BROMOCORAS
Competition Again

This afternoon Ajimukti was enjoying the grass in his room mat. I don't know why the morning that had looked cloudy was actually the afternoon so hot. Next to him Dullah sounded already snoring. Several times Ajimukti shook his head when Dullah's snoring sounded hardened.

Shortly the door of the room was knocked. Ajimukti immediately got up, confirmed the sheath and opened the room door. Outside the room looks santri from the next room already standing there.

"Assalamu'alaikum." Santri then said hello as soon as the door leaf was seen opened.

"Wa'alaikumsalam." Answer Ajimukti a little surprised. "What's up, Mom?" Ask later.

"Anu, Mas Aji. That's. Mas Aji called Gus Faruq tell the third floor. Now he says." Santri said then.

"Oh yes. Thank you, Mommy."

Santri just nodded and left Ajimukti's room.

For a moment Ajimukti asked in his heart. I suppose there's a need for what Faruq calls him. Without a second thought Ajimukti immediately closed the door of the room and stepped towards the third floor like the santri said earlier.

Ajimukti walked a little hastily up the stairs while justifying the buttons of his sleeves. He almost slipped because he did not focus on paying attention to the stairs. And arrived....

Bruk!!!

Ajimukti is with someone. Luckily, the man avoided it. Otherwise they might have collided.

Ajimukti awakens from his daydream. Looked at that guy. Turns out a girl who was probably two and three years under him. The girl looked at Ajimukti for a moment. For a split second they looked at each other. Realizing that soon Ajimukti cast his sight. So too with the girl.

"sorry. Sorry." Say Ajimukti with a little bowed.

"I'm sorry too." Say the girl in a soft voice.

"I'll excuse you." Said the girl then then walked back in the opposite direction to Ajimukti.

After the girl left, the new Ajimukti dared to raise his head looking at the girl passed away from where she stood.

The stature of the slender little girl was not too high. Wearing a green-colored abaya that makes it look elegant.

Ajimukti shook his head. Then walk back to the third floor. Perhaps Faruq had been waiting for him long enough.

On the third floor Ajimukti was a little confused. He had no idea which room Faruq was waiting for him in. He forgot to ask the santri who had come to his room.

Ajimukti can only scratch his head. Perplexities.

"Who's looking?" Suddenly the sound from behind shocked him.

Manan was standing there. Ajimukti breathed a sigh of relief.

"Gus Faruq wants to see me. Do you know where the room is? This is my first trip up to the third floor. Confused me." Cerocos Ajimukti's.

Without replying, Manan pointed his hand towards a slightly open room.

Without saying much Ajimukti immediately stepped into the room. He stood in front of the room and looked at Manan. His hand pointed at the room, his lips moving as if asking, "This?"

Manan just nodded slowly.

Ajimukti immediately knocked on the door of the room. From the inside came a step closer and the door of the room opened. Ajimukti immediately said hello.

Dressed in a plain white t-shirt combined with a batik holster, Faruq welcomed Ajimukti's arrival with a smile and let him in.

Ajimukti sits on a fairly soft carpet. Unlike the one in his room was just an ordinary mat.

"Do you drink what Kang Aji?" Said Faruq later.

"Ah don't bother, Gus. Just had a drink in the room."

"Look easy, Kang. Coffee, Kang?" Faruq offers coffee. Ajimukti finally nodded. It's not good to refuse.

"What's up, Gus? When I arrived to call me here." Tanya Ajimukti wanted to immediately let go of her curiosity.

"Look, Kang Aji. Just go ahead then." Faruq took a breath of it before continuing his words.

"On competition. Kang Aji knows, right?" Ask Faruq then.

Ajimukti. But to be honest he didn't understand Faruq's direction.

"This is a proposal from santri but does not want to be named. He suggested to me to apply for Kang Aji's name in that competition."

The deg!

Ajimukti. His shocked expression was clearly visible. Faruq realized that.

"Come on me, Gus. Is it not wrong? I have been here for two days. I'm still in that early class, Gus." Sahut Ajimukti later.

"I think the same, Kang. But somehow the person who proposed Kang Aji's name convinced me that Kang Aji is actually not an ordinary new santri."

Ajimukti frowned. He thought of who exactly was filing his name without his consent. Moreover, that person did not want to be named.

Then Ajimukti remembered something.

"Oh yeah, Gus. Didn't Gus Faruq yesterday have Gus Ali asked Kang Manan to represent Pondok Hidayah in the competition?"

"Kang Manan has confirmed. He refused to participate in the competition. I wish Kang Manan would."

Ajimukti is faced with a difficult choice. What he should resist like Manan or how.

"But honestly I can't either, Gus. Especially the Arabic language. Just read the Qur'an I just learned iqro' volume one."

"I know that, Kang Aji. That was also what I told the person who submitted Kang Aji's name. But that guy really convinced me."

Ajimukti holds his own head. The confusion he felt now. Can all be revealed at the beginning. But this is also Ajimukti's chance to find a name here so that he is free to move.

"How, Kang?" Ask Faruq once more.

Ajimukti is still silent. Faruq realized that. Give space for Ajimukti think before deciding.

Ajimukti is still in a position of confusion to make a decision. Now his mind is on two things. He did not know Faruq as well who the person who put his name.

There are several names that cross the mind of Ajimukti but Ajimukti was not so sure.

Ajimukti took a deep breath. Faruq realized that. But somehow Faruq's expression changed. Faruq felt a difference from Ajimukti.

"It's better to drink the coffee first, Kang." Faruq.

Ajimukti grabbed the coffee plant in front of him and sipped it once. Enough to relieve his mind at this moment.

Faruq stood up to grab something. And then thrust it into Ajimukti.

"It's an ashtray, Kang. Smoke if you want to smoke. I've quit smoking for a long time, but in my room, I'm ready for ashtrays, if there are guests who want to smoke."

"Thank you, Gus." Ajimukti.

Ajimukti is no longer sad. He reached into the pack of cigarettes in his pocket and took a stick and lit it. For a moment Ajimukti was calm.

Faruq tried to melt the tension for a moment by telling stories about his experiences during the nyantri in his former boarding school before being pulled by Kyai Aminudin to teach at Pondok Hidayah. Ajimukti did not find anything on Faruq as he found on the lodge managers, senior santri and even Kyai Aminudin himself.

Ajimukti smokes his cigarette inside. Then blow the smoke. Cigarette smoke quickly billowed from his mouth as well as his two nostrils.

Seriate...