Ballad Inmates
Ballad Inmates (Part 18)

By Dalem Tehang

EDI looked at me squatting in the corner of my bed. I know, there's something he wants to say.

“Mario, we all used to fast on Monday and Thursday. You want to fast not tomorrow the day after tomorrow,” said Edi.

I'm silent. I looked at each room occupant. No one's sleeping yet. Although the majority had already laid their bodies on the floor. 

“Iya, I fasted,” I said later.       

“You want to fast? Emang during this usual fasting sunah?” Aris interrupted. 

“Iya really, I want to fast the day after Thursday. During this time, it is rarely also sunna. Most also because of weighing a fasting wife,” I said. Plain.

“Alhamdulillah if you want to start fasting Monday Thursday, Mario. I, Joko, Asnawi also Edi, just fasting the sunah after entering this cell,” continued Aris with a meaningful smile.

I nodded my head. Lone again the words of the day I learned to teach first: if the disaster makes you closer to God, it is a pleasure. But if the favor keeps you further away from God, that's a disaster.

“Thank God we're all in this room to fast Monday Thursday. Most importantly, we do not need to be holy-spirited, because we are all the same. Only different in terms of penihilah aja,” between Joko. His words were full of winged language.

While smoking his cigarette, Edi tells how all this time he played the land mafia. Which resulted back and forth in bui.

“I've never been afraid to go to jail. Because for me, there are only two choices to win in this life. It is courage or sincerity. If you don't dare, be sincere about anything. If you are not sincere, you have to dare to change it,” said Edi calmly. 

“But do not want to continue in gini prison, Kap?” aris. 

“It's certain that it's mah, Ris. In this cell, I pray more and more. Because only prayer can be done. Pray and pray. If our hearts and minds can no longer bear burdens, are we not just crying out to God? This is the beauty of the prison, and I have always enjoyed it from the beginning of the sentence until now, it is the fifth time,” said Edi. Impressive and unburdened at all.

“So this om Edi has been to jail five times?” ask Ijal. With a mouth open. Edi nodded his head while taking off his laughter. Crispy. 

“Not counting on his experience, Asnawi. For the measure of humanity, I can value which hand welcomes me when I am in trouble and which foot steps away when I ask for help. For the measure of the need, I realized that God will always open the way even though there seems to be no way. But the essence of life that means the real thing to me is that in the end patience is what teaches us to stay strong,” said Edi with a trembling voice.

“The key to living life here is patient and sincere aja yes,” continued Asnawi.

“Iya it really is. Two words are easy to say, but it is difficult to ask for forgiveness to live. It feels but not feels. That's not spoken. And patience is endless. Not easy to form,” said Edi. 

I saw the words of Edi that are so full of meaning. The roll of life so vast, he concluded full simplicity of the narrow holding room. 

Prison does limit outward movement, but it is never able to dampen the flow of thought and the ripples of the soul that dissect the sky reach the hand of God.

Our preoccupation was disturbed by the arrival of a tamping man. He gestured for Edi to leave the room. 

The night grew dim, the wind kept coming in through the bars, crawling us. Until it cools the bone marrow. 

Accompanied by Iyos, Doni, and Asnawi, Edi exited the room. Joko and Aris looked at each other, and smiled at each other. An attitude of understanding that is not spoken with the word, it turns out more beautiful. 

I'm collapsing myself. After I tidied the pillow from a bottle of mineral water tied to rubber. 

I've had a lot of experience in a holding cell, even if it's only been a few days. Various characters of people who are forced to unite in one narrow room, it does not always cause problems. There is a consciousness that compels the birth of a togetherness. 

After the dawn prayer, I stood in the bars. I looked at the rising sun. Showing his presence. Illuminate the earth. Burying the night that spread kegelapgulitaan.

Suddenly imagined the habit of letting children go to school, by kissing their heads and receiving a kiss in the hand. The wife who went to his office. Take off with kisses and hugs. 

Not noticeably, a water dripped from the corner of my eye. All that togetherness is gone. Remembrance left. I don't know when it will be repeated. Or will it never repeat itself (connect).