65: C65 Chapter 65

C65 Chapter 65

In a minute, we had become a center of attention. It was impossible to hide from the students' gaze. They were clustering not only to eat in the canteen but also to watch me yanking my hand off from Kevin as a tug of war. Vera impatiently separated our hands. That girl did not say a word, just plucking my hand out of the canteen.2

"This is why I hate him. He always obtrudes to anyone he thinks he can dictate." Vera growled when we had been in the library. This room was quiet, only a librarian doing her job or whatever on her desk. She did not even feel bothered with our coming. The library was our favorite place though it reminded me of the unpleasant tragedy in which Kevin was humiliating me. "What about your hand? Does it hurt?"

"It's fine. Don't worry."

"Stay away from him."

"I will. We have less than a month to be together in this school. So, I can surely avoid him."

"Good! Remember the university entrance test is waiting. Focus on that. You can leave the rest with me. I will help you with your scholarship application."

"I have been indebted to you a lot. And I have nothing to pay for what you have done to me."

"Who asks you to pay? We are friends."

"Thank...."

"Who asks you to say thank you, too?"

"Well, I won't say anything."

We spent the rest of the day in the library for we had no more classes. The graduation day was just three weeks on. The students used the time to consult with the teachers regarding what majors or universities they would take or if there was a scholarship they could apply for. Those were our routines until graduation day came.

It was a sunny but cold morning. Today was graduation day and marked the students' life whether or not they completed basic education before they had campus life. For most of them, this moment would be very unforgettable. Their future was clear. Some of them had been admitted to state universities through school recommendations. Some others were waiting for the result of the entrance test in reputable private universities. For a student like Angeline, studying at University was obvious. She got a letter of acceptance from one of the UK's universities. For me, I had registered for national university entrances through Vera's assistance. She paid for the registration charge. However, it was not easy to compete with other students across Indonesia to be admitted at one of state universities. I had to be prepared with whatever it resulted.

The students had been sitting on their seats in the school hall in the front line while their parents were having a seat on the other lines. The nervousness masked the student's faces even though some of them still smiled to cover their fluttering hearts. The seat was arranged based on the students' achievement. Angeline and her gang sat on the first line due to their great accomplishment then followed by Vera and the others including Kevin. I sat in the back row with the rest of the students who never contributed anything to school accomplishments. We never won any competition, nor did achieve a predicate as the best student in our class.

The school principal got on the stage and delivered a short speech regarding the school and graduate students today. He did not forget to thank Reno's and Kevin’s father for his biggest donation for the school. Not to mention, Angeline's father, Kevin's, and Angeline's accomplishments were also his priority. Before he closed his speech, like the previous years, he had to announce the students with the highest result of a state exam and asked her or him to join him on the stage ta deliver an annual commencement speech in front of the audiences. The room got quieter at the moment he unsealed the white envelope which contained the student's name with the highest grade in the state exam. His hand was trembling while fishing the paper out of that white envelope. His face turned jaded when he read the name there. It might not be like what he expected. The students became more curious.

"The student with the highest grade based in the state exam result was...," he paused for a few seconds, swallowing his saliva, "Ilana." The hand clapping boomed the room. And all eyes were searching for me who was still in shock. It was hard to believe that today would come, today where I could truly stand by the podium confidently. Only once the school principal called my name three times, I proceeded toward the stage and now here I was, straightening at the podium with my gaze scanning all the room to find a miracle that my mother might be there. I could only see disappointment. My mother could not promise me to come as she had to assist Mrs. Ali today. Besides, she was not confident enough to come to school. She told me that she had no decent cloth to wear. My father had never come back home for almost six months. We had no idea where he was.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have contributed to my achievement, my parents of course, my best friends, and … my bullies." The audiences murmured like bees, they even shared their glance toward each other. "The school is like a house where it should give you protection, comfort, and security. Its door is a path for you to walk toward the next phase of success, not the opposite, the verge of hell. The sturdy wall and pillars should protect you from any harm so that you can study well until the gate opens and brings you to another stage of education, not the contrary, giving access for others to hurt you." I stole a glance at the school principal who wiped the sweat on his forehead with his handkerchief. "The teacher and the students must role as your parents, brothers and sisters, not your foes. We live under the same roof, be safeguarded by the same wall, get into it through the same door. What makes you or others different? We are the same, just imperfect human beings; we will get to the same phase of life at the end, death. So what makes you think that you are more special than others? What makes you believe that you are better than the others?" Only solitude I felt in the hall. Some audiences brushed their tears. My speech might touch their heart. "I am not good at public speaking. There are many things I would like to convey on this occasion. However, I have limited vocabulary to describe all my experiences of studying in this school. Overall, this school is a part of my best and worst, tears and laughter’s, sadness and happiness." I took a breath before I continued. "No matter how hard my days have been because of my bullies, from the deepest part of my heart, I have forgiven those who have inscribed bad stories during my school life here, at Star High School." I directed my eyes to Angeline who looked pale. Then, I diverted my sight from Angeline to the teachers and the school principal. "Thank you to all my dedicated teachers. Thank you Mr. School Principal." The standing applause from the audience except for Angeline and her gang ended my short commencement speech.

"That was the most mesmerizing commencement speech I've ever heard," commented Vera.

"Thank you." Contentment saturated my chest like the fresh oxygen.

My speech went viral at school, motivating the teachers to uncover the bullies. From the news, Angeline and her gang got a punishment from the school. The other information revealed they were free from all blame because their parents compensated the school to cover their wrongdoing. Nobody was sure which one was right. However, I had moved on with my life.

I just had my final test today, national university entrance test which had taken three days. It would take one month to know the announcement of the test. After struggling hard, Vera treated me an ice cream. We enjoyed the ice cream at the park, looking at the sunset and the beauty of the flowers. After the night took its turn, I went home.

While waiting for the announcement of the test, I did my routine works, scavenging and assisting Mrs. Ali with her catering business. Sometimes, I became a newspaper girl, delivering newspapers from door to door. I also wrote for the newspaper about which Vera informed me to earn more money.

One month had passed. Vera gave me her old mobile phone so that I could access the internet using the device. The announcement of the national university entrance test could be accessed tonight through the university website. I felt my heart pounding after and faster. Despite the mere percentage of possibility, I prayed that I could pass the test and be admitted at one of the public universities.

I walked home with hope piling up my mind. It had been at night and the dark had surrounded the area. My neighborhood was few meters away. I hurried to get to the mouth of the alley to my neighborhood.

My body froze with my muted mouth to see what was on my eyes. They were all five in number. My father was kneeling before them, the grim-faced, long-haired, tattooed big men. My mother was not yet at home. My heart warned that they were debt collectors or the worst, mafias. Noticing me who still stayed silently, my father hurriedly staggered and dragged me. It was useless though I screamed for help. Nobody would come.

"You can take her with you. You can trade her or do whatever you want as my debt payment." My father shoved me forward. One of those men caught me and forced me to get in the car. My father turned his blind eye witnessing my screams and cries.

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