On a bright morning, the sun rose from the east. Its light touched the surface of the Earth, reaching deep into its core. The bright rays awakened every soul on Earth from the darkness of their dreams. The sunlight continued to shine until it reached a small hut by the river, a home that could be considered nearly collapsed or unfit for living.
"Hooaah... it's already morning? Feels like it was just night a moment ago," said someone while rubbing both eyes.
"LENA!!! Wake up quickly, it's Monday! You're going to be late for school, and there's a flag ceremony today. Go take a bath and have breakfast, or your father will leave you when he goes to the fields," said the voice, hands on hips.
Yes, that voice belonged to Fitri, Lena's mother. The girl lying under the blanket was Nurlena, or simply Lena. She had stayed up all night reading her favorite comics, completely forgetting that it was Monday.
"Okay, Mom. I'm getting up now," she replied, pulling the blanket back over her head.
"You stayed up all night again, didn't you?" her mother scolded, pulling Lena's ear.
"Yes, Mom... Ouch! I promise I won't do it again. Let go, it hurts!"
"Alright, go wash up. I'll make your breakfast," her mother said as she stood up and left Lena's room.
Lena quickly got up, realizing it was almost seven o'clock. After bathing, she put on her white shirt and grey skirt—her uniform as an 11th grader in high school. She packed her school materials, from the books needed that day to pens and other supplies. Once she was dressed neatly and appropriately, she stepped out of her room and headed to the dining table, which was only two steps away from her door.
On the table, she saw the same food she ate every day: cassava leaves and boiled sweet potatoes. This was the meal her family had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although Lena was tired of eating the same thing, she reminded herself to be grateful—at least she had food, unlike the many people out there who didn't.
After breakfast, each family member left to do their respective activities. Her father headed to the fields to work as a farmer, her mother went to the market to sell vegetables, and Lena got ready for school. She rode with her father on their old motorcycle, which was rusty and falling apart.
"Let's go, Dad. The gate will close soon," Lena said as she put on her helmet.
"Just a minute, I'm still trying to kickstart the engine. Be patient, dear. This bike is broken, remember?" her father replied while struggling with the motor.
It didn't take long before the motorcycle started. Lena quickly got on and waved goodbye to her mom.
"Mom, I'm leaving for school now," said Lena, holding out her hand to get her mother's blessing.
"Alright, sweetheart. Be careful, and study hard. Didn't you say you wanted to be a doctor?" her mom replied, taking her hand.
"Of course, Mom. That's been my dream for a long time—to help people for free. Right, Dad?"
Her father could only smile. Deep down, he knew he couldn't afford to pay for medical school. In fact, Lena's school fees hadn't been paid for five months. Her teachers had warned her to pay soon or face expulsion. She always replied that they didn't have the money yet. Her teachers often scolded and mocked her for being unable to pay, especially since Lena attended a prestigious school filled with wealthy students. She was the only one from a low-income family, accepted only because of a scholarship. But even with that, the remaining school fees were still too much.
Soon, Lena arrived at school—"Elysium High School." As she entered the gate, she could feel every eye turning toward her. Lena lowered her head and quietly walked toward her classroom. She could hear whispers—insults and ridicule. She had gotten used to them by now.
Just as she reached the classroom, she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Hey, watch where you're going! Use your eyes, not your knees!" the student said, shoving Lena.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Lena said, still looking down.
"Typical—poor and causing trouble. Let's go to the field, the ceremony's about to start," the person said, walking off.
Lena entered the classroom, placed her bag on her seat, and was suddenly startled by someone tapping her shoulder from behind.
"BOO! Good morning, Lena!"
"Good morning, Lena! How are you today?" said two voices—it was Lina and Ani, her best friends since middle school.
"You scared me! I thought it was a ghost! I didn't see anyone when I walked in," Lena said, clutching her chest.
"Hey! That's mean! Calling us ghosts. Let's go to the field without her!" joked Lina, grabbing Ani's hand.
"Don't be like that, Lina. Lena's right. The class was empty—no wonder she thought we were ghosts."
"Oh... true. Sorry, Lena. I didn't mean it. I was just joking. Forgive me?" Lina asked, hugging Lena.
"It's okay. I'm sorry for calling you a ghost too."
After their exchange, the three of them walked together to the field as the ceremony was about to start.
Once at the field, they split up: Lina went to Social Studies Class 1, Ani to Social Studies Class 3, and Lena to Science Class 1. They were in different classes based on their majors.
After the students lined up, the ceremony began. The air buzzed with whispers as today's ceremony officers were Aldo Valentino Akbar and his two friends, Radit Valda Simanjuntak and Dimas Victor Pratama. All the girls were stunned by their good looks—especially Aldo, the most handsome boy in school.
To be continued...