Hans the Blind Witch of the Aksara
Aksara 1a: Orphanage

City Withered Pole, Elim

In a building with brick walls and a billowing chimney, it pierced through the cold air outside the room filled with a cold white carpet formed by snow. A boy hid in the attic of the building, he hid while hugging his little legs.

"I tried it.."

"But the letters are irregular, I can't understand them they all look the same.."

"uhok.." His head touched the floor, his right hand squeezing his chest tight from sadness.

Her tears dripped, soaking a shabby book on her left hand that supported her body, the book contained so much writing and so many things that both her parents wrote for her. At this time, memories and events can only be inherited in pictures and words. The only memory of his parents is written in a shabby book that he cannot read.

"Hans!!"

"Hans!!"

"Quick down!"

"You're skipping school again?!"

"Today you didn't get your dinner!" While she was still crying silently, the voice of the orphanage's head sister's mother sounded from downstairs.

".."

"Why should I go to school when there's nothing I can understand.." He tightened his grip on the thick book in his hand, burying his head between his legs. He is known as a problem child, dissident and likes to fight. Yet few know, it is but an escape, and a distraction from her lonely and depressed self.

Time passed quickly, the clouds darkened and the sound of an owl was faintly heard. The orphanage is located on the edge of the city directly adjacent to the forest. In winter the whole forest turns white because of the snow that covers it.

"Grukkkkp.. Grukkk.." Hans's stomach voice rang out, his body trembling slightly as the coldness assaulted his hungry body. He was a stubborn child, he did not want to come down and humiliate himself because of hunger, so he restrained himself and remained there.

The sound of footsteps rang out, the attic state was extremely dark and sinister, spider webs and broken old items filled the entire room. The sound of the footsteps grew stronger, approaching Hans who was still leaning limply in one of the old cabinets in the corner of the room just— next to the glass with moonlight penetrating it.

Another boy stood before him, as it was dark and Hans was sitting on the floor he could only see the boy's pants and legs, "Hans, eat!" Say the figure in front of him.

The boy was Bernard, his eyes were narrow and his skin white he got from the mother who was a citizen of tribal descent in the eastern region, his hair was swept left and cut neatly. He was also one of the orphans who lived there, and he was Hans' best friend.

When the voice sounded, Hans raised his head. The moonlight shone on his face, his brown hair dyed and his brown eyes looked full of sadness. Her pale face still looks cute and charming. His body was much smaller than bernard's, with the whites of the people from the north.

"Bernard, thank you.." Hans took the bread from Bernard's hand and ate it, his tears looking teary eyes. Hans was eight years old, thin because of lack of nutrition. His hair was long and unkempt, giving the impression of being stubborn and mischievous, Hans' full name was R.M. Hans Swarawidya, at least that's what it says there—in his old-fashioned book.

**

Hans was still chewing on the bread Bernard gave him slowly, listening to the babble of the friend. As the best friend of Hans of course Bernard knows the problems he experienced, trying to encourage Bernard joking:

"It's okay, man, I think everybody has something he can't do,"

"Just like,"

"I can't walk with my eyes closed.." Bernard said plainly.

"I can't either!" Hans looked while eating the bread given to him.

"Oh okay, the other one. Hmmm, I can't climb a tree with my hands tied!" Bernard has not given up.

"Sighs.. I can't do such an impossible thing either!" Hans saw that his good friend was scratching his head, though Bernard's words gave him their own meaning.

"I'm just kidding Hans, haha!" Bernard said with a smile encouragingly.

"Come down, we rest, it's late at night!" Bernard said as he yawned to resist drowsiness. Hearing Bernard's words, Hans lowered his head. Today he ran away from school and snuck into an orphanage. He often hides in the attic to calm down.

"Bernards.. Can you read this book to me? You're reading well, aren't you?" Hans asked Bernard.

"Huh..."

"Hans, I can't read it, there's no writing there. Not that I don't trust you, but I really can't see anything there!" Bernard shook his head, his face a little sad and confused.

"I'm sorry.."

"Oh yes! Uncle Wiggin was looking for you." Bernard's words diverted the conversation while helping Hans stand up.

"really? What say?" Hans asked again, patting his pants and sleeves that were dirty from the dust.

"Uncle Wiggin said he had a new job for you!"

"But Hans.." Bernard was doubtful.

"Don't you know, if the chief nurse finds out you'll be punished severely again!"

"If you're found out you're gonna.." Bernard said, cutting his neck with his index finger.

"Just calm down, I won't get caught!" Hans replied as he looked at Bernard's eyes glaring at him, which though still he looked narrow.

"Why are you laughing?!" Bernard asked as he watched Hans hold back his laughter.

"You're glaring?" Hans asked back, still grimacing withholding laughter.

"Of course, you don't see how big my eyes are open!!" Bernard replied while pointing at his pair of eyeballs.

"Yhmmpp.. Hahaha, but in sight, you seem to be closing your eyes!" Hans teased Bernard with a laugh.

"Racist! You're kidding outrageous!" The two then plucked each other and laughed while descending the attic. It was an ordinary sight, regardless of the physical condition of the two, and the style of their speech that could always find the ingredients between them they were looking after each other.

The two went down the steps one by one laughing, but entered the last five steps, which were located after the left turn and turned in the opposite direction. Their eyes glared, even if only for a moment. Bernard stood in front of Hans.

Hans just lowered his head, not daring to raise his head. Even so, he tried to brave himself, but he had not had time to raise his head Bernard's voice sounded again. But this time it was not his stupid babble that was heard, but rather a cry.

"Yourself.."

"Yourself.."

"Ssister heads.."

"Hansa.."

"Hans isn't going to make you angry,"

"La.. Again pu.la he has been.dar.i.. Slowly,"

"I'm moh.on.pardon him.." Bernard hid Hans behind his back, he lifted his head, his heart trembled, the feeling he was feeling brought warmth to his body, as if the cold of winter that day was nothing to him. He felt something long gone from his life, the warmth of the family, for him Bernard was already a brother to him, both of them grew up together in this orphanage. Both fate— orphan— by because the war that does not show signs will end.

Hans held onto the tip of Bernard's toad shirt, slowly without power, trying to ask him to stop. Both of them were very young, so he was still confused about what he should do.

"HANS come!" The head nurse snapped slightly, the two of them slightly shook and lowered their heads. Hans was about to move from his standing position, but Bernard tried to hold him back slowly, knowing that Hans must have received another blow to his butt today.

"What a Bear" She whispered softly, the bear was the call Hans gave her. Hans then walked past Bernard, down the steps slowly, like a sheep about to enter slaughter.

"No Hans! No!" Bernard screams as if Hans is about to die, as if the head nurse is a wild animal who wants to swallow his best friend Hans, Bernard does it like a hollywood actor, too much.

"BERNARD! Go back to your room!!" The chief nurse was no longer able to contain her anger, all her irritation was overflowing, the air could not contain the hot lava from the head sister's heart. Bernard looked reluctant, but he stayed down and returned to the room.

"Hans! Sit down!" The orders of the head nurse, firm, sharp and indisputable, the loud voice of the head nurse when giving orders were very attached in the minds of the orphanage children.

"You want to talk about something?!" The head nurse asked, as if Hans was in the room of the interrogation, suddenly the oil lamp began to dim and the air temperature decreased due to the wind that infiltrated through the sidelines of the window, however, sweat began to appear on his forehead and back. At this time electricity was a facility that could only be enjoyed by the nobility and the rich. While the poor are very lucky to have money to buy oil, not infrequently hundreds of people died on the side of the road due to the cold air.

"I'm sorry.." Hans said stammered, his tears slowly dripping on the pine wood table that felt cold due to the winter air. His hands were clenched, his body slightly trembled, he was a stubborn child, although once he gave up, fighting the head nurse was not a good thing. He gave up, resigned, and it just made the sister's forehead flinch next door.

This little boy before him had a level of stubbornness as hard as a diamond, no matter how beaten many times he would not soften. But today there was something different, he admitted his mistake.

"Head nurse,"

"It's not that I don't want to go to school,"

"Just, just,"

(Sounds of crying)

"Only, I can't understand a single bit of the symbols sisters,"

"They're all making fun of me, I've been trying my hardest mom,"

"But I can't understand it at all" Hans' cry grew increasingly uncontrollable, now that the chief nurse had lost her temper. He is angry not because he is cruel, he is angry because he cares, cares about the future of children in this orphanage.

His face now seemed to be holding back miserably as well, clearly Hans was not hiding anything. He recounted all his experiences at school, all the unpleasant treatment from his friends, not even infrequently they began to gang up on him because Hans stubbornly tend to fight back.

"Even the teachers looked at me with angry eyes and humbled me ma'am,"

"They thought I was lazy, but without them knowing I was always trying to read and learn after school,"

"Bernard tried so hard to teach me patiently, but it was very difficult for me to understand, ma'am,"

"The symbols are like flying and moving, I was confused by what happened to me. Maybe they're right, I might be a damned child." Lightning struck along with Hans' words, the head nurse was startled, then it was seen her eyes dewy even a raindrop was seen in the corner of her eyes. He stood up and hugged Hans, a pain that Hans felt was too great for the eight-year-old to bear. The chief sister herself did not know the exact age of Hans, because even the chief sisters did not know exactly when he was born because they were children of war victims. They come from different parts of the world, some don't even have names when they come.

"Hans, you're not a damned child! You might have other talents!" The kapala sisters hugged Hans tightly, Hans' cries wetting the head nurse's shoulders. Actually, the chief nurse was already aware of the abnormalities in Hans, but the parlour did not have any more costs to take him to the doctor or psychological expert, he said, which at that time was certainly still so young his knowledge of non physiological aspects of health—health which is not centered on the body but the mind and intelligence.

Before long Hans fell asleep in the arms of the Chief Sister, his hunger and fatigue overpowering her. He was sound asleep and the head nurse carried him to the room, greeted by dozens of pairs of eyes that looked into the presence of the two. They were holding blankets looking worried, and Bernard was. They are brothers, without blood relatives they are all abandoned, so they look at each other as brothers and take care of each other.

"What's wrong, he's just exhausted," You all go to sleep, you have to get ready for school tomorrow.

Hearing the chief sister's order, not a single trace of doubt remained and all fell asleep. But Bernard got down and approached Hans and the head nurse, "Head router, Hans hasn't eaten since morning. Do I need to wake her up to eat?" Bernard ventured to ask.

"Just give him this milk when he sleeps, our supply of wheat and bread is exhausted. Even if this winter is worse than before, maybe I should work to find more to buy our food, "The chief nurse looks sad and confused.

"Good ma'am!" Bernard rushed out, picking up the cold milk soaked inside the barrel outside the parlour. He put on a shabby jacket to avoid the cold wind, then picked up the almost frozen milk, then put it in the pot and took it to the fireplace in the reading room.

Poking out his hand he warmed his hand, waiting for the cold milk to melt and become warm, before giving it to Hans. Soon the milk was warm and he took it into the room, then began feeding it little by little into Hans' mouth. The other children also saw it and closed their eyes, slept. All the children there were close to Hans because although he was stubborn, he was a good boy, especially to those younger than him.

The ice storm grew, as Bernard yawned to his bed. Each mattress in a multi-storey stacking with oak frames, the night just passed, and only Hans was in a nightmare, just before morning.

Next Morning~

The sun was hiding behind the clouds, the morning air was extremely cold. Snow was seen rising in the grounds of the home and covering the entire front and back yard, children were seen walking in crowds out of the parlour wearing shabby bags with simple models, and they could not be seen, like a bag with rope on both sides.

"We're leaving!" Bernard led the other children, it was because he had the largest body among the others. Hans wears his hat, a woll hat that partially covers his head like a skullcap. She looks doubtful, then turns to see Sister Theresia (Suster the head), and two other sisters, Mirana and Pudji.

"Umm, sister head! Uncle Wiggin's looking for me, can I meet him?" Hans asked, his feet kicking in the snow while lowering his head, asking timidly.

"The old man?! Hans you don't get instigated by him! The jobs he offers are often dangerous! Hear you? If he asks you to work in the mines don't accept it! Youunderstand?" The tone of the head sister's voice rose, Hans naturally just nodded to avoid trouble.

"All right, ma'am, I'm leaving!" Hans hurriedly ran after the other children. The chief nurse just shook her head,"Mirana, Pudji! Looks like I'll be looking for a job too today, Pudji you stay home and take care of the toddlers! Evely will come with me" said the head Sister, followed by another nun who walked out the door without making a sound, she Evelyn.

"Mirana you're looking for firewood for cooking this afternoon and also at night!"

"Well the head nurse!" Both answered simultaneously, at this time orphanages often lack funds due to royal money used to finance the war. So that the sisters often have to work to continue feeding the abandoned children, all on the basis of love and sincerity.