The shouts had ended months ago, but their echoes still filled Dzul’s ears. There was no hint of shame on his face. In fact, his chest swelled, blossoming. When someone asked where he got that cap from, still, no one knew the answer.
Many guessed it was a gift from someone special. So much so that Dzul didn’t want to replace it after all this time. Many tried to give him a more suitable cap. Yet, Dzul always politely refused, causing those who offered to retreat without hard feelings.
“I am very grateful to Uncle, my heart even blossoms more than being liked by someone I like. But I can’t just take off this cap,” Dzul’s rejection to Uncle Pandu. He was one of the elders of the village and also a relative of Pondok Jauhar. One of the most famous Islamic boarding schools in the neighboring district. In his village, Uncle Pandu was also recognized as the village advisor. Many people came to him for enlightenment. From marital problems, religion, to even asking for names for their newborns.
Some of his livestock was also taken care of by Dzul. He already considered the teenager as his own family. Dzul’s mother was a classmate of Uncle Pandu. While Dzul himself was good friends with Zainuddin, Uncle Pandu’s son. They usually went to school and Quran recitation together.
“Dzul, we have a class meeting at high school tomorrow, right?” Zainuddin asked during break time.
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, I’m relaxed then. At least our volleyball team is in your hands,” he joked.
Dzul was not a clever kid when it came to academics. He might even be below average compared to other kids. But there was one thing that made him stand out to the teachers: he never refused when asked for help. He would leave all his own affairs for others. Except for one thing, regarding his father, his only puppet, that’s all he had now, and the only one.