All of sudden, the boy who had tiny and skinny body, dark brown skin, and wavy hair sat in front of me. His name was Harto. Yeah, he was my classmate who never gave his smile. Nobody wanted to be his friend. I didn’t know why. I guess it was because of his physical performance with wrinkle and stinky uniform, and bad second-hand shoes. He was introvert and never wanted to join his friends in our class. I was so curious about him. So many things that often I did as children did in elementary school involved playing games, joking, and chatting with friends but he was not like me. He appeared depressed. I guess, I have ever seen him but I do not know where. His face was familiar. All of these things made me asked a question, who was he?
He was so different with another. He was talkative when teacher give us a material study. I don’t know his characteristics because we were just freshly fifth grade. I was from A class and he was from B class. I didn’t know why I really want to know him. Actually, I felt envious to him. He was clever in my class. He always answered question from my teacher and asked question when my teacher gave an explanation. I have ever asked him to my friends. Then they said that Harto was introvert. They only said that. This was strange but I believe that he was a kind person.
Bell ring, it was time to go home. All of students get out from the class, but Harto was still here in front of the class. Then, I came to him.
“Hey, my name is Bella. What is your name?” I asked.
“Harto.”His short answer.
“Mmh, May I visit your house now? I want to study Mathematics with you.”
“Sorry, I can’t. I have to go now. Bye.” he left me hurry.
Next, I called my mum to get permission for going home late. I was so curious. So, I decided to follow him until he arrived in his home quietly.
He walked alone with swinging his bag. I kept following him though I felt tired. His home was so far. It was about 3 miles from my school. In order to he didn’t know that I followed him, I had to walk through bushes.
I looked at my watch. It was 01.20 pm. It meant that I walked for an hour twenty minutes that start from 12.00 pm. It was tiring activity. How Harto can do this everyday? I thought. I kept walking and watching him. I just realized this road was with railway station destination.
Suddenly he stopped walking. It was behind the railway station. Then, he addressed the old man with white wrinkle shirt and short pant. This is a railway station. Is it a box? What is he doing there? Who is the man over there? I mumbled. Not long afterward, Harto called him “Dad”. They seemed talking something that I can’t hear.
I saw two big boxes made from second-hand mineral water box. There is a lantern for each box. Two crumpled t-shirt, a hat, one trouser, one pant, and a pair of sandal inside the first box. It was near from railway. It might be two hundred meters from the railway. I saw him take off his uniform and his shoes. Then he wore crumple t-shirt, red hat on his head and wore sandals. After that, He took a group of newspaper from the man who he called “dad”. I didn’t still understand why he was here, where his home, and why his father was here.
Harto walked to Tangkuban Prahu road with a number of newspapers on his hand. I followed him quietly again. He sold newspaper to people at the traffic light. Then, I just realized that Harto was a vagrant. It was touching my heart. It was his reason to refuse my asking. Maybe, it would make him ashamed with his work. Moreover, He was so busy. I wondered he can keep studying at my school and get scholarship. He was the great boy that I have ever known. All of sudden, I remembered something. Yeah, When I took a drive with my father, I saw him offered a newspaper to my father. Harto had good motivation to study. Therefore, He worked hard to sell newspaper. My watch showed 03.00 pm, I had to go home soon. I am afraid that my father and my mother worried about me. When I was on my way to go home, I thought him. I was so lucky. When I studied at night, there was an electricity to illuminate my home. How about him? Only a lantern illuminated him. Moreover, what would happen if the rain falled? It would be cold outside. I cannot imagine that. Even, I also asked to my mind, where was his mother?
I came earlier to the class. They have not come yet. My mother brought me two boxes of meal for breakfast. I asked her to made two boxes of meal because I wanted to give the second box for Harto. He would be happy.
One by one they came to the class but I still did not see him. It was unusual. Everyday, he came a half hour before bell rang.
Not long afterward, bell rang. My teacher has entered my class but I did not see Harto. It was absence but there was no information about him. It was cloudy outside the class. Maybe Harto was sick. Finally, I gave my breakfast that I brought for Harto to my friend because Harto was not here.
I asked him to my teacher but there is no information about him. So, I decided to visit him. I took a walk to go there by myself.
I arrived near railway. I saw many people that carried a bier. They walked to resting place. There is Harto among four persons that carried that bier. He looked sad. I followed them quietly to the resting place. There, I heard people talked to him in order to be patient. What happened with my friend? Who is inside that bier? Is he Harto’s father? It is Impossible. I thought in my mind. After funeral ceremony was held, I tried to meet him. Harto saw me and he ran away from me. I chased him. Then I can catch him.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Why did you run away from me? I made you scared, didn’t you?”I said to him.
“Actually, I am ashamed with you because I am different with you. I am a vagrant. My father just a bricklayer. I am not lucky like you.”
“You don’t need to be ashamed with me. I am also your friend. We are same. So, I can help you if you have some problem as well as I can. Anyway, what happened with your father?”I asked him.
“My father died. When he worked, he got heart attacked all of sudden. Now, I am alone.” He dropped his tears.
“Oh, I am sorry to hear that. Hey boy, you’re not alone. You have your friends and your teachers that will love you as your parents. Don’t be sad! There are many people will love you.”
Then, He told his story to me. He said that his mother has passed away when he was one years old. Long time ago, he had a house near river. Unfortunately, there was a raining cats and dogs that made tide that caused flood. There was a strong current that made his house shattered. Then, his father passed away because of heart attacked. I wanted to be his close friend that always helped him. I was sure that he would get scholarship from the government. He was clever and diligent. I recommended him to work in my neighbour restaurant. My neighbour opened recruitment. I thought that Harto can work and live there, too. So, he did not need to live near railway anymore.
“You have to keep studying. I have so many books that you can read. We can study together.” I said.
“Yes, I want it but my monthly wage is not enough to pay my school fee.”
“Don’t worry about it. You can propose scholarship to our school. You will get it. I hope you make your parents proud of you though they haven’t been here with you.”
“Thanks Bella. I will try to do that.”
“Yeah...!”
I felt glad when he said that. I believed he would be a great person someday. Many people would be proud of him. There was no thing impossible if we try to do. Even, if we were vagrants, we would get our success.
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