USTADZ
63. Prepare to Separate

Syahla and Ustadz Amar lay on a mattress with their bodies facing each other. Despite not saying anything, the two of them were already satisfied with looking at each other's faces. Gently, Ustadz Amar inserted his fingers into Syahla's hair covering part of her face, tucking it behind her ears.

"I'm so happy" Shahla grabbed her husband's hand and kissed him softly. "After this, we can do our activities as usual. We can leave and go home from college together again."

Ustadz Amar heard his wife's words for a moment. Nervously, he got up from his lying position and sat down with an anxious face.

"What's wrong?" Shahla was astonished. "Is something wrong?"

"Young.." Ustadz Amar appeared to gulp several times, trying to string the word. "Actually, there's one thing I want to say to my wife, but I haven't had time because a lot of things have happened."

"Hm?" Syahla finally got up from her lying position, sitting while looking at her husband in wonder. "What indeed?"

Ustadz Amar looked at his wife's face for a moment, then took a deep breath before opening his mouth. "I can't teach on campus anymore."

Both eyebrows of Shahla are linked. "Why?"

"Actually, a few months ago I applied for a scholarship for S3, and this week is the day of its announcement."

"Oh yeah?" Syahla's face sparkled enthusiastically. "How did it go?"

Ustadz Amar nodded his head. "Thank God, I'm welcome."

"Good dong!" Shahla cheering. "This has been my dream all along! What university is it at which University? In Bandung? Yogyakarta's? Or even in Jakarta?"

Ustadz Amar shook his head slowly while smiling bitterly. "I was accepted to Harvard University,"

"Har.vard?" Shahla repeated the sentence slowly. "If Harvard means anything?"

"United States" replied Ustadz Amar, bowing his head. "Actually, I also applied to a domestic University as well, but I happened to be accepted here instead. But, I won't leave if you don't agree."

"Shaaahla?" Ustadz Amar looked at his wife with dismay, for Shahla showed no expression at all.

In contrast to the shadow of Ustadz Amar, Syahla even smiled broadly while hugging her husband happily. "Good dong Mas! I can show off to my friends if my husband goes to Harvard! They must be jealous of me!"

"But.." Ustadz Amar let go of Shahla's embrace and looked at his wife deeply. "We might be separated."

"Keep why?" Syahla smiled broadly. "I am very supportive if Mas Amar wants to achieve the goals. I'm not a kid anymore, I have to be taken care of 24 hours. Especially now that the samurai gang has been caught, I can continue my education here as before."

Ustadz Amar breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at his wife's reply. "It seems my wife is now growing up. Thank you for understanding,"

Syahla smiled, she hugged her husband tightly again. In the arms of her husband, her smile slowly faded, silently holding back her tears from falling.

...----------------...

"Alhamdulillah.." Umi Zahra, Abah Baharuddin, Gus Sahil and Hafsa were grateful after hearing from Ustadz Amar over the phone.

"How serious? When do you start going there?" Gus Sahil asked curiously.

"No papa.." Umi Zahra answered quickly. "Now Jakarta is safe, so Syahla will be fine. Syahla would also dare to be left alone. Is it Nduk?"

"Yes Mi," Shahla smiled. "Syahla also told Syahla to stay together in the apartment after Mas Amar left. So Shahla will not be alone!"

"Oh yeah?" Ustadz Amar scrunched his forehead. "Whose friend? How can I not be told?"

"Duh, I rich yesterday I told you! Consider me, my daughter whose hair is long!"

"Oh.." Ustadz Amar nodded his head. "Members can drive, right? You'll just go home in my car,"

"Seriously?" Syahla was shocked. "Is it really okay?"

"It's okay dong, it's a pity if the car is taken so well."

"Thank you, baby!" Shahla hugged her husband. Ustadz Amar returned his embrace while peeping Syahla's forehead.

"Ehem! Ehem!" Gus Sahil coughed. "There's still people here!" said reminded.

"Oh yes, forgot," Shahla immediately let go of her embrace with a shy smile. Ustadz Amar scratching his nape misbehaved.

"Biarin loh Mas Gus, they will soon be separated, so want to be satisfied first friendly," said Hafsa who replied with a nod to Umi Zahra.

"That bill! You're a sirik Hil!"

Syahla and Ustadz Amar laughed. While Gus Sahil looks pursed his lips because scolded two people at once.

...----------------...

Without notice, the departure time of Ustadz Amar is only a week away. Before this day, Shahla actively helped her husband prepare everything. From accompanying the husband to make a passport, to buying various necessities while in America. Umi Zahra also did not lose to send various kinds of sambal, he said so that Ustadz Amar did not forget the typical Indonesian food.

Previously, Syahla felt fine when she knew her husband was leaving. But, before the day of his departure that was getting closer, somehow Syahla even felt heavy. There is a sense of unwillingness, fear, longing and various kinds of thoughts that are raging into one. His feelings also felt increasingly unstable, because he could suddenly be happy, then suddenly sad a few seconds later.

Ustadz Amar was also not unaware of it. He often caught his wife deliberately slicing red onions a lot so that her tears came out, or deliberately lingered in the bathroom and cried under the shower. But Shahla never complained in the least. This is what really makes Ustadz Amar feel restless. Should he leave his wife or not? Or should he take Shahla with him to America?

"I don't want Mas" Syahla replied as Ustadz Amar offered the final option. "My dream is here, on the current campus. I can't just let go of my dreams."

Ustadz Amar took a deep breath. "But I can't bear to leave you alone in Jakarta."

"Actually, I am not willing to go either," Shahla lowered her head. "But there has to be a sacrifice to achieve something, right? I will sacrifice for our better future. It's only three years, then suddenly Mas's college is finished and we can be together again. I'll hold on until then,"

Ustadz Amar grabbed the wife's body, which seemed to shake as she held back tears. "Cry, baby, it's okay. There's still me here who can hug you."

Hearing the words of Ustadz Amar, Syahla's cry broke. In the warm embrace of her husband, she cried loudly.