My student's my future husband?
Episode 112's

Friday has arrived. For the Muslim participants, the training committee gave them the flexibility to perform Friday prayers. It turns out that tolerance here is quite high, although out there either the American or European issue of Islamophobia is growing high. That afternoon Ferdian, Ridho, and their four fellow Muslim trainees took a taxi to a mosque about 3 kilometers from the training building. They were told that it was there that Muslims used to worship, study as well as proselytizing, at the Downtown Islamic Center in Chicago.

They went down on a wide sidewalk. It turned out that the mosque was not like the one in the shadow of Ferdian and Ridho. If you look at their country, mosques stand majestically with sturdy domes and towering minarets. The pillars on the terrace of the mosque show how the mosque is made in such a way that the worshipers can feel at home and linger. However, not so with this Islamic Center mosque. From the outside it is not seen that the dark brown-painted building with iron trellises that cover every window outside it is a mosque. The building is like a former shophouse building that has five floors. Many Muslim men entered the mosque. Ferdian and his companions entered the narrow wide door of the mosque.

When entering the building, a hallway about 2 meters wide greeted them with a carpet pad and a shelf where to store footwear. To the left of the hallway is the office space of the mosque administrator, and a small meeting room. In the corner of the hallway, there was a toilte and a male-only ablution place and also a staircase next to it. Ferdian put his footwear on the shelf. His gaze continued to observe every corner in the mosque. He entered the ablution, where other Muslim men were queuing to fetch ablution water. Ferdian was waiting in that line. Various ethnicities and skin colors are seen there, ranging from white to jet black. Only faith unites them all here.

Allahu akbar....

The sound of the adhan was heard from upstairs and then heard in the speaker machine located in the corner of the room. Apparently the Adhan here should not resonate out, so it is enough to be heard from inside by the worshipers. Ferdian hurried to take ablution when his turn arrived in front of a shower faucet. The flowing water soaked every part of his outer body, feeling cold and fresh. Instantly the feeling of fatigue and fatigue that ensued disappeared. His steps stepped on each small staircase that delivered him to the prayer room that was filled with male worshipers.

"Full Fer!" Ridho.

"To the top again!" invite Ishmael, one of their friends from India.

They climbed the stairs to the third floor. The room here looks still quiet enough to perform Friday prayers. They also close the line with pilgrims who have been lined up neatly. The voice of the priest from downstairs began to resonate, Friday prayer services on this day also felt so shahdu.

"Fer, briefly! I'd like to see the study schedule first!" said Ridho after they had performed the Friday afternoon prayer.

Ridho looked seriously at the writings emblazoned on an A4 paper that was stuck on the third floor hallway board.

"Alhamdulillah." he said later.

"What's wrong?" ask Ferdian.

"This is a study schedule every Sunday, we can only go out only on Sunday," Ridho pointed to the dark green white paper.

"You wanna come?"

"Yes, wherever my feet stand, I have to take Islamic studies. Wanna come?"

"God willing" replied Ferdian.

Ridho is different from Ferdian. Since college, Ridho has often participated in studies at his campus mosque. While Ferdian did not, in the last few months alone he participated in Islamic studies organized by several large mosques near his cafe, or other campuses. Ridho is right, wherever it is, a Muslim should still continue to seek knowledge let alone knowledge to provide in the afterlife. So, Ferdian thinks this is a good opportunity, even though his training schedule is quite solid.

Finally, Muslim trainees who had performed Friday prayers at the mosque returned to Winston Tower. It seemed like they had to give up some lunch time, as the study time started in 15 minutes, so they had to hurry up if they still wanted to meet their lunch needs.

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Arsene ran to greet mommy's return that afternoon when he heard the sound of the door being opened.

"Mommy.." he cried cheerfully, then hugged the body of his mother who was still wrapped in a thin jacket he wore.

"Hi, sweetheart! Mommy brought you ice cream" Ajeng said, showing a white plastic bag containing a bowl-sized pack of chocolate-flavored ice cream.

"Thank you" he said, which is getting smoother. The boy immediately ran to the kitchen and gave it to Bi Asih to put it in a glass, so that he could enjoy it. Then he went back to his mother.

"Mommy's gonna take a shower, baby! We'll have ice cream together!" said Ajeng put his helmet and shoes on the shelf.

"Okay!"

Ajeng smiled and went to the bathroom to clean his body.

Arsene was ready with two glasses of ice cream that had been placed on the dining table. Ajeng approached him and then sat on his thighs.

"How do you feel right now?" asked Ajeng when he started scooping the ice cream and bribing it in his son's mouth.

"Gruby!" arsene answered briefly, his legs swinging over his mother's lap.

"Good, I'm happy too!"

Ajeng did familiarize English and Indonesian conversation when talking with Arsene, even since he was a baby. So that the child is not passive when pronouncing the international language.

"But I'm sad!" he said again, playing an ice cream spoon.

"Why?"

"I miss daddy!" he said softly, his lips round and shiny.

Ajeng's heart immediately shrunk when he heard Arsene's plain speech. He stroked his thick, black hair.

"We're waiting for daddy to call, honey? Daddy's not up at this hour."

"Okay!"

Then they bribe each other for ice cream so that their sadness is slightly reduced. Arsene yawned wide with teary eyes.

"Are you sleepy?" ask mommy.

The boy shook his head. "I miss daddy!"

Ajeng sighed. Soon adzan maghrib reverberated. Arsene's bedtime arrived shortly, and he still endured his sleepiness to wait for a call from his daddy. Ajeng was forced to pick up his phone and contact Ferdian directly at that time.

"We're calling daddy, okay?"

Arsene nodded cheerfully, his eyes twinkling.

Ajeng makes video calls from his phone via the Skype app. The voice of the call is connected, Ajeng hopes anxious.he hopes Ferdian picks up his phone, although he knows maybe in America the sun has not shone.

"Hallooo.." The call was connected. Ferdian's face looked fresh with his front hair wet.

"Aceeeeeee!" exclaim Ferdian sparkling.

"Hi, Daddy! Arsene said he miss you so much!" said Ajeng smiling to see her husband who turned out to be awake.

"Really?" ask Ferdian about his son.

Arsene just looked at his father's face with a smile.

"Arsene, let's say it! Said you miss daddy," Ajeng persuaded..

But the boy did not say a word. He acted as if he kept his prestige in front of his father.

"Cen, daddy miss you too!" ferdian said, his eyes glazed over.

I don't know where the thick-haired boy's attention is now. Sometimes he hides behind his mommy's arm, then begins to climb up his back and embrace her from behind. Ajeng so a little laugh to see the behavior of his son.

"Is there dawn?" tanya Ajeng, he switched the conversation.

"Not yet, any minute."

"Are you awake?" tanya Ajeng.

"I just finished praying tahajud!"

Ajeng's heart gasped, hearing Ferdian perform tahajud prayers. As long as they are together, Ferdian is most difficult if the dawn prayer has not reverberated.

"Daddy's cool!" puji Ajeng's.

"Alhamdulillah. The plan is every Sunday I want to participate in the study at the Islamic Center with Ridho," said Ferdian, making the corner of his wife's lips widen a few centimeters.

"Alhamdulillah."

"When did you start njai, honey?"

The question suddenly made Ajeng feel nervous. He had not contacted Karin as he had asked at the time. It's been a mistake.

"Ah-eh, that's I forgot to call Karin yet."

"It's still busy?" ask Ferdian gently. He doesn't dispute that.

"Ah, yes... I have research this semester," Ajeng replied hesitantly.

"Ooh..."

"Dear Arsene, here! Daddy wants to see your face!" call Ferdian.

Ajeng put Arsene on his lap again. But the boy squirms to get out of there, and he rubs his sleepy eyes.

"Acen sleepy huh?" ask daddy. The boy nodded.

Ferdian was smiling.

"Kiss Daddy used to dong, just got some sleep!" ferdian.

Arsene quickly kissed her mommy's phone screen. Ferdian's lips are rounded. "Yeah!"

"Bye.bye...have a nice sleep!" ferdian.

"Dad Bye!" arsene said cutely, and he ran straight to his room. Ajeng shakes just made it.

"The dawn prayer is here" said Ferdian.

"The same here also adzan maghrib."

"Well, if we pray, we call again tomorrow."

"okay!"

"Bye, Honey!"

"Daddy..."

Closing the phone screen. Ferdian has been in America for a week. He didn't keep his promise to call her every day. However, Ajeng understands that. Ferdian called her on Wednesday night or Sunday morning Indonesian time. Therefore, Arsene may feel homesick, especially when his father called when he was asleep. Ajeng sighed, longing for her husband maybe he was planting a day per day. Hoping that when his arrival later, the results of his shady seedlings will flower on the right day.

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Re-connect

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