Old Tradition

Reading Time: 7-10 minutes

Author: Amira Salma Fazriya

Dahlia is an introverted girl who is very smart and talented at playing musical instruments, but her skin disease vitiligo makes her insecure, and she avoids crowds at all costs. But when she meets Flory, who is from eastern Indonesia, she also feels that her physical appearance is different from the others. It is a feeling of shared fate that makes them feel stronger together.

The first day of high school is actually the worst for Dahlia because she has to make new friends and she hates adapting to a new environment. She really struggled with it; whenever she tried to approach people, they would stare at her in complete disbelief because of her patchy loss of skin color. This kind of gaze made Dahlia uncomfortable, she felt that other people were analyzing her imperfections, which is why she always avoids eye contact. There was even a time when she was swimming in her apartment's pool and there was a babysitter who suddenly took the baby away from Dahlia, saying

"Don't come near, son, you'll catch a disease" as if insinuating.

While holding back tears and anger, Dahlia immediately swam away from them. Indeed, there are still many people in Indonesia who think that vitiligo is some kind of fungal infection that is contagious, which it is not. Dahlia tried to think positively by assuming that people can be like that because they lack knowledge, she never stood up for herself until she became friends with Flory.

During one year of high school, Dahlia did not get real friends, some of them only approached her if there was a need, such as asking for homework answers. They even have a nickname for Dahlia which is 'zebra/cow skin'. After taking her report card, she thought about homeschooling, but her parents calmed her down by saying she would find a good friend in the new class, and it was proven when Flory came late to class where there was only an empty seat left next to Dahlia.

"Is anyone sitting here?" Flory said.

"No, you can sit here" Dahlia answered.

"Are you separated class from your chair mate?"

"No, I sat alone during first grade."

"Really? Why?"

"I don’t know, they just don’t wanna sit next to me"

"Oh god, I can’t believe there are still such narrow-minded idiots like that" she’s angry

"Yeah, by the way, I’m grateful you're sitting next to me, at least I don’t sit alone anymore" Dahlia tried to open.

Flory was the first person to talk to Dahlia without giving her a judgmental look. The fact that Dahlia has found so much in common with Flory after they exchange stories in Dahlia’s apartment makes her feel happy to have Flory as a friend. They have the same taste in music, and what is even more perfect is that Flory loves to sing and Dahlia will play the instrument. Then Flory, who saw the huge potential of Dahlia in music, had the idea for them to join the extracurricular band so that they would be better known in high school and not be looked down upon anymore. At first, Dahlia refused because she was shy and felt she was not good enough to play musical instruments, even though she is good at playing more than one musical instrument, such as guitar, ukulele, and keyboard.

After several attempts, Flory convinced Dahlia to join the band, finally, Dahlia agreed with her and stepped out of her comfort zone. But the journey has just begun, Dahlia and Flory don’t know that before they can officially become band members, they must first be tested by the seniors and alumni of the extracurricular band. They were directed to the band's studio rental place but when they arrived at their destination, they were taken again to an empty land, like a field. During the trip, Dahlia only looked down and occasionally looked at Flory, she didn't dare to look at the faces of the seniors for fear of being judged for her unique skin. Until finally one of the seniors asked.

"What happened to your skin?"

"It’s a birthmark" Dahlia lied.

"I've never seen anyone with birthmarks all over their body, it's horrible." disgusted tone.

Flory wanted to defend her but was held back by Dahlia. Next, they and the other newcomers  were ordered to crawl while singing a song, after that, they were required to drink bitter gourd juice, those who couldn’t finish their drink would be flushed with their own vomit. Furthermore, they were divided into groups, Dahlia and Flory are in different groups, and they were told to make dance choreography while singing Dangdut songs. Before performing, their faces will be scribbled on using a marker by their seniors. Dahlia's face and hand were streaked with 'deformed cow, human chessboard, zebra demon, my mom slept with tapir and they had me, panda’s illegitimate child, weirdo’ while Flory was streaked with ‘bee hive hair, stale soy sauce, ugh I never take a bath!, black bastard, ugly queen, dirty’ the seniors burst out laughing, but the newcomers had no idea what they had written.

When it was Dahlia’s group's turn to perform, the seniors and alumni cheered wildly, they laughed and hurled insults at Dahlia and her teammates.

"Hey kid! why don't you bleach your whole body as well?" shouted one of the alumni.

"I think it’s tinea versicolor, but all over the body probably punishment from God HAHAHAH" said another senior, everyone laughing.

Flory, who witnessed it, was furious and couldn’t stand the arbitrary treatment of these seniors, who had gone too far. She immediately came to the senior who spoke earlier and pulled his collar and kicked the man’s weaknesses while saying

"YOU SHOULDN'T SAY THAT TO SOMETHING WE CAN'T CHANGE! YOU'RE TOO FAR! DO YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY HUH?! IS THIS THE WAY YOU GUYS DO TO FEEL STRONGER THAN US?! WHAT’S THE POINT OF ALL THIS?!!"

The man fell in pain, the situation was crowded and chaotic. The other seniors did not want to close their mouths and continued to comply the man. Not long after he tried to get up and without thinking he punched Flory in the face, immediately she fell, and Dahlia tried to break through the crowd to protect Flory from being hurt more. Some other seniors calmed the man down and took him away from Flory and Dahlia, while several seniors took Flory to the side and checked on her condition. She had a bad nosebleed and a torn lip, but luckily all the teeth are still there. Without being taken to the hospital, cotton and minimal aid were the only things she received, and they were allowed to go home earlier.

When she was at home, she lied to her father that she had fallen, slipped on the school stairs. Alone in her room, she cried in pain and anger at the senior’s behavior, couldn't tell anyone at home because her mother had died when she was in middle school, and she had to stay strong in front of her two younger siblings. In the next day, thankfully her father take her to the hospital and the doctor said she had a broken nose and need surgery. During the operation and recovery, it was Dahlia who accompanied her, because her father had to work to pay the bills. Next time, she has to be cautious and not to be careless as her father warned her.

"Why you lying?" Dahlia opens up the conversation.

"It’s better… I just can't imagine how he would react if he found out I got into a fight with a man" she looked sad.

"But I admit you are very brave, I’m really grateful to have a friend as good as you. Seriously, thank you for always teaching me to stand up for myself more. Sorry for your nose… It should be mine that broken."

"NO! Don’t feel sorry, it’s none of our mistakes. Those types of people need to be taught a lesson so they stop doing it. I don’t like people who feel superior to others."

"So now how do we make them give up?"

On that day, they planned to report this incident to the school counselor. On the next day, while Flory's nose was still bandaged, they came to the counseling room, told all the incident that day, and mentioned the names of seniors and alumni. In response to what happened to them, the teacher apologized, saying indeed newcomers usually have to undergo a mental test before being accepted into the extracurricular programs, but this was the first time this kind of beating had occurred, and it shouldn’t happen outside of school for better monitoring activities, but since the school doesn’t yet have a band studio, students usually rent a studio at the regular place.

As their case was being processed by the school, Dahlia returned to class, while Flory was instructed to go home for the improvement of her condition. None of their friends knew about this incident other than the people who were there that day and the counseling teacher. Afterward, Flory's house was visited by the assistant principal of student affairs, who brought some money to pay compensation for the nose surgery she had done. They asked Flory not to tell her friends about the case, as they hoped it would not be prolonged, but Flory demanded justice and strict disciplinary action by the school in such cases.

"So what about the alumni and seniors who discriminated against Dahlia and beat me?" being critical

"Considering the alumni and the fact that the incident occurred outside of school, we can't be responsible."

"What about seniors?"

"We will give them a warning letter."

"Does that make them wary and won't do it again in the future?"

"They didn’t beat you to death, did they? What action did you expect? Was the money we gave not enough?"

"Does someone have to die before you act decisively? It would be better to disband those extracurricular activities."

They offered more money and said

"Shut your little mouth and learn to be polite to older people, that's the reason why you get beaten."

"Don't try to bribe me, I don't need the money."

"Then don't ruin our school's reputation, or you will be expelled."

Dahlia is upset to hear this, she cannot believe that the school is not on their side and is even trying to cover up the case. She remembered one important piece of information from her friend in class earlier, is that one of the seniors in the extracurricular band was the son of the assistant principal of student affairs. She assisted Flory in finding another way by seeking help through social media. After uploading the video last night, Dahlia went to school the next morning with fear of being threatened by the seniors and the school, and Flory's father received a drop-out letter on the same day.

~ The End ~

and here is my other work; a poem 

"The Creator"

When you vain as blindman searching for diamonds,
When you tired till you can sleep in the middle of Jakarta highway,
Remember Allah The most helpful

When you feel like you over the moon,
When you have everything in your hands,
Remember Allah The most merciful

The sunlight that hold me close,
The serene wind that comforting,
Only Allah can command that
Because He is The One, The Incomparable Originator.

Thank you:)