Wednesday 30 October 2013



From A Turkey Veil With Love
By. Ning Sehati




One Sunday morning 



10 am
Arga, a handsome girl, was ready at HKIA Hall A, not many people were standing there waiting for the arrival. Only some of the hotel staffs with their customers’ name written on a piece of white paper. She decided to take a seat at a small garden under the elevator. She was so excited to hear a news from her aunty couple days ago that a surprise gift for her was on the way, sent by a man who transited for a while in Hong Kong during his flight back to Indonesia. Yeah, that day was her birthday. Ehmmm,,, curiously she left home so early in the morning. The day was so hot in the middle of the summer season, but she didn't care at all to put some cream on her face and hand as always. Just wore a 'you can see' black shirt, she forgot that the sunshine might burn her skin. She also forgot to wear her lovely shoes, a pair of blue Puma. All she got was just an old slipper from the rack and a black hat on her head. She really looked like a teenage boy with her punk style. 



11 am
Arga looked at her watch, she got bored after one hour just sitting and doing nothing. If no delayed, the flight from Dubay should be landed in the next one hour. She took her phone from her pocket. Some whatsApp notifications showed, one was from Amel, her 'girl friend'. “Don’t forget to meet me at Wanchai MTR Station Exit A4, 1pm. I have booked a nice place to celebrate your special day, honey !!”. Short she replied “Ok !!”. Deep in her heart, Agra said to herself, “I’ll show you something very special later, Amel” while she smiled, so sure that the gift would be something very nice, as she knew how much her aunty loved her and always treated her as her own daughter since her mother passed away when she was 12 years old. 

12 am
Argo stood up from the wooden chair, the time was getting closer to meet Mr. X. She rather disappointed that her aunty had forgot to give her the picture of the man. She even didn’t tell her how the man looked like so that would be easier for her to recognize which one of him among the passengers. Ffffuuuuiiihhh,, Arga sighed. But still she walked confidently. “I’m sure that I will get you, man !!” her mind said. After ten minutes, some of tourist group walked out from the arrival hall. Many people come to Hong Kong from many countries all entire the world. American and European white people, small eyes mainland people, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Malay people, Indonesian,,, ups,,, there was only one Indonesian man among them. With a black 'kopyah' on his head and 'batik' shirt, the man looked so charming. Suddenly Arga’s heart beat so fast, she was so amazed, realized that the man was totally different from all the men surrounding her. 
“Assalamu’alaikum !!” the man had already stood up in front of Arga’s face. 
“uh,, eh,,, ah,,, wa’alaikum salam !” Arga replied his greeting nervously. 
“You must be Arga, right ??” the man asked Arga in a soft voice, a woman picture on his hand, and it's hers.
“Yes, I am !” Arga replied fast. 
“Oh, great ! Nice to see you. I’m Abdul !” the man hugged Arga.
“This is for you, from your aunty. She works with me in Turkey” Arga received a small parcel covered with a blue wrapping paper, her face got red, felt like burnt. What just happened, was really unexpected before. 
“Thank you, Abdul !” Arga tried to smile, pretending that there was nothing special from their first meeting. 
“Ok, I need to go now, Arga. May Allah let us meet again some other times. Take care of yourself !” Abdul touched Arga’s right shoulder. 
“Assalamu’alaikum,,,”
“In syaa Allah,,, Wa’alaikum salam” Arga felt her mouth was locked that she couldn’t say any more words for Abdul. 

12.50 pm
Arga walked to the woman rest room. She was so curious with the thing on her hand. Once she got there, soon she tore the wrapping paper away. And,,, “What ?!?!?!” she yelled. A black veil was there. “A veil ??!!” she yelled again, didn’t believe that her birthday surprise was just a piece of black cloth. Without she realized, some tears dropped from her eyes. Yes, Arga cried. She knew nothing about this thing. To cover her short brown hair with a veil, it never crossed in her mind. “How can I do this. What do you want from me by giving me this,,, ach,,, ??” Arga threw away the veil, her heart wondering when a shadow of her aunty’s face attended on the mirror. And it kept follow her all the way leave the airport. 

2 pm
Arga exited from the bus at Causway Bay. She walked directly to the Victoria Park where a lot of 'gamis' were sold there. Once she found a simple one, immediately she changed her pant with it at the woman rest room. Then she tried so hard to wear the veil also. A lot of people looked at her, but Arga was too busy to answer their question. No matter what might happen in the future, she decided to change back her life style. She did respect her aunty as she loved her mother. She didn't want to loose a figure of a mother twice. And this veil as though a reminder for her that she was a woman, someday she would be a wife and a mother. She couldn't against the fate. She felt so ashamed that she had done a big mistake by acting like a man these last tree years. "Yes, I have to get back to my real identity,,, for them and for him !" she promised herself. 

2.30 pm
A pretty girl, stood up in front of Arga's face, once she got out from the rest room. 
"Arga !!!!" Amel screamed out Arga's name, surprised the people around. Her face got red, ready to blow. 
"What are you doing ??!!" Amel dragged Arga's hand and pulled her out from the crowded. 
"Arga, tell me, what's going on ??!!,,, No,,, no,,, I don't need your explanation about cancelling our appointment suddenly. Please tell me, what's this ??" Amel directed her finger to Arga's head.
"Are you planning this to surprise me ??,,, This is all just a joke, isn't it ??!!". Amel kept asking so many questions but Arga choosed to keep silent. So many things in her mind, she didn't know how to tell Amel her decision. 
"Arga, are you okay, honey ??" Amel tried to reduce her voice.
"I'm sorry, Amel !!" Arga tried to be strong to Amel, the girl who had accompanied her in every difficulties since the first time she came to work in Hong Kong. She didn't want to injure Amel's heart by telling her the truth that some one other's face had just came into her heart, a man's face, a real man,,, Abdul's. Yeah,,, Arga quite sure that she had fallen in love with Abdul at the first sight. 'Thank you for the veil, Aunty ! I promise you, someday you'll see me as a true moslemah. I'm quit from being fake !!" Arga walked away, left Amel who sat alone under the tree. She's ready to became an Argiwati again. 

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