Then, at midnight, I and two my friends, Aan and Fai, were woken up by the handphone sound. Andy called us and told that the bus would go soon. We were very surprised. Quickly I ran and saw nobody around us. They have been outside.
Huh, the bus was still parked in front of the hotel, we felt calm. When we found the seat at the bus, Andy shouted, “Pidato, tapi tarelat!”.
The bus started going, penetrating the darkness of night. We slept.
I don’t know how long I slept, but the microphone voice told us that we were at Soekarno-Hatta airport. We looked around, yeah, it’s really there.
At the airport, we were disappointed by the delayed departure. So we had to wait the plane up to 09.50 AM! Fuiih…!
Before flight at Soekarno-Hatta Airport
The plane came, immediately everyone searched the seat. I got the A one, beside the window, yuhuuuu…! All West Java participants were at their seats for just a minute, and we would go soon. We would penetrate the cloud, step the sky.
Really, it was my first take off! My chest narrowed.
Stepping the sky
For 1 hour 50 minutes on the sky, the plan landed at Balikpapan airport and we would go to Samarinda after having lunch. Perhaps just for 1 our in Balikpapan, I don’t know exactly, and we continued the 3 hours journey to Samarinda. The innovative Hallo-hallo Bandung song, our yel-yel, accompanied us with its atmosphere of fun. Everybody sing, Hallo, halo-halo, halo Bandung, halo Bandung, Ibukota Periangan, Periangan. Hallo, halo-halo, halo Bandung, kota kenang-kenangan, perjuangan. Sudah, sudah lama Beta, tidak berjumpa dengan kau, Bandung. Sekarang sudah menjadi lautan api, mari Bung rebut kembali, Hallo, halo-halo…!
It was really at Samarinda. I stepped my foot at ATLIT hotel and searched my bag in the baggage. I searched it, searched it, and searched it. No there, my bag was lost! I ask my friends, Aan, Fei, Yayat, the West Java participants, and the trainners, they didn’t aware where my bag was. It was really lost! Yeah, probably I would live in this city accompanied by so many lackness. My clothes, my shoes, my west java uniform. I’d lend all, An.
We might have dinner, everybody took it in the hotel. But I didn’t care, I just wanted to perform prayer and pray hopefully I could get my bag. Finding the Musholla, I dissolved myself at quiet. Ya Allah, ya Allah, ya Allah ya karim.
The sun was rising when I woke up then. “Bal, sholat dulu, udah gitu kita langsung ke kamar Pak Tata. Masalah tasmu”. Aan said.
“Oh, tasnya ketemu?”
“Ga tau sih, tapi semoga aja”.
I attended the 02 room, and Pak Tata called me spontaneously, “Bal, sini!”
“Ya Pak.”
“Tas kamu udah ketemu!”
“Wah??!”
“Kemaren kebawa sama Pak Kani di asrama Haji waktu di Balik Papan. Sekarang giliran tasnya Pak Kani yang ilang. Coba kamu tanyain ke temen-teman, bisi aja tasnya kebawa sama mereka”.
Alhamdulillah, I was really happy when the bag was in the West Java official car. I could take it, I got my life, ha…
Several days there, I prepare hard for the competition. 1 day, 2 days, and up to the time by which I been there, prepare myself, for the struggle. Yeah, it was my time to struggle.
Saturday, November 03, 2007. I think I had already provided all. It was my time, it was my time, bismillah.
The West Java official was arriving when I went to the competition place. They gave me some advices and prays. Then I sat at the participant seat while they were at the spector place. Waiting for me, for my struggle.
In the participant seat, someone –I forget his name– whispered me several words, I felt I dissolved there, I was really encouraged. Finally, my turn came. With the prays, advices, and motivations, I went forward, set the microphone, looked at people in front. Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh! I began my speech.
It was really speech I have ever done. My blood rumbled, my voice roared.
The struggle on the national stage
Fuih, it was done. I went down from the stage and welcomed by the smile of West Java official. I felt a big satisfaction. Really!
Along with my trainner, West Java officials, and friends
Before going home, we went to several places such as Mahakam river and Kutai Kingdom. Playing Bom-bom cars, and crossing the river.
10 days at Borneo Island, then, November 08, we had to go home. We would be separated. I was sad, but I was happy. Finally, the story of POSPENAS IV ended.
Arrival at Soekarno-Hatta Airport
