Our High School's
Pigeons and Ketapels

Aya was surprised to see Daffin's answer so open.

"Whatts? You ever been a dealer?" aya asked, she shrunk her voice while looking around.

Daffin who was aware of his words surprised Aya a little, he immediately turned his attention with a laugh.

"You think so? Lo gabisa's been joking around, is he?" daffin said mockingly.

Seeing the look on Daffin's face that had turned relaxed, Aya also squinted her eyes.

"It turns out you can't see the place if you're joking" Aya replied cynically.

Daffin did not criticize the words of Aya who still did not believe too much in her jokes. He invites Aya to leave the sports hall and takes her to the roof of the building. There Aya saw many piles of wood used chairs and tables.

"Why aren't we here? It's not that we have to clean the hall" Aya asked in surprise.

"We clean up here first, later if they have gone then we go to the hall" replied Daffin while removing and arranging the wood and used iron towards the edge.

Aya who also started arranging chairs began to stop her activities and looked back at Daffin.

"Lo sure he'll be okay?"

"Who? The kid in the hall?" Daffin also looked towards Aya and stopped.

"He's been beaten, he's not okay. Now shut up and continue your duties" continued Daffin cuek.

Aya grumbled in her heart. He looked at Daffin with a sharp glare, as if a laser was going to come out of his eyes. But Aya did not want to argue anymore, she wanted to get this job done and go home.

***

"Ai, I go home first yes" cried Dipa from the top of the bike.

"OK, be careful Dip" Haira replied as she waved her hand towards Dipa.

Haira went into her house which still looked lonely. Means his mother, sister, and brother still have not arrived at the house all. Haira also laid her body on her mattress patterned teddy bear. His eyes looked at the ceiling of his room, while his thoughts floated everywhere.

Until the sound of the door opening made him nod from his bed. Aya passed through the door with a lethargic face.

"Why Brother? Very tired, can't do the test?" ask Haira.

Aya only sighed repeatedly while sipping a glass of water.

"Test day, even punishment" said Aya.

"Eatya wake up early, so not late" scolded the Haira while giggling.

"The punishment doesn't matter, but there's something more annoying than that" Aya replied.

He changed his position and asked Haira to sit in front of him.

"Hi, you know, if in schools there are usually people who become dealers?" tanya Aya was excited.

"Huh, dealer? Meanin? Narkoboy?"

Aya nodded and Haira looked up at the air. Thinking mode on.

"Heh, asked even dumbly" protest Aya saw his sister who was thinking too long.

"Pabaar..When it comes to drugs, not everywhere? But I've been horrified anyway, they do sometimes use the services of school children" explained Haira.

"Why are you suddenly asking about this?" ask again.

"Why do you, brother?" cecar Haira who looked at her brother suspiciously.

Haira's face changed when Aya went into her room. He changed his clothes and left the house without telling his brother. Haira walked towards the stop while calling someone.

"Hello, meet me at the usual place. Now!" haira said commanding someone she called.

Haira also took the usual bus. He also ignored the phone call from Aya who had tried to call his sister many times. Until finally the bus he was riding stopped at a stop, he went down and ran towards a narrow alley next to an old grocery store.

"Don't.."

A voice emerged from the darkness of the alley, making Haira gasp. And before long someone walked closer towards Haira.

"Sir Daffin.." said Haira.

"Why are you holding meetings like this tonight?" ask the man who turned out to be Daffin.

"Did you meet Kak Aya at school?" tanya Haira started to worry.

"Yes, already. You just want that?" answer Daffin.

"Daffin's sister talked about the 'pigeon' and 'roof' in front of Aya?" ask again.

Daffin just nodded slowly, but he also looked confused.

"Why are you that? Did Aya talk about it at home?"

"Yes, Brother. He asked about it, and I answered as much as I could, as usual. But I don't think he just believes it" Haira said.

Haira begins to understand what happened after Daffin recounted the incident at school. Daffin and Haira do know each other, even though they are different schools. Aya and her sister are only a year away, but Haira prefers to go to school elsewhere. But Haira actually knew Daffin earlier than her brother.

Haira knew Daffin when he was still sitting on the bench of Junior High School, he almost became a victim of child sales under the guise of a talent agency. He is rescued by Daffin just as Haira is about to be made a pigeon by the drug kingpin who kidnapped him at the time.

Pigeons are the name for minors who are used as a guide to illegal drugs. And of course they are paid with drugs, and not money. It is intentional that the pigeons are addicted and entangled with them.

While Ketapel is a term for drug sellers who are assigned to 'hunt' the pigeons. They are tasked with monitoring the movements of the pigeons, beating if they intend to escape, and other bad things.

Haira and Daffin agreed not to tell anyone about this at the time. Fortunately the kidnapping attempt only lasted less than two days, so Haira covered it with a tickle that she was staying at the house of one of her friends at the time.

And sure enough, the child who was beaten in the sports hall this afternoon was one of the pigeons who was being 'hunted' by Ketapel. Daffin had recognized him when he saw the tattoo on the wrist of one of the Ketapel that beat his pigeon earlier.

"Ai, you go home now. Aya will not know about this, I will take care of her and also you. Calm down and go home" said Daffin.

"But, Brother.."

"Here, it's night. Your brother and parents will be worried that you are not coming home soon" Daffin said.

Haira said without much protest. Without even realizing it, the watch in his hand had already pointed to the number eleven. Daffin drove Haira home.

***

While Haira was on the way home, at home Aya was busy calling Haira's cell phone which had only resulted in 23 missed calls. Aya frustrated because soon father and mother will go home. Aya didn't want her parents to worry because one of her children 'disappeared' that night.

"Nih child where the hell, these nights have not come home yet" Aya grumbled as she continued to check her phone.

And when Aya tried to call for the 26th time, she heard the sound of her turnstile being opened. Aya was nervous, she was afraid it was her father and mother who came home from their cake shop. He also only dared to peek from behind the curtains of his room window which happened to lead to the front yard. And his expression turned relieved as well as emotion when he saw who had come.

"So she's finally home, huh.alaw! I'm the key on the outside to know the taste" murmured Aya annoyed.

Aya intended to lock the door from the inside before Haira opened it, but she stopped doing so when Aya saw someone waiting in front of the fence of their house while looking at Haira who was walking through the front yard.

"Daffin?" said Aya lirih.