Ranums
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

Sayup sayu kumandang adzan Subuh woke Zaviyar from his deep sleep. His heart was beating fast enough for the size of a person who had just woken up from sleep. He held his chest, recalling the dream he had just experienced.

“Mas Zaviyar love me?”

Ranum's last sentence in his dream was reverberated in memory. Two hands rubbed his face.

“Astaghfirullohal ‘adzim. What do you think, Zav?” he said to himself.

Zaviyar immediately got out of bed to the bathroom. Taking ablution and completing his duties in the morning with family. Long enough Zaviyar say do'a after prayer. His face was lethargic, and Mr. Qosim and Ms. Dini looked at his son questioningly.

Finally, after being satisfied to send a do'a to the Owner of the Heart. Zaviyar moved from his home musholla. As she passed the kitchen, Mom called out to her.

"Za."

"Yes, Bun."

"Aren't you going to college? Kok, tumben's calm."

"To campus, Bun. Today is Zav's afternoon schedule."

"Oh yes. You okay, son?"

Zaviyar scrunched his forehead. "No, Bun. Why why?"

"Don't hide yourself if there's anything. Mother same father was once your age. So, don't be ashamed of our story. Even though we are old, God willing, we have experience too. Aren't you, Bun?" said Mr. Qosim while glancing at Ms. Dini.

"Yesterday you look sparkling, but now it's really tangled. Is there a problem with that village girl?"

Bu Dini made Zaviyar go wide. "Kok, Mommy knows that Zaviyar again .. same girl from the village?"

"For what, hmm?" Ms. Dini finished her last meal and took her to the dining table accompanied by Mr. Qosim who helped.

Zaviyar let out a long sigh, sitting at the dining table rubbing his face.

"Zaviyar is still confused as to which story to tell, Dad. It's all unclear."

"What's not clear?"

"Yes, Zaviyar's with him."

"May you know what the girl's name is?"

"Ranum."

"Good name" said Mr. Qosim.

"How clear is it?" Mom asked back.

"Zaviyar hasn't told the truth about Zaviyar's feelings because he hasn't been completely convinced by this heart, Bun. And also, I don't want to date unclear like a young man. Not good and it's not my time anymore."

"Well, that knows. Are you old too when you want to date?" Ms. Dini and Mr. Qosim chuckled.

"So much more serious, too."

"Yes, sorry. Joking around don't get dizzy."

"How old is that girl?" Mr. Qosim's face looked serious.

"Twenty-seven or eight maybe, Dad."

"Well, you're all grown up, you're all ripe, and what are you waiting for?"

"So I said, Dad. Zaviyar is not convinced by Zaviyar's heart."

"I'm not sure because...?" Fishing Pak Qosim.

"So, you know not a month yet and we meet only once."

"Keep making your face tangled since coming home from college?"

"Yes, he."

"He who?"

"Ranum," said the Zaviyar almost inaudible.

"Why?" search Bu Dini.

"Yesterday at noon Zaviyar called Ranum, he was in Malang and had lunch with his male friend."

"Oh, jealous of the story?"

"Jealous people still say they're not sure." Mr. Qosim.

Zaviyar no longer replied, only a heavy-sounding sigh escaped from his respiratory tract.

"We eat first, we will continue" said Mr. Qosim.

Breakfast was finished, Mr. Qosim invited Zaviyar to sit in the living room, while Ms. Dini was still cleaning the dining table.

"What about the phone call yesterday?"

Zavoyar then told his parents everything, with nothing to hide. Also about their debate that occurred when the phone connection occurred.

"Rush, marahan?" The sound of Early Mom walking from the kitchen.

"Udah gede, it's pinter, but if you get the kabeh love virus," said Mr. Qosim with a smile.

Zaviyar rubbed his face back.

"Son, calm your heart. You are no longer an abege child and know what is good and what is not. Don't let you give the girl the same hope but you end up staying." Ms. Dini held the shoulder of Zaviyar who was sitting next to her.

"There's a Zaviyar left, Bun."

"That's how it used to be, girls are different, kid. Take a look at Ranum's photo."

"Zaviyar doesn't have his picture."

"WhatsApp doesn't he have any? Is there a profile picture?"

"Yes, but the picture from the side is not very clear, Bun."

"Try to see first."

Zaviyar took his cell phone which was located in the room, then returned to the living room sitting next to Bu Dini as before. He handed the phone to Ms. Early who was immediately greeted with a smile and turned to Mr. Qosim's hand.

"Dad's ready to propose, so when?" Mr. Qosim teases.

"Mother is also ready, what would you take if you went there? Let Mother be ready," said Ms. Dini with a smile.

"Dad, Mother." Zaviyar.

"If you don't want her to walk with each other, apologize and talk to her. Show your intention if it is serious, but if it is still like this and do not dare. It is better to leave now before he expects more" said Mr. Qosim.

"Mother sure now he must wait for you to call him or it could be .. he has been crying all night," said Bu Dini steady.

Zaviyar did not answer a word. His mind was busy thinking about the words of Father and Mother. Mr. Qosim and Ms. Dini realized the restlessness of her son, they moved from sitting down and let Zaviyar think for themselves.

The clock is 10:30. Long enough Zaviyar pondered at the thought of the words of his parents. He immediately went to his room and prepared to go to campus. Adzan Dzuhur reverberated, Zaviyar prayed first before changing clothes to go to campus. Black pants combined with a light blue shirt look right on the body of a man who does have an ideal body like that model.

"Assalamu'alaikum's chat. There's money falling, huh, Bro?"

"Hm ... What's?" Zaviyar looks surprised.

"Allahs... So from there the road while daydreaming this story, until there are people greetings not answered."

"Oh, sorry. Wa'alaikumussalam."

"What other problems?"

Zaviyar shook his head slowly.

"Udah, just a gercep than later nyesel."

Again there was no answer from Zaviyar, his face looked confused and uninspired.

"Bro. What the hell are you waiting for?"

"Time."

"When is the girl being betrothed to another man?" chirps Radit.

Zaviyar who heard that immediately looked at Radit.

"What's? Bener, right? If you keep buying time, there's a girl chasing each other."

Quiescent. Radit exhales.

"Zav, this time I'm serious. You who have been smarter and more logical than me, that time just do not understand, anyway? Try to think carefully if you are in the position of a woman. I don't know for sure what your problem is right now. But, I know quite well how you are. So, my advice is better to quickly solve your problems before they drag on and will eventually lead to regret."

Zaviyar still remained silent digesting the long and wise sentences of Radit that were rarely heard. He sat in his work chair for a moment before entering class, with a cell phone in his pocket. One whatsapp message sent.

[Assalamu'alaikum's chat. What else, Ra?]

When the break arrived, Zaviyar left the class and took a cellphone in his shirt pocket that had vibrated.

[Wa'alaikumussalam] Brief reply from Ranum.

[Can I call you tonight?] Zaviyar sighed reading it. He realized there was still frustration from Ranum.

Zaviyar waited, after a while, a single message appeared in his notification.

[Yes]

[Still] The phone back he saved.

A little relieved, that was how Zaviyar felt when he received a reply message from Ranum. At least Ranum still wants to talk to him later.

Zaviyar returned to teaching. However, there was an unexpected change. Through Maghrib time, some students who had previously been asked to create groups to complete group assignments, asked for time to explain some of the details of the tasks they did not understand. And apparently, that's quite time-consuming.

Glancing at the watch on the hand, the time shows 20:00. Zaviyar remembered his request to Ranum this afternoon, hurriedly sending a short message to the village girl.

[Ra, you haven't slept, have you?]

There was no reply in a few minutes, Zaviyar started to worry.

[Ra, wait a minute. I'm still in college, there's something off schedule. So, I'll finish it first. When I'm home, call you]

[Ranum]

Three messages without a single reply made the clean-skinned man even more worried if Ranum got angry and considered him a lie. Zaviyar stepped quickly towards the car after it was felt that his students no longer needed an explanation.

The car was moving faster than usual. Arriving at home, go straight to the bathroom, shower, change clothes, and pray Isya he completed. Ms. Dini opened the door to Zaviyar's room.

"Well is dinner?"

"Yet, Bun. Just go ahead."

"Zav, eat first. After that, just solve your problem."

Zaviyar obeyed the words of Bu Dini, walking behind her Mother. Mr. Qosim who was waiting, smiled seeing the two coming down. Zaviyar ate in a hurry, he wanted to finish his meal immediately so that he could contact Ranum immediately.

"Zaviyar to the room first" said Zaviyar after the food on his plate ran out.

"Zav. No emotions! Quiet." Calm." Mr. Qosim reminded.

Zaviyar nodded then stepped towards the room. The phone he took from the top of the mattress, Ranum's number became the main destination.

Twice he tried to make a call, no answer. His heart was worried. Retried. Long, and finally the sound of the call was raised but there was no sound.

“Halo. Assalamu’alaikum, Ra”

“Wa’alaikumussalam.” There was a loud noise from the other end of the phone.

“Your voice is a bit hoarse, why? Pain?”

“Nothing.”

Zaviyar understood what happened to Ranum despite just hearing his voice. He feels guilty.

“Sorry me. Sorry for my attitude yesterday.”

“Iya.”

“I know I shouldn't be mad at you like that."

“Iya.”

"Please excuse me, Ra.”

"Yes." Yeah."

"Really?"

"Yes, Mum."

"I'm sorry if my attitude .. has made you sad."

"No," replied Ranum quickly.

"Ra, are you still angry?"

"No, Mom."

"How short is the answer?"

"Yes, Mas. I'm sorry and I'm okay" Ranum said with emphasis.

“Still.”

There is no sound between the two.

“But, why did Mas Zaviyar suddenly get angry with me? I did make a big mistake until Mas Zaviyar was angry or ..?” Ranum asked courageously.

“I will explain everything to you when we meet later," said Zaviyar before Ranum finished his sentence, "Therefore, please wait for me on Sunday, Ra."

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