The Staircase
Surprise Rank One

This morning we swarmed in front of the second class, Budi trembled and asked, Where is my father? Without answer. Randi beside Budi was also not calm even though his father had just arrived at the schoolyard. I tried to calm myself down because I was waiting even-dad wouldn't come, busy.

It's been twice the division of the class increase report card but father never attended. Not intentionally, but indeed my father worked all day. Rest only the night, that's also dad sleep is not calm, think hard. Only you know, my mother and I are more silent in front of him. At most fathers just ask how my school, how much money is left, and ask to be awakened at dawn, then we mengubris.

"Your father doesn't come anymore, Ki?" Ask Randi. Twice absent from taking the class report card, making Randi wonder why I never took the time. I shook my head great.

Parents of students flocked to enter the second grade, Mad sir tailed behind them. Budi's father was almost late, fortunately still allowed in.

"How's your uncle?" Ask Budi. This time Budi's face looked relieved after his father sat in the front seat.

I shook my head again, like a pendulum clock that moved back and forth and rang like a small bell that was hit, I replied, no time.

Actually, uncle wants her not to get married. Five months ago my uncle married Neli's mom. We were happy even though in his house we were lonely, uncle moved to Neli's house. I didn't have time to tell uncle that today we were distributing class report cards. A considerable distance was not possible for me to urge uncle. Uncle is with his new family. Mr. Mad officially became uncle's brother-in-law. Throw Mr. Mad at me before entering the classroom was very friendly.

"alright. Relax, Ki. My father exists. He must be proud to take your raporm." Randi calming. I looked up, looking into Randi's eyes as if asking, proud why? "My dad must be proud to take the first-ranked report card in our class, Bud." Randi switched the conversation to Budi who nagged in agreement.

They both agreed to encourage me. "You must be number one in our class, Ki." Budi.

"Who else, if not Aki?" Randi seumpama add flavoring seasoning. He plays an eye towards me, optimistic.

"Ah, you're too sure. Where could I possibly rank one. At the beginning of the semester I had a lot of alpas. Don't-don't be between the two of you who might be ranked one this time." I cheered back.

Budi and Randi compact, shook their heads. "Nobody knows, right?" My toot. They both thought about it, right.

Last night I frankly told my mother that this second grade I missed a lot of subjects, mother said it was okay after hearing I was pessimistic most likely could not rank one again. Mom said that I could start at the beginning of my new class. I'm nodding. On the way I saw a new car in the Tibetan man's house, I thought how happy it would be if there was something new in our lives, I agreed with my mother - starting from scratch in a new class. Maybe I can fix it. Once again Tibetans are the lucky ones.

I leaned my body against the wall of the board, turned to the left, at the end of which Nina was sitting next to a male friend. They both laughed together. Nina glanced at me, we looked at each other. I pretended to turn my eyes towards Budi and Randi in front of me who was sitting, gossiping. Cie said, making me memorize the intent of the two of them.

If only I and Nina were one class, I would be rivaled. I won't be given a chance by him to rank one. Clearly already, Nina's two classes were surpassed, both of them were level one. I was just about to surpass second grade, it was not clear what rank it would be. Good luck if you still get a top three or ten.

The classroom was silent for a moment. Even those of us who sat outside did not flinch. Randi who initially had a lot of talk was immediately silent. Mr. Mad cleared his throat, standing respectfully before the disciple's parents.

Not long after, the classroom became noisy with a very loud cheer. Shouts my name with pride. True said Randi, his father was proud to take my report card and report card. Even though Randi is ranked second, his father does not compare him to the one ranked me. Moreover, Budi's father, happy not dumbfounded to hear the name Budi called after Randi, Budi's father advanced to the front of the class full of confidence.

Randi and Budi were very happy, the report card division was taken directly by their parents. As for me, I only brought good news to both my parents. The real news can be made up by anyone who wants to boast of his parents. But mom and dad never denied my story. They trusted me completely even though my story was taken care of - they were very busy.

"Later, you bring this one, yeah. That heavy one let me father." Pointing to the clothes cardboard, my part. The closet that uncle gave me was father's. Mother was worried about the furniture scattered on the floor. Occasionally wiping his sweat. Dad came down the stairs, picked up the closet, and took it. Like a thief of misfortune, father walked so fast that the bush in the streets covered his shadow that led to the highway.

I'm surprised not dumbass, haven't had time to ask, where are you going? They're busy not caring about me. Even when I said they were number one, they just answered quickly, thank God, while busying themselves again.

The house seemed uninhabited, all the furniture was brought outside. Mom was very neat. Jute sacks are compacted to fit about a dozen pieces of home furniture. Buckets, plates, teapots, cups, oil bottles, lamps, rice coils, cans, and many more. Gather in a gunny sack. It's like a thief. They do it without further ado, quietly, but seriously.

"You go to..." Mom snatched, you'll know. I stopped asking. Is this a surprise class rise and can rank one? A big question mark hit my head that I coughed up many times even though no one was itching.

"Fast after your father. Bring that!" Pointing the cardboard in front of me.

I still wear school uniforms. Cardboard's already sealed mom, I can't take a change of clothes. The report card that I had been holding tightly in front of my chest, intended to show it to my father and mother - put it again in a crackle bag.

I picked up the cardboard clothes, following my father who had been going back and forth twice as long as I got home. That is, father more than twice went back and forth before I got home, because I saw the Tibetan pack's car; I know exactly that Tibetan sir's car even if the one driving it isn't him - it's full of home furnishings.

The driver came out the car door. Mother appeared behind us, carrying a mat of leaves to look up to her.

"Can't you?" Ask the father after reviewing the surroundings of a car that looks like it is being forced to transport thousands of kilos of home furniture.

"Silent. This car is capable, the payload is even up to two tons. Has everything been transported?" Ask the driver after explaining the durability specifications of the car he drives.

"It." My mother answered quickly.

"Berez. But where are we sitting?" Father was once again confused.

"One person in the back. If there's anything with this piece of furniture it could scream to tell me. The two sat in front. This kid can be on my lap." The driver is very experienced in freight and passenger services.

I blinked slowly. The driver smokes his cigarette while opening the car door. Dad got into the car. My mom and I drove around the car to the other door. Mom goes in first, then pusses and sits on her lap.

"Mom, where are we going?" I succeeded in asking my question which I had earlier pointed out. The driver stepped on the gas until he walked, slowly. Crossing the leaves that duck on the side of the road. In her transparent glass window, I stared at the dim sky, the sun was tilted to the west. Behind me and my mother was a transparent glass, I looked up at the glass. Dad seemed to be holding on to a rope that tied the furniture of the house. Dad's head was swaying as if the sound of a car engine was like his favorite song.

"Move the house." Answer, mother turns her head from left to right. My hair seemed to block the view of the mother, the neck was elongated and the body was getting heavier, making the mother seem to sit on the coals of fire. His body was soaked in sweat. Luckily the driver turned on the small fan in front of the car.

I was very surprised to hear my mother's answer. I feel like this is a nightmare. But the driver's cigarette fire hit my hand holding on to the chair's algae, realising that now was not the time for dreams.

I complained of pain, the driver apologized. I asked again in a clear tone. "Mom. Where are we moving to?" My mom must understand that she's on the bench now doesn't agree to moving house.

How can I agree? I just arrived home already shocked by the various kinds of furniture scattered. I thought I would be greeted with food, instead greeted with news of moving house. I did not get to say goodbye to my two best friends, Randi and Budi. They'll be looking for me after third grade. Lest they take me after Aga, quit school. No. gabe. I'm staying in school. But moving this house makes me not accept. My mom and dad should have told me first. It's a good thing mom said last night that I could start in a new class. It was not just a new class, a house that I did not know its location, its shape; it was new. I thought something new in life could make us happy, I was wrong. I want to get out the car door. Mom said it would disappoint me. I looked back, saw my father wiping his sweat, making me unbearable.

Light lamps lined up along the way, we passed them one by one which just turned on automatically. There was no sound of ruffled birds, it was not a village, but a market, a town, or something. We arrived in the middle of the overcrowding of the residents' houses at about seven p.m. My stomach is kicking, hitting cymbals, stepping on pedals, blowing flutes, strumming great guitar-rumbling. The car stopped right in the middle of the market, in front of a crammed house. Some were jovial, jiggling, flickering lights like firefly buttocks, twitching with my stomach. Noisy.

I got out of the car followed by my mom. The driver to the back helped dad bring down the furniture. Some people who passed by did not help. They glanced curiously after it passed without a sound.

The mothers who passed next to us asked my mother. "Just moved, huh?" His gaze looked cynical.

My mother replied, yes. Mothers just pass by to the house sequence number four of this car. My mother helped my father down the furniture, took it to the porch of our new home. The house was dark, as if it had been uninhabited for a long time. I took a lot of trouble opening the lock. One by one the father tried, until finally the door of the house was wide open. Dad pressed the wall until it rang, click. The inside of the house looks very clear. The white lights on the ceiling of the house are brightly lit.

"Where are you going to keep it?" Ask the driver while pulling strong cigarette smoke. Smoke the cigarette after putting a water barrel in the middle room.

"Leave it there." Said my father. The driver went back to the car, picked up another piece of furniture.

Mother spread a mat of leaves mendong giving uncle to the living room, next to the water barrel.

"Here, buy four packs there." Dad gave mom a red note, pointing out. Mom followed dad's lead. I put the crackle bag next to the water barrel, then sat on the mat of the leaf to look up.

I stared fixedly at the whole house. Not too scary than uncle's house. Woe is in my heart. She returned to the house with a large black plastic bag. The driver and father followed behind. We sat in a circle, eating dinner very well.

"Thank you, yeah. Don't be deterred from helping us." Said Dad shaking hands with the driver. Dad and driver like doing cash transactions, the driver put his hand in the pocket of his pants then greet my mother and take me tos with the palm of his hand.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. We suddenly moved house. Before I didn't think we'd move here. Thanks to the Tibetan sir, we were given a free car ride, and a one-month rental-free rental house. Of course this is considered by the Tibetans for a very long time. Tibetans told dad this morning." I explained the reason why I suddenly moved house. I see now, my father agreed to the Tibetan sir's offer for us to move house because we didn't want to waste the opportunity. Is correct. Opportunity does not come twice.

The Tibetan rented house is very large. Two rooms, means one for me. But tonight I dare not sleep alone. I still want a room with mom and dad. We slept with the mattress, the leaf mat that my mother brought as if it no longer worked for our bed. This is what it feels like to be rich. Sleeping on a soft mattress makes the eyes quickly fall asleep. Even my father's snoring was no longer heard. I was deeply immersed in a mattress and cushion.