[~~~] Arabic dialogue
"~~~" Indonesian dialogue (Default)
HALIM'S POV
Evening had arrived, the breeze carried a gentle warmth, and the golden sunlight began to sink low on the western horizon.
Today, my team and I were ready for a friendly football match against another school. The field near our school stood witness to our hard work—tired legs, unbroken spirit, and hearts that refused to give up.
The match was intense. Both teams showed off their tricks and unique styles of play. But unfortunately, we lost… 4–2. The other team read our strategy too quickly. We kept losing possession. And our defense was way too open.
Now, Karim and I were on our way home. Rizky, Dzaky, Ali, Arif, and the rest of our teammates had already gone home.
"Guess we just weren't lucky today."
"Our team lost the ball too many times. The opponents easily broke through both our attack and defense."
"Yeah…"
[MOM…!!!]
"Come here!"
Suddenly, Karim and I heard a kid's scream, followed by the harsh, commanding voice of a grown man.
"You hear that…?"
"Over there."
We moved toward the direction of the noise.
Then we saw a grown man roughly pulling a small boy near the playground. The little boy clung tightly to a swing pole, his face full of fear.
"What's going on there?"
"Probably just a kid who doesn't wanna go home. Let's not get involved."
I didn't know why, but something about that boy made me feel like he needed help.
Boy's eyes didn't look like those of a stubborn kid refusing to go home, they looked like the eyes of someone struggling, scared, and desperate.
My eyes stayed locked on the boy. For some reason, the longer I looked, the more his face reminded me of Khadijah and Brother Abbas.
The boy's light skin tone was just like Khadijah's. Even the shape of his face somehow resembled Brother Abbas.
I could feel my heartbeat speeding up.
"Hey Karim, do you think that man's the boy's father?"
"Man, I don't know anything about that. Don't ask me."
The boy still looked terrified. He was shaking, like he wanted to cry. And I couldn't stop wondering… was that man really his father?
But just as that thought crossed my mind, the boy suddenly looked straight at us, tears streaming down his face, and—
[HELP…!!!]
The boy shouted in Arabic.
The boy was clearly in trouble, calling for help.
"…What did he just say?"
"Don't talk, just help him."
Karim and I sprinted toward the man who was trying to drag the boy away.
*THUD!!!*
"—AAARGH!!!"
We had just struck the kidnapper's neck and kicked his stomach. The kidnapper groaned in pain and released the boy.
Karim and I managed to pull the kid free.
"Take care of the boy, Karim. This guy's mine."
"Got it."
Karim did as I said, standing protectively near the boy, while I faced the kidnapper alone.
"Hey, are you okay?"
The boy didn't answer. He had spoken Arabic earlier, so the boy probably didn't understand Karim.
Meanwhile, the kidnapper glared at us with a look that could scare anyone.
"HEY! YOU TWO!"
[Scared…!]
The boy was trembling now. He clung to Karim tightly after seeing that terrifying stare.
Before I dealt with the kidnapper, I wanted to make sure of something.
I looked at the boy behind Karim and spoke in Arabic.
[Hey, little buddy. Is that guy scaring you?]
The boy looked up at me slowly, still shaking... then he nodded without saying a word.
[I see.]
"HEY! BOTH OF YOU!"
"Talking's a waste of time. You wanna fight? Let's do this."
I said that while glaring at him.
The man looked straight into my eyes, silent for a moment… then grinned.
Suddenly, a sharp and rusty knife appeared in his hand.
So that's how it is. He wanted to fight me with a weapon.
"Alright then… let's fight."
"Halim!"
[Bismillahirrahmanirrahim…]
I didn't care what kind of weapon he had. If this was my task, I'd finish it my way.
The kidnapper charged at me.
"COME HERE—!"
*SMACK!*
The kidnapper tried to stab me in the stomach, but he missed.
I quickly turned my body sideways and struck his hand, redirecting the blade.
My martial arts teacher once told me, never step backward when someone tries to stab you in the stomach. It's safer to move sideways instead.
The kidnapper tried to attack again, but this time—
"Gotcha!"
"—!!!"
I grabbed his wrist, spun around, and threw him to the ground, twisting his arm so hard he dropped the knife.
"Secure the knife, Karim!"
"On it!"
Karim quickly ran, picked up the knife, and stayed close to the frightened boy again.
I pinned the kidnapper face-down on the ground, holding one of his arms tightly so he couldn't move.
"Hey! Give me back my knife—"
*THUD!*
"Ssshhh…"
My punch hit him right on the carotid sinus, the side of his neck. Because of that hit, the kidnapper slowly lost consciousness.
"…What just happened?"
"He'll be out for a few minutes."
"When did you learn that move?"
"Can't tell you. It's a long story."
We both looked down at the man lying face-first on the ground. His breathing was calm, like he was just taking a nap.
"Hey, Halim. What do we do with this guy? We can't just leave him here, right?"
"There's not much we can do. We'll drag him over there and make it look like he's just some guy napping under that tree."
"…And what about the knife?"
"That—"
"Halim!"
"Karim!"
"Well, that's convenient."
Just then, Ali and the others showed up at the playground. Weren't they supposed to be home already?
"I thought you guys already left."
"We went to buy drinks. Anyway, what happened here?"
"I'll explain later. For now, help me out."
Without asking too many questions, we carried the man's body and sat him against a tree. We positioned him so he looked like a guy who'd just fallen asleep after a long day.
Oh, right. Karim handed the knife to Ali and explained everything that had happened.
Karim knew Ali's father had a friend in the police, so the authorities could take care of it properly. That knife is evidence that this needs to be reported.
For now, it's best to hand it to the right people.
"…Got it, Karim. I'll tell my dad everything."
"Won't it look weird though? A grown man sleeping in a place like this?"
"He'll wake up soon. Just leave him be—"
*Phone ringing…*
"Whose phone is that?"
"It's mine."
I quickly pulled my vibrating phone from my pocket and looked at the screen.
"Who's calling you, Halim?"
"Latifah."
"Latifah?"
"Give me a sec…"
I swiped the screen and answered the call, turning the speaker up so everyone could hear her voice.
"…Assalamualaikum."
"Waalaikumsalam. What's up, Latifah?"
"Can we meet at school? I just ran into Khadijah at Mr. Sofian's store. She said her little brother's gone missing."
[Sister Khadijah…]
We all fell silent, staring at the boy.
The boy had just spoken Arabic again, his voice full of longing.
"Khadijah's asking for my help now, but I don't know what to do. So can we meet?"
"Maghrib's call to prayer will sound soon. How about we meet in front of your house instead?"
"Good idea. We'll both wait for you here."
"Alright. Assalamualaikum…"
"Waalaikumsalam…"
The call ended.
The little boy was still beside Karim, still scared. All our eyes turned to that boy.
"So, this kid…"
"He's Khadijah's little brother."
[Sister Khadijah…]
The boy kept repeating her name softly in Arabic every time he heard it.
Brother Abbas had told me this kid's name before. If I remembered right, his name was Abdullah.
I looked at the boy again, crouching down so I was at eye level with him—not too close, so that boy wouldn't feel scared.
Then, as gently as I could, I asked in Arabic.
[Abdullah. That's your name, right?]
The boy looked at me, but didn't speak.
Abdullah slowly nodded. That was all the answer I needed.
I looked back at Karim and the others.
"His name's Abdullah."
"Abdullah…"
"Nice name."
The name Abdullah means 'Servant of God' in Arabic. A name with deep history, even belonging to the Prophet Muhammad's father, Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib.
"Halim, we should go now. It's time for Abdullah to see his sister again."
"Yeah, Khadijah must be really worried right now."
[Sister Khadijah…]
"You guys coming too?"
"I'm in."
"Me too."
"Same."
"Then let's get going—"
[Sister Khadijah…]
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"What happened?"
Abdullah suddenly tugged on Karim's shirt just as he started walking.
Tears filled his eyes again as Abdullah whispered his sister's name.
Karim and the others looked confused, unsure what the boy was doing. I decided to talk to him.
[Abdullah, what's wrong?]
[Sister Khadijah…]
[You want to see sister Khadijah?]
Abdullah looked at me, silent for a moment. Then, Abdullah smiled.
[…Yes! I want to see big sis!]
[Then let's go.]
[LET'S GO…!]
Abdullah was full of excitement now.
Abdullah let go of Karim's arm and grabbed mine instead. He must've really missed his sister. I could feel it.
"Good thing we've got someone here who speaks Arabic right here."
"What did Abdullah just say?"
"Abdullah misses his big sister. So, let's move."
"Let's go."
And so, we all started walking toward Latifah's house. Khadijah and Latifah were surely waiting for us. We couldn't keep them waiting any longer.
You know? Just walking around in the afternoon without talking at all feels boring, so we decided to chat with Abdullah.
Karim and the others couldn't speak Arabic, but I could translate every word Abdullah said into a language they could understand.
Abdullah told us that he really liked football. He also said that he and his family used to watch football matches in famous stadiums across England.
That was new to me. I just found out that Khadijah and her family used to live in England before they came to Indonesia. That really surprised me, honestly.
IN FRONT OF LATIFAH'S HOUSE
A few minutes later, we finally arrived at Latifah's front yard. Khadijah and Latifah were already there, waiting for us.
[…Big sister!]
"Abdullah!"
The moment Abdullah saw his sister, he ran toward her and hugged her tightly. A hug that carried all the longing he had been holding in.
I saw tears streaming down Khadijah's face. Tears of relief and peace, like a mother who finally found her lost child.
We just stood there in silence, watching them. No one wanted to interrupt that moment.
When the hug was over, Khadijah walked toward us, smiling, and said thank you.
"Thank you. Thank you so much for finding Abdullah."
"You're welcome."
"How did this all happen?"
"Yeah. I want to know too, how did you lose Abdullah, Khadijah?"
They weren't the only ones curious. Even I wanted to know how Khadijah ended up losing Abdullah earlier.
"At first, Khadijah wanted to take Abdullah for a walk around the area. Before leaving, she asked Abdullah to wait for a bit since she needed to change her clothes first. But then, right after she was done getting ready, she saw that the front door was wide open and Abdullah wasn't in the house anymore. That's when Khadijah completely panicked. She rushed out and searched for him everywhere… until we both ran into each other in front of Mr. Sofyan's shop."
"I asked Khadijah, not you, Latifah."
Latifah's expression suddenly changed after Rizky said that. And it definitely wasn't a friendly one.
"For once, can you be serious, Rizky?"
"Oh, come on… I was just joking. You know me, right?"
Rizky said that with a smug smile. And Latifah… yeah, she looked a little annoyed.
"Anyway… where did you guys find Abdullah?"
"At the playground. Not far from here."
"You know what, Khadijah? Abdullah almost got kidnapped earlier."
"KIDNAPPED?!"
Khadijah and Latifah looked genuinely shocked.
"Yeah. But thankfully, Abdullah's fine because Halim took down the kidnapper all by himself."
I had no idea why Karim suddenly mentioned that. Wouldn't it be better not to tell her that? I mean, Khadijah never asked us to.
Khadijah looked at her little brother with a worried expression, then asked him something in Arabic.
[Abdullah, are you okay?]
[Yes.]
Abdullah nodded. Then… his eyes suddenly shifted toward me.
I'm confused… why's he looking at me like that? Wait… Abdullah started walking up to me and stopped right in front of me.
[What's the matter, Abdullah?]
[Name.]
Oh… so Abdullah wanted to know my name. I just remembered… he'd already introduced himself earlier, but I hadn't told him my name yet.
I crouched down so our eyes were at the same level and told him my name in Arabic.
[My name's Halim. Just call me Halim.]
Abdullah looked at me… wait, why's he squinting now?
[Brother… Halim.]
This kid suddenly called me Brother Halim in Arabic. Honestly, it felt a bit weird hearing someone call me like that, especially a kid younger than me like Abdullah.
I wasn't anyone special to his family. And I'd never had a younger sibling in my life, so the word 'Brother' felt… unfamiliar. But if that's how Abdullah wanted to call me, then there's no reason to stop him.
I smiled and said…
[Alright. You can call me that, Abdullah.]
Abdullah instantly smiled when I said that.
[Brother Halim!]
Seeing that big, bright smile on his face… it somehow warmed my heart. The kid looked so happy just knowing my name.
But in the middle of that moment, I suddenly realized—everyone else was staring at us.
This is getting awkward…
"What are you all looking at?"
"You two look pretty busy there."
"You've confused every guy here, Halim."
"What did Abdullah just say to you?"
"He wanted to know my name, so I told him."
"Oh…"
They all nodded, understanding what I meant.
The atmosphere became calm for a while, but that peace didn't last long.
Rizky suddenly asked a question so casual yet chaotic enough to break the silence.
"Oh, I just remembered something."
"What?"
"Hey, Khadijah. Is it true that Halim's gonna be your private language tutor?"
"Private language tutor?"
Oh, great. Now's not the time, Rizky!
Khadijah froze, her face tensing up in an instant. Then she looked straight at Rizky, clearly shocked.
After that, she slowly turned to me. She didn't say anything, but I knew exactly what she was thinking—like she was silently asking why I told my friends about it.
Meanwhile, Latifah looked puzzled. Her head tilted a little, like she didn't understand what Rizky was talking about.
I sighed, looked at Khadijah, and started explaining.
"You know, Khadijah… the people around us right now are very curious types. Every time I have a secret, they'll do whatever it takes to figure it out."
Khadijah lowered her head. Her cheeks and ears turned slightly red.
"But even if they're curious, they're not strangers. These people can be trusted. If they know something shouldn't be shared, they'll keep it secret. Always."
Khadijah nodded slowly, though that shy expression still hadn't left her face. She was still looking down, not daring to look anyone in the eye.
"Wait. Why is Halim your private tutor, though?"
"Mrs. Salamah's orders."
My short answer was enough to make Latifah understand. She probably knew Mrs. Salamah wouldn't assign something like that without a good reason.
Then, at the same time, Abdullah walked over to his big sister and they started talking in Arabic.
[Big sister…]
[What's going on?]
[Tired…]
[…Alright.]
Their little Arabic exchange was short, but I understood what they were saying.
"You two heading home?"
"Yeah, Abdullah's tired."
"I think we should all walk Khadijah and Abdullah home."
"That's right. It's already getting dark, and Maghrib prayer will start soon."
"This area gets dangerous when it's too late. Suspicious people can show up anywhere. And Khadijah could be their target."
"True."
Khadijah looked at each of us, like she couldn't believe we were all willing to go.
"You guys don't mind?"
"You don't want to go through what Abdullah did earlier, right?"
"If something happens to you, brother Abbas and your mom would be really worried."
"I'll come too."
I knew how this neighborhood could change at night. Suspicious people start wandering around from 10 p.m. until dawn. Some of them carry things they shouldn't, like knives or drugs.
And Khadijah… She's far too precious to be left alone in a world like that.
"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go."
"Sorry, I promised my parents I'd be home early today. You guys go ahead without me."
"Too bad, I've got homework to finish tonight."
"Same here."
"Alright then, we'll split up here. See you all tomorrow at school, okay?"
"Okay. Assalamualaikum…"
"Waalaikumsalam."
Rizky, Dzaky, and Arif headed to their homes, while the rest of us walked with Khadijah to hers.
After all, it's always better to walk together than to walk alone, right?
The sky is getting darker.
But for some reason, tonight's darkness felt deeper than usual. The streetlights did light up the road, but they couldn't light up the hearts of the people walking under them. The beauty of this night, the twinkling stars, the calm air, and the bright lights. All of it felt like a thin blanket hiding the danger that could appear anytime from the shadows.
The call to prayer would start soon. For me, the Maghrib adhan marks the line between the busy hours of the world and the quiet time to return home.
But for some people around here, the Maghrib adhan is just a sign that night has come. And that's when all the suspicious people crawl out from their hiding places.
Ali and Karim are chatting with Latifah and Khadijah. Abdullah is walking hand in hand with his older sister. They all looked calm. Maybe they thought everything was fine and nothing was wrong for now.
But not for me. My eyes kept scanning around. A shadow moving in the corner. Slow footsteps of a stranger. A parked motorcycle. An empty house with no lights on.
Not only that, but my mind was full of other things too. About what Mrs. Salamah told me earlier at school, about the kidnapper I faced back at the playground, and also—
"…HALIM!!!"
"—What?!"
I heard Latifah calling me. Her voice was sharp, slicing through my thoughts like a blade.
I flinched, my body tensed up, and I immediately turned toward her.
Latifah is glaring at me with an annoyed look. Something I hadn't seen from her in a long time.
"What's wrong with you? I've been calling your name over and over and you didn't answer!"
"Sorry, I was spacing out. Did you say something to me earlier…?"
Latifah didn't answer right away. Her eyes still showed irritation.
That's unusual. Latifah… angry? At me?
How long has it been since she last made that face?
But a few seconds later, she finally spoke.
"Khadijah told us earlier that you're supposed to help her and Abdullah learn Indonesian soon. But you still haven't done it, have you?"
"Yeah, that's true. I just need some time to—"
"Oh, God. This kid is always like this."
"Yeah! Why do you always keep putting things off, Halim?!"
"I just can't decide right now. I need to think about—"
"How long are you gonna keep thinking, Halim? You already know, right? Finding an Arabic teacher here is really hard."
"I know that. But—"
"You taught Karim and me foreign language before, didn't you? Plus, you're one of the best at foreign languages in our school, so this shouldn't be hard for you."
"That's—"
"Khadijah and her family are living without a father now. Her brother can't help her and Abdullah because he's busy helping his mom work. So who else do you think can help them?"
"Oh, please. Keep interrupting me like that and you'll never get an answer."
"...…"
They all went silent. Maybe it was my tone, or maybe it was the expression I couldn't hide.
Honestly, I couldn't hold myself back anymore.
I was tired and annoyed because they kept cutting me off. Like my voice didn't matter enough to be heard.
Even when I tried to explain. Even when all I wanted was something simple: a bit of time. But they didn't give it to me. They didn't even give me a chance.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
"Hey, Halim. Are you still thinking about that incident…?"
I knew exactly what Ali meant. The story about a boy and a girl who once had a secret relationship. When that secret got exposed, both of them were ruined, mocked, avoided, even threatened physically.
For me, it wasn't just a story... but it's also a trauma. A wound that never fully closed.
I stayed quiet for a bit, nodded slowly, and said...
"Yeah. Even now, I'm still worried. I don't want that to happen again."
"Oh, man…"
"We've already talked about this, right? Those students won't bother you anymore. You don't have to worry."
"They won't find out about this anyway. And even if they do, we won't let them hurt you. Promise."
I didn't say anything. Inside, I wondered how Ali and Karim could be so sure. The world isn't exactly the kind of place that gives you second chances. It's not always fair either.
A few seconds later, Latifah spoke up, as if she knew what we were talking about.
"Just come to the library if you two want to study without interruptions. It's been really quiet and empty lately. Or… I can join and help you both study."
"Yeah. I wanna learn Arabic too."
"Same here."
"Why are you guys acting like this all of a sudden?"
"That's not important. What matters now is your answer."
I am confused and honestly, a bit shocked. Ali and Karim usually used their free time just to mess around. And Latifah always had a million excuses to focus on other subjects. And now… all of them suddenly wanted to learn Arabic? Just like that?
I couldn't think straight. I didn't even know what to say. My head felt heavy, my thoughts tangled. And—
"Halim…"
I heard Khadijah's voice, and I turned toward her. Her voice, which was usually cheerful and soft, sounded dim and heavy this time.
"What is it, Khadijah?"
"Can you start teaching me now? But if you can't, that's okay. I'll just learn on my own."
She said it with her head down, eyes fixed on the ground. She wasn't smiling. Not like she usually did. Not like the big sister who always cheered for her little brother. Not like the classmate who looked at the world with light in her eyes.
Khadijah looked tired and defeated. Like she was carrying something way too heavy for her age.
On one side, Latifah tried to cheer her up.
"Don't worry, Khadijah. Halim will definitely help you."
And on the other—
"You already know what you're supposed to do, Halim. Or you're gonna be in trouble!"
"And you should already know which part I'm going to kick after this!"
I didn't say anything.
Their words sounded sharp, like threats wrapped in friendship.
Looks like I'm about to get beaten up after this.
Anyway, this wouldn't be the first time Ali kicked me. I still remembered that one time clearly. The one I wish I could forget.
What should I say…?
If I refused to help Khadijah, Mrs. Salamah would have a hard time finding another tutor. And I knew her plate was already full.
Khadijah's father has gone. Her brother Abbas is busy helping their mom with work. And their mom has to work even harder.
So, who else could help Khadijah and Abdullah study… if not me?
I sighed, gathering what little courage I had left.
"Khadijah."
She slowly looked up at me. Her eyes were sad, but also full of hope.
I begin to say.
"I'm not gonna take this job right away. I need to talk to your mom and brother Abbas first. I need to understand what you're struggling with in Indonesian."
Khadijah stared at me, quiet for a moment. I saw her eyebrows lift a little. Maybe she was surprised, or maybe just confused. Then she asked—
"…You're going to be my private language tutor?"
"I'll need permission from your brother and your mom first. Once I get that, I can teach both of you."
"That's what I wanted to hear."
Khadijah kept looking at me.
Then, that smile appeared. Warm, gentle, and pure. A smile like a small light in a cold night.
"Alhamdulillah. Thank you so much, Halim."
My head dropped a little. Not because I was embarrassed by what she said, but because I didn't know how to respond. Her smile was too sincere, too kind.
I wasn't used to being looked at like that—with real gratitude, with complete trust.
So I just said,
"You're welcome…"
And in that silence, I could only hope. I hoped I wouldn't let Khadijah and her family down.
I hoped I could be someone they could rely on. Not because of pressure, but because I truly wanted to protect something that felt precious.
"Your face is turning red, Halim."
"Shut up."
TO BE CONTINUED...