The Love of Habib
Chapters 4.8

"Are you the town kids we've been talking about a lot lately?" Ms. Salma, the chairman of the general kitchen staff who helped wash the dishes suddenly brought up this problem.

Aish, Dira, and Gisel looked at each other. They did not expect that the topic about them would reach the ears of the general kitchen.

"We're that famous, huh?" Gisel muttered not knowing should feel proud or upset by this fact.

"Yes, Mom. The three of us came from the same town and knew each other." Aish replied in a bored tone.

Salma's mother and her colleagues rubbed dishes with dish soap, while the three of them were in charge of washing the cutlery already in soap into water and putting it on a very large dish shelf. Understandably, the plate that is accommodated is not small and requires a lot of space! Even some dishes that do not get a place are forced to be arranged on a large table to dry it.

Salma's mother smiled warmly, "Oh, you guys promised to come in here, yeah?" Ask Ms. Salma a prank that is punctuated by a restrained smile from her colleagues.

Muka Dira immediately depressed,"Boro-boro entered the agreement, Mom. We never dreamt of getting in here, Mom." Dira replied bluntly and immediately invited the laughter of Mother Salma and her colleagues.

"So the story is that you were forced into this same old man?" Ask Ms. Hilmiati, one of Ms. Salma's colleagues.

The three of them compactly nodded innocently. I don't know why Ms. Salma and her colleagues thought that the three of them were kind of funny and not as bad as they heard from the outside. Although they seem a bit jutek but if talking in a soft tone, Ms. Salma and her colleagues feel when the three of them start to be friendly. Eventually the awkward chatter becomes more fluid and fun.

"Yes, Mom. The three of us were forced into this. Ngenesnya again I'm not given money time sent here." Gisel's story is joking.

Dira glanced at his friend pity, "You though not given money but still profit ushered in with your parents. Lha, than I come here the same assistant house because my parents are busy out of town." Dira nelangsa's story.

Hearing the impromptu curses of his two friends, Aish smiled bitterly because the story of the two of them was not much different from his.

"But instead of me coming here at 3am and being forced to get up at 5am without a break." Aish said with a small laugh.

His intentions were joking but both Dira and Gisel felt that this joke was not funny. They're not even good to Aish. Who doesn't know what Aish's life is like in his family?

They know but never want to reveal it because it was Aish's privacy first and at that time Dira was not friends with him while Gisel held a grudge. So be it Aish's personal life was never exposed until the day they fought and were sent to this place.

"Kids, I know you must be sad that you were suddenly sent here. You must be hurt and disappointed in your parents, but rest assured this place will never disappoint you. Pondok pesantren is strict and focused on learning religion because it is deliberately designed for your life in the future." Said Salma's mother in a warm motherly tone of voice.

Hearing the curses of the three of them, her heart as a mother was touched. It must have felt like a dream to suddenly be sent here when they were used to a free life out there.

Aish lowered her head to rinse the plate Dira passed to her.

"Mom, any school must be made for our lives in the future so honestly we don't have to live here." Killah Aish makes sense.

Hilmiati's mother shook her head helplessly, "All schools are like that but boarding schools have their own value. Look at it later, surely one day in the future you'll understand what we mean."

The other colleague spoke up, "Good, son. At that time you will be grateful to be sent here."

"That's a business lately, ma'am. Oh yeah, by the way good cottage food too. But can not Bu portions in many again because we are not satisfied to eat." Dira said plain and immediately invited the laughter of Mother Salma and her other colleagues.

They felt that these three children were very funny and comforted their fatigue because they worked all day in the soup kitchen.

"Yes, Mom. The food is so good. But honey, we're not satisfied." Gisel said honestly.

Hilmiati's mother shook her head in distress, "We also want to prepare a large portion but we can't."

Dira guessed the financial problem, "What cottage can not afford to buy a lot of materials, Mom? I can get Koko to come here."

Dira had a lot of money from personal savings and from giving his two masters for his provisions during his stay here.

Salma's mother found it funny, "We don't lack funds, son. Thank God we have enough money. For vegetables and rice, we already have savings because pesantren huts also grow them in rice fields." Denying Mother Salma.

Dira and Gisel are confused.

"If it's not about the funds, then what's the problem, ma'am?" Ask Gisel.

"It's not about problems but habits. Here we are taught to skimp and hold back so that the portion of each meal is adjusted. Not a little bit is not much, but just a little. Not filling and not starving, essentially filling the stomach. Later after you get used to this habit, I'm sure you'll enjoy it for a long time and slowly forget how many portions." Salma explained to the two of them.

Dira and Gisel were instantly manyuned. They think there's something like this because it was done intentionally. Their sullen reaction again invited laughter Mother Salma and her colleagues. So the dishwashing event that is usually tiring and boring today feels much more fun.

The dishes they were washing slowly reduced to an hour later, the three of them finished this work. They exchanged greetings with Ms. Salma, Ms. Hilmiati and the other Mothers before leaving the public kitchen booth.

"Even this goes straight to the bathroom and goes bobok. It's crazy, I'm tired." Said Dira while holding her stiff waist.

Gisel rolled his eyeballs on the side, "Master princess must be very tired from never getting used to doing menial work." Ejek relaxed.

Dira Manyun, among the three of them is indeed the most spoiled and never associated with a job like this.

"Three of you, wait." Salma's mother suddenly shouted from the door of the public kitchen booth.

The three of them compactly stopped and instantly turned around. Their steps were already far away so Mother Salma had to run small when approaching the three of them.

Aish greeted him first.

"Do we have any more jobs, ma'am?" Ask Aish limp.