The Van Til House: STRAF SABBAT
Chapiter 3

"Okay, kids," said Mr. Isa. "This is the rule. Can't talk. Cannot get up from the seat. And it starts now, if one of you messes up, you'll all accept the consequences. That way you can learn to control yourself."

Very good, thought Magisna. These kids are making trouble all day - and I'm finally gonna get punished again. This is not fair!

But there was nothing he could do about it.

"Sir Is, how can one control himself?" ask Hendra.

Isa sir did not bother him. "If you follow these simple instructions, you can go home at three. Otherwise, you'll come back next Saturday, with Hendra. Understood?"

"Yes" said Novi, a little too loud.

Dika grunts.

Isa checked the group once more for the last time, his gaze moving from one disciple to the next.

Magisna could not have guessed whether Pak Isa enjoyed punishing them or not. Some teachers are happy to do it. Isa is hard to guess.

"I'll be right back" he whispered, as he walked towards the door.

Through the tail of her eyes, Magisna saw movement. He glanced through his shoulder-and saw Hendra standing upright. He heard the "Click".

Isa did not turn around.

Hendra raised his arms above his head.

Frightened, Magisna saw what Hendra was holding.

Folding knife.

Magisna's breath gasped as Hendra threw the knife into Mr. Isa's back.

Hendra's folding knife rotated in the air. Magisna heard him whizzing as it floated above his head.

The classroom door slammed shut. The knife stuck to the bulletin board inside the door.

Isa never knew what was going on.

Magisna exhaled. Hendra chose the perfect time? Hendra must be crazy enough to show off. But was he insane enough to kill the principal in front of four people?

Magisna had just realized her hand was clutching tightly at the edge of the table. His knuckles until they turn white. He forced himself to take off his grasp.

"Control it!" Hendra laughs.

"What was that?" ask Novi.

"Piso, b e g o," replied Hendra as he glared at her, then stepped towards the door.

"That knife almost got hit earlier, Hendra!" scream Alexza.

"Yes, Bro," Dika agreed. "So that's a good t o l o l."

Magisna. He thought Hendra's friends would find the folding knife funny.

"Yo-i's. The cave is t o l o l. Pake forgot," replied Hendra. "Bad values, bad attitudes, bad behavior. The cave is just a son of the devil."

He removed the knife from the bulletin board, folded it, and put it back in his jacket pocket. Then he moved to the teacher's desk and sat there. "Lumayan is comfortable" he said, patting the arm of the chair with a cynical expression. He turned it to the left and to the right several times.

"Lu really can't be trusted" Novi muttered.

"Why?" asked Hendra to act plain.

"Lu almost killed the headmaster, b e g o."

"We're still talking about that, right?" erang Hendra's. He spoke with a high voice. "That was five minutes ago."

Magisna looked at the door. Isa can come back anytime. With Hendra sitting in his seat, acting like that, they could all get into trouble.

Magisna slumped in her chair. Why should he forget his trigonometric PR? Had he not forgotten, none of this would have happened. This should not be experienced by a disciple worth A seamless.

B-plus disciple anyway, he corrected himself. But what difference does it make? I'm not their group. Not this weird bunch.

"Why did you get in here?" ask Hendra.

Magisna. "Lu nanya cave?"

"About. The cave of rats is dead" Hendra looked at him.

Dika chuckles.

"Gua doesn't have PR" Magisna replied. His casual tone was startling. Why is it that trying to sound as if being here isn't a big deal?

"Don't bring PR," Hendra repeated his words. "Woy, Brother. When was the last time we did PR?"

"Multiplication table in third grade?"

"Not really," replied Magisna.

"Booking?!" continued. "Try now get a match. Bakarin's book for the cave."

Before Magisna could answer, Alexza walked in the alley. He sat down on the teacher's desk in front of Hendra, blocking his view of Magisna.

Magisna felt as if a heavy weight was lifted off her shoulder - Hendra's eye-gaze made her nervous. He looked at Alexza.

Alexza is so clear-like the guard dog of Hendra territory.

"Bete cave, Ndra," Alexza complained. "Even talk... Instead of talking to Miss Yuppie, we're making cakes, Yuk!"

Miss Yuppie? Magisna frowned. He wanted to say something back, but who knew Alexza's reaction? He could have pulled out his own knife.

"The cave has an idea" said Hendra. "Yeah!"

It stands. So did Dika and Alexza.

"Why do you want to, you?" ask Novi.

"Get out of here" said Hendra.

I know, thought Magisna. I'll be punished again.

"Where are we going, huh?" ask Alexza.

"The cave doesn't know" said Hendra. "But the cave doesn't want to cake Novi. Skinny and depressed. We go to the cafeteria, Yuk? You know how to eat for free."

"Asek," Dika agreed.

"Udah on your crazy, huh?" bentak Novi's. "Sir said he'd come back later."

"So?" Hendra shrugged his shoulders, developing both of his hands on his sides, raising next to his eyebrows with a questioning expression.

"The cave does not want to be punished again just because you can not sit," said Novi. "Lu on the hemorrhoid what about, anyway?"

"Yodah you're gone" said Alexza.

"The cave doesn't want to."

Hendra leaned over the Magisna table. Magisna could clearly see a hard face and deep brown eyes. He's good too, he thought. If you like that type.

"How's lu?" hendra asked Magisna.

"Where's what?" Magisna doesn't understand.

Hendra grinned at him. "Want to go to the cave?"

Magisna felt her cheeks heat up. He looked into Hendra's eyes. Why is it so hard to make eye contact with her? thought.

"Hayu, Ndra!" whining Alexza.

Hendra doesn't care. He looked at Magisna. "Insubmit. Follow the cave anything not, you will be punished again even though you do not mind. Isa said, 'if one messes up, then everything will get in trouble.' He also said that when he was a teacher. He never maen-maen. Basically, you're breaking the rules. Going to the cave, you can eat for free."

Magisna knew he should have stayed. But he can't do anything else. At the bottom of his heart, he was glad that Hendra was willing to instruct him. It's not like they did something really bad. In addition, he also did not want Alexza constantly call himself "Miss Yuppie" again.

"OK," Magisna replied, rising to her feet. "The cave's coming."

Hendra grinning. "Easy, right?"

"Great," Alexza grumbled. He bought his eyes, rolled his eyes.

"Eka, why are you following me crazy?" pekik Novi's. "Lu could be punished again!"

"Elu too, Novi" he said. "Udah, come with me. Free to obey themselves, these children cannot be prevented. We'll be punished for them even if we don't follow them."

"No, ah."

"Udah just stay, Gis," growled Dika. "So he wasn't invited."

"Okay," cried Hendra. "Yeah, we're out of here."

He slowly opened the classroom door. Door hinges squeaking. Hendra slipped out the door and peeked at the corridor. "Safe."

"Awas you, yes, on... Not going to be a cave of rain if Pak Is back again," shouted Novi behind them.

"The cave does not need to be stroked," Dika half scorned.

"Oath," Novi continued. "Gua won't shut you up."

"Emang cave b a n g k e closed?" Hendra.

"Emang b a n g k e," replied Novi half muttered.