Project : Alterization
Chapter 2's

"Sholah, sholah, sholah, sholah! Sholah, sholaah! Istaiqidzu lis sholah istaqidzu lis sholaah!!!"

The sound of the cry of the OSIS Worship Division or commonly called "Syurtoh" again boomed all over the building Mina. The cry of awakening the santri for the morning prayer again pierced my ear on the first day. I haven't heard it in a long time. I'm not used to it yet. Which is usually at home just finely awakened or even skip praying, here we are really forced to get up. The options are only two, get up or have to deal with the seniors from the Worship division.

"Sholaayaaah!!!" aarghs! Really disturbed my sleep. How can my life be peaceful if this continues?

"Hayya shabab! Istaiqidzu wa istaiddu lis sholah! (Let the youths, get up and get ready for prayer)" a senior patted my thigh intending to wake myself up so I could get ready for the morning prayer. But still I defied. I just pulled back the blanket and continued to sleep without caring about the senior who woke me up earlier. Finally, the senior who had been trying to wake me up changed the way he woke up with the shoulder massage method. He pinched my shoulder with thin, piercing massages. Really, at that moment my eyes opened.

I also give up and give up. It turns out that the shaithan carried away from home is still involved in some parts of my body. Especially when asked to wake up for prayer. It was as if the three rope ties that had been provided by him, were ready to ensnare me from any side and at any time if I got further away from the mattress and pillow. What a little silly fight. But, it does take a struggle to adapt to this all-ordered pesantren life.

"Tis'ah! wal end, 'ashroh!" it was a countdown before the boarding gate closed in Arabic. We who are still left behind, immediately run away in the fog to not be locked in the dormitory. Because later, for people who are late or who are locked in the dormitory will get offense points and special penalties from the OSIS Worship Division. And of course none of us wanted it.

This is my daily life in this school. From day to day there are always unpleasant things that always disturb my peaceful life. But I don't think it's a problem. Because I know all these things are good for me. As Allah sahanahu wa ta'ala says in QS. Al-Baqarah verse 216: But you may not like something that is actually good for you, and you may like something when it is not good for you. Allah knows, and ye know not.

Baqo' or make halaqoh memorize the qur'an when the morning after dawn and afternoon, between one maghrib and isya' has become a daily activity that never escape to do. Then, leaving for the madrasa from seven in the morning to two in the afternoon becomes a daily meal that is impossible to miss. Not noticeably, two weeks had now passed since the day of my arrival at that time. I'm starting to get used to this pesantren life again. The bed is not too soft, but comfortable enough to take a break from this saturating life. Then the side dishes provided by "Math'am" or the designation of the dining room that is west of the pesantren. Although not always as good as food at home, at least the food there is still arguably worth eating when compared to other lodges that only provide tofu-tempean rice for the students.

Until finally came that day. The day that figure began to appear in my life. The words he uttered began to pervade my mind, tearing my heart apart. Of course there will be a process before achieving results, whatever it is. And keep in mind, the process is not as simple as you imagine. Many times every complicated word that comes out of his mouth passes away regardless of whether it is accepted or ignored. He just keeps giving up motivating us. Until finally, he managed to make us aware of the essence of success. I was made aware of him. From then on, I decided. I'll stop being average.

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On that day, a bright morning enveloped the world. The morning dew that arises on the greenery of plants begins to fall, plunging down the leaf bone to the end. Form a drop of cold liquid that is getting longer and bigger. Until finally fell, then fused with dust and soil. The morning pesantren was still very cold. Six o'clock in thirty minutes. I'm getting ready to go to the madrassa. With my little blue bag on my shoulders, I set off for the madrasah.

After descending down the stairs of the dormitory, I immediately put on my footwear and rushed towards the passage that led the way to the madrasah. At that time, the road was already crowded by hordes of santri who flocked to go to the madrasah. Neither the streets paving, nor the hallway of the shuqoh tahfidz room on the first floor of this Mina building I was walking in. Among them there are those who carry a bag like me and some only carry a textbook with a tiled on the shoulder or narrow it with the arm. They were all busy chatting with each other while walking towards the madrasa.

While I was, I was just walking alone by the side of the road. I'm not interested in that kind of thing. I just walked alone while accelerating my footsteps to get to the madrassa. Under the pretext, chatting would only be a waste of time. In fact, not really. It's all just because I'm an introvert who doesn't get along. Want to be seen from any side, obviously I was like a quiet, antisocial boy. Making a waste of time an excuse is completely opposite to my true personality. Even so, I still hang out with some friends who have been familiar with me for a long time. At least to survive. After all, humans are human. It always takes social interaction to maintain survival.

It might sound a little extreme I said so. Is it so quiet that I can't be friends with many people, or just socialize briefly with others? Actually not so. I have a reason for all of that. Yep. I had a dark time while sitting in the Junior High first.