GROWINGS
22

Inu noticed Dafa who had been handing out leaflets to all his new friends. It's still hard to believe all this. How could a boy who looked so spoiled and weak, turn out to be able to do as he had just witnessed.

"It's been an hour and she's done it.." Said Ms. Fatma. "And I don't know if it turns out that Mr. Inu has met and even known him.."

Inu just sighed and sat back in his chair. The boy, who was said to have never been out of his house for 10 years, was able to do something extraordinary.

Geck.. Geck..

"Excuse me..." Dafa appeared on the doorstep with a bright smile that always adorned his innocent face.

All the teachers looked at him. And they can only reply with a smile.

"Is there anything you can help me with, Dafa?" Nuriyanti's mother came out of her room.

"I want to ask, who here is the teacher who teaches cooking, Ms. Nuriyanti.."

"There are two teachers at this school, Dafa. They are Mother Fatma and Mother Fauziah."

"Good morning, Dafa. I'm Miss Fatma."

"Good morning too, Miss Fatma."Dafa wasn't shy about kissing his new teacher's hand.

"And I'm Bu Fauziah."

"Wahh, Bu Fauziah is still young huh. I'm like Mr. Inu too."

Hearing his name called, Inu immediately misbehaved.

"So, what can you help me with?" Ask Ms. Fatma.

Dafa also gave the brochure to his two teachers. "This is a cooking competition between vocational schools and hospitality in Jakarta that will be held tomorrow."

"Aahhh - yes. I have also read his announcement on the internet." commented Bu Fauziah.

"So, I ask for both of you to help train me and my friends after school."

"Coach?!" Bu Fatma's eyes were glaring. Then he looked at the headmaster who was standing next to Dafa.

"This is Dafa--" Ms. Nuriyanti cut gently and politely. "It's not that I don't allow it, but there's something you should know about --"

"I know!" Dafa cuts. "Mother Nuriyanti would say that the kitchen at this school is nothing anymore, right? Right so?"

"That's fine, Dafa---"

"More...!"Dafa showed me the credit card that Danu gave him this morning. "So morning I've bought some equipment such as a stove, oven, gas cylinder, fryer and others. And soon Mr. Popo will drive him here, really.."

"Dafa --"

"If you don't mind, now I want a supermarket near here to shop for ingredients first."

"But, Dafa---"

"Mother Nuriyanti don't have to be sad! Anyway this school will not fall into the hands of Mr. Martin Luther! Okay!?"

Maybe it was not only Ms. Nuriyanti who felt her heart tremble at the expression of Dafa just now. But all the teachers in the room, it seems, all react the same.

Dafa returned to the field. He handed out brochures to each of his friends, asking if any of them wanted to join him as a cooking team that would participate in the match representing their school later.

"Haloo..!!" The arrival of Dafa surprised the five teenagers who were sitting pensively in one of the school garden chairs. They did not seem to have expected that they would also be visited by the boy with his pair of clear blue eyes.

Dafa handed out the brochure to the five of them. "Later in the afternoon don't go home yet.."

"Why is that?" Ask Eka.

"Well, we have to practice cooking."

The five teenagers stared at Dafa with their eyes wide.

"Yes. The day after tomorrow we will participate in this cooking competition --" he said while showing the remaining leaflets in his hand.

"But, Dafa---"

"The five of you are the same as me, the six of you. That means I still have to gather four more people.." Dafa cut Sheila's sentence.

"Wait first! You can't decide!" Julian seemed to be in disbelief.

But Dafa remained calm in responding to him. "When you get home, I swear I hit the meatball cart, you know!"

"Friends..." Tita throws her eyes at her four best friends.

"Yes, I'm still busy! Let's talk later. Wh-yeah...!!" Dafa had already darted as fast as lightning, and either he disappeared anywhere else.

"Kids..." Inu approached the five students. Sitting in the middle of the five of them with faces showed no sadness at all.

"We're confused again, sir.." Tita.

Inu smiled as he embraced Gabriel. "Now I would like to ask you -- if Dafa who is nobody to the point of being so eagerly excited is like that, should we just sit back and do nothing?"

"But what can we do?" Ask Sheila.

"Help and fight with him.."

"What Mr. Inu said, children.." Nuriyanti's mother approached. With Ms. Fatma and Ms. Fauziah.

"In addition, I see also Dafa seems so interested in the five of you.."

"Pak Inu can. What are our advantages?" Gabriel laughed low.

A black alphard entered the courtyard of the Ellite Rovario SMK, following behind him a pick up car carrying a great deal of goods.

"Sir Inu.." Bu Nuriyanti stared fixedly at Inu. "It looks like the kid isn't messing around."

They immediately approached Mr. Popo who was also walking towards them in shock.

"Good morning by noon, I was assigned to Den Dafa to bring all these things."

"There are many things..." I barely blinked.

"Can it be lowered now?" Ask Mr. Popo again.

"Mr Nuriyanti.." Ms. Fatma said slowly.

"Sir Inu..?" Bu Nuriyanti turned to Inu again.

"But sir, is all this stuff -- already paid for?" Ask Inu.

"Already, Sir. Everything is done."

"Then put it in the kitchen, Mom?"

Ms. Nuriyanti nodded, agreeing.

With the help of all his students, they all carried royong carrying and arranging all the furniture in the school kitchen which had been empty for three months and almost like a haunted room just the condition.

Bu Nuriyanti assigned some of her students to sweep and mop the floor. And others were assigned to wipe tables, doors and windows.

The heavy work also felt light because it was done together, even with an uncertain feeling.

Adhan Dzuhur has passed. And most of the students of SMK Ellite Rovario have been home since two hours ago.

But those who still survive in the school kitchen are only a handful of students including some teachers who are now resting because of fatigue after an impromptu service just now.

"Dafa hasn't arrived yet, sir?" Tita asked as she continued to throw her gaze towards the school gate that was about to collapse.

"Don't he just fight us again...!?"

Sheila looked at Julian deeply. "Don't like to keep bad thoughts, Jul."

"That's what Sheila said, Julian." Inu embraced the sweet-faced teenager. "Even if he's just fucked us, why would he buy all this?"

But until the dawn of Ashar, Dafa still did not show the trunk of his nose. And even after they had finished performing the congregational prayers in the mosque, Dafa had not returned.

"I'm worried, Mr. Inu. Did something happen to that kid, huh?" Said Ms. Nuriyanti.

"When do we wait until now, Mom?"Ask Eka. "If the kemaleman will later we find it difficult to get angkot."

While they were discussing whether they still wanted to wait or not, a white blind van came in and stopped right in front of the school kitchen.

Dafa got out of the car in a hurry. "For shopping, I did not pray dzuhur same as ashar earlier...!" After saying that, he immediately went to the bathroom, took ablution, and prayed in the kitchen that had just been cleaned.

"Sorry Father-Mom, the groceries can be taken down now?" Ask the blind van driver.

"Let's go kids, let's help you get down.." Inu.

And they were all surprised not to play, when the car door opened. Because what's inside, is beyond their expectations.

"How much is Dafa over?"

"Don't be curious, Tita."Dafa has reappeared. "I'm also staying with Om Danu's credit card. Hhih.."

"Lohh Dafa, how come there's a roll mattress, a pillow as well?" Gabriel asked who also made all his friends and teachers curious.

"That's for me. If I were sapped, I would be able to stay here. Hiwii.."

"You want to stay here?! Are you not afraid?" Ask Tita.

Dafa shook his head. "If there are human criminals, I'll just go down with this baseball bat. But if there are evil ghosts, I'll just najiin. Hhih.."

A smile peered on Inu's face. Although he was very eager to familiarize himself with his new student. But somehow he was still reluctant to approach, especially to make physical contact with him.

While they were all busy bringing down their groceries, the figure of the old grandmother with her two cats was sitting at the guard post that looked dirty.

"Task you two, get rid of all the evil residents in this school. One on the west stairwell. Two in the student toilet. One in the rambutan tree. And another one in --"

The old grandmother stopped her words. His eyes glared towards the front of the school gate.

"Go or you'll be destroyed forever...?!!"

The old grandmother got up and walked towards the front gate of the school.

"I won't let you or your friends touch you or hurt him..!!"

Dduuaartt...!!

The explosion that sounded so loud, suddenly made the other Dafa run out of the kitchen.

"Our new year's firecrackers!?" Dafa commented with his innocent face.

"Dafa-Dafa, you're a real freak. Where there's firecrackers like that.." Gabriel said relaxed.

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