Firefields
Searching for Secret Books

There's not much Patra can do at night. While out there the frog began to show off his voice as if he wanted to make the night.

Patra pulled the glove that Mat Yusi lent to cover the waist. After taking out a few textbooks from inside the bag, he pretended to read them.

"Remember! Tomorrow you repeat. Do not let Mat Yusi suspect,” Zian message this afternoon when leaving the hut.

Patra then noticed Mat Yusi was busy looking for something in the pile of clothes. He hoped the book Zian meant was there. At the moment what makes Patra anxious is to make sure where the book is stored. Zian himself didn't even know.

The whole room has been noticed Patra, he does not want to make a mistake when looking for where the book is stored. All the items that he would touch would have to return to their original position.

While waiting for Mat Yusi's departure, Patra's gaze was fixed on her school pants hanging on the wall. He recalled the thick fold of paper that Sapri had given him this afternoon.

He took the paper and opened it slowly. A few pieces of five thousand money were in it. However, Patra's attention was precisely on a piece of paper that was crushed by the coins.

“Part of this money is a result of our joint venture. The rest is the sale of school bells. After you read it, it's best to rip it off right away.” reads the message in the paper.

Quickly Patra folded the paper back and put it in the bag while tearing it. He didn't think Sapri would go that far.

Despite his decision to quit the football team, Patra cannot forget all the days they have spent together.

Still engrossed in daydreaming, the sound of a motor approaching the hut. Mat Yusi gestured by sticking his index finger to his mouth. He then took the samurai hanging on the wall. Although he was waiting for Jauhari and Sabran, the night always made him alert to all possibilities.

Slowly Mat Yusi opened the door. Patra followed from behind. The bright light from the motor light in front of it overcomes the dimness of the teplok light that hangs in the corner of the roof support pole.

While protecting his eyes from the spotlight of the motorcycle lights, Mat Yusi peeked out from the crevice of his fingers. Shortly thereafter looks Jauhari comes following on foot wearing boots.

"Almost I'm stuck in the reservoir. Good thing Sabran can hold with his feet," Jauhari immediately told Mat Yusi when the motorcycle tire they were riding slipped due to mud.

"We better get inside first or how?" mat Yusi asked waiting for a decision.

"You're still here?" Jauhari was surprised to see Patra still in the field.

Sabran was nervous. “I forgot to tell you that Patra is here and Wijan has allowed it.”

"You're going to Wijan's house? Wait a minute..I want to know why Patra is still here?" peridik Jauhari looked at Mat Yusi and Sabran.

Patra could have expected this to happen. It is impossible to let him sleep in the cottage for no reason. Had Jauhari used the same excuse as he told Mat Yusi and Sabran, Jauhari could have found out the truth at school tomorrow.

Tomorrow there will be no repetition and the secret will be revealed. Patra kept thinking. If he's honest about all this Zian's plan, then the consequences are much worse. Three people have been lied to. His parents, Mat Yusi and Sabran.

"Emm..actually...eee..," Patra confused to say what reason to Jauhari.

"He said he wanted to concentrate on learning to deal with tomorrow's repetition. So he wants to sleep here." Mat Yusi continued.

"Yes, that's also why I asked Wijan for permission!" connect Sabran quickly.

"Is that the reason, Patra?"

It was futile for Patra to think of another reason. He just nodded. The only hope is for Jauhari to believe and not check the truth tomorrow.

Jauhari then handed a plastic package containing food to Patra. "Keep it first inside," pinta Jauhari. He then gestured for Mat Yusi and Sabran to follow his steps away from the hut.

"It looks like Wijan has changed. A few days ago he opposed Patra working in the fields. However, now he allows Patra to stay here" said Jauhari.

"That's a good sign. I've never been this happy before. Wijan softened, and now Yudha is calling us to peace. Keep in mind that all this..” Jauhari stopped for a while and deliberately did not want to look towards Mat Yusi, “It happened not because of violence,” called Jauhari laughing to insinuate Mat Yusi.

"Then what else are you waiting for?" mat Yusi asked, not caring.

"As I said, without violence. I don't want you to bring the samurai," Jauhari said.

Without protracted, Mat Yusi fulfilled Jauhari's wish. Despite his heavy heart, he immediately returned the samurai to the hut. Patra is flipping through textbooks. After thinking for a while, he then quietly slipped the trident behind his shirt.

"We have to go now. Just lock the door," Mat Yusi walked towards the door.

"Until what time?" after Patra while waking up the fried banana that was brought by Jauhari.

 "Mmm.begin' it. If you hear people coughing, it's a sign that I'm home" Mat Yusi said, a little worried about leaving Patra alone.

Patra was still standing in front of the door until the light of the motorcycle light was getting away. He looked around the hut, pitch-black. His hair immediately goosebumps. However, the opportunity he had been waiting for since, had finally come as well. Impatiently Patra immediately closed the door and locked it from the inside.

With a room that is only 2.5 meters wide, Patra should be easy to find the book that Zian meant. But Mat Yusi put his things by just piling up without putting them together.

Patra was busy sorting through the items that had just been moved and then returning them. There was one bag hanging at the top, but after checking it out, there were only a few clothes and watches that seemed to be deliberately separated by Mat Yusi.

Slowly Patra opened the instant noodle cardboard. It also contains clothes. He only realized that Mat Yusi currently needs a wardrobe more than sharp weapons.

After checking every sidelines of the clothes, Patra still did not find the book she was looking for. Zian was right, the book must have been important so Mat Yusi kept it in a place that was hard to find, Patra thought as she looked at the rest of the room.

He was looking for secret places. Groping the wall of the board coated with newsprint, even tapping the floor is made of boards that are only covered with mats.

The feeling of confusion made Patra choose to sit back and pluck the fried banana. He recalled eating fried bananas served by the Princess a few days ago. Friendly and joking, those are the two words about the Princess that make her feelings explode.

While imagining the Princess, he rubbed the scuff marks on his heels. There is still pain there. Pain that he tried to hold as hard as he could while walking back to the Princess and her mother.

He then stood up and checked the P3K box hanging on a row of sharp weapons. When he wanted to put the box that was quite complete on the floor, Patra was curious about the layer of newspaper that was covered with P3K boxes.

The newspaper had a tear vertically and was done neatly. Patra grew curious because the tear was exactly the same height as the P3K box.

Patra immediately brought the petromak lamp closer while peering behind the newspaper tear. He seemed to want to shout joy at what he had just discovered.

Sapri inserted his palm and grabbed the book tucked inside there. As Zian requested, Patra immediately prepared a notebook to copy the contents of the recently discovered book.

Illuminated by the light of the petromac lamp, Patra opened the book cover. He read it page after page and ended up half in disbelief. He looked back at the wall where the book had been kept. Three times he made sure there were no other books there.

At first Patra was disappointed because the contents of the book were not as expected by Zian. But every line of sentence that had been read actually leaves a sense of curiosity.

He read the book back. Patra had yet to realize, reading the book was like peeking at someone from a keyhole.

Up ahead was a stuffy hallway, its walls reflecting the sound of screams in pain. The more each book was opened, Patra opened the door slowly, entered the hallway and tried to recognize the man who was curled up with a body full of wounds.

With the light of the makeshift lamp, each sentence was read by Patra with the help of his index finger touching the paper. His index finger seemed to go along the bruised part of the body and tear the wound.

The gripping atmosphere enveloped Patra's soul. Right now the only thing he wanted to do was read the entire contents of the book.