T1__Full text Institutional Repository | Satya Wacana Christian University: P. Ando R. A. T1 Full text

P. ANDO R. A.

FINAL PROJECT

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirement of the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

Andika Ahmad Bimantoro NIM: 392013005 FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN SATYA WACANA SALATIGA 2017

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TABLE OF CONTENT

Ando was a young student who just moved from his village to Semarang. It was less than one day before he got hospitalized because of his stomachache. On the hospital, he met Hera who came to represent the Pelita Abadi Academy–Ando’s school, and also as the Student Council of the academy. In their very first met, Ando did not know how to communicate with someone, as it was quiet difficult for him to make relationship with people around him. So, he avoided to make conversation with Hera.

Ando who decided to leave his Grandma on the village and study on Semarang finally realized the reason of why he leaved the village. To reach the ambition of life, Ando knew that there should something changed from him, or he could not develop himself. Later on, he started to open up his mind to the society around him in order to reach his ambiton of life.

STORY

P. ANDO R. A.

What a convenience time; I pulled the blanket with its white-blue pattern and covered up my body. Fragilely, I held the right side of the cold metal bed rails, tried to reset my position on the bed to get me easy resuming my activity along this day. At the same time, I was isolating my existence from the world after I shut both the door and the window–though sometimes I heard the sound squeaky wheelchairs passed through the hall. Anyway, I did not care with it, and continued to read my book. Besides that, since this early morning, it was raining outside.

There were no other choices beside closed both the door and the window because it was worked to muffle off some noises from outside. One noise in this room, and I could not stop it, was the clock ticking. It was like tick tock, tick tock, and tick tock since the first time

I came here. The sound was blended, it was trying to cover up the dripping of infuse that streamed down through the needle stuck on my left hand. Clearly, I could hardly hear it, and somehow it made me relax.

However, simply, this room was noiseless.

A small lamp inches above my head lighted me up reading my book. It was not so bright, but it shone and threw the light to some point of this room, and it was enough to tell that I just passed three quarters part of this book. Although it was light out, it was not difficult for me to read book. Thing would be better if I had only 250 ml’s canned of coffee on me, but as long as I was here, I would not have that addictive thing, so I had mineral water instead. Yes, I had to stand with it as my friend to help me folded back pages of book that I read, but, “All this calm and quiet brings sleepy on me,” I thought.

“I wonder what time is it.”

I tried to look at the clock, but it canceled after realizing that my index finger could not turn back page of the book anymore. It was the last page of the book. I winked my eyes and closed the book, “Finally, it’s done.”

Putting back the 365 pages book on the desk, I moved out my body, hardly tried to reach the other side of the bed till; unintentionally, my eyes looked at the clock hanging on the wall. Up high there, it hung on the wall, above the door–like a symbol, decoration at the entrance of this room.

“Ah, it’s 2 p.m. already,”I grumbled. Slowly, I grabbed the neck of infuse, which stood with its three holding feet, using my

right hand, then walked toward the window–tried to open up the white curtain that I closed since this morning. I did not ever think that walking could be this hard. It was not easy for me to move out my body. It felt heavy, and I did not have enough strength to walk on my feet. It was about 3 meters far from the bed, but it took years for me.

Shifted out both side of the curtain, I pushed the window behind and opened it up. The rain, it was not heavy anymore but, “It’s still rain outside.” “Whoops.” Suddenly, I felt like I fell–almost losing of my consciousness. Scratching my hand over my head, I thought, “Ah, I thought I’ve getting better. But, I need more time to regain my healthy.”

“I need more time to take a rest.” I just walked toward the bed when suddenly– [SSSSHBLAMM] Shocking, it was frightening; the lightning thunder flashing, seized up from the sky,

and at the same time, I saw shadow of a figure that stood up next to the door. Covered by a kind of black shadow, I could hardly recognize what it was. Surely, it shaped a figure.

Guessing, I was trying to scan down from bottom part of the ‘unidentified stuff’. I tried to scan every inch of it, and found out; using couple of black, dry shoe, white sox covered its’ ankle, and long thigh under the grey color of a skirt–which must be a woman, in such a kind of white shirt uniform, and–

[CLICK]

I stopped to scan that figure after I got myself blind. “It seems you are getting better,” I heard someone was talking. Looking for someone who just talking, slowly I got my eyes back. It just blurred for a while after she turned on the lamp in sudden. Or, it might because too long for me isolating myself in the room. Knocked by sight, I saw that one, her hand, touched something on the wall, before I recognized that the switch button was close to the door. Yes, it was right on there, the place where she stood.

“Good for me too, so I don’t have to worry about–,” she paused. “What?” I was questioning what just going on here. “Ups, sorry, I sipped my tongue,” she dashed her hair back. It was black, and long up

to her chest. I did not know why, for unknown reason she apologized then continued, “Oh, yes. I come here becausethis is one of my duties.”

“Excuse me but… I just think if there was mistake here.” I sighed, then asked, “Don’t you feel misplaced for intentionally entering this room?” “Eh, what make you think so?” She confused. “Wait, but I do pretty sure this is the room where I suppose to visit. Err… this is the E building… room 206, isn’t it?” “O, yes. This is…” “That face. As I thought, you don’t know about me. Maybe I should inform you

before visiting here,” she murmured herself. “Okay, let’s start it over! I am a Student Council from PelitaAbadi National Academy, a High School.”

“Ah, I see…” I was thinking, trying to arrange pieces of puzzle which came at once. “Hey, don’t you feel skeptic with me. I am not lying, and as I said before, I come here

to do my duty as a Student Council. It doesn’t mean that I came without purpose or something.”

“I’ve never thought it could be this fast.” “What did you say?” “What? No, it’s nothing,” I was murmured myself. Feeling locked with an alien

figure of this Student Council, I tried to understand her personality by reading her body language–pretending like I was drinking, while I did deep thought by scanning her gesture.

“You know,” she started the conversation again, while walking forward; put off her bag to the chair next to the desk, took out something and slipped it between her lips–which seemed like a hairband, then continued, “Somehow, I just feel that you are waiting for my visit here.”

“…pffffttt…what––?” I coughed. The water, it was just entered half on my neck as I almost vomited it out, “Ugh…” “Uh, are you fine?” She asked curiously. “Did I say something weird?” “Fine, I am fine. N-no, that’s not… ” I put back the glass, and cleaned up my lips. “Ah, okay then.” Still on her position, standing; showing her back while she cleaned up her bag back, I

could see stuffs in it. I took a peek on it, slowly. I could say that it was a clearly set bag, which; there were a lot of books in the middle, and two slot on the flank side–one of it filled by a small, plastic-bagged umbrella, and the other slot was filled with a kind of box or something.

“Now,” she turned her head back on me; took out the hairband from her lips, pulled her hair to behind, then bonded it in ponytail, and said, “I’d like to explain something.”

“Ah, yes–,” I got myself startled. Took a deep breath and set back my position, I tried to act normally. “Go ahead.” Turned back her body, and shifted right the bag; she sat down. Sitting with her back straight on, started to clean up her look, and tried to act like a figure of captivating woman; it created a mindset of mine that she was a kind of woman who would like to get admired. Maybe.

“Look, I don’t know what they think of you and why do they awarded you as the honor student–despite the fact that your rank was the highest than other, for me; you just seemed like a little boy who can’t even take care himself,” she started shouting something nonsense.

“Huh? Then what’s the matter?” I avoided. “… ‘what’s the matter’… huh?” She murmured. “Kid, you should know your place–”

she got up from her chair. Slowly, she walked toward the bed, then holding the edge side of it. Pulled out her hand; she reached my cheek, and made close her face to me. I could see gapon her shirt–showing the upper part of her chest, and I got myself blushed. On a moment, she got closer and closer, then said, “Because it’s not a good way to say something like that, if you do understand your position… newcomer.”

“…u….k…” I stammered. Smiling by stressing, she whispered, “I know you, Ando, I know who you really are,”

while I was speechless. This was the first time of my life I got intimidated by someone. What

a pressure! Turning back again, she sat back to the chair; opened up her bag, tried to find something. I stared at her, while cleaned up the sweat streamed on my face. “Here we go,” she took out something–which seemed like papers or notes, and then sat down. Folding back that sheet one by one, she was reading something. Then, at that moment; she grinned.

Scratching her hand over her head, she said, “Here, I got your form registration. Your profile, uh,” it seemed like she tried to compare something, “it’s written that you, Putra Ando RahardianAnanta, are not from Semarang, are you?”

“Eh… Yes, I am not.” “Ah, I see,” she turned back the page and started to read again. “Now, here I’ll

explain the rule in our Academy. Let me see… uh… we do garrisoning new students, especially for students of the first year, and… on this paper, they say… actually there would

be admission fee to pay, but you–as the highest honor rank student; they give opportunity to be admission fee to pay, but you–as the highest honor rank student; they give opportunity to

She started explaining something I did not understand. Too much data came at once; suddenly, I got my head dizzy. If I ignored her, it would be impolite. It reminded me that I had not taken drugs this afternoon.

“Can we just–” “Nah,”suddenly, she interrupted me, “actually, I do not agree with this policy, where

the honor should be given to low life students because I believe that it’s their opportunity to study without afraid of the cost for study. But you… ruined everything…”

“What do you mean–?” I took a gap between my words. Thinking back the fragments of puzzle–what she said before, and compiled everything together, and then I concluded something. “Ah, you just feel jealous with me, don’t you? Let me ensure something… uh… as one of the most famous school around this city–PelitaAbadi Academy, they use ranking system and execute this system by compiling the grades of all students before they can establish one student with the highest score. Looking on your arrogance behavior, it might your motivation to show that youwere the highest honor in the school before I replaced you, weren’t you? But, when I think about all of it, I doubt that you are such a person like that.”

“Well, I never think that you’re a kind of man with wild imagination. The way you arrange all of it, that’s interesting for nothing.” “Ha-ha-ha! ‘Wild imagination’–? That’s fine; if it’s me in the eyes of you, miss…” That was interesting. I was questioning myself that–along we were talking each other,

where she already knew who I was; still I had no idea about who she was. “Call me Hera,” she said, elegantly. “Ah, Hera!” “Now tell me, Ando. The way you hold on this discussion… do you have any

intention?”Hera asked. “Hera,” I took a gap to do inhaling–while turning aside my face, “for saying the whole on purpose; trust me, I don’t have any.” “Hey, hey, hey… wait a second, its one year faster for you lying in front of me, kid.” “No, I am not lying at–” I did not find time to complete my words when I faced her

face next to my bed. Her face, it was just one span of hand–or even closer, to my face. I got my heart pumped out, and all my face red blushed–again.

“Let me give you some tips,” Hera grinned. “When you are lying to someone; do not ever throw aside your face from him.”

It was very close, so I could see her face clearly through this range. She had two dark, sharp eyes which spaced by a small nose in between; placed down the nose, one sensual wet lips hanged on her face; and one tiny bleak shape of skin clung on the left side, below the eyes, on her cheek–it was a piece of shit of a fly.

One thing that bothered me was the dark circles below her eyes. I was not sure if it was her make-up style. Although it became a big question mark for me, I preferred not to ask, stay quiet, and convince myself that it was her style of make-up.

“I’m done with you,” she said, “I’d take my time to leave.” “Are you leaving now?” I asked, curiously. “Yes, I will… and you’re–,” turning back her head, she added, “Not going to miss

me?” “What? Of course I am not. Why should I!” I disclaimed it. “Ha-ha,” she laughed, “I do think so.” “Don’t make such bad joke,” I told her. “Anyway, tomorrow is Sunday.”Hera took on her bag. She opened the door and

stopped for a while before saying, “So, you don’t need to wait for my visiting tomorrow.” “Ugh,” I sighed. “Don’t worry, I won’t.” “Ah, you are so meant,” she walked to the door. “That’s not a good way to grab

woman interest.” “Hera,” I said, while she turned her head on me, “have a nice weekend.” Standing next to the door; she just smiled, “Sure.”

The sound of the closed door signed her leaving. It was not completely one minute after she left before someone knocked the door and came in. “Excuse me, I’m here to refill infuse,” said the nurse in white, with new infusion on her hand. “Ah, yes… please.” I looked at the infusion which I used since tomorrow. It was almost used up.

It was Sunday. Today, it was raining again. The rain, it almost came at the same time; afternoon, but it was heavier than it used to. The pitter-patter of the rain hardly crashed on the window-pane. It was one heavy rain, and the sound when they crashed down to the earth fulfilled the whole part of this room and it was relaxing. I closed the window but let the curtain opened up, so I could adore its’ beauty while reading my new book, except–

“It’s been 30 minutes,” I stopped reading, “and you haven’t finished with your lunch?” “Whawy?Wiseitbouwderswomefoueorywou?” Talking with a mouth full of foods

made me difficult to understand what she was saying. What a loathsome. “What are you saying? At least swallow it properly.” “Hey, Ando,” she pointed her chopstick on, “don’t you know the rule of 32 times

chewing food?” “Ah, of course I know,” I answered. “That’s–,” some of her meal was thrown out from her mouth, “what I’m doing now.” “Ugh…” I stared at her. A girl with a black, and long hair up to her chestwho called

herself as a Student Council. If it wasnot for her weirdo behavior, she would be beautiful. What a waste.

“Hoy! Where are you looking at?” She looked at me. Covering the lunch box with its hands, she said, “I’m not going to share my lunch!” “...” I did not know how to react. That was awkward.

“Thanks for the meal.” Hera put back her lunch box, and took something from her bag. It was one middle-

size bottle. She took off the cap–a hand-sized cap, and poured drink in it. The cap, I could see it was smoked up while she drank from it. I did not know what it was, but it looked like she loved it. My noes smelled something tasty came from the cap.

“What was it?” I asked her, interestedly. “Hot tea,” said her. Drinking hot tea to get warmed her body; it was a good idea. I

only stared at her when she stared covering the cap with its hands, then she added, “I’m not going to share with you!”

“Ah, keep it for you,” I threw my face aside, “I don’t want it either.” “Ha-ha,” she laughed. “You’re lying. Why didn’t you learn from the tips that I told

you yesterday?” “Forget about it. That’s nonsense. Now tell me,” I asked her, “what are you doing here?”

I was wondering what Hera was doing in the hospital. Saying that there were works to do along these week end, but suddenly she came here when it was heavy rain outside. As I recalled, when the first time she came here–accidently, it was also in raining time.

Holding the half-drunken cup of tea, Hera just sat on the chair in silence. “You said that you’d have works to do, but–”

“I just think you need someone to share with,” she smiled. “Eh, what make you think so?” “You spent all the night alone by yourself,” she said. “I think you are lonely.” “Could you please cut it off?” I asked. “It disgusts me.” “What–? Why? Is that your behavior after I brought books for you?” She looked upset.

Showing a state of over desperate action, she covered her face with her hands; sobbing. “Such a drama-queen,” I mocked. I admitted she was a kind person. It was like what she did today where–suddenly, she brought some books for me. I read back the book on my hand. It almost reached half-way to the end. The book was interesting, so I was triggered to finish it as fast as possible. I was searching for the last page that I missed off, when–

“What did you say?” “Ouch! Hey–,” Hera tweaked on my ear–the right one. “It hurts!” “Who did you call as drama-queen?” She asked. “No–it hurts… let off your hand from me, please…” I begged. “Now you feel me!” Letting out her hand, she showed a unique face by expressing

both angry and sad emotions at the same time. I did not know how to explain it. I even could not make such kind of expression.

“Ha-ha, sorry.” I bowed my head; apologized. “I can’t believe it! How could you utter the magic spell ‘sorry’ easily?” Hera changed

her tone. She was mad. “Listen, Ando! Making up one’s mind to forgive someone’s fault is not something easy to be done!”

“Seriously?” I doubted her logic. “Look, Hera. We as social beings, it is something common for human to do communications in society, right? So… it is a common sense if they get hurt along the process.”

“Like what you did to me?” She asked, allusively. “Yes! That was… the process… of… communication.” I justified myself. “Oh, man.” She sighed. “If it is something common, then there won’t be end for

people hurting each other.” “Well… for a caliber, yet socialist person who grasps as a Student Council like you,”

I praised her, “People should ‘admire’ on you, right?” “Is it? Is that what you think about me?” “Yeah, that’s it.” “Ah~” She pointed up her finger. “Now I wonder to recruit you in our school

organization.”

“No! No thanks.” I refused. “What a waste. We really need more members to join with,” she explained. “We’d be

pleasure to accept, specially, a buddy like you.” “A-actually… I-I am not sure.” “I am not forcing you but you can ask me whenever you are prepared.”

I was wordless. I did not know what was in Hera’s mind about me–so that she asked me to join with her ‘community’. It might be only I, the one who found difficulties when I tried to understand people and what response should I gave every time I met them. As a person who never cared to others, I did not know what made Hera different than people that I used to know. It felt like I had never had such kind of relations. The more I recalled it, the more nostalgic memories that showed up in my mind–––––where it was something that I had locked down since long time ago.

I did not have such kind of exciting childhood memories after I spent my whole time to stay in home and never go outside. My parents, they were scientists, where they worked for an Education Center which worked under supervision of government. They were always wasting their time on the laboratory and barely to get home. Keeping the safety of my house when my parents worked out, they did not ask for babysit because they believed that I was independent to be left alone by myself. It was happened for almost every single day. Even they did not have spare time to spend with me, their son. There was no quality-time in this family. They enjoyed their life, and so did I in my way. I could say that I was happy with my family, but I always wondered if this was really my home–a place for you, and someone waiting for you, to come back–which I never felt so.

On one night they came to my room and told about their office which sent some of their employees to participate on a seminar, and both my father and mother were accidently selected to represent their office on the seminar. It was one night stay, so they would not back home until the next day.

“It’s okay,” father told me, “it won’t be that long.” “We will back soon.” Mother hugged me.

I did not say anything. I only showed a big smile on my face, and they smiled back before asked me back to sleep. I put my blanked on, covered it up to my body, and I said to myself if it would be fine. “It is something normal,” I thought.

They went off early in the morning after preparing stuffs to bring on. I led their way off, and waved my hand before they entered the bus. It did not take long time before the bus was gone behind the horizon.

One certain thing in this world was uncertainness. People would never know what would happen in their life, and so did I. I never thought that the day; the morning where I my parents left me to work, would be the day they would never come back… ever. The bus which rented by the office got crashed into abyss. There were no survivors. The 30 employees and the driver, they all passed away.

It started with a small talk then continued into a two-hour, endless, and long conversation between us. I had never thought that I would meet such a person like Hera in this city. We were stranger in our very first meet. I did not know that we would get close each other as this fast. When I saw her at the first time, my first impression about Hera was; an anomalous and unpredictable person, but it was wrong. Basically, she was an anomalous, unpredictable, yet irritating person that I had ever met in my life. Frankly, I meant to say it because; that was the way she was.

“Hoy~” A loud belly yell of someone woke me up from my day dreaming. I looked around but found nothing. “Down here~” Looking out from the window of my class, I moved my view down to the football field. I saw someone stood next to the tree there. It was Hera who yelled on me while waving her hands on. In the crowd of students, she was yelled out loud. She tried to catch my attention.

“Ugh.” I closed the window and sat back on my chair. I ignored her. “Ando~” I could hear Hera’s voice. She shouted out my name. But it was stopped

after the bell rang on, and told that the fifth lesson was started. “Where is she?” I was peeking out from the window carefully, and found out she was leaving. “That’s it. It’s much better.” Thinking back on what Hera did was made me curious. I concluded the two possibilities which explained ‘what was wrong with her’. First, she might want to tell something to me–while I ignored her. Second, she did it without any purpose–while I ignored her. Actually, no matter what she wanted to say beyond her acts, the end would be same; I ignored her. It did not mean that I was unwilling to face her, but calling my name in crowded while people watched directly on me was very irritating.

The classmates who spent their lunch time with their mate, through my view; they systematically came back to the class one by one. I could see they came in rows before sat back and started busy with their chit-chat while I was busy with my business. Still looking on outside, I saw the scenery through the window of my classroom. Clearly I could see some middle-sized trees grew up around the football field. Those leaves, they had russet pattern in it–which signed that it was their time to fall. I dreamed up my mind as I observed on those leaves which fell down one by one. Once the wind was blowing, they would fly out high and left them somewhere away and–helplessly, fell into decay. But, when the wind ignored them, they would fall to the ground and pleasured to become compost for their mother of tree. What

a pathetic; all their time lived in their home–at the end, they did not know how they would depart their life. Looking at the bright view of the sky, I recalled my memories back to my first step walked out from the bus which led me from my village to Semarang, and one heavy rain greeted my visit. It should be evening according to my watch, but the heavy rain made night came faster. Using one big raincoat, I decided to bring all my stuffs and walked on my feet to reach the apartment that I had booked since last week. The address said it placed around the bus station, and it took only fifteen minutes away from the bus station. I rented the apartment only for one month before deciding whether renew the contract or not.

Entered my room, quickly I looked for some snacks. I searched on every part, but I could only get one canned of coffee. I looked down on label of it. The taste of the coffee, it was written ‘Mocha’–which was my favorite one. Doubtfully, I did not remember that I put that stuff in my bag when I prepared my stuffs. Unfortunately, I could not find anything else on my bag. Once I opened the cup; helplessly, I drank it. On three counted of gulps, it flew through my throat and filled my empty stomach.

As one of my favorite coffee, I tasted something different with this Mocha. The sweet taste of the coffee was different than I used to. After it all filled my stomach, the only taste when it passed on my tongue was something sour.

“It’s weird. I always buy this coffee, but…why it tasted different?” I thought. “Ah, it might their new variation product.” Painfully, I felt something burning in my stomach. Quickly, I ran into toilet after I felt something would explode in my stomach. Intensively, I ran in and out around five times in ten minutes. Losing my power to get back to the toilet, I decided to ask for help. Faintly, I reached smartphone in my bag and made emergency call. Soon, ambulance came with the housekeepers who looked worried. They brought me to the ICU to get First Aid.

At the end, I remembered the coffee was out of date already. It was about three weeks before I moved to Semarang and bought the coffee when a market shop around my village gave discount on it. It was half percent of the price, so I bought one. After I put it in my bag, I forgot to drink the coffee soon until the day I came to Semarang, entered the apartment, found it, drank it, and I got myself dying.

One after another, it was an unwritten rule of a market shop when they sold something, especially foods and drinks, and put discount on it; possibly, they all almost reached the expired time. On my case, the coffee that I bought should be consumed a week after I bought it. Carelessly, I drank the coffee after the expiry date–actually, it was two weeks. For me, that was one embarrassing memory of my life.

“Alright,” I heard someone closed the door, “let’s start the lesson.” It was the teacher who came in and closed the door. I took books from my bag and

opened it up. It was English time. The handout that I bought last weekend was almost filled with scrawls. Even it seemed like random scratches, it was my style to take notes when study. At least, it already reached up two chapter of the book. Simply, it meant that I had prepared myself learning on English lesson for the next four weeks. Not only for this English handbook, I had put attention on other subjects and took notes in it. The all fourteen courses along this semester, no one even missed from my attention. Even so, it did not fulfill the standard of my self-satisfaction because Ihad to find references to collect more related data to expand my knowledge.

When I felt very enthusiastic to study in my new school–with my classmates, I felt different atmosphere in this class. I saw the teacher, she started the lesson. But, when I looked around, I saw half of the classmates were sleepy on their desk. They bowed their head down and covered their face with their book, while the rest still hung on their soul to stay in and hardly tried to pay attention. Only some of them–included me, who really paid attention on the teacher who was teaching.

When I said the teacher was ‘teaching’; actually, she was only rewriting what was written in book. After she finished one topic, she continued to the next page without giving more explanation. Now, the 2x8-sized blackboard which was clean before the teacher came in, was almost filled by her abstract-handwriting for two last hours after the lesson was started.Ignoring the others, I followed the lesson easily and took notes everything I needed on my book. Viewing to this unpleasant, yet satisfying scenery showed me how the system of When I said the teacher was ‘teaching’; actually, she was only rewriting what was written in book. After she finished one topic, she continued to the next page without giving more explanation. Now, the 2x8-sized blackboard which was clean before the teacher came in, was almost filled by her abstract-handwriting for two last hours after the lesson was started.Ignoring the others, I followed the lesson easily and took notes everything I needed on my book. Viewing to this unpleasant, yet satisfying scenery showed me how the system of

“Okay, that’s all for today,” said the teacher. It was the last subject for today. The students were leaving off the classroom right

after the teacher passed by. Carefully, I rechecked everything before leaving. I was a careful person. I made sure to bring back the stuffs that I brought to school this morning, just like the handbooks, pens and eraser.

“Ah… I lost my pencil.” I looked for the pencil that used to write along the class. No matter how hard I sought it between my handbooks, I could not find it. “Maybe I should buy the new one.”

“Looking for this?” I saw a hand of someone lent out a pencil on it. I could easily claim that it was mine because there was written my name on it.

“Oh, thanks–,” I was frozen for a while after found out that it was Hera. “Ugh…” “Hm?” She smirked. “What’s wrong?”

I felt something bad after found out Hera’s appearance in my class. Trying to act normally, I put a smile on my face and greeted her. “I-I-I want to meet you after-after-and–.” My pretense to act normally was failed when I got myself gauche in front of her. “Really? What a fate!” She brought nearer her face on me, and she grinned, “I’d like to meet you too… after I called you but didn’t answer me…” “I-I-I–,” I sweated. “I just wonder why you called me from the field… so-so-so, I-I-” “So, you did hear me?” She came even closer. “Then why you just stood in silent and

closed the window when I called you!” “Ach-ouch-hey,” Hera tweaked on my ear–the left one. “It hurts!” “I can make it hurt even more!” She tweaked my ear and put more pressure on her

thumb. She got me. It hurt my ear even more. Obviously, she looked enjoy it and considered me such a kind of masochist.

“ACH-OUCH!” I shrieked.

I wiped on my red ear before took the pencil and then put it to my bag. Still I could feel the pain on my ear, but I ignored it. “Now it’s all completed!” I thought.

I looked at Hera while she was sitting next to me and eating her lunch. I could not say if it was a lunch because it was already 4 p.m. and people already left the school. I might say it should be a dinner. Now it reminded me that I had not had anything to eat since this morning. I went to school early and I had not prepared breakfast yet. Once, I peeked at Hera, I looked at Hera while she was sitting next to me and eating her lunch. I could not say if it was a lunch because it was already 4 p.m. and people already left the school. I might say it should be a dinner. Now it reminded me that I had not had anything to eat since this morning. I went to school early and I had not prepared breakfast yet. Once, I peeked at Hera,

“I am doing my 32 times chewing meals.” She knew that I peeked on her. “Eh, yes…”

I did not have anything left to do after I put all my handbooks, pens and pencils in my bag. I had nothing to say, and so did Hera. We were in the same room but we kept our word in silence. The classroom where we stayed was full voiceless.Only the clock sound which tick tock, tick tock, and tick tock since we sat in silent. Even there were rows of desks in this classroom, only two of them that used up; the orange color of the sunshine filled the whole part of this room after it broke through the window; the scribble writing from English Teacher still hung on the blackboard after it left by the cleaning officer; and the door were opened widely. These situations; it was like they all wanted to tell us for leaving the classroom soon.

“Tell me, Ando,” she started the conversation. “How was your day?” “Exciting,” I took a handbook and a pen from my bag, and started noting. “The class

was full of students. They look enjoy this school. But there were some of them who slept in class while the teacher was teaching. Of-of course I paid attention to the teacher and noted everything in handbook.”

“Ah, I see.” She finished her meals and took on tea cup from her bag. “And what’s about your new room?” “Somehow, I enjoy it.” It was one week after I was released from the hospital and Hera led me to move out from my apartment to the PelitaAbadi Academy, my school. She told me that my room was reserved and ready to be used. I brought all my property and moved all of them from my apartment, to the student house of PelitaAbadi Academy. I remembered what Hera said about ‘garrisoning for new students’.

“What about your ex––boarding house?” “Don’t give odd name like that.” I grumbled. “I only rented the apartment for one

month before decided whether renew the contract permanently, or not. I asked the housekeepers, and they said it was alright, and I just needed to pay the cost for one month.”

“You’re not going to tell your parents?” She asked. “I already told my Grandma.” “Grandma?” Putting the cup tea back to her bag, she asked, “Then how do you think–

your impression, about this school about this Academy?”

“I don’t know how to explain it, but I could say; this is as I expected. The teachers are very competent and they teach very well.” “Ah, I see.” It was only a small talk after all. The integrity of our conversation was different than we used to do. The way she threw her question; the way I answered the question, and the way we responded each other; it did not flow up to make a larger topic of conversation. Even if I had anything to say, I preferred not to say it. It might also happened with Hera.

“Let’s go out of here.” Hera slapped my shoulder. “It’s evening already,” “Yeah.” I put on my bag and followed Hera left the class. Hera and I were walked together to leave the class. The nightfall slowly disappeared

from the horizon and it brought its’ light with him. The lamps around the school had turned on by the officers and it lighted up every area around the school. The school was quieter than it used to, and some of the classroom was already turned off the lamp–which meant that people had leaved the school. Barely, there were some classes which still turned on the lamp, and some students stayed in the school, and wasting their time, for joining extracurricular.

There was name plate above the class as a sign what club which used the class. While Hera and I only kept walking without saying any single word, I was wasting my time by reading those name plate and peeking inside the class one by one. There were; Architecture Club with a lot of painting tools in their room, Literature Club which had one black, big, circle table in the middle of the room, Biology Club which shut off the window so I could not peek in it, and there was also Football Club which used the football field as their room to practice. Actually, there were a lot of extracurricular activities provided by this school, but that was all I could find along my way.

“Maybe their room is in another side of this school.” I thought. As I remembered, the operating system of a classroom that used by this school was

different from my Junior High School. In my school, a classroom was very useful for more than one purpose. In the morning the classroom would be used for lesson, but in the evening it would be used for extracurricular activities. As my Junior High School was not as large as this school, I thought it was the best choice.

“What are you thinking of?” Hera asked. “Ah, it’s nothing.” I looked at Hera. “I… just wasting my time.” “Ah, I see.” Hera stopped for a while. She bowed her head down–looking on

something on the floor, something I could not see with my eyes. “I just think that Student Council is not proper with my character, and I decide to walk out from my chair–”

“Wait,” I stopped her words and tried to make sure what she said. “WHAT?” “I want to resign from Student Council. Here it is,” she showed something on her

hand, “I write all in this letter.” “You-you really want to do that?” I asked her seriously. “What make you think so?” “I just feel that I don’t have support from people around me.” Hera looked upset. “I

try everything but it’s all useless! No matter what I say, they won’t hear me! No matter what

I do, it was nothing on their eyes. Since the first time I came here, I never get good treatments from them!” “Why…why?” “I CAN’T STAND WITH THIS!” Hera screamed out loud. Her voice bounced around

the hall. “Tell me, Ando. How could I end this suffer? Should I… die?” “Why should you?” I grabbed her hands. “That would–I would be sad, Hera!No matter, no matter what they say about you! Don’t give a shit with it! Believe with yourself, Hera! Believe with your own self! All you do as Student Council, they only jealous with your achievements!”

“I don’t know what I should do, Ando.” Hera looked confuse. “I just feel that I am at my limit, and… and soon, I could give up on this anytime.” “HERA!” I shouted. “IF YOU LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU, AND GIVE UP ON IT; YOU WILL LOSE YOUR MIND. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS; BE THE WAY YOU ARE!”

Hera looked surprised. She stood in front of me, but she did not say any single word to response me. If she wasan anomalous, unpredictable, yet irritating Hera that I used to know, she should did to me as the way she tried to express her feelings, just like: tweaked my ear, tweaked my ear, or tweaked my ear. But now, Hera showed me another part of herself that I never met; the fragile, without tweaking tear, Hera.

“Tell me, Hera–” I stopped my words after one smooth-touch twinned around my shoulder. Once I realized, Hera was already hugged me. “Eh, Hera? What are you–?” “Let me–,” she said in low voice. “Let me do this… for a while.” “Ye-yeah…” “I am sorry, Ando.” Hera reached my arms. “I am sorry.” Hera hugged me for a long time.Softly, I could hear she was sobbing on my back. At

this distance, I felt like Hera and I was merged into one. Her hair; it was black and soft fiddling my cheek, and I could smell something relaxing from it–which might because of the this distance, I felt like Hera and I was merged into one. Her hair; it was black and soft fiddling my cheek, and I could smell something relaxing from it–which might because of the

“Every morning,” Hera said. “I put on my uniform to go to school. But I was too scared. When I remembered with their loathsome gaze on me, I stopped my stride. I just couldn’t go… but you–when I saw you, in that place… you saved me! If it’s not you, I don’t know what I should do. I might stop my way… forever and leave… this world.”

I kept silent and heard on what Hera said. At the same time, I was busy with myself that scanned every part of Hera’s body. I did not remember how long we had been doing this. Actually, I really enjoyed this moment. One thing that disturbing me was the way she stood on her tiptoes–which showed that I was higher than Hera; it seemed difficult for her balancing her height with me.

“Hera,” I whispered on her ear. “Can we stop this?”

I asked Hera to put off her hands from my shoulder after some students were came out from the classroom and stared on us. One by one they were passed by; some of them were stopped for a while, while the rest kept walking on and laughed in sleeve. I felt uncomfortable with the way they stared on us.

“Hera,” I whispered again. “Put your hands out of me, now!” “Sorry Ando, I can’t do it now. It’s too embarrassing if they see my face.” “What–? Hey! Hera?” Hera did not let her hands out of me; other way, she hugged me

tighter than before. The way she hugged me, it made me hard to breathe, “He-ra. Please… I… can’t… breathe…”

“Ah? Ando sorry…”

After Hera let out her deathful-hug from me; quickly, she covered up her red face and took out a kerchief from her pocket. Even it seemed disguised; the red color of her eyes could not hide the sign that she had crying. Yes, she could not cover her sadness in front of me.

“Ando,” Hera smiled on me. “Thanks for your shoulder.” “Ugh…” My face was red, and I got my face blushed. “That’s fine.” We sat at the edge of the football field for a while, while Hera started telling story of

her life. Hera was accepted in PelitaAbadi Academy by scholarship. The scholarship, it was categorized as a scholarship for ‘unqualified’ student because of the financial problem of her family. Basically, it was a new category which opened by this academy on last year, and they provided the scholarship for one student only. It was lucky for Hera as the one who was chosen to get the scholarship.

Actually, Hera could receive a scholarship for those smart students because she got the highest score from the test between all students in her colleague, but she could not change what school had established. The happiness that Hera got as a scholarship student drove many attention from other students. Since the first time she came to the school, people stared on Hera cynically. Not only verbally, sometimes Hera got bullied physically. Every insulting that she got, it directed on ‘Hera; a poor student of PelitaAbadi Academy’. As the time passed by, people were bored with her and leaved Hera alone.

Frankly, I did not know how to boost her mood on this situation. Hera had her own problem; but from my point of view, she already solved her problem by herself. Even if she faced difficulties–at the end, Hera showed that she could stand on her own feet in PelitaAbadi Academy, and everyone admired her existence painfully.

“I think,” I started the conversation, “you had passed your climax of your story in this Academy.” “You think so?” She turned her face on me. “Don’t you think so?” I asked back. “At one moment, you believe on your way and

you’re not giving up on everything what people say on you.” “Ando,” Hera smiled on me. “I wish I could be an optimist person like you.” “Ha-ha-ha! What make you think so?” “You see something from different way.” Hera said, while laid her head on my

shoulder–the right one. “Even if it is something negative, you will take the good side from it. It was the part of you which moved my heart.”

“Ah, I see.” I agreed with opinion. “But, you know… I was an introvert person who never went out from my house. It was also difficult for me making social relationship with people around me. But it changed after I met my super-hero.”

“Eh, super-hero?” Hera bowed her head. She looked confused. “Yes. She is my Grandma.” “Grandma?” “Yes. Grandma, the mother of my mother; she was the one who brought me out from

the cage that I made by myself after my parents passed away.” “Your-your parents–” She looked shocked. “They passed away?” “Yes. They passed away in an accident when I was child.” “Eh, I’m sorry.” “That’s fine.”I took a deep breath. “It was long time ago.” “And you live with your Grandma?” Hera asked curiously.

“Yes. Grandma took me with her.” I took of my bag, tried to relax my back. Once I peeked on Hera where she stared on me and never missed her eyes from me. I continued, “Different with my parents who always spent their time to work and left me alone to stay in home, Grandma was a kind person who cared with me and gave me something that my parents never gave;love and peace. So, when you said such suicidal thing like that; somehow, it made me upset. If there is something I can do to help, I will do it–everything I can do.”

I heard Hera was sobbing. I peek on her while she turned around tried to erase tears from her face. Turning back again, quickly she grabbed my arm. “Tell me Ando. Why you chose this school?” “I don’t have any purpose by choosing the school. I just think that I need to know

more about world at large.” I stopped my words for a while to look at the sky that already turned even darker. “Simply, I go to this school to blend with people in society.”

“Ah, I see.” “But, I have one motivation to show that I am independent enough to life alone, and

say to myself that I will make Grandma happy as my recompense. Now, I am on my way.” ”As I thought, Ando…” Hera smiled. “You really are an optimist person.” “Really?” I complained. “I might also need a super-hero to help me out from my cage.” Hera grabbed my head,

reached out my cheek with her hands and said, “Come join with me in S.O.P.A.!” “That again?” “C’mon. Don’t you feel interested to join in, do you?” Hera teased me. “Listen to me!

If you join with me, you can give more impact not only change people, but you have bigger chance to reach larger area of this school. Of course it will open up your view about this school.”

“No, never mind!” I let out her hands from my head, and threw my face aside. “You are interested, aren’t you?” Hera grinned. “Please, cut it off.” I ran out of the hall and leaved Hera behind. “Ah, crap! You ran away!” She shouted. “That’s not fair!” “No!” I ran as fast as I could without looking back on Hera. “WAIT!” “NEVER!”

The moonlight led my way walking through the hall when my footstep stopped in front of a door at the end the hall. On the name plate of the room, it was written 206. To make The moonlight led my way walking through the hall when my footstep stopped in front of a door at the end the hall. On the name plate of the room, it was written 206. To make

“Ando?” I heard someone’s voice–a familiar voice; it was Hera who was lying on the bed.

“Ah…”I stepped in and put all the books on the chair. “I’m glad this is the room.” “Hey, what are you doing here?” Hera asked curiously. “I heard that you are hospitalized. So I come to visit you,” I sat on the chair. “Here, I

bring some books for you.” “Ah, thank you very much,” Hera smiled. “Actually, I am not expected that you will visit me as this fast.” “I’m also not expecting you to push yourself–beyond your limit, preparing everything only for this event. At the end, you were fainted and missed the Birthday Ceremony of our school.”

“Ha-ha-ha!” Hera started laughing. Turning her thumb-up, Hera said, “That’s because

I feel so excited preparing this event–though this is the last work I can do as Student Council.” “But, you should know your limit before–” “Besides that,” Hera interrupted me. “How could I feel not excited when I see

everyone do their best preparing the ceremony?” “That’s nonsense.” I complained. “As I know, everything is well-prepared before I leaved.” Hera smiled. “After all, it

will be your duty for the next year as the next Student Council, right?” “Please stop it.” I complained. “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Hera laughed out loud. “You don’t have to shy. Compared to other

candidates, you are the one who have biggest chance to win the election. Cheer up, Ando!” “Eh, how can you easily make conclusion like that?” I argued. “After all, it is an election, and everyone should have their own choice.” “Ah, that’s right.” “One thing that I don’t understand is,” I scratched my head. “Why I was volunteered

as the candidate. Everyone; students in my class, they shouted my name as the candidate of class representation.”

“That’s because…” Hera set her body to the edge of the bed. “They believe with you, aren’t they?”

“That’s… I don’t know.” “Ando!” Hera held my hands. “No matter what happens, I will always trust you!” “Ugh–. Forget about it,” I turned my face aside. “Anyway, when will you release from

here?” “Ugh, the way you said ‘release’,” Hera looked upset. “Somehow, it makes me feel like I am in prisoned.” “That’s…” “Maybe tomorrow I can leave after they do check up on me. Don’t worry; it’s just a

fever after all.” “Ah, I see.” Only a short answer that said from my mouth–but, deep inside my heart I was glad after heard that her fever was not as serious as I expected. “So, what’s going on with the ceremony?” “Before I leaved the school, I saw they were preparing for bonfire.” “I see.” Hera turned aside her head, looked at the window. “Hey, Ando…” “Yes?” “Could you please open up the window?” Hera asked. “Ah, sure.” I walked toward the window; shifted the curtains and then pushed out both

side of the windows. “There it is.” “Thanks.” Hera smiled. “No problem.” I sat back on the chair. “Anyway, why did you ask me to do that?” “Just wait for a while.” “What are you waiting for?” I asked curiously. “––––––!” Without saying any single word, Hera peered at me. “Just wait for a

while. ” “Ye-yeah.” I answered. “Look, Ando!” Hera grabbed my hand. “It’s out there!” “Eh,” I closed my smartphone. “What do you want to show–” “Fireworks!”Hera said, eagerly.