I don't think “friends” is enough for us. We were more like sisters.
I mean... imagine being together literally 24/7. We woke up together, spent the entire day together, went everywhere together, came back to the room together, talked about the most random things, and eventually fell asleep in the same room. Then we did it all over again the next day. And the next. And the next.
We talked about so many things. Some were important, some were completely ridiculous, and some I don't even remember anymore. But somehow, those little conversations became memories. And now, when I think about them, I realize that those ordinary moments were actually some of the most beautiful ones.
Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. We had responsibilities too. We were part of OSPA Ubudiyah, which meant taking care of the religious activities in our girls' dormitory. We had to make sure the fardhu prayers and sunnah prayers like tahajjud and dhuha were carried out, guide the students' tadarus, teach them about worship and tajwid, and lead dzikir together.
We also became BTQ teachers, took care of the girls' cooperative and uniforms, joined committees for Angkasa, Osean, and Muin Cup, and tried our best to finish our Qur'an memorization.
Looking back, it's kind of crazy how much we did.
And then there was Hifdzil.
Honestly, that was one of the most nerve-wracking moments for us. We worked so hard for that test. We wanted to get good scores, so we memorized, reviewed, listened to each other, and tried to make sure we were as prepared as possible. I still remember how serious we could get when Hifdzil was coming up. It was stressful, but looking back, I'm proud that we went through it together.
BUTTTT... we were still teenagers, after all.
So obviously, we had our moments.
Some of us had boyfriends. Some of us didn't—including me. But that didn't stop us from occasionally making questionable decisions. Sneaking in phones, secretly meeting boyfriends, getting caught, getting punished... yeah, we had those stories too. Some of us got into trouble more often than others, but let's just say we were not always the most obedient girls in the room.
And it wasn't only phones and boys.
There were also the little things we did just because we wanted to have some fun. Bringing a speaker and a memory card full of music and listening to it together without getting caught. Playing cards secretly. Trying to enjoy little pieces of freedom in a place where there were rules for almost everything.
Looking back, those tiny acts of rebellion feel so funny now.
Then there were Saturday nights.
Oh, Saturday nights.
For us, Saturday night was one of the best parts of the week because it was when the general students went home. And after fasting for two whole weeks, we finally got to WATCH A MOVIE. So, naturally, we would start thinking about food way before movie time. We'd buy ingredients and snacks, decide what we wanted to make, and somehow turn the whole thing into an event.
Sometimes we watched movies in the classroom. Sometimes in the mosque. Sometimes in our room.
I still remember those moments.
And I definitely remember the cooking. Especially when we cooked in Ustadz's kitchen. There was something so warm about gathering in the kitchen, preparing everything together, waiting for the food to be ready, and finally eating what we had made ourselves. Maybe the food wasn't always perfect, but who cared? We made it together.
Although... we also had a pretty terrible habit.
We sometimes didn't wash our plates until the next mealtime.
And yes, sometimes by then... there were maggots on them.
I don't even know how we survived that era.
But somehow, we did.
And speaking of surviving, we were actually pretty strong girls. We survived the heat without bringing our own electronic fans because, well, the rules said we couldn't. Imagine being in that weather and just having to accept your fate. Somehow, we got through it. Looking back, even that feels like one of those oddly specific things I'll remember about us.
AND PLEASE, HOW COULD I FORGET PARA ADIK???
I miss them too. Huhu.
They really did make our days more colorful. We probably weren't always the nicest kakak, though. We made them do rukuk, write things, walk around, and probably a bunch of other things they definitely did not volunteer for. Should we apologize for that? Maybe we should.
But then again... would we have become who we are now without them?
I don't think so.
I still remember waking them up for tahajjud when our own souls hadn't even fully returned to our bodies yet. I remember the random “kasi keluar ingus” moments. I remember the silly jokes, the chaos, the little arguments, the laughter, and all those tiny moments that probably wouldn't make sense to anyone outside our little world.
And maybe that's what I love most about RABIES.
It wasn't just the big things.
It was waking up together. Talking until we had nothing left to talk about. Getting through responsibilities together. Studying for Hifdzil together. Getting into trouble together. Sneaking music into the room. Playing cards when we weren't supposed to. Cooking in Ustadz's kitchen. Watching movies on Saturday nights. Leaving our plates unwashed for far too long. Surviving the heat without our precious electronic fans. Taking care of the little sisters. Laughing at things that weren't even that funny.
It was just... living together.
And somehow, all those ordinary days became memories that I know I'll miss.
Bale, Piddal, Ani, Ipon, Pik, Baya, Sul, Syamsi, Aya, Oling, Jumin, and Maje—if you're reading this, I hope you know that you each have a very special place in my memories.
I don't know where all twelve of us will end up someday. Maybe someday, RABIES will just be a name from a chapter of our lives that we look back on and laugh about. Maybe we'll live in different cities, have completely different lives, and eventually become busy with our own things.
But I really hope that somewhere in all those future lives, we'll still remember RABIES.
Because I know I will.
I will always be grateful that, out of all the people I could have met, I got to share a room, a chapter, and so many ordinary little days with these twelve girls.
Read Less...
