The Reason of His Smile

The Reason of His Smile

by: Ajeng Ratna Sari

                It was back to April, 1997, in Jakarta, when the sun was so bright guiding every step of Andri to school. His face could not hide his feeling. He was just silent but his face said a thousand words of sadness. As he arrived in the class, he sat on his chair then waited for the mid test. One of his friends, Gabriel, came closer to Andri.

“Hey Andri, what happened with you? Why you didn’t come to class yesterday?” asked Gabriel in curiousity

“I’m just...” answered Andri in confusion.

Suddenly, their teacher appeared and asked the students to save all their note books.

“Good morning all, today is your examination day, I hope you all have prepared well, save all your note books, only a pen is allowed on your table”

            All the students started filling the answer of the questions but Andri did not know the questions at all. He missed many days of school and he did not know the materials at all. He tried to fill the answer sheet without really knowing if his answers were right.

The bell rang, it means that the time of the exam was over. All students submitted their answer sheets followed by Andri as the last student who submitted. He walked weakly to the teacher’s table and submitted his answer sheet; his face did not signify a spirit at all. Andri then walked out of the class. He reached his bicycle and rode it as fast as he could because he should arrive at home on time to help their parents selling noodle.

As he arrived at home, he directly changed his cloth, and came to the stall. He tried to attrack everyone who passed their stall to buy the noodle.

“Delicious noodle, delicious noodle, eat here and you will taste the best noodle ever, it costs only 10 thousand rupiash”

He repeated that many times. Some people were attracted to buy the noodle but some others just smiled and continued walking. One thing which made him never gave up to sell the noodle was he should earn money for his little sister’s medication. Bunga, Andri’s little sister, was just 8 years old but cancer had been in her body for the last one year. She was too little to feel the pain. Andri was always torn when he heard his little sister cried. Andri’s parents were just junior high school graduate, they did not have the ability to work in office. They just depended on their skill in cooking noodle.

Everyday Andri had to help their parents selling noodle until late night, he did not get a chance to do his homework or study. Andri passed the examination days without studying at all. Finally, it came to the announcement day of the scores. Every student who did good preparation for the exam felt so curious about their results. All students thought “How is my score?”, but it happened the opposite to Andri, he seemed like he did not care about the score.

It’s now Andri’s turn to take the result from his teacher.

“Andri, take your result” said his teacher

Andri came to his teacher’s table

“Look you got  29 in Mathematics, 30 in Physics, 50 in English, 25 in science” said his teacher

Andri was just silent

“What happens with you? Why you got really bad scores? Didn’t you study? Asked his teacher.

“I’m just too tired” answered Andri with tears.

“After class come to my office” said the teacher

            The class was over, Andri then came to his teacher’s office. He directly went to his teacher’s table.

“Andri, have a seat please” said his teacher

“alright mam” answered Andri

“Tell me what happens with you, why you always get bad scores?” asked his teacher

“I’m just too tired mam, I get much tension at home”

“What happens?” asked his teacher

“My sister is sick , I need to help my parents to pay for her medication, I never had a chance to study”

“Ohh that’s the problem, Andri , look you were one of the smartest students here, I don’t want you loose your spirit, I will help the financial problem for your sister’s medication but as the return you should study with me 2 hours everyday”

“Are you serious Ma’am? You will help me with this thing?” asked Andri

“Sure, I need to help my student, we will start tomorrow okay” answered his teacher with smile

“Okay Ma’am” replied Andri

Andri then left his teacher’s office. In the next day, Andri started the study with his teacher. After he finished, his tecaher always gave him money. It happened everyday. Finally, Andri’s score had improved. He got good scores in his exams . Andri felt so happy receiving his result. He walked home happily but when he arrived at home he found the wrost thing happened: his little sister was in pain.

Andri’s parents were preparing Bunga’s clothes to be brought to hospital

“What happens mom?” asked Andri to his mom

“We need to go to hospital right now, prepare yourself, your sister’s condition becomes worse” answered his mom.

            Andri, Bunga and their parents then went to hospital. Andri’s parents were confused to pay for the hospital. They did not have money to pay. Andri thought that he should help his parents. He sold unoriginal CD’s of movies in a market, unfortunately he was caught by the police because he sold the unoriginal ones. Andri was socialized about the rule of not selling unoriginal CD’s for some days. His parents did not know about it because they focused on Bunga.

“Andri..there is a woman who wants to meet you” said the police

“Who is that woman?” asked Andri

“She said she’s your teacher” answered the police.

Andri met his teacher

“How could it happen? Why u made trouble again?” asked his teacher

“I did not make any trouble, I just want to help my parents, I sold CD’s” answered Andri

“But you sold the unoriginal ones and it’s prohibited” said the teacher

“I did not think that far mam, I just could not let my parents in trouble, you know my sister needs a lot of money, and we are not rich, we cannot pay for her hospital” explained Andri

“I will handle all, you should study, you should make your parents proud of you” said his teacher.

“Do you know how’s the condition of my sister? “ asked Andri

“I don’t know, let us meet her after this” said the teacher

            Andri prepared himself to go to hospital, he and his teacher went to hospital. Andri’s parents were surprised with the appearance of Andri’s teacher. His parents explained that Bunga’s condition is getting worse and doctor just aksed to prepare for the worst.

Andi fell into a deep sadness

“I want to meet Bunga” said Andri

“Sure you may” answered his parents

“Bunga, how you feel now?” asked Andri

“I’m...I don’t want to see you sad, please promise me that you will never be sad, put smile always on your face” said Bunga

            Andri saw something different, Bunga’s heartbeat was going slow and it suddenly stopped. He was panic and asked his parents to call the doctor. Doctor told that Bunga passed away. All people in her room were crying.

“Andri, you should be strong, all we have in this world are actually god’s” said his teacher

“Ya Ma’am..” replied Andri in really weak voice

            Year by year Andri passed his life without Bunga. It was hard at first to let go someone he loved a lot but he realized that his life must go on. He studied hard, he did all the homeworks well. He passed his senior high school with the highest score then he was accepted in the number one campus in his town.

            Beside studying in campus, Andri also worked part time in a company. He even paid his college with his own salary. After four years, he graduated from his campus. He was accepted working in an international automotive company. He got high salary. He even could build a noodle restaurant for his parents.

            One day, in the end of the dry season, Andri decided to visit his senior high school. He remembered it was 10 years ago when he sat in the class, when his life was so dark and full of sadness. He remembered well how he struggled to earn money for Bunga’s medication. He remembered well when he got an angel in the form of his teacher. And now in his 25 years of age he remembered a quote “There must be rainbow after the rain” and he always wanted to create his rainbow for his beloved Bunga.