The Gema Shahadah Aisyah
The journey begins

Aisyah woke up in the morning with a new atmosphere that was completely different from usual. The recitation of the holy verse of the Quran from the mosque of the cottage, a narrow room with a small window on one side of the wall and a still dark sky. Aisyah smiled, not believing herself to have woken up before the sun. The sun always wakes him up.

There was a strange swish in Aisyah's chest but she felt warm and comfortable, she was like being reborn not Atalie but Aisyah. Umar said Atalie's decision to change her name to Aisyah was correct, praying that Atalie would become a better person every day.

"The journey starts now." Aisyah came down from her bed that is not as tender at home, her body aches but no problem, she will get used to it later. It was one of the rooms in Zaid's residence. The one-story house is actually spacious just that the building is not yet modern it seems ancient. The dormitory of the students is better when compared to the house.

I can't wait to learn new things. Aisyah will get a lot of things after embracing Islam.

After cleaning himself and ablution, Aisyah went out of the room to the mosque with Khawla who was waiting for her in front of the house. Khawla also woke Aisyah by phone.

"Come." Khawla gave a big smile welcoming Aisyah who looked very different from usual, she remembered when Aisyah came first, the girl was wearing hot pants with her hair beautifully smeared. Aisyah is indeed beautiful but her appearance now keeps her beauty awake.

For a moment Aisyah was surprised to see that Khawla was not wearing the veil that used to cover half of her face. Khawla understood the meaning of Aisyah's questioning gaze but she only responded with a smile.

Aisyah wanted to ask if it was okay for someone to take off the veil but she was embarrassed because she was not too familiar with Khawla. Although Aisyah knew Khawla would answer her question with pleasure. But still Aisyah could not be familiar, what if her question could offend Khawla.

Aisyah only dared to ask Umar many questions as if they were long-known friends. Only to Umar, Aisyah could be so familiar.

"We're through here." Khawla pulled Aisyah's hand to go the other way with the usual men's santri.

The voice of the Adhan filled all corners, the chant that some time ago had filled the entire niche of Aisyah's heart. Aisyah could not see the Adhan but she could feel the voice embracing her which was at that time in confusion. So Aisha did not need to see the figure of God because she had felt His presence.

The santri had already filled the musholla when Aisha and Khawla got there. Aisyah was flabbergasted because she seemed to have come the earliest but it turned out that the musholla was already full by other worshippers. Is the spirit of the santri always like this?

Some people gave Aisyah and Khawla space to occupy the shaf among others.

The voice of takbir was heard from the imam of the mosque, it was a familiar voice in Aisyah's ears. Umar's voice sounded heavy and melodious simultaneously.

Al-fatihah's reading echoed throughout the musholla followed by the letter At-Takatsur.

It was Aisha's first prayer since her conversion to Islam, a prayer that was so effective. Aisyah had memorized some short letters by listening to murottan and reading Latin but the letter Umar read earlier still sounded new to her.

After the shabuh prayer the santri read the Qur'an alternately. Santri's daughter was upstairs with Khawla while the son below was with Khalid.

"Maybe you guys are wondering who came with me this morning, please introduce yourself Aisyah." Khawla saw Aisyah sitting right next to him, before starting tilawah this morning she wanted to answer the curiosity of the santri with the presence of Aisyah.

"Include me Aisyah, for some time in the future I will stay here so please guide her to my sisters." Aisyah widened her smile circulating her gaze at the santri who was sitting in a circle by holding their respective mushafs. While Ayesha still had to learn the Hijaiyah. However, Aisyah is not at all embarrassed, she is enthusiastic about wanting to learn immediately.

"Mbak Aisyah has just embraced Islam so we will all embrace and help her to always be in the way of Allah."

They guarantee the Khawla prayer. Some of them are no strangers to the face of Aisyah because she once came to the cottage and had horrendous santri. Now they understood why Aisyah did not wear the hijab when she first came here.

"Aisha learned from Hana." Said Khawla, he chose Hana who is one of the best princess there. The ages of Hana and Aisyah were also not too far apart so they could easily interact.

"Yes, Mother." Aisyah and Hana sat a bit away with the others.

"Hana." Hana reached out to Aisyah, they should get acquainted first before starting to study.

"Ata—I mean Ayesha." Aisyah chuckled as she was not used to introducing herself to her new name.

"Because this is the first time, I will introduce the Hijaiyah letters first." Hana pointed one by one and recited it. Aisha watched him earnestly, occasionally repeating Hana's pronunciation.

Aisyah reads one letter at a time, she can remember it quickly until Hana praises her.

"I got a turn to cook today, Ma'am Aisyah want to come?" Hana asked when they finished studying that morning. The sun is seen peering through the window of the musholla.

"Come on."

"Ning Khawla, we'll let you go first, I can cook today." Pamit Only on Khawla.

Khawla allowed Hana and Aisyah to leave first while he and the other santri completed the tilawah until Dhuha time later.

"How long have you been here?" Aisyah asked Hana as they were on their way to the santri special kitchen.

"It's the fourth year."

"It's been a while."

"The plan is after the sixth year I'm going to get out of here and go on to college."

"It must have been a fun place until you could be here for years."

Hana chuckles, called fun is also not entirely true because pesantren is precisely the place that challenges her.

"A fun place doesn't necessarily make us feel at home."

Aisyah confirmed Hana's words, she was only here one day but she felt fit and at home even though it was much more pleasant at home.

"Today we will cook rice liwet, tofu and fried tempeh and kale for vegetables, we divide the task as usual yes." A pesantren cook mentioned the menu they were going to cook this morning. They used to share tasks without being commanded again.

Aisyah's decision to go to the kitchen was wrong because she couldn't do anything. What if his presence here will actually make the kitchen becomes chaotic.

"Mbak Aisyah is easy, fried tofu and tempe assisted Lila because we cook large portions."

Aisyah nodded stiffly, is there nothing easier than frying tofu and tempeh. He regretted spending too long in the back garden to read books, take extracurriculars at school until the afternoon or wake up late because of frequent study until late at night. She should also help with cooking at home.

What Lila meant was a full-bodied princess who had a mole on her chin. He will fry tofu and tempe with Aisyah.

"What age is it?" Lila asked while giving the knife to Aisyah.

"Twenty-three."

"Twenty-three just learned Iqro'?"

"Hus Lila don't say that, Madam Aisyah was converted yesterday so it's natural that she learned Iqro'." Hana Sahut.

"You can't suddenly read the Qur'an either."

"Have it done, let's start cooking." Others said mediate them.

"I'm sorry." Lirih Lila slowly.

"No, it's okay." Aisyah shook her head, she has absolutely no problem with that.

Lila makes a spice for tofu and tempeh while Aisyah is in charge of cutting it. Previously Aisyah asked Lila to model it first.

"Dyed tempeh to the seasoning continues to be fried, I've already heated the oil."

"Yes." Yeah." Aisyah dipped the chopped tempeh into the spice with an awkward gesture, anyone who saw it would immediately know if it was the first time Aisyah set foot in the kitchen and touched the tools there.

"It's fried right away." Tukas Lila saw Aisyah just standing quietly in front of the stove.

"Eh, yes." Aisyah put pieces of tempeh into hot oil. "Aah!" He squealed loudly as the oil splashed everywhere against his hand.

"Sir, is it okay?" Hana approached Aisyah.

Aisyah was about to say it was okay but her hands felt extremely hot and blistered.

"Nyemplungnya slowly let's not splash his oil Mbak." Hana helped Aisyah put tempe into the frying pan.

Aisyah wants to escape, this is more scary than the horror movie she had seen with Gracia. He said it was the easiest but still Aisyah couldn't.

"Aisha, come with Ummi."

Aisyah was surprised, she did not know since when Maryam was there.

"I'm helping them cook Ummi."

"Let's cook with Ummi."

Finally Aisha followed Mary out of the kitchen, feeling saved by Maryam.

"You have a lecture today?"

"There's no Ummi." Aisyah does not have a schedule to meet lecturers, maybe she will only be here all day, working on a thesis and completing her work.

"Can you pull out the kale?" Ask Mary when they get to the kitchen.

"Never tried Ummi, but I can learn, they also want to cook kale."

"Yes, our menu and the students are always the same."

"Where is Umm's kale?"

"In the back garden, it's easy, you can." Maryam gave the container to Aisyah to hold the kale that had been removed.

Aisyah nodded towards the garden through the back door, finally she could see the garden that Maryam was talking about. Not very large but the plant is quite complete.

Aisyah saw Umar watering vegetables that she did not know his name because they were small.

"Ummi asked me to pull out the kale." Aisha said before Umar asked her purpose here.

"Alright, unplug some don't need all." Umar threw a glance at the line of kale that was ready for harvest.

"How much?"

"Five trees are enough, don't you like kale?" Umar wondered how much to cook for them.

"Not too but if Mas Umar who planted may like." Aisyah has proven when eating star fruit and ketella that Umar planted, maybe kale will also be better if Umar planted it.

"It's like kale in general."

Aisha removed the kale and washed its soil-filled roots in a nearby water source. Umar also took water from it to water his plants.

"Why hands?" Umar accidentally saw the back of Aisyah's hand was reddish in color and appeared to bubble in some parts.

"Because of oil." Aisyah did not help much, she only hurt herself.

"Don't break the bubble, you have to rub it with ointment."

Aisyah was not a child, she knew what to do when she was injured.

"Don't push yourself, I remember you once said never go to the kitchen."

"I just want to learn not to force myself anymore nor does it feel good if others cook while I just keep quiet."

"You can ask for the easiest task."

"That's the easiest."

"You pull the kale, it looks like you're an expert at it." Umar breezed away after finishing watering all the freshly grown mustard plants.

"It's not helped." Aisyah grouse while moving from there after finishing washing kale.