sikilmahfud

“Where am I??” the boy opens his eyes and looks the surrounding. All seems unfamiliar.

Then a crewman approaches him and say, “Boy, now you are safe. We found you and some of your friend floated in the sea, so we take you here.”

The boy begged, “Sir, please give me a new life. I just escape from war in my country. I don't have parents now, and my brother just die several days ago because of the war.”

The crewman drops his tears. Then he says, “Yeah, don't worry, boy. I'll bring you to my country. There you'll have a new home, you can play with friends, and you can eat delicious food!”

Several days passed in the sea and now they are in the crewman country. The boy are taken to the crewman house. The crewman has decided to be his stepfather. He wishes someday, the boy can save others who still live in the conflict area and doesn't have other choice to determine their own life.

First months in the crewman house, the boy tells a lot about his past in his hometown – how he lived in war, how he saw his friends are trained violently, how he tried to escape from his country. The crewman tries to cheer the boy, to deal with his past. He also introduces many new things to the boy. The boy is very happy with his new life.

After the moment, the boy begins to enter the school.

******

“My parents died, my brother died. Why just me that is saved? Why just me that can feel all of this – good country, good education?”

“Hey, what's wrong with you? Don't just daydream! You must bring all these stuffs to the ship!”, his instructor suddenly shouts.

He and his team mates are busy carrying medical stuff from repository room to the ship. Several days later they will have test to determine their graduation.

Then he comes home and meet his stepfather who is getting old.

“What's about your day now?”

“Good day, but somewhat tired. I'll have test several days later to graduate. Pray for me Dad so I can pass it well!”

“Of course....good luck for your test! Now let us eat first, you must be hungry after all of training these days.”

****

Several years passed after the boy's graduation. No, not the boy anymore. He is a man now. Now he is working as rescuer team to save children in some conflict area. But he still has a desire to go back to his hometown, of course, not as a victim anymore. Maybe there still some people he know, and he want to share all of his experience in the past – when he must struggle to live alone without parent, when he saw his friends are murdered, when his hometown were attacked, when he tried to escape from his country, but thanks to his stepfather who save him in the sea, he can become the person like now.

One day, there is a country that is dogged by brother-in-arms for many years. The brother-in-arms is aggravated by the presence of foreign troops. They deliberately use this situation for their own advantages. That's why this country never feel even a little bit of peace. No matter in the noon or in the night, suicide bomb, tank, land mines, and aircraft always result the number of innocent victims.

There is a boy live in that country. His parents die as victim of suicide bomb, when they went to buy food in the market. Not just his parents, but many of his friends has already died, too. Now he just have only one elder brother and they live in a small house.

This boy, just like thousands of people who live in conflict area – is used to live difficultly. Whistling bullets from machine guns and suicide bombing are usual things for him. He always live in fear, because the extremists that control the area he live apply many strict rules, such as curfew. If someone disobey it, there will be a terrible punishment. He ever saw his neighbor beheaded because he disobey the curfew.

One moment, the extremists hear that coalition army will hold military operation in their area to wipe them out. In response to the attack, the extremists force all man in their area to be armed, including the boys' elder brother. They also propagate the residents with their idealism and train them violently.

But no matter how many times the extremists propagate the residents, they actually don't care. For the residents, the extremist, the foreign troops – all are enemy. They just want to feel the peace, but the condition doesn't allow it.

Several days passed. One noon, aircrafts begin to attack the area by dropped bombs. The extremists and some residents who have already trained reply the invasion with automatic gunner and anti air weapon. The boy's brother also joins with them. But the boy and some residents are trapped inside the bunker.

Then the air attack ends and now the coalition army attacks the area with tanks. The extremists that begin to lose, choose to face the coalition army with suicide bomb. When the land battle begin, the boy and all residents that accompany him immediately leave the bunker to escape, just before the coalition army reach their bunker. They want to reach the coast to leave the country for the better life.

Several days later, with tiredness and weariness, they finally reach the coast. They saw a boat tethered in the rock. They shout happily and immediately run into the boat. After cut the ropes, they push the boat to the sea. But when they begin to enter the boat, suddenly one of them shout with panic, “Hey, I see some people with guns from farther!!”

They begin to panic and jostle to enter the boat. The boy, thanks to his small body, can enter the boat first. Then suddenly the boat are fired with machine gun. The people who are still outside the boat die instantly. One of the people inside the boat immediately take the steer and drive the boat.

The boat goes with severe damage. Just less than twenty minutes after, the boat begins to sink. They immediately take every stuff in the boat and jump into the sea. Then they are floated in the sea for several times.

To be continued

“Hmmh…today is so bored….what must I do?”

“Hello Yose, what’s up?”

“Hey friend! I feel bored today. Just repetition and repetition I do everyday.”

“Bored? Oh come on…so your life today isn’t the life you really want?”

“Emmm…yeah, maybe…”

“So, what kind of life you want?”

“I want to break up these limitations. Now I still have some characters that I want to change. I still feel I can’t easily go outside. I do really want to be independent, can decide everything by myself. ”

“Be patient, Yose. Maybe you still can’t do some things. But remember that your study remains 1.5 years. Be patient. If you feel so, just remember several years ago, when you are still in High School. Of course you have more today than the past, right?”

“I think you’re right. I feel much happier today. I have much more good friends. I have many experiences with foreigners. I’ve already omitted some of my bad habits. I know many interesting websites. I have this blog. I am much knowledgeable. All that I’ve mentioned, I don’t have them in the past, thanks God for giving them to me. But…”

“But what? You still feel not enough?”

“To be honest, yes. You know, I still don’t know who really I am. I mean, I life for what? Just do this repetition?? Isn’t there such thing that’s more meaningful for being done? I will do with passion! I will do with my all! I will…”

“Calm down, friend, calm down. I know you are good hoper. To encourage you to pass today, I would like to hear about your dream, please.”

“I wish I can get scholarship to continue my study in Japan. Then I’ll use my knowledge to create better world. You know, there are many disasters happen and I want to help. I also want to go to Japan, China, and Korea. There are many beautiful places I want to visit. Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Shanghai, Great Wall, Jeju Island, and still so many. I also want to make friends with people from those countries. I also want to teach children, help them to find their dream.”

“Wow….you have so many beautiful dreams….if so, why are you defeated by today’s boredom?”

“Eh…?”

“Just continue your progress. Don’t waste too much time coping with boredom. Five years later I’ll ask you again with the same question: ‘of course you have more today than the past, right?’”

“Thank you so much for your advise, friend. It encourages me so much.”

“Yeah, now wake up, good boy.”

Then I wake up and take my Mandarin book.