THE SMILE OF THE MOON
Emi felt like someone was watching her, every time passing by ...

Emi stepped quietly even though she felt that someone was watching her from the old building beside the road. His other-feeling nape and his hair began to stand up. He tried to remain calm and occasionally turned half his body, trying to glance towards the second floor of the old building.

* * *

It's getting dark. Azan maghrib was heard chanting shahdu from the direction of the village mosque. Alfians turned. Just a moment ago, her heart was racing as the white-hooded girl turned to the direction of the building she was hiding in. Actually he wanted the girl to know he was there. he wanted the girl to know, he was deliberately waiting for her every day just to see her. But when he imagined how shocked the girl would be when he saw her ugly face, his courage to show up just disappeared. He didn't want the girl to be scared and traumatize him for the rest of his life.

Alfian looked down lethargic. Thought stirred. He looks. The atmosphere out there seems empty. His cough that he had been forced to hold for a while had finally broken and echoed in the room. Alfian slowly turned his body weak. Slowly, he stepped down the stairs in the darkness. The sound of crutches supporting his left leg sounded stomping silently after Maghrib.

** *

Somewhere else. In a little green house. After performing Maghrib prayers with her father and mother, as well as reading some of the holy verses of the Qur'an, Emi headed straight to the living room where her father and mother were watching TV.

Seeing Emi emerge from behind the door of his room, Marwan patted the sofa mat where he was sitting, gesturing for Emi to sit nearby. Emi smiled spoiledly and immediately approached and sat down beside Mr. Marwan.

"Wow, the father's child is more beautiful when it has finished praying," said Mr. Marwan while embracing the body of Emi. Emi just smiled spoiledly and replied tightly to her father's embrace.

"Beautiful, but when the marriage.is aged," said Marwan while folding some clothes that have been distressed. Emi let out a short sigh and got up closer towards her mother. He poked his mother's cheeks and took some clothes that had not been in the strica, which piled up next to Marwan's mother, then immediately ironed it. Ms. Marwan glanced at her husband with a smile.

" If asked when marriage should be like this. I don't want to answer" said Marwan.

Emi did not look. He kept a small smile hidden on his lips.

"I am my only mother. If later Emi married and joined Emi's husband, who else will help mom clean up the house," said Emi. His hands look so deftly folding clothes that have finished distracting him.

"Yes, you are" said Marwan. He got up and sat down near Mr. Marwan. "I'm looking for a good husband. If your husband is good, you will definitely think of your mother as his mother too. Cook him does not tell you to go home to just help mom clean up the house," continued Marwan. Hearing her mother's reply, Emi could only smile.

"Father and mother will not interfere in your affairs if it is related to your life choices. I believe you are a godly girl and have a strong religious foundation. It is the religion that will lead you to the choice of God. No need to be handsome and rich. Seek out those who understand how to lead you to the path of God," said Mr. Marwan chimed wisely.

"God willing, Mom. Emi asks for prayer to let Emi match the expectations of Mom and Dad. But be patient first, do Emi need istikharah. There is nothing better than what Allah chose for His servants" Emi replied. Mr. Marwan thumbs up to Emi, even though Emi does not see him.

"This is Dad's son. Now, let's get ready. Already Azan isya, we pray first," said Mr. Marwan. Emi hurriedly finished her work. After that, he got up and immediately followed Mr. Marwan and Ms. Marwan to the Mushalla house.

* * *

The night slowly grew late.The sound of the night's flat sounded crowded singing the night. Occasionally stopped when the wind occasionally blows.

Alfian rubbed the water from the ablution that soaked his face. He clenched his body tightly, for the wind was so cold that it made him shiver. Before stepping into his room, he took a look at his mother's room. The middle-aged woman seemed to have fallen asleep, after a while she complained that her waist was flat.

There's a lot for Alfian to do tonight. Novels that he will send to one of the Novel reading Applications, he must finish immediately. He was grateful that the novel he sent had been received and entered into a contract. The money he received was enough to meet his daily needs with his mother.

Usually Alfian started writing after finishing his routine every night. Pray, read the Qur'an and read some books and then take a nap and wait to wake the alarm at one night. After that he will start writing and limit it to 3. After performing the tahajjud prayer two rakaat, he will return to writing until the dawn of prayer reverberates.

The occasional night routine he refused to do if his heart did not want to. When he began to complain about his circumstances and shortcomings. But his consciousness always reminded him that complaining would bring him nothing but heartache and torment of the soul and body.