Not Nackal, Nurul!
The arrival of Mr. Sudarsono

“Mr Sudarsono calls Father.  He really needs the help of Nurul,”, said Nurul's father from his desk.  “Nurul?  Help Nurul?  About what, sir?  I thought about the donations he donated to the cottage?  But why should I need my help?” nurul said astonished.

“On the donation, he has nothing to say about it.  It's about your best friend, Mirsha.. “ said Nurul's father.  “Icha?  What's wrong with Icha, sir?” ask Nurul wonder.  “Say Mr. Sudarsono, Icha is sick.  He knows very well the ability to mix your herbs.  He said only you can help to cure his daughter's disease,” explained Nurul's father.

“Befit for three months contact Icha ga anyone can Nurul contact.  What exactly is Icha sick, sir?” ask Nurul in panic.  “Bapak ndak ngerti-ngerti.  Tomorrow he wants to come here, maybe until night,” continued Nurul's father.  “Icha to here?” ask Nurul.  “His father came here.  Icha can't, he's sick again,” replied Nurul's father.

“Astafirullahal adziim.. Icha.. Actually you are sick what the hell, Cha... “ whine Nurul in front of his father.  “We pray for you both, son.  As much as possible you can help your best friend,” said Nurul's father.  “But it's been a long time Nurul ga make complicated potions.  Usually also make ordinary pain rich for aches, coughs, fever.. “ complained Nurul.

“Nuruul... I'm sure you are,” cut Nurul's father.  “What is Nurul capable of, sir?  Icha disease we do not know for sure,” said Nurul.  “With effort and prayer, Son.  Be sincere because of God.  No one has ever been disappointed if we are sincere because of Allah,” persuaded Nurul's father.  “White, Sir.  Sengkok will try,” said Nurul.

Actually Nurul did not wholeheartedly say his last sentence.  There was a big doubt that he was holding. Nurul did not want to repeat his failures in the past.  His mother had died in front of him when Nurul was trying hard to find a formula concocting herbs for the late mother's illness.

What if Nurul makes another mistake this time?  People as rich as Mr. Sudarsono alone did not manage to find the right doctor in a big city, let alone just a class of herbal medicine practitioners like Nurul who never went to medical school.  However, Mr. Sudarsono may have already taken his last step, yes, maybe this is his last step.

Amidst his self-doubt, Nurul is eager to help Icha.  It was impossible for Nurul to refuse to be asked for help that relied so heavily on him.

The conversation between Nurul and her father was over, but not with the rumbling inside Nurul's head.  Actually what is Icha sick, how long has it been, and why did Mr. Sudarsono entrust the healing of Icha to the traditional treatment of Nurul style?

*

Time passes, and the day changes.  The next day, precisely at night, which is almost past the early morning limit, Mr. Sudarsono also came by car and rental driver.  Only the chairman of the foundation and two of his students received Mr. Sudarsono's arrival.  In a tired state that late, Mr. Sudarsono still wants to have a conversation.

The snack was prepared, in addition to the guest room for Mr. Sudarsono of course.  Mr. Sudarsono held talks with the chairman of the foundation.  After hearing the explanation, the chairman of the foundation asked Nurul to be summoned to their place, joining the talks.

TOK. TOK…

“Assalamualaikum,” said two santri who knocked on Nurul's door.  “Wa aleikumussalam,” answered Nurul.  “What's up, Mas Ir?  Mas Fer?” ask Nurul.  “Bapak asks you to meet him now,” said one of them.  “Nights like this?  “ Nurul's speech came to a halt and he seemed to suddenly think of something.

“There are guests from Jakarta, Ma'am.  As soon as he met you directly then you asked us to call Mbak there,” replied another santri.  “Guests from Jakarta?  Ladies who look drizzly, his nose is there a prickly ya?” ask Nurul.  “Iya right, Ma'am,” replied one of the santri.  “It turns out to be true, Mr. Sudarsono,” muttered Nurul.

Nurul also fulfilled his father's call by being escorted by his father's two santri.  Nurul joined the conversation between the two old men.

“WHAT?  So Nurul has to come to Jakarta?” Nurul was surprised by the outcome of the conversation.  “Yes, Nak Nurul.  I beg you the same.  It's for Icha,” said Mr. Sudarsono.  “For your college entrance test plan, later can be done in Jakarta Nak.  Then if you receive it later you can continue after you return from Jakarta,” added Nurul's father.

It turns out Nurul's father allowed Nurul to leave.  Actually, there is something stuck from the look of his father.  His father allowed Nurul to leave but on the other hand was not willing.  Maybe because this is the first time Nurul will go to Jakarta.  His father must have been worried about Nurul's departure there.

“How about mahram Nurul, Sir?” ask Nurul.  He ascertained his father's concerns by asking about matters related to his departure to a distant place. It was possible that her father was worried about Nurul as to what Nurul was thinking.  “About that Nurul and Ustadz Arif need not worry.  Nurul just went to my house.  There was my sister, Lupita, who would take care of all Nurul's needs.  For sure he will treat Nurul like his own son,”, said Mr. Sudarsono.

Nurul's father's words seemed to have just been held back.  “Iya, right.  Earlier Mr and Mr. Sudarsono had talked about it,” said Nurul's father in a declining tone.  Actually there was something Nurul's father wanted to refute earlier, but I don't know what it was and finally did not say.

“Is it okay, sir, if Nurul only has a mahram to keep like that?” ask Nurul to his father.  “Hopefully Nurul's business there won't be too long,” replied his father.

“Alright then.  Then, Om, this is the thing that I'm so curious about, actually Icha is sick, Om?” ask Nurul to Mr. Sudarsono.

This question is a mystery that has not been answered until now.  For so long the question was lodged in Nurul's head.  Not only in Nurul's head, the question was also lodged in Nurul's father's head.  An explanation has indeed been given by Mr. Sudarsono to Nurul's father, but it is not enough.

There is something still covered about the explanation that Mr. Sudarsono did to Nurul's father.  Nurul's father was Nurul's parents, the parents of a girl who mastered traditional medicine.  However, Nurul's father could not understand exactly what Icha disease was meant by Mr. Sudarsono.  So, Nurul's father thought it would be better if Mr. Sudarsono explained it directly when he was at his home, in Madura.  It wasn't just a phone conversation a few days ago.

Mr. Sudarsono also said, apparently…