Final Exam Prize | Tebuireng Online

Soon the exam results will be out, which makes some students nervous about the results of their own hard work. But not Aira, a second year high school girl who always gets first place in her class.

“Father, Mother, if Aira gets another one, Aira will want it cellphone new.”

“Yes dear, Aira wants to be bought cellphone What?” asked Aldi’s father.

“Iphone,… it’s okay, right, Bun?”

“It’s okay darling, as long as you don’t get distracted from studying, OK…”

“Yes Mother, Aira promises to be more enthusiastic and more diligent than before.”

“Okay, now you sleep. Tomorrow morning we’ll go to school together, okay?”

Aira immediately went to her room with a happy heart. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

Where Aira was chatting earlier, now only Aldi’s father and Farah’s mother live. They spoke carefully, deliberately so that the eldest daughter would not hear.

“Let’s try to survive first,” said Aldi’s father.

“Yes, you’re right. Aira’s condition is like this now.”

“Okay, that means after Aira’s exam results come out, according to our agreement yesterday, Aira will come with Dad.”

***

In the reborn car, Aira looked happy. He couldn’t wait to see the results of his exam. After a few minutes, Aira and her little family finally arrived at school.
Aira queued with Mother Farah, while Father Aldi chose to wait outside.

A few minutes later, Aira’s face was smiling. Sure enough, Aira managed to get first place in her class. Aira and Mother approached Aldi’s father to invite him to buy cellphone his dream.

When she entered the shop, Aira couldn’t stop looking at the iPhone in front of her. Aira chose the white color that she had wanted for a long time.

At dinner, Aira didn’t leave the room because she was so happy that she forgot to eat. As a resultMother must call him.

“Aira, let’s eat first darling, we’ll play later.”

“Yes Bun, in a moment. Aira will be there later.”

Mother left the room and waited at the dining table.

Soon the Aira will be finished and is now ready to eat.

***

After eating, Aira ran to her room with a broken heart and disappointment. He never thought that his parents would divorce. In fact, as far as Aira knows, they have been fine lately.

Now Aira sat with a blank stare and tears streaming down her face. Several times she heard her parents persuade her to leave the room, but this time Aira really needed to be alone.

He looked at the new iPhone he and his family had bought this afternoon. The family that looked fine, has now fallen apart. His parents’ conversation was still ringing in his head, until finally he fell asleep crying from exhaustion.

In the morning, Aira still couldn’t accept her current situation. He didn’t want to leave the room, even though Aldi’s father had been shouting at him to eat. Aira ignored it, because she still couldn’t accept the fact that her family had to separate.

That night, Aira became increasingly uncontrollable. He shouted calling out Mother’s name, because he had not heard her voice since morning. All he heard was his father’s chatter telling him to get out.

Aldi’s father, who knew about this, tried to calm his daughter from behind the door.

“Aira…eat first darling. You haven’t eaten since then, you’ll get sick.”

Click!

After hours of persuading, Aira finally wanted to come out. He immediately hugged Aldi’s father and asked where his mother was.

“Father… Where is Mother, Dad? Where?” Aira asked sobbing.

“Mum’s gone for a moment, darling. It’s okay, Dad’s here,” said Aldi’s father soothingly.

“But Dad, why are you leaving? Mother is evil, mother has the heart.”

“No darling, Mother is not evil. You can’t do that. No matter what, she is still your mother. Mother must have a reason.”

***

Almost a year has passed. Now Aira is in the third year of high school. The current Aira is no longer the Aira we know. The diligent and intelligent air has changed.

Since her parents’ separation, Aira has become stubborn. He often went out at night, never studied, and started to feel comfortable in tight and revealing clothes. His grades are dropping, he’s often late, he’s often absent from class. In short, Aira became a naughty child.

Aldi’s father is no longer able to advise Aira’s heart. He felt he had failed in educating his own daughter.

In three days, Aira school will hold its graduation ceremony. But the trials came again. Aldi’s father has liver disease. Medical costs are very expensive, while Aldi’s father’s savings are running low.

Aira tried to contact her mother many times, but there was no news at all.

Three days later, on Aira’s graduation day, she had to take her diploma alone because her father couldn’t come.

At 06.00 in the morning, Aira said goodbye to Aldi’s father. He left wearing a white kebaya and graduation uniform, with his face made up. Aira felt jealous seeing her friends come with their respective parents, while she was alone.

Aira sat next to her friend’s mother.

“Oh, Aira came here alone?”

“Hey, Mom.”

“Where are your parents anyway?”

“My parents divorced a long time ago. I went with my father, but he was sick.”

“Oh, I see… that’s cool. Even though as far as I know, you’re always number one.”

Hearing those words, Aira fell silent. He remembered his father’s struggle. The father who had fought for himself, but was rewarded with laziness. Aira’s eyes reddened with tears.

***

After graduation, Aira received a notification that shocked her to death. He immediately rushed to the hospital. Aldi’s father’s condition worsened and needed immediate surgery. Like it or not, Aira took all of her father’s remaining savings.

After three hours of waiting, the operating room door opened. A doctor came out with a heavy expression.

“How is my father’s condition, Doc? My father is fine, right?” Aira asked panicked.

“Sorry, Sis… we have tried our best, but God said otherwise.”

Aira’s tears fell uncontrollably. His cheeks were wet. This time it was completely destroyed. Now he has no one else.

Seven days after Aldi’s father’s funeral, the house felt even stranger to Aira. The silence that he previously only felt at night now accompanies him all the time. There was no more father’s voice waking him up early in the morning, no more advice that he often ignored in the past.

Aira started looking for work. He lives alone. He flatly rejected Mother Farah’s invitation to live with him. Not because of hatred, but because his heart was too tired to hope again.

Now Aira is completely alone.

Every night, he often looked at the iPhone, which he once considered the most beautiful gift. The object now felt heavy in his hand. The exam prize he received actually witnessed the slow collapse of his life.

Aira apologizes.

Regret because he didn’t take care of himself when Dad was still around.

Regrets that he wasted the time, education and love that he always had. Now, he has no one else to blame but himself.

And amidst the silence, Aira finally understands that not all gifts come to make her happy. Some come only to teach loss.

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Writer: Ali Irsat, Khoiriyah Hasyim Vocational School student