The Heavenly System

Act 1 : Hell

"Basim wake up !, aren't you going to school?", Ahh sometimes my mother is an annoying person, always forcing me to go to hell - (another word to mean school) - after all, why should I go to school if all the knowledge that is in school does not interest me. Maybe some of the people who agree with me will find school as boring as I describe it. But at least they still have reasons to be interested in going to school. For example, meeting friends and companions - (I'm not interested in discussing the differences, because I almost never have both myself) -, making out with the love of monkeys, or just missing the food menu in the school canteen. But in the end I still insisted on going to school, at least so that my mother didn't keep yelling at me and so that the commotion didn't get worse.

My mother is annoying, but at least not as annoying as my father. Just imagine, which father would think of naming a child based on his own shortcomings. But the thing that really annoys me is, as the name is a prayer, but unfortunately the meaning of my name will never come true, to myself.

"Yes because in the past, your birth made everyone smile, and I hope that your presence in other people's stories will always give other people the opportunity to smile, without you having to be involved in that smile, Basim, the person who always smiles".

yes, my name is Basim, which means someone who always smiles, it is very strange indeed if that name is given to someone who will never smile in his whole life. Oh yeah, great reader, I forgot to tell you, I was born with a curse called Moebius Syndrome, a facial muscle disability syndrome that makes sufferers unable to express their own feelings, you could say I only have one expression in my life. It is this expression that gives me the nickname of people— (he says) —with zero interest in anything.

But if I think about it, that name is not that important for someone like me, who only has social relations with my father and mother. I have no interest in getting to know other people and discussing with other people, it seems boring to me.

I was born— (he said) —with zero interest in everything.

"At least that is the opinion of most people, not necessarily true, son", said my mother.

For example, when I was given a gift of a pair of sneakers by a candidate for the people's representatives - (people who are under the elite) - the honor of my village, a person who is certainly adored by the whole society - (maybe it's just me who isn't) -, I even did not smile at him and immediately took the prize and seemed disrespectful of it. Or when in my village it was being used for shooting a famous film, when everyone seemed to flock to ask for autographs and take pictures with the film actor - (maybe it's just me who isn't) - I prefer to sink into my sleep and close the bedroom door tightly, hoping I hope the hubbub is fleeting, annoying. Maybe if I told her all about my disinterest in anything, this book would only irritate the reader with me, haha.

It has been 10 years since my lack of respect for the candidate for the people's representatives - (rumors say that he is now missing, either dead or confined in a cell, due to his insolence towards the elite) -, I continued my compulsion to go to hell— (another word for school ), throughout my strides on the road I always wore a black mask— (for reasons I will explain later). Unlike my other school friends, who go by driving, either by car, motorcycle, bicycle, or public transportation. I prefer to walk, because indeed I have never been interested in driving, having a vehicle is nonsense for people like me, plus I always avoid crowds, so it wouldn't be possible if I would choose to use public transportation.

Time spins like a conspiracy in my head, bullshit. Sometimes I think, why would I spend 10 years serving at school, but again because of my inability to see my mother bear shame, if her baby stops schooling. Apart from the living expenses and tuition fees, I'm a little confused as to what happened. In the eyes of the community, my family is one of the many families who don't seem to feel what is prosperity. But on the other hand, I never know the reason why my family never feels deprived, what we need always comes up. Yes, I like living in the middle, not rich and not poor.

Today the exam takes place. Either because I forgot or because I didn't care, there wasn't none of the things that I prepared for this test, just like the previous exams. As a result, like the previous exams, I always got the KKM score. Not on purpose, but because that is the extent of my abilities, and my disinterest in competing with the ambitious students in my class, they seem pathetic.

On the other hand, I'm always trying to understand, what's the use of people regretting something that has passed?

"I just tried to answer C, not B, Ahh Satan",

then they cursed at creatures who were not necessarily guilty or not. But that was the atmosphere I found every time I left the classroom, the most boring place in the world— (in my opinion). Yeah well, as I mentioned earlier the class will only be hell for a child who has no talent there. Not once did I find a poet born after wasting hours in the laboratory. Or a painter who grew up playing with his sweet fingers and racking his brains on Pythagorean theorem problems. No, not at all.

"Basim, how much did you get?" Asked someone who has been in my class for years— (I wouldn't call it a classmate, because I'm not interested in using that word myself).

"Yes, the same as usual", I answered spontaneously without looking at him,

waste of time in my opinion if you have to serve it

My school uses a semester credit system, where students are given the freedom to decide what kind of education they will take. Either fun education, or filled with torturous days that drain the brain.But this system would likewise make no sense to me, the human with zero interest. If I could choose not to choose a single subject, maybe I would choose to do that, but that's not possible. and finally I asked my mother to choose, what kind of three years will I be in high school.

But there is one subject that I forbid my mother to choose.

"Whatever, mom, as long as there is no art and culture on my schedule," I asked my mother.

For me art and culture will be a class nightmare for me. Maybe not just for me, but it would be terrible days for the rest of the class, if I was in them. I'm not making it up, because this will continue with the reason why I use a mask on my way to and after school.

"Are you sure you won't include cultural arts in your schedule, Sim?" Asked Mr. Hikmat, the principal of my school.

This question has been asked three times by people who seem to care about me, namely Mrs. Rike, my gracious homeroom teacher, Mr. Sobari, the annoying cultural arts teacher - (I have a reason for this) -, and finally, Mr. Koes, the principal.

I answered the same, "I will not kill myself in front of many people by showing my disgrace, too stupid to dare to do that".

Yes, apart from zero interest, I was born with a disgrace that is somewhat weird and funny. Where whenever, however, and like anything when I see, hear or feel things related to works of art, my face will turn pale, of course you can imagine how terrible a face with a flat expression plus a pale face, will be a nightmare for anyone who see it.

And to be honest, there are a lot of annoying experiences that have occurred because of this disgrace. Remember the cultural arts teacher who I called annoying before? Yes, there's a reason why I called him annoying. How could I not, I still remember when on my first day at school, the first time I passed the extracurricular room of the theater, I looked at the room with my usual expression, a flat face and a scary expression - (in the opinion of most people in describing me) -, which just suddenly made the whole class feel uncomfortable and frightened by my presence at the window of the room.

"Hey strange kid, do you realize that you've scared my students? Get away!", That's more or less Sobari's kicking me out.

The first shitty thing I got from my new hell.

Anyone who's seen me for the first time will think I'm creepy, and not much different from people who already know me a little, weird is the right word to describe it.

Haha, is this story already starting to look sad? But there are things you need to pay attention to, great readers. I was born with zero interest. So, I will not be willing to waste my time lamenting such things.

Flat Character, maybe that's how I described it in the language of theater, it only enlivens and makes the world stage stuffy. Whether or not it has a big effect on the plot, it's sad.

It seems that you, great reader, have found it the reason that makes me always wear a mask on my way to and after school. Because I will not possibly let the public feel uncomfortable with my cynical expression.

We certainly know, in the outside world, works of art are everywhere, everywhere, on all sides. For example, we often find paintings on the walls of the streets, or we listen to the singing of a busker in a food stall. There's no way I can show that nightmare.

That's how I describe the outside world, busy yet lonely in my head, boisterous yet silent in my mind. They're like void corners with no property, which would seem a little annoying and bland if that sort of thing happened on a theatrical stage.

I continued my trip after school, that day. However that day, was a different day from the previous days. The first day my life changed, I began to understand the meaning of individual attraction.

On the way, I met a cat, Looks nothing impressive. But there is something that catches my eye, it appears a piece of paper stuck to the cat's fangs. Paper that looks like a torn poster advertising a product. But after I noticed, the shabby paper contained a small painting, it looked like a scene from one of the ancient Greek theaters, which reads below it:

"Do you realize?"

The paper looked nothing but impressive to me. But I tried to save it. And continue my journey back home.

Furthermore, tomorrow will be as gloomy as usual, boredom at school and come home staring at the dark world behind my sunglasses. However, there is something that is quite annoying, I meet the same cat again, and he looks again with a piece of paper, but this time he seems to bite him harder.

I tried to take the paper. The paper looked more like the wrappers of children's snacks that had been exposed to rain and heat for days. On the wrapper is a painting of a scene from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet theater, and this time it reads:

"Have you understood?"

Again, the wrap still seemed insignificant to me. But I tried again to keep it. And continue my journey back home, just like the previous day.

The next day looked the same as two days before, after school I again met the cat. this time he came back with the paper with a bite. I tried to take the paper, it looks a little torn at the edges due to the result of the cat's bite. But even so, the letter this time looked more beautiful to the eye, as if it had just been printed. In the letter this time it is a little different because there are no small paintings in it, but this time it is written in large and bold print:

"YOU ARE THE MASTERPIECE"

The paper this time is starting to look impressive to me. Then I tried to save it and put it together with where I kept the previous papers. This time I discouraged myself from going home early, and started trying to calm myself down and try to understand the contents of these three letters.

I leaned my body on one of the big trees on the edge of Lake Maninjau, and started my daydream.

"What kind of prank would do such a thing to me?" I asked myself

It was as if I was starting to try to solve the riddle in the three letters. Until there are some things that I realized. That for two days in a row I saw the paintings on the first two papers, my face did not turn pale, this is a big note, because this is the first time this has happened.

"How did this happen?"

"Does the creator of this message know how to stop me from having a disgrace like this?"

"What is the meaning of a masterpiece?"

"And what does that cat have to do with all this absurdity?"

These questions seemed to be running through my brain continuously. And the more swift the flow, the more excited I was to be able to find answers from those writings.

"Who is the person behind all this exciting sequence?"

"This can't be a coincidence."

One by one these questions seemed to be circling in my mind. To the extent that I did not realize that it was getting dark, the sun was going to rest its light in my place and would start its light in another place.

Even though I was not satisfied, in the end I still forced to go home with a myriad of questions that I had not yet found the answer to.

And along the way, I realized the newest thing in my life. For the first time, since I was born 17 years ago, I felt the sensation of being attracted to something. Yeah, like my interest is starting to grow, maybe one percent. And it was that mysterious streak of paper that gave birth to that sensation.

First time in my life. I started growing with a one percent interest.