The Gema Shahadah Aisyah
The Choice of Abah

One of the fun things at the cottage is to eat together, Umar is sure the students will be happy if he buys them a cake. Not about the food but rather a moment of togetherness that feels very valuable to them. The cake is certainly not comparable to the hard work of santri, especially those who follow the qosidah race.

"Where's the cake?" Maryam approached Umar who had just got off his bike. Yesterday Umar told Maryam that today he will buy cakes for the students after returning from the mosque after the study ends. But now Maryam saw Umar coming empty-handed.

"It just so happened that Umar met his sister Atalie and then he helped bring the cake here, soon they arrived." Umar to Maryam.

"Ummi just found out that you know Atalie's sister." Maryam looked at Umar confused.

"This is a new acquaintance of Ummi."

"Atalie's sister is very kind to help you bring the cake here when you just know, not only her sister, Atalie is also a good child."

Umar agrees with Maryam, Daniel and Atalie must have been raised in a good family. They do not hesitate to help others regardless of their social status. Like Atalie who helps a beggar in front of a bookstore.

"This is her house?" Daniel turned to Atalie who was sitting next to him when they came to the front of the building that read Adz-Zaidan boarding school.

"Yes, Mas Umar's parents are caregivers of boarding schools, a kind of dormitory but this one in addition to formal education, his religious lessons are more." Obviously Atalie, at least that's what she knows from the internet about boarding schools.

Daniel gets out of the car to help Umar get the cake out of the trunk.

"Let the children take it." Tukas Umar to Daniel, he was very grateful because Daniel wanted to help him bring the cake here.

Two santri men approached and took over the big enough cake box.

Atalie didn't want to go down but she saw Maryam outside so she got out of the car to say hello to Maryam for a bit.

"Ummi, how are you?" Atalie commented a friendly smile at Maryam.

"Okay Atalie, thank you for helping Umar."

"It's nothing Ummi."

"Let's go in, take your sister too." Take Maryam.

"No need Ummi, we just go home." Reject Atalie politely, he does not want his arrival to interfere with activities here. Now Atalie understands a little about the boarding school, unlike when she first came here, she actually makes the santri noisier.

"All right then."

"Ummi don't have to take us forward." Atalie said as Maryam was about to drive her to the front of the gate.

"Then let Umar deliver." Maryam glanced at Umar giving him a code to drive Atalie and Daniel to their car.

"Why feet?" Umar only realized that Atalie was a little limp when they walked to the front of the gate. Because Umar walked a little behind Atalie, then he could see the way the girl's path was not as usual.

"Abis sprain." Atalie replied, it has been more than a month, but his legs sometimes still hurt when walking.

"Oh yeah, what's the X-ray?" Daniel forgot to ask that question back in the car.

"Let me show you at home."

So that's the reason Atalie hasn't gone to college for the past month. Umar tried to hide his worries, but Atalie was fine now.

"Mas, we're saying yes." Tukas Daniel's.

"Yes, thanks again." Reply Umar.

"Let's Mas." Atalie nodded her head farewell to Umar.

"Atalie." Call Umar to make Atalie stop opening the car door. Atalie turned her body to look at Umar, her chest pounding uncharacteristically waiting for Umar's words when he should not have needed this. Umar did not want to express the feeling of love.

"Next time you have to wear a hard bag."

Atalie's eyebrows shot up, what does that mean? he felt his sling bag made of knitting material.

"At least you can use your bag to protect yourself."

"Oh." For a moment Atalie gawked but afterwards she showed a big smile. "Next time I buy a hard bag."

"One more Atalie," Umar wanted to clear up Atalie's misunderstanding of saying she hated the girl when she didn't.

"I want to say that I don't hate you at all."

Atalie the mangosteen held back a smile, "but that time you said-"

"You can ask anything and I'll answer while I can."

"Okay if so, thank you." Atalie said goodbye once again, this time he immediately got into the car so that Umar could not see the expression of his face that was too happy. Atalie wanted to jump so happy but had to stay cool especially in front of Daniel. Otherwise, surely Daniel would ridicule Atalie endlessly.

Umar stood in front of the gate until Daniel's car was not seen, after which he just entered and again closed the gate.

"Gus, thank you for the cake." A santri met Umar representing other santri to say thank you.

"Together, that's for all of you, please eat."

"Gus is good." He left immediately after greeting Umar.

"Mas, called Abah." Ali came to Umar.

"Where?"

"Library near the princess's dorm."

Hearing the name of the princess library reminded Umar of the incident where he fell in front of the princess santri who traumatized him until now. Umar never went to the library. He has a reading in the library that is located closer even though his book collection is not very complete.

"This place is so scary." Umar passed through the corridor carefully, it would not be funny if he fell a second time here.

Along the corridor to the library, Umar was incessantly chanting prayers so that he would arrive safely. Maybe it sounds excessive but Umar does not want to fall in front of the female students for the second time, no longer.

"Assalamualaikum Bah." Umar soon found Zaid at the table closest to the entrance.

"Mosur."

Umar kissed Zaid's hand back and forth and asked if Zaid had called him here.

"Well hear from Ummi that you entrusted us to find you a mate." Zaid put down the book he was holding and looked at Umar completely.

"True Bah."

"What do you want?"

If asked like that Umar confused determine the criteria of the wife he wanted. Umar had no views at all.

"Is there no santri here that interests you?"

"Umar doesn't pay much attention to Bah either."

"There are some Abah's friends who express their good intentions to make you the husband of their child."

Umar did not know if the problem of a soul mate would be this weird for him. Though it felt that Khalid immediately found Khawla just like that and they soon got married. Or indeed Umar who did not pay too much attention to it.

"How about Hana, she is polite, kind and also one of our best students, after graduating from High School she served here for 2 years before continuing college."

"How old is he?"

"Next twenty years."

"Too young Bah." Umar will soon be 30 years old, that means their age gap is 10 years. According to Umar it was quite far away.

"How about Wardah's daughter Kyai Khatib, he just graduated college or Hilya who will graduate this year." Zaid had many lists of future wives for Umar, he just asked Umar's opinion.

"Who is better according to Abah?" Umar entrusted this to Zaid because he had no experience with women.

"Hilya."

"Umar is just Abah."

"All right then." Zaid patted Umar on the shoulder proudly.