Pageblug in Korowelang

16. Who is Erlangga?

“Master Teacher, I am an orphan who was recently abandoned by my parents. I felt like a chick that had lost its mother with no grip on life and didn't know which direction to take. I beg you, if you are willing to accept me as a student or even if initially only as a servant in this hermitage, I am sincere as long as the noble teacher wants to appoint me as a student like Sis Anjani."

 Wijaya nodded his head at Malika's request. Actually, without Malika asking what he had just said, Wijaya had already prepared himself to adopt the girl as his new student.

"Without you asking me, I was already thinking of making you my disciple Malika. So never hesitate to stay here and study with your other friends. Remember our focus is to prepare ourselves to eliminate the evil forces that always threaten human life. The power that always feels itself great even exceeds the greatness of Almighty God though. Our job is to straighten them out so that they return to the straight path in a good way. If in the end they refuse, it means we have to go to war and there is no mercy for people who have disturbed the community, especially if they are devil worshipers."

After talking at length Wijaya finally asked Anjani to take Malika to her room and give the girl the best place. Arriving at the girls' dormitory, several people who saw Malika's arrival greeted her with joy. There is no denying the presence of the girl who is currently still showing a sad face.

“Our Malika has arrived at the dormitory where we will spend the day here. We will learn many things from sewing, embroidery, cooking to martial arts, archery and horse riding here, so prepare yourself mentally to do all the positive things so that anything negative in your brain can be neutralized. I know it's really hard but it can't hurt to give it a try right?”

 Malika nodded her head then she bowed to pay respects to her new friends who were now lined up waiting for her presence. Malika approached 1 by 1 female students and greeted them by nodding her head without a smile on her lips. Some of the girls who received Malika's treatment immediately just looked at each other without being able to say anything because Anjani had already given a code so that they did not first ask about the condition that was currently experienced by her new best friend.

“Well, this is our room. We will be together a lot. I hope you don't mind my choice of taking yourself to my room and not handing it over to the rest of my friends. It was the Master Teacher who gave me this task and I hope that you will gladly accept it.”

 Malika nodded her head. In her heart she was grateful because Wijaya really understood her mental condition which needed a friend whom she could turn to as a suitable person to accompany her.

"Thank you, sis. I don't know what I'm going to give you. I'm just a poor girl who happened to get a gift picked up by someone who ended up bringing me here not knowing what would happen to me when no one was willing to save me from leaving Sarah's palace.”

 Anjani remained focused on listening to what Malika said without interrupting. Even though she really wants to know the real story, she doesn't want to force her will on Malika. When she has opened up like now, Anjani still hopes not to interfere too much in the problems that are currently being faced by her new friend.

"Hopefully the wound in the heart will heal soon, Malika. That's the only prayer I can say regardless of what you've just been through. I still don't want to force you to tell me everything. It is nothing. Everything I do because I protect the privacy of each of us."

 Malika nodded. In her heart she praised Anjani's intelligence and acknowledged the greatness of the girl.

"One day I will tell my sister about what I'm going through right now if I just opened it a little, I hope the wound in my heart doesn't bleed any more."

"Amen. I hope so too. Oh yeah, let's set up the couch that you're going to sleep on tonight and we're going to get some clothes in the laundry room. Mr. Wijaya has provided a few pieces of clothing for you to wear every day because Master knows you have brought absolutely nothing here."

“I never thought that there are good people who are not half-hearted in helping others. Just being brought to this place and meeting such a good person like big brother, I'm really already grateful. I never thought that Master Master would think of the smallest things for me. I don't know how I can repay Master Teacher's kindness to me. Anjani looked at Malika for a moment then she tried to distract the girl's sadness she invited Malika to take a broom in the corner of the room and clean the divan by continuing to invite the girl to tell her about her dreams. Malika, who understood Anjani's intentions, then followed what the girl asked her to do. Malika really feels like she has a new sibling. Someone who can make him laugh when he's sad and cry when he's happy like Anjani.

“When you become the disciple that the Master teacher loves, what will you do?” Anjani looked at Malika's face as if she was asking why she was asking for information in this regard. Anjani never felt that she was Wijaya's most beloved student as she said earlier. Even though her heart is full of flowers, she still doesn't want to be too excessive in responding to the Master's words. It could be that Wijaya said that because she wanted to motivate Malika to follow her steps to become an obedient student to the teacher.

"Actually, I never knew that the teacher loved me more than the other students. If it wasn't for Master's own lips saying that, I would never have believed it even if it was Erlangga who said it.”

"Who is Erlangga? Is he the son of Mr. Wijaya?” Anjani shook her head then she smiled.

"Soon you will find out who he is. What is clear is that he is a student like us, but has privileges compared to other students.  Erlangga is a handsome man whom Wawan Wijaya loves more than his own son. So far, I know that Erlangga is always superior to Bima, the son of Mr. Wijaya."

 "How can it be like that? Isn't usually the child himself more powerful than the Master's students?"