Trapped in the Love of Stepchildren
Chapter 26's

Laura looked at the address listed on the paper in confusion. Ilham, a friend who had been close to him recently gave him the address and asked to come there. However, the address turned out to be a boarding house. Laura never thought that Ilham would give the address of a boarding school. But, he was curious and decided to go and see what would happen.

Carefully, Laura set her foot toward the door of the boarding school. When he arrived, a quiet and serene atmosphere greeted him. Laura saw a middle-aged, bearded man sitting under a tree, reading the Quran solemnly. Laura approached him with mixed feelings.

"Sorry, sir. I am looking for Inspiration. Is he here?" laura asked, trying to keep her cool.

The man raised his head and smiled gently. "Oh, Ustad Inspiration? Yes Ustad Imham is here. Can I help you, son?"

Laura was shocked to hear those words. He never imagined Inspiration to be an ustad. "I'm Laura, friend of Ustaf Ilham. He gave me this address, but I did not know that this address was to this boarding school.”

The old man laughed softly. "Ah, Ustad Ilham does like to keep secrets. Come, come in I will take you to the room Ustad Ilham.”

The old man had a thoughtful appearance. His face was filled with wrinkles, signifying that he had lived through many experiences in his life.

The old man looked at Laura with a friendly smile as he looked at the astonishment in Laura's face. He could feel Laura's curiosity about the secret Ustad Ilham had. With a gaze full of wisdom, he invites you to follow his steps towards the boarding school.

They walked through a path lined with small stones, surrounded by shady trees. The sound of the birds and the wind rustling adds calmness to their journey. Finally, they reached the boarding house hidden behind the trees.

The boarding house is simple but comfortable, made of sturdy wood. Around the cottage there is a beautiful small garden, with flowers blooming adding to the beauty of the place. Fresh and fragrant air flows through the pesantren environment.

The old man slowly opened the door of the cottage carefully, as if respecting the person inside. He turned his body towards Laura and kindly said, "Please come in, follow me." Laura enters the room carefully, feeling the calm and peaceful atmosphere once the door closes behind you.

In the middle of the room, Ustad Ilham sat behind his desk in an upright posture. His handsome and well-groomed face showed that he was a respected person in the boarding house. She looked at Laura attentively as Laura walked over to the available seating nearby. A soft rustling sound from the wind coming through the open window filled the room.

Ustad Ilham smiled at Laura's arrival and greeted Laura with great hospitality. He had a calming aura and a sense of wisdom emanating from his face.

The old man saluted Ustad Ilham, showing deep respect. The old man chose to stand in the corner of the room, making room for Laura and Ustad Ilham to speak more freely.

Ustad Ilham smiled and softly said, "Welcome, Laura. Finally you decided to come also to this place.” His voice was gentle yet filled with warmth and calmness.

Inspiration, with a wise look emanating from her eyes, looked at Laura with understanding. She realizes that Laura is curious about her true identity. He smiled gently and said, "I'm sorry, Laura. I didn't tell you who I really was."

Laura replied with a hopeful look, "But why, Inspiration? I became curious about your background now.”

Ilham nodded and explained patiently, "I choose to keep secrets about myself so that the messages and teachings I convey are not influenced by people's views on my identity. Spiritual wisdom and knowledge do not depend on one's physical appearance or background, but on the depth of the heart and the experience one has."

Laura nodded in understanding, but her curiosity had not been fully satisfied. She asked, "Is there a specific reason why you chose to open up now.”

Inspiration smiled and replied with wisdom, "I see your sincerity and strong desire to seek truth and wisdom. I also felt that you might need help from a friend or a clue to your problem, so I felt that this was the right time to share with you who I really was."

Laura felt her heart flutter as Ilham said that.

Ilham continued, "My name is actually Mustafa Ilham bin Abdullah. I have devoted my life to studying and teaching the deeper teachings of Islam here. Not only here, sometimes I also look for people who may need help to get the right path in his life.”

Inspiration completes its explanation with kind words, "Laura, I share this knowledge and teachings in the hope that you too can find peace and wisdom in your life. Keep seeking the truth, and always hold on to values inspired by compassion, forgiveness, and sincerity."

Laura felt moved and without feeling her tears dripped a little. He felt that maybe this was his way of seeking the truth and the right decision of his life. This conversation will probably be the beginning of a new journey in Laura's life, with Ustad Ilham as the guide.

Laura listened attentively, digging deeper. "How did you get here, in this boarding school?”

Ileham smiled as she recalled her past. "After several years of religious studies, I felt the call to become an ustad was getting stronger. I left my job and lived here in this cottage, my father's cottage. My job here is to give religious instruction to those who seek the truth."

Laura was amazed by the decision of Inspiration. "But, why didn't you tell me about this before? I thought we were close friends."

Inspiration looked at Laura sincerely. "Laura, I don't want to affect your life choices. I know you have your own beliefs. I just want to help those who want to find their way through religion. However, I'm glad you came here. I want you to see how this change has affected me."