Touched story of my mate [Part I]

I was walking to ITB, when suddenly I met my board mate. I decided to accompanied him to have dinner before going to campus. On the way, he shared his story I've never heard before.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. You know, I am not I used to be. I was diligent boy, always went to the mosque for doing sholat, and woke up at 3.30 am every single day. Now, everything change and I don’t know why.”

We arrived at the location and took a sit. I kept in silence since I didn’t know what to say. I keep listening.

“Formerly, I was the second best after my father at home in devotion. I always read the Holy Quran, even I was pointed to follow MTQ contest. That was something gratify. And now, I’ve even never open it.” He exhaled. “I know that I’m not in the right path and I know what I should do. However, I just cannot move towards.”

“I think you need bravery to start. It might work since you have the faith to change. Be patient. Just start step by step.” I said carefully. “After that, you keep your new habits within.”
He nodded.

***

While we were eating cap cay, he started to talk again. “I always feel guilty when my father tells his story. Once he said to me, ‘What you’ve been done for the last 25 years? When I was 25, I’ve got married and worked.’” He exhaled. “I know it was not right to say that our era is different.”

I nodded and said, ”Yeah. Even we should struggle much more since we have easiness in life much more than our parents.”

“My father was always being number one in his class whereas he formerly didn’t want to enroll school. He went to elementary at 8 because his older brother keep ask him to school. My father said, ‘Why must I go school? I can read and count well.’ Then his brother said, ‘You won’t just study how to read or count. There are things you can learn.’”

I stayed no talk and my body eerie while hearing his story.

“When he is in fifth year he came to head master and said, ‘Sir, I want to quit school.’ The head master surprised and asked, ‘For what reason? You are so smart.’ My father said, ‘I want to earn money, since I have money to continue my study.’ At last the head master decided, ‘You keep study here and you don’t need to pay for that. But, I ask you to fulfill the water container in school bathroom.’ Since that, my father after Shubuh kept doing it until he graduated. When he finished his morning task, his friend came to school. He had to went home quickly to get dress and came back to school for studying.” He continued, "Moreover, he was always being the one whom his mates asked. I admire him."

[To be continued]