The Nick's Life
Iqro

A black Avanza stopped in front of Nick, as the man was about to head for his car. Arnav opened his car glass and then removed his sunglasses. Nick looked lazily at his best friend who came at the wrong time.

“Nick..anterin me dong.”

“Ngga can I no need.”

“Where? Why?”

“Kepo bener lo.”

Nick walked back to his car. Unsatisfied with the friend's answer, Arnav got out of his car and ran after him. Nick opens the car door, but it closes when Arnav closes it again.

“Now really can't anterin me?”

“Ngga.”

“What's so important?”

“Banget, regarding my future. It's there!”

“Where are you going? If I don't answer also I will nempel mulu same lo rich ductile.”

“You learned my salary, satisfied lo.”

Arnav blinked his eyes and scratched his ears several times. Making sure that what he heard just now is real is not just his illusion.

“Serious you want to learn njai? Muslim jin tinsel where lo?”

Nick canceled his intention to enter the car. He turned to face Arnav with his back against the car door. Arnav's face looked curious waiting for an answer to come out of Nick's mouth.

“Gue must change Ar. I'm also myself Iza. I have to be solid for him and I also do not want to let him fight alone convince his bokapnya. You know for yourself what it looks like. Iza's struggle will be in vain if I don't change.”

Arnav himself. What my friend said is true. Then he remembered Meta, the girl who managed to make his heart klepek-lepek. The girl was so far from his reach.

“Gue join dong Nick. I also want to learn religion again.”

“Serius lo? Not just for the sympathy of Meta doang?”

“Whatever I do business, rich Meta will not want me guys model I.”

“Model kang dipping means lo, hahaha.”

“Basic lizard panuan. Anyway I'm coming. Where did you learn?”

“Udah follow aja.”

“Whose teaching?”

“There, still young. He is the champion of MTQ in DKI Jakarta. Come on hunt, daftar maghrib nih.”

“Ok. ok..”

Arnav ran to his car. Nick immediately got into his car and then ran the four-wheeled vehicle leaving the hotel parking area where he worked. Arnav's car followed behind him.

Arnav keeps following Nick's car from behind. But the longer, the more confused he gets because Nick's car leads to the area where Meta lives. When Nick's vehicle turns into the area Gintung, Arnav is increasingly convinced that Nick is indeed heading towards the house Meta. He continues to follow Nick who then stops in front of a mosque.

Nick got out of the car. They arrived five minutes before the adzan maghrib. Rivan was already in front of the mosque, because Iza had already contacted him. Nick immediately approached Rivan, followed by Arnav from behind.

“Bro... really want to learn njai? I think Iza nge-prank doang.”

“Bener dong. Ajarin yes,” Nick patted Rivan on the shoulder. The young man nodded, then his gaze fell on Arnav.

“Nih Sarong Khan why come too?”

“Gue also wants to learn njai.”

“Seriously? Can emang? At most Iqro 1.”

“Ngeremehin. Gini-gyi I've finished Juz ‘Amma.”

“Hahahaha.. khatam Juz ‘Amma is proud. There are Latin letters there. Who knows if you read it in Latin.”

“Only lo!”

The debate between Arnav and Rivan stopped once the Maghrib was heard. Nick invites the two to enter the mosque. Arnav walks behind Nick to the ablution. He still could not believe that his best friend wanted to return to pray. After that, the two entered into the line of shaf. Immediately the priest started the prayer.

After the Maghrib prayer, children who follow the maghrib do not go straight home. They sit according to their groups. Some mosque teenagers started his lessons. Rivan who usually teaches children aged 5 – 6 years soon headed to his place followed by Nick.

Arnav who was about to follow Nick stopped his steps as soon as he saw Meta who was also preparing to teach. Iza was with him too. Arnav codes Nick for Iza. But the man was unmoved, and he sat down with Rivan. Arnav approaches Meta alone.

“Assalamu’alaikum ukhti.”

“Waalaikumsalam. Eh follow learning njai also nih?”

“Iya, want to surf again.”

“Where do you join? If Rivan taught children aged 5 – 6 years, about Iqro 1 to 3. If Iqro 4 to 6 were taught with Salim. Well if Al-Qur’an the same Akbar. Who do you want to be with?”

“Sama you can?”

Meta turned towards Iza. His best friend just shrugged his shoulders. Then he walked over to Nick and Rivan.

“I test first yes.”

Arnav nodded in response to Meta's remark. Then the girl walked towards the bookshelf, picking up a mushaf as well as an Iqro. He returned to the group of princesses who were waiting for him. Arnav rushed over as Meta waved at him. The man sat in front of Meta.

“Decks, a minute yes. Sister wants to test this sister first.”

“Iya kak,” answer them in unison.

Meta placed the mushaf on a long wooden table then opened it. He chose the letter of Al-Baqarah to be read by Arnav. After saying ta’awudz and basmallah, Arnav began his rise.

“Alif laaaaammm miiiimmm.

“Terussin.”

“Hmm... This is what letter is it?”

Meta shook his head slowly. He closed the mushaf and opened the iqro, his hand continued to open the sheet of paper and then stopped on the sheet that read iqro 5. Meta asks Arnav to read, but the man still finds it difficult. The girl reopened the sheet and stopped at iqro 3. Again Meta had to turn the page because Arnav still could not read. Until iqro 2, Arnav still can not.

“Ar.. You learned from iqro 1 yes. I've been there, studied with Rivan.”

Shamefully, Arnav stood up and approached Rivan. He glanced as Meta's student laughed at him. Without saying much Arnav sat down near Rivan. The young man ignored him, he continued to teach his students as many as six people. Finished teaching, Rivan let the others disperse while waiting for the time isya. He then turned to Nick.

“Come bro, start.”

Rivan opened the mushaf and asked Nick to start from Al-Fatihah letter and then continued to Al-Baqarah. At first Nick was still stammering, but after passing a few verses, he started a little smoothly. Iza smiled at Nick's determination to change. Several times Rivan heard correcting Nick's reading.

“This is the entry of idzhar law so read it clearly aja. if this is ikhfa, so buzzed if you meet nun dead or tanwin.”

Nick nodded then repeated his reading. Rivan kept listening to Nick's reading. Not much was corrected by him. The man had memorized letters and punctuation marks. Only the law of tajwidnya is still changed. Rivan asks Nick to stop when he has read ten verses.

“So here first. Tomorrow we go again. Tomorrow, you want to go on, right?”

“Iya. Anyway, every day I come here unless I get another MOD.” task

“Manager on Duty.”

“Ooh.”

Rivan only ‘oh’ ria only. then he turned his eyes on Arnav. His laughter broke upon seeing the iqro book in the man's hands. Arnav snorts angrily, he puts the iqro on Rivan's front desk.

“Gue said what too? Model Sarong Khan mah definitely iqro 1 hahaha.”

“Whispering. Teach me.”

Rivan opens the first page of iqro 1 lessons. Then ask Arnav to mention one by one the letters that are there. Arnav began to read one by one, starting from the letter alif to the letter tsa.

“To here first bro. Tomorrow continues again. Inget nih point not to forget. Back from earlier.”

“Ya sorry.”

“Difficult to learn already bangkotan.”

A toyoran lands on Rivan's head. Nick only chuckles to see Rivan and Arnav who are like cats and mice if they meet. Rivan then invited Arnav to take care of the tables used for his study because soon the pilgrims will come to perform the prayer isya.

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Iza looked pensive, several times his head shook slowly. His mind kept on being fixed on his meeting with Nick's mommy. Whether by chance or what, Iza often met with Diah in this week. To the astonishment of the girl, every time Iza met, she always found the woman walking with a different man. One foreigner and two Indonesians.

The girl tried to think positively and considered that the men who were with Diah were just friends or business partners. But he also could not deny that the body language they showed, their relationship was not only friends.in addition to the hug scene hugging, Diah also looked spoiled and spoke affectionately with them.

Not wanting to wallow in prejudice, Iza decided to ask Nick. Actually he had wanted to ask about this since yesterday but he was still in detention. He was afraid that this would offend Nick. But Iza also does not want to be in the gray zone. Finally his hand grabbed the phone and sent a message to Nick.

To My Beloved Nick :

This afternoon you njai?

Iza waited for a while but Nick never returned it, even the message is still tick ash. Iza put the phone on the nightstand, she then lay on the bed. Before long, the notification of the incoming message sounded, the girl quickly grabbed it.

From My Beloved Nick :

Wh why? Kangen ya😉

To My Beloved Nick :

I have something to talk about.

From My Beloved Nick :

Yes, I'm njai.

To My Beloved Nick :

Don't forget In Shaa his God, Nick.

From My Beloved Nick :

Yes, In Shaa Allah I saw.

To My Beloved Nick :

Ok, I'm gonna talk.

From My Beloved Nick :

Okay, honey...

Iza smiled, she put the phone back on the nightstand without replying to Nick's last message. Just as the girl was about to break down, a knock rang out at the door. Iza got up and opened the door. It turned out that bi Teti, the housekeeper at his residence who came. The middle-aged woman called Iza for lunch.

Iza came out of his room, following Bi Teti's steps towards the dining room on the lower floor. He pulls up the chair next to Mina, facing Rahardi. Her brother had no teaching schedule today. Mina shoved a plate containing pepper-rica chicken, one of Iza's favorite menus.

No conversation during the meal. Iza was able to enjoy lunch quietly without interspersed with the father's interrogation. After eating, Iza finished a glass of water that was available. As she was about to leave, Rahardi's voice held her back.

“Sit for a moment, abi want to talk.”

Iza turned towards Mina. The middle-aged woman nodded her head. Iza put herself back in. His heart was eagerly waiting for what his brother was about to talk about.

“Abi got a bid. There is a scholarship for S2 in Malaysia, remaining one candidate. Prepare all the required files, abi want to register you.”

Iza spontaneously looked towards Rahardi. Again and again the brother made a decision without his consent. Not only Iza, but Mina was surprised by her husband's decision. He looked with a dislike look.

“Zi.. do you want to continue S2 there? If you don't want to, just say it. Ummi will support your decision,” said Mina firmly.

“I don't want abi. I want to continue my studies here. On the old campus.”

“But this is a good opportunity. You will have a new experience, new friends. Abi do this for your own good.”

“For my good what good is abi?”

“What do you mean Zi?”

“Abi, please stop managing my life. Let me make my own choices. Does abi not believe me? I know abi meant to do this, to keep me away from Nick, right?”

“That's all abi do for your good!”

“Already!! Iza will continue to study here. Better he go to college here, who will accompany him there? Abi knows for himself, it is not good for a woman to go far without being accompanied by her mahrom. What abi can guarantee Iza's safety there?”

Rahardi just cleared his throat. He immediately left the dining table speechless again. It is better to give up than to argue with your wife. Free, in the end he will also lose. Iza squandered in Mina's arms.

“Still ummi.”

“Ummi will do anything for your happiness. Sorry if all this time ummi always close her eyes will selfishness abi. But now no longer, ummi will stand behind you.”

“What ummi will support me with Nick?”

“Nick good boy. At least he's trying to be good. Ummi believes in your choice.”

“Thank you ummi.”

Iza hugged Mina again. Her feelings were relieved when she found out that her mother supported her in all her decisions. Mina rubbed Iza's back. In his heart he promised to continue supporting the child no matter what.

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After learning to teach and pray together, Nick approached Iza who was waiting for him on the terrace of the mosque. The girl invites Nick to talk at Rivan's house alone, along with Rivan, both of them to Anton's residence. Iza chose to speak on the bench in the yard.

“What's Zi? It's so important the power.”

Iza was silent for a moment. His mind was busy stringing up words that would not offend Nick. After taking a breath for a moment, the girl began to ask him about the thing that had plagued her these few days.

“Nick. sorry for earlier. I asked him, I have no meaning whatsoever. I just want to know. is your mommy now in a relationship with someone?”

DEG

🍂🍂🍂

How did Nick react?