DRAGON CARVED JADE BRACELET
Chapter 90: SCHOOL IN A BIG CITY

    "Mak .., soon Melian will graduate Junior High. I want to go to school in Semarang ..." said Melian while waiting for her father's return on the porch, of course, sitting on the porch chair with his mother.

    "Yes .... Later say Mr-e." replied Juminem who certainly obeyed whatever the wishes of his son. Then his mother asked, "Why in Semarang? Why not go to Surabaya?" ask mother.

    "Yesterday said Pak-e's friends who came to the factory, in Semarang there are many schools that mostly consist of children of Chinese descent. So I want to go there. Melian wants to go to school with Chinese children, wants to know their culture, Mak.." Melian replied.

    "In Surabaya there are also many ..." said Juminem.

    "Kok Mak-e knows? Has Mak-e been to Surabaya?" ask Melian.

    "Hehe .... Not ...." Juminem nengenges on his son.

    "Ach .., Mak-e ...." Melian pouted, annoyed.

    "But it may be .... Because Surabaya is bigger than Semarang .... Many factories ..." said Juminem.

    As they chatted, a duck motorcycle came into the yard, and was immediately raised to the terrace. Jamil's coming home from the factory. He was immediately welcomed by his son.

    "Pak-e came home ..." said Melian who went straight to his father who was driving the vehicle.

    "Beauty, the exhaust is hot!" jamil said he warned his son who was trying to reach his father.

    "Pak-e .." said Melian who immediately held her father's arm.

    "What's up, honey .... Pak-e again came home and was dragged ..." said Jamil who immediately embraced his favorite child.

    "Pak ..., tomorrow if Melian has graduated Junior High School can not continue high school in Semarang?" said Melian who hugged his father.

    "Can only .... You want to go to school anywhere please .... The important thing is that Melian must be a smart child, in order to develop a bigger business Pak-e." replied his father.

    "Ashik .... Thank you, sir .." said Melian who immediately gave her cheek to be kissed by her father.

    "Muachite .... Bye, sana .... Pak-e wants to sweep the yard" said Jamil who had kissed his beautiful son's cheek. Even Jamil considers Melian the most beautiful teenage girl in Naga Village.

    "The page has been swept with Melian, Kang .... Stay it behind, there is a flat banana that already wants to cook, please cut. Can be made fried banana. Being overcooked is bad for frying" said Juminem, who told her husband.

    "Goddess .... Pinter tenan girl Pak-e .... Yes, sir-e would like to grab a banana in the back garden ..." said Jamil who immediately picked up the scythe tucked behind the house.

    Yes, indeed behind the ancient house there is still land overgrown with bananas. Not only one type of banana sparrow, but also there are banana tawi and banana horns that are indeed very large fruit. The banana trees continued to bear fruit, alternately. Either the soil is fertile or the land that can get full sunlight. But Jamil believes more, that the fruit of the banana is the sustenance given by God to always be grateful. And to be sure, Jamil did not sell the banana crop, but distributed it to the neighbors and brought to the factory for the snacks of the employees.

    Juminem always agreed with what her husband did, as long as it was for good. So, after the banana was taken by her husband, not brought into the house, but cut into pieces in the yard of the house. Then Juminem just take a comb to fry. While the others, directly distributed to his neighbors. Of course the neighbors are happy to be given a banana spout. Good, can be boiled or fried.

    That night, at the dinner table there are already fried bananas. Not many. Just a few grains. Juminem deliberately fry five bananas, which are displayed then marbled, then dyed on chrysanthemum flour, then put into the frying pan. It is shaped like a coffee or fingers. Juminem named the fried banana after the fan-fried banana. With the seasoning of krispi flour, it tastes sweet and delicious. Just like what is sold in supermarkets. Jamil who likes to make fried bananas like this.

    That night, they enjoyed fried bananas and had dinner together. Of course while talking. That is the pleasure of dinner with the family. Can confide in each other or tell stories.

    "Why did Melian choose high school in Semarang? How come it's not in Pati?" ask Jamil at dinner.

    "Iih .., sir-e is old-fashioned .... Pati is not going forward, sir .... Melian wants a school in the city ..." replied her son.

    "What is High School in Semarang?" ask Jamil who does not come up with a school problem. The problem is that he used to be just a graduate of Junior High School. That's all his parents already feel heavy to finance.

    "Well, in a big city, we have more experience, sir .... Said friends of Pak-e, customers from Semarang were told that the school in Semarang, Melian could choose a school that many children of Chinese descent. So we can communicate to groups of children whose parents are mostly traders or businessmen" said Melian, who was apparently affected by the hereditary guests who came to his father's factory.

    "Why not just be an employee ...? People say, civil servants are delicious .... His salary is great work leha-leha" said his father who would also want his son to become a civil servant.

    "Pak .., if you want to be rich do not become an employee .., but must be a businessman. Sir-e see, Mr-e's guests are from out of town, the car is nice .... That's because they're businessmen, sir .." - sergeant Melian who protested his father's opinion.

    "Ooo ..., so, huh?" said his father who certainly does not understand the difference between employees and employers. What he saw, if the employee works well and the pay is great. Understandably, Jamil only knows how to work as a laborer. And the experience of being a limestone quarry worker first, he felt as a very heavy job with a very small fee. Very much different from what he saw in office employees whose work was just sitting around.

    "Makanya .., if you want to be rich, you become a businessman." said Melian who is certainly very passionate about school outside the city.

    "Well, if the school in Pati can't be a businessman?" ask his father again.

    "Yes, sir .... But the community is only small and small entrepreneurs .... For example this ha Pak-e .... As soon as a bule comes, Pak-e is instantly confused. Well, Melian penginya can know the children of great entrepreneurs, have friends from the children of great entrepreneurs. We can learn from them, we can take the experience from those people .... So that later if you meet with the big entrepreneurs are not surprised .... That is, Mr-e ..." explained Melian to his father, which of course Melian has been preached by the children of his father's customers who come to the store.

    "Yes .... If Melian wants to be a great entrepreneur, a successful entrepreneur, Pak-e is always supportive. Don't be like Pak-e and Mak-e who are only Junior High School graduates, that's all the school in the village. So yeah no experience anything .... And Mr-e who obviously wants Melian to speak English like Mr. Jumari, so that if there are guests from abroad there can invite to talk, can tell Pak-e, what does it mean that guests talk about. Yes, Me .." said his father who of course also full of hope to his son.

    "Yes, sir .." replied Melian who of course also accepted his father's proposal.

    "Lha, continue ... If Melian goes to school outside the city, who is Mak-e the same?" ask Juminem who is afraid of losing her child.

    "Hehehe .... Mak-e will follow Pak-e to the factory. Nemani Mbak Ika guard the shop" said Melian comforting her mother.

    "Well ..., quiet, our home ..." - Juminem.

    "Later every month Me Me go home, Mak .... At least ask for money .... Hehehe ..." replied his son.

    "Uh, a month is long, Melian .... Mak-e must miss" said Juminem again, who had imagined his silence without children.

    "Eh, sir .., what tomorrow if Melian in Semarang, I bought a mobile phone, so I can call Mak-e .... Hehe ..." said Melian trying to seduce her father.

    "Handphones are expensive, Me .." Jamil told his son.

    "Yes, Sir .... Later if miss Mak-e or Pak-e just call in the wartel. If in Semarang there must be a lot of wartels" said Melian who knows the nature of his father.

*******

    Right, after graduating from Junior High, Melian enrolled in a famous High School in Semarang. The private high school whose students mostly come from children of Chinese descent. Most of his students were narrow-eyed and white. It is called National High School. A very old school, established a few years after the independence of Indonesia. It used to be called Tiong hoa hwi scholl, a school for Chinese children. But now not only children of Chinese descent who school there. All tribes and races are in that school.

    Jamil, Juminem and Melian, enter the school's intended gate. School in Chinatown. The magnificent school atmosphere. The building is three-story and large. The buildings were circular facing each other around his spacious courtyard. The yard was all plastered with cement. Smooth and flat. The school yard is usually used for ceremonies and as a means of sports. Seen on the right and left there is a pole of iron to install the basketball hoop. Then on the south side in the middle there is a very high flagpole. There the Red and White fluttered. On the west side there is a canteen building, there are tables and chairs where to eat. And there were some school children eating. On the terraces of the classroom, planted flowers in pots. Looks beautiful and refreshing. Great for a school in a big city.

    Witnessing the magnificent building, Jamil and Juminem must have been stunned. Just this time he was traveling to Semarang, entering a magnificent school. Jamil and Juminem follow in the footsteps of their son who is already preparing to register. There are inscriptions and arrows at the registration. So Melian followed the arrow, as a guide to make it easier for prospective students.

    In a large room, a kind of hall room, on the outside there is the inscription "New Student Registration Place". The door was closed, because the room was using AC. Melian opened the door and entered. Jamil and Juminem follow their son. Jamil was shocked, because the room was so cold. Likewise, Juminem, who was directly looking for a cooling source for the space, wanted to know what it looked like.

    "Come, please sit down .." said a middle-aged woman wearing a blezer suit. It must be the teacher's mother in charge of receiving the registration.

    Melian immediately sat in front of the registrar, accompanied by her father and mother.

    "Whose name?" ask the officer.

    "Melian ..." Melian replied.

    "Bring a copy of the diploma and NEM?" ask the officer again.

    "Bag .... This is." said Melian who directly thrust the map containing her graduation file.

    "Yes .., please have this form filled in first at the table there .... Later when it is finished, equipped with these conditions, the order is in accordance with this yes .... Keep putting it on this map, then handed over to the receiving officer" explained the officer who received the registration to Melian.

    "Yes, thank you." replied Melian who then went to the empty table to fill out the form and organize the file.

    Juminem followed Melian. But Jamil has not budged, instead want to find information to the registration section.

    "I'm sorry, Teacher, ask .... How much does school pay, huh?" jamil asked the officer who had just received his son.

    "Depends, Sir .... There are big ones but also many who pay a little. Then I will interview with the Foundation. Which determines the amount of donation money and SPP per month, it's the result of an interview with the Foundation. Later if the file of the son of the Father has been submitted, you will be invited to an interview, there it is Mr. ..." said the registration officer while showing the people who are interviewing.

    Jamil looked at me. There are three tables for interviews. The people of the Foundation were mostly narrow-eyed. The parents interviewed were mostly narrow-eyed as well. Jamil is getting stronger, if his son goes to school in this place is not mistaken. Melian will reunite with her brothers. Jamil smile. In his heart, he felt proud to have been supplied by the child, and would educate according to his nature. Now his son is grown, has grown up, can choose the path of his life. If his son wants to go to a big city, a school where he might find himself, a school that can find his family. Jamil willing and sincere. Melian is just a tidbit. The Power that has the right to determine its life line. Jamil, who feels only a small person, only a laborer, does not want to prevent his son from going forward and achieving big goals.

    "On behalf of Melian .... The registrant by the name of Melian ..." a male officer called Melian, an officer who might also be a teacher, for wearing the same grey safari uniform as the other registration officers.

    "Yes, I ..." said Melian who immediately approached the officer who called him that.

    "Where are his parents?" ask the officer.

    "That." replied Melian who directly pointed at her father and mother.

    "Please go to table one, with the parents for an interview with the foundation. Here's the file brought in front" said the male officer.

    Melian immediately took her father and mother to the interview officer at table one.

    "Good day, Mr. Jamil .... Mr Jamil where is this from?" ask the interviewer, one of the administrators of the school foundation. It's old, he said softly. His eyes were narrow, his skin white. On his face there are many black spots signs of old age.

    "From Juwana, Pati, Pak .." replied Jamil who did not want to lose smooth.

    "Melian wants to go to school here, really?" asked the foundation person who was staring intently at Melian.

    "Yes, Sir .... I really want to go to school here." replied Melian innocently.

    "Later to a real school yeah .., let's be smart. What are your goals?" the old man asked Melian.

    "Want to be a successful entrepreneur .." Melian answered honestly.

    "I wish you good luck .." said the old man.

    "Thank you, sir." said Melian.

    "Sir Jamil how far from Juwana to send his son here?" ask the interviewer to Jamil.

    "My son, sir, wants to go to school here. It just so happened that there was an acquaintance in the store who offered Melian for school in Semarang" Jamil replied.

    "What does Mr Jamil do?" ask the guy again.

    "Just work in a brass factory. Whatever I do, sir." replied Jamil.

    "How much does Mr Jamil pay per month?" ask the interviewer again.

    "No need, sir .... If it is crowded get a good part. But if the fit is quiet like when the chrismon was yesterday, our pay is also a little. The important thing is to meet the needs of life." replied Jamil.

    "This is for building donations, Mr. Jamil I'm wearing five million. And for SPP Melian, per month it is one hundred and fifty thousand. How's it?" said the foundation manager.

    "God .... How big is it, sir? Yesterday at SMP Negeri, his SPP only paid ten thousand. How expensive school in Semarang, yes ..." said Jamil who was certainly surprised by the cost of his son's school.

    Not only was Jamil shocked. But Juminem was also shocked when he heard the enormous SPP. Similarly, Melian, who just knew that the cost of school in Semarang is very high.

    "Our bills are given the cheapest tuition fees, sir .... After all, I will still pay my child's boarding fees as well" said Jamil who is certainly very considerate.

    "Melian really wants to go to school here?" ask the interviewer again to Melian.

    "Yes, Sir .... I'm happy to go to school here." replied Melian who would be disappointed if not accepted.

    "Alright, Mr. Jamil .... This Melian grade grit is indeed good .... High NEM. But we also need a fee to pay teachers, please understand because this is a private school, our finances are only from parents of students. Melian I put in category C, which is the middle group down. His donation money is three and a half million, his SPP is eighty thousand per month. This is already the best according to the value of pure ebtanas, NEM Melian. Please remember, Mr. Jamil .... There are still many people under Mr. Jamil, also want to send their children to school. We cross-subsidize, which is able to help the less" said the foundation person.

    Jamil could only nod. For the future of his son, he had to spend money to send Melian to school. Be smart, be successful and be successful, not like him.