While it was in the distance that a pair of fiery red eyes were watching their training, there was someone to his attention.

Even though Danu can't see it, she can feel it.

Haaii the readers kece , greetings from the author yes 💕

This is my first novel , please help if a lot of typo and the plot is still mess🙏😁

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