The sound of rushing sky water falling relieved her 'peace and quiet' as she read a novel in her hand accompanied by a cup of Americano coffee that she ordered without sugar. The day was about to end, but there was no signal that the girl with the shoulder-length curly hair would walk home. She looks comfortable with her solitude, occasionally inhaling the aroma of coffee before drinking it. The smell of coffee and the smell of rain, which has always been her favorite, never fails to make her feel comfortable. One hour, two hours, three hours, the sky was dark, the rain had stopped, and the coffee was gone. The girl got up and began to tidy up her things on the wooden square table. After making sure she packed all his stuff, she plugged her headphones in, put some music on her cell phone, and headed off for the thirty-minute walk to her house.
"You know what time it is?" Nice welcome, she thought. The girl took off her coat and shoes, and looked at the "immediate interviewer" with her poker-faced look, "Oh I thought you're not home yet"
"I bought you food, eat quickly and then enter your room" instructed the man in front of him before leaving him at the door. The girl sighed, then got up to get her food, carrying it to her room. "Thank you, Baba," she said as she passed the man who was watching television with his little version. For the past three months, the house where a girl named Ayla lived has felt empty. Mama's death made the house that was once warm like the morning sun to be as cold as a night with a blizzard. There was no more meaningful conversation, everyone who lived in it was like strangers living under the same roof, busy with their own business, undisturbed by the presence of the other.
This morning, as usual, Ayla would leave the house with her dark blue backpack and school uniform---as if she wanted to go to school like other students--- though school was not her destination, she was going to see her mom. This is not the first time Ayla has skipped classes. In the last three months, she has skipped classes more than ten times. Nobody cares, he thought. The black shoes with access to white stripes stepped onto a green yard that took the owner of the shoes to a place that for the past three months had become his "escape" from the hustle and bustle of the world. The girl sat down beside a mound of grass overgrown with lilies on it, written on the black tombstone was the name of the woman who had been the cause of all her sorrow for the past three months. "Hi Mama, how was your sleep?" After that there was only silence, the girl just stared at the name on the grave without expression, without emotion. Her eyes were blank, but not with her heart and mind floating on the incident three months ago when her mother was declared gone forever. Even after three months had passed, the pain that Ayla felt had not recovered, it had only gotten worse. After two hours of just sitting and staring at the mound of earth that buried her mother's body, Ayla got up from her place, said goodbye to her mother's grave, and then took her feet away from the cemetery.
"Okay, run away or not go to school at all?" said a girl with a black headscarf while putting a cup of Americano coffee in front of Ayla. "Thanks," replied Ayla. "You gonna be like this forever? If your dad finds out, he will surely be angry,"
"Akira, my life's such a mess, I'm such a mess, right?" asked Ayla flatly. "Yes, you are. If you ask for an honest answer, I'll say, yes Ayla, you are such a mess" Akira replied "Your mom won't like to see you like this," Akira added with a gentle touch on Ayla's shoulder. "She can't see me either," Ayla answered coldly.
Akira sighed before asking another question to the best friend she had known for over ten years, "Have you prayed today?" Ayla was silent. Akira's question made her speechless. She picked up the coffee cup in front of her and drank it, savoring the bitter taste of Americano coffee flowing down her throat. "Could that bring back Mama?"
"Could bring yourself back," said Akira before leaving Ayla to serve the other diners. There is no point in advising someone as numb as Ayla. Her mother's death changed her from being a warm-cheerful girl to a hard-to-reach apathetic person. Like the "skipping class" days that had passed before, Ayla returned to her house when the sun had been swallowed by the night.
"Where did you go today?" said Tanweer---her father---when Ayla had just closed the door. "School" answered Ayla shortly. "Mrs. Moureen called, you've been four days not showing up at school, where have you been, Ayla?" asked the man who was much taller than Ayla with a sharp gaze. Ayla stared at her father, speechless. Never thought Mrs. Moureen will call her father due to her absence. Didn't think too much, she thought. "Ayla, what do you want? Stop being childish, Ayla, you're not a child anymore" he added seeing Ayla had no signs of answering his question. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to school, stop acting up." he decided before leaving Ayla who was only silently staring at her feet. After the man who was 22 years older than her was leaving, there was a sobbing sound from a girl sitting at the door, covering her face. Ayla was crying. For some reason, the apathetic girl who never---almost---showed her emotions burst into tears.
For the past three weeks, Ayla has never skipped classes again. Every morning, Tanweer would take her to her school, making sure that Ayla walked through the tall, light blue gate with the name of the school she studied written above. It's also been three weeks since Ayla cried, she has become a much quieter person and always has no expression face anywhere and to anyone.
The bell alert that the end of today's teaching and learning activities had rung, Ayla immediately tidied up her things and hastily left her place. Boarding the bus that will take her out of the building that locked her up for nearly ten hours.
