Dul
111. The Night of the Session of Pantukhir

Dul's footsteps initially felt heavy leaving his family. Especially because the situation of Mr. Wirya is still unclear. The night before leaving while he was in the ward of Mr. Wirya, a visiting doctor spoke briefly with Bara. The words he heard were the health of Mr. Wirya who could not recover as before. In addition to due to old age, Mr. Wirya does have a congenital disease that he dreams. The man had to undergo regular treatment and take medication every day. That is what the doctor emphasized.

But on the other hand Dul's departure opened a new path for him. A thing that must be passed alone without the assistance of family or someone he already knows. Dul felt that since he left the gate it had already begun his new life. As an adult who decides his future.

“Your future, depends on what you are working on today.” That's how Mr. Wirya always reminds him.

During this time, Dul always walked with Bara with all his considerations, talked a lot with Mr. Wirya who gave him a lot of wise advice, also with Heru who shared many experiences in the past. The three men accompanied his steps towards the figure of a new adult man. Also, no less important the role of the mother figure he wants to make proud. All those people weren't with him that day. The day he stepped foot into the new gate. His heart was boisterous.

“I'm Leonardo Yepa from NTT. What's your name?”

A person whom Dul referred to as a friend reached out to him. Dul greeted.

“I Abdullah Son of Satyadarma. From Jakarta,” said Dul, grasping tightly the hands of men who were then familiarly called Leo.

At that time, they alone will determine the future. The exchange of stories about parents, family and younger siblings colored their leisure time. Sometimes they had a chat, sometimes both were exhausted from the test run and bask in the sun for hours. It was from there that Dul rarely had many friends. His friend is little but durable.

Spending a bit of leisure time with Leo, helped awaken Dul's memories with Joseph. His friend who is always cheerful and optimistic even though his life can not be said to be easy. Almost similar to Joseph, Leo was very active and quickly looked for new stories and gossip about what happened during the selection.

Of the thousands of participants who tried from the area yesterday, only dozens of people came to Solo. And he said, out of the hundreds of people gathered from those different regions, the Air Force Academy would only receive a total of about a hundred. Dul's guts shrieked slightly upon knowing that.

Tomorrow is a pantukhir trial that will determine whether they will continue to be Level I Karbol Soldiers or return home and decide to try again next year, or stop and think about new ideals.

The trial of Pantukhir was attended by 257 prospective Taruna and Taruni AAU. In detail, Kasau and all trial participants will conduct an examination of all candidates, both physical examination, and a thorough examination, of the results of the central level selection that has been undertaken by all candidates.

Dul was feeling unusually nervous.

It feels like every time you get nervous like that, Dul can't do anything. He just lay scrolling like he did that night. He leaned against the wall and unloaded his wallet. A few minutes ago he just sent a message to Bara. Sent, but not yet answered. She also took a look at her message to Annisa. It's still the same as yesterday. Undelivered.

Leo had called his mother for half an hour. A little Dul heard and listened. The phone across the street seemed to have moved from the hands of Leo's mother, her two younger siblings, to Leo's grandmother. Everyone had a turn to talk to his friend. Dul smiled. If he could be as assertive as Leo, he would have been on the phone for hours with his mother and two younger siblings.

In their home who could easily say anything was only Mima and Ibra. Both are almost the same. It is easy to laugh out loud or talk about his friends. They belong to the middle class. While Dul and Colored are the same type. It is most difficult to say sentimental things straightforwardly.

Leo put his phone in bed. “My mom is fine, Dul. Have you sent word to your mother? Don't forget to pray for smoothness tomorrow,” said Leo.

“I haven't nelfon. Just send a message to my dad. My mom on the phone at this hour must be busy nemenin my sister studying. Not good at talking on the phone. What matters is that everything is fine. Now I'm just thinking about the hearing tomorrow. How are you?” ask Dul.

Dul nodded. In his heart he hoped that Leo would pass the Session of Pantukhir. Later he finds out that Leo no longer has a father. His father was a soldier who died while serving in the easternmost country of Indonesia. Leo has two younger brothers. Before lying down, Dul again saw his message to Bara. Unread and unanswered.

He put his phone near the pillow and closed his eyes trying to sleep. Tomorrow they have to be in top shape.

The seconds and minutes he spent in that room seemed to run for a long time. Is it because she feels bad? It is not usually so. The man will immediately reply to his message quickly. Never long. But the reply never took long.

Then, shakes the phone making Dul jerk. Mima's name is on the screen. Did something happen to her bag? Dul shifted the phone screen while glancing at Leo who was asleep.

“Ya, hello? Why Mima?”

The answer across the street made Dul impatient. Mima spoke while crying. It is unclear what the little girl said.

“Mima...Mima! Don't cry! Speaking of which, I didn't hear. Why?”

Mima sounded breathless. Stammered and a hiccuped the girl delivered the news.

“Mas..Daddy accident. Ride the motor.from the hospital. Go home to the hospital. I want to go home with dirty clothes.Fat's tired, Mas….I keep Akung, I work too. Dad fell hit by an angkot. Ayah—Yah—” Mima continues her crying.

“Udah. Mima don't cry. Which mother?” ask Dul.

“Dad never came home …. I miss Dad. I miss Father.” Mima was crying again.

Dul was crying. “Mima ... Which mother? Ibra where?”

“Mothers go to the same hospital Pakdhe and Budhe Fifi. Ibra cried behind Mbok Jum. When do you come home? Me alone? Kasian's father, Mas …. I miss Dad. Dad wound ...” Mima roared across the phone.

“Mima stop crying. Dad's okay. I want to call Pakdhe,” said Dul and ended the conversation. Her tears did not stop.

Tomorrow the trial of Pantukhir and his father that night was an accident. It felt ... that night he wanted to fly back home.

To Be Continued