Jawab (The Answer Of A Riddle)

                   A gray-haired woman who was struggling to find a book, the book that gave a meaning to her understanding in her work as a person, the book that made her feel closer to what they called as eternal love,  found herself at a rack of books where mirrored her life filled with knowledge & exposure to believes, concepts, & wide imagination. "Here it is, it was on my tea table all this time. My age is catching up with me", she giggled. With her weak hands, she passed it to Jake, "Al-Quran, my life, happiness that it brought, Islam, i really feel grateful not to give up when he left", "I think i know what this is, can you tell me where did you get it? Who teach this knowledge?" insisted Jake. "Well, he's an old man that lives in Nellshire, works as a carpenter near the blacksmith. His name is Mr. Salahuddin". Then, Jake & Karen in silent, as if they found the answer to their mystery. While Kyle still figuring out the old lady's identity, the trio asked permission to put themselves to bed. They set the mattress for each of them in two rooms, for the boys, & one for the girl. "My dear, tomorrow, we will go to Nellshire & we'll sort this out. I promise with the name who create this book, we'll make it through the day", Karen nodded with great anticipation.

                      In the next morning, the three of them gave their greetings to the lovely old lady for her kindness & hospitality. They made their move, walking down the trail swiftly with a need for speed. "Why are you both walking so fast? Do you both have plans afterwards? Because i want to tag along", "We're going to Nellshire, to find Karen's father & the origin of Al-Quran. We don't mind if you want to come, but we'll be going today". Kyle paused & at that second he were confused with what his friends intentions, so, he just agreed with the journey, with a mission to unveil this mystery. After arriving at the village, they asked Uncle Albert to move with haste by telling Karen's urgent matter with her father that need to discussed. There, the trio hopped on the carriage & Uncle Albert as the transporter, they all moved to the next town. Mahu Gron with no objections, let his son go on a quest, saying that he needed the exposure of others customs. Although the people were sad of their early departure, but they gave a warm goodbye to their guests.

                      It was a clear sunny day, as if the storm was actually cleaning the sky, the trio sought out to find that one answer about a mystery of a book. They passed through some mountains, rivers & farms,  where they found themselves in another era, where buildings were standing tall & roads were flattened with soil that were hardened by strong heat. They stopped at a shop where the old man met his acquaintances, a bar near on a street where the sign board said 'Ondron Road' at the side walk. They walked along that road, doing their best to find either the target person, or the shop that the old lady mentioned. "I think this is the place. It's written 'Sir Salahuddin & Woods', so, that beard guy maybe our writer. Lets go in", the curiosity of the girl drove her to meet the person that made all the connections. "Hello, can you tell me about this book? Al-Quran, right?" The old-bearded man turned &..............

Alashan (The Reason Behind The Truth)

             The boy walked to Mahu Gron. With the determination in his eyes, he sought to solve the mystery behind the identity of the witch that isolated herself in the forest. "Father, who's the witch at the forest? Is it dangerous to go there? Because Jake, Karen & I are eager to know is the rumor true about her", "Actually Kyle, i really don't know, i, myself have never been there to see her in person, why don't you check it out? The storm has passed us, so we're getting out later". Kyle was anxious to investigate, thus he insisted both Karen & Jake to come along. Both of them we're helpless, they agreed to go, but their thoughts were elsewhere, trying to solve another problem of their own. Kyle leaded the way, through the bushes & swamps, they moved with haste, trying to get a safe place before nightfall & set up camp. "When we get there, what should we do? Should we just help ourselves in or just peep from the outside?", "Kyle, it's best that we present ourselves & greet her, maybe she's not that bad", with that, Jake agreed with Karen & the trio took their meal, bit by bit they chewed the meat with salad dressings & rice given by the villages, gaining enough energy for the trip up the mountain where the witch resided.

  
           After preparing the torch & supplies, they moved deeper into the forest, following an old pathway, which leaded them to an old house with tree branches covered the clay roof & a field that really need trimming. At first, they we're having second thoughts about coming, but Jake went to the doorsteps & knocked twice using a steel like carvings of an eagle located at the center. Then, the door opened to an old woman with a worn out dress, but she wear a scarf around her head, which was out of the ordinary. "Come in, children. I've been expecting company for a long time.They walked in with the cracking sounds of the floor following their every steps, which they're greeted with some drinks & food which she took from the forest. "So, what brings you three to my home?", "Well, actually we're just exploring the forest & found your shack, so we thought we could rest a while before continuing our journey" explained Kyle with a plan in mind.


                "Well, you all are welcome, please make yourselves at home, if you're interested in stories, i have some of my own", the trio just smiled & nodded. She told them about the story of a boy & a girl who wandered in the forest & found a waterfall, the boy confessed his feelings to her, she accepted & they lived there for a while. Then, one day she found a book at a nearby town, she fell in love with it. But her husband was angry because she was giving that book more attention than him. She said "Even when you're king of the world, you can't stop me from reading". So, he left her there alone, spreading rumors about her as a witch, going places with a mission to be the king of the world, to evidently show that she's wrong. At that moment, the three explorers were confident that she was telling a story about herself. "May i see that book?" asked Jake.........

Suda' (The Last Confusion)

             "Eeek, that was close, are you alright?", the audience was in shock, their feet were magnetized to the ground, "Great brother, why did you take that shot for me? The whole kingdom is waiting for you, the farms, villages, cities, everyone's waiting for you at home, especially your daughter, King Said". The close friend of King Said, once a king who bravely push aside his own kingdom for the believe that he saw as the light of his life, sat next to the great leader & grasped his hand, the hand that helped an old woman feed her children, the hand that gave courage to men when all hopes seemed lost, the hand that sacrificed his happiness for others' as theirs smile were his. "Please hold on my brother, the healers are coming, have hope, you can make it", "No, my trusted friend, it's time, that we move on, and let the young ones take their place in history, i need you to be there to guide them, guide your son, guide the people, to the road that Islam set for us, take my daughter with you, farewell. Salam", with the last breath & two kalimah syahadah, his hand was in no strength, his eyes glanced to the sky, as if he was gazing to the clouds. At that time the great king of Healspeak was no more, but his believe made a meaning to others, Islam gave meaning to them who seek it.

                  "He's waking up! Uncle Albert!" shouted a boy, with Kyle as a title his grown ups gave him. An old man with a mixture of relief & worry in his mind, asked a boy who just wake up from a long sleep to sit at a wet, rocky wall in the cavern. "What did you see? After an hour, you didn't woke up, we were worried, Karen is getting some water for you, what did you see, Jake?". When he heard he was a sleep for just an hour, he realized, it was a long hour of his future. With few words in his mind, trying to figure out what he experienced in his dream, he just let out four words, "I have found it". When a girl wearing a necklace full of beads made by the villages ran to him with a wooden cup filled with water from a underground spring nearby, he hold her hand firmly & said, "Let me protect you, let me be there with you when you found your happiness, let me be there when you smile, with this drink, i will find this happiness, this Islam, & you're be the first person that i would like to share it with, Hidayah".

                           The girl with her stunning blue-sea eyes paused, confusingly trying to understand the misunderstanding which she ended up also drinking the water. "Alright, you just get some rest, you blabbering nonsense, & making others drown in your confusion, you two sit here for a while, i'm going to check on Mahu Gron about the storm", he nodded but after that old man moved away, he told the whole dream to Karen, from he's awakening as a king until he's death as a muslim, Karen with few words just agreeing with his story & tried to connect the story to herself. The passion in his eyes showed that this dream was a sign, Islam that he taught about maybe real & could be the solution for this world. She realized that the story might not came true & he maybe made it all up, but all she knew was if it was true, then she was destined to meet this boy. "Alright, i accept. Let me be beside you to find your happiness, let me share my happiness with you, but why did you call me Hidayah before this?", "Karen is your past, i want to call you with a beautiful name, Hidayah which means guidance, is perfect because you're my light in this route to find this happiness". The tears dropped after hearing the truth behind her  name, with a smile photographed on her face, had made her happy like it was faith. "But............

  

Raja' (The Arrival of Hope)

       "King Said, we got to get out of here, it's going to collapsed, we better move fast", with the rubbles & debris of the ceiling, it was assured that a memory will be a history, the place of great meetings, huge greetings & familiar faces, they all went down with the fire. The prince were held by the guards which without mercy made him go down one his knees, "Stop! This man is no enemy, but a new brother of ours, let him be & escort him to his beloved father, Allah, The al-Mighty", King Said gave the joyful man that's once a vengeful prince, a strong steed for him to go to the campsite with some iron-unifromed soldiers as escort to see his father, one of the great leaders there. Then, they gathered with themselves to discussed about the whereabouts of the opposition, with the fact that the rebels were low on supplies, & surrounded by them, with two groups coming from the east & one group each from the north, south, & west, they got nowhere to go. They decided to ask their new brother, Theodore to help negotiate with the rebels to surrender, but it would be a risk because he might return to the rebels' side, telling every details about our campsites.

                "To end this conflict, to end this massacre , that risk will be worth taking, only if our brother is strong-hearted as his effort to get his father back, this will be a gift by The al-Merciful, Allah". With great speed, they rode to the head tent where the generals made plans for the next forceful attack, where an old king of Healspeak let his tears flow with a great appreciation in his heart for the miracle that was in front of his eyes. After a night of smiles & tears, "Theodore, with the vow that you gave, you're now our brother, one of us, this name is your past, a new life comes with a new name, so let us call you with an honorable name, Ala'iddin. With this, let us pray & waste no time, there's a big favor we need you to do, so that this war will end with no broken hearts, no more". That night, they made a new ally & hope for the start of a new beginning of both relations. At dawn, Ala'iddin rode with King Said & his father to the meeting with the leaders, with a destiny that was yet unwritten.

                      Determination & calmness, those were shown on Ala'iddin face, walking firmly into a big tent, with good quality carved woods as its pillars & rocks were put to them to made it more concrete, there, chairs were set for the guests to show a bit of hospitality, just the sound of the heartbeat that made all the difference. "Salam, to all that could came here today, with great greetings to both sides, we start our negotiations, now that you all have realized your situation, we're requesting that this war end here, now, with the agreement that the rebels, or you all prefer to be known with the name "Old Kingdom", stop your attacks to the villages & the people who open their hearts to Islam. Let them decide their fate, if you still resist, then let it be now, let us justify what's the truth & what's false", with the echoed voice of Ala'idin, they all paralyzed to their seats. "Yes, we agree, for that, let us pass, & give our people shelter, let this be a new greetings as a sign for the acceptance of Islam", the leader of the rebels that sat at the centre, took his hand with a handshake given to King Said. When the trio when out, an insane soldier just showed himself out of the crowd & fired an arrow towards Ala'idin, "Traitor, we will never stop"........

Da'wah (The Invitation Of Life)

            Just after the prayers of Subuh were done, King Said rode on his loyal horse & galloped through the corn fields & ruins of a great city until he arrived at a 80-year-old hall, with the huge chandelier still intact although some of the beautiful carvings on the wall had been damaged by the effects of the past battles. He walked around the emptied hall as if he just met an old friend that brought thousands of memories, the grand chairs & a long wooden table for the brothers to dine together, talking about the problems they faced in their past, news of the present, & dreams of the future. The start of a great friendship, a family of different worlds but connected in a bond between them & The One, Allah. "I knew you would come, great king of Healspeak, i thought i recognize you from somewhere, who would believe the noble one is right in front me. Well this is my opportunity, do you remember me? Do you remember this face before you take my father away, making your slave like the rest of them?", with a ferocious voice, he put out his sword & trying to threaten the calm king. He raise his right hand & firmly asked him to sit down with him in the historic hall, trying to make a smooth negotiation with a prince of an old kingdom, long before Said came with his new discovery.

              "I remember you, Prince Theodore, you we're a strong young man the day i went to see your father, he's a great leader, a great muslim & a great friend. For that, i'm happy you're in the pink of health, your father must be relieved", "Stop this nonsense, you took him from us, you filled his mind with rubbish about the after life, about god you don't see, about the balance in society between the strong & the weak, you took the only light i had, which was my father, now you're gonna pay", he jumped over the table, charging with all his will, like a tiger catching his prey. Said avoided his attack. Wooosh! It almost hit his head, but that swing of the prince sharp sword accidentally hit a lantern which sparked a small fire. "Die you muslim, die for the sake of my father, you truth twister", Said block his attacks with some chairs which were made as temporary shields, no intention to fight back., thinking the best way to disarm the weapon from the skilled hands of a great swordsman.

            He eventually managed to make the opponent fell on his back, then, he came to Prince Theodore, "Do you know why your father hug me & left you? He heard the message from the Quran, & said that he wanted to bring you along but his advisers stormed him out of the castle, saying he betrayed the kingdom, until now he still waiting for you, to go to him, while reading the Quran, especially the story that made him realize of his duty as a khalifah in this land, surah al-Fatihah", then he took out an old book with some old language written on it,showing it to the prince the opening of the book,, his father's favorite. Tears dropped from his reddish eyes, reading while understanding what did his father sees in this believe, "I want to see my father, i want to hold him. Please, take me to him", the fire made the scene  more intense then it already was, with the debris from the ceiling, the hall would collapse any second, then, Duuuuk!  Duuuuuk! Broukh! The door broke down, ..........

Haq (The Truth Of War)

        With the cool breezy wind blowing through the campsite of tiring soldiers, the rebels rest their bodies after giving out their most in the battle against their own fear, fear of loosing their believes to something they never heard of, something out of the ordinary. A man with a hood covering the sight of others from his face, walked swiftly from tent to tent, opening both ears wide, one to scout for information, the other making contact with nearby noise that may alarmed any disturbance or suspicious acts. With quick reactions, he passed by a few guards that were patrolling without any hesitation, he was like a sly night crawler. "When they started their uproar of a new discovery, they made us look like imbeciles with our old & uncivilized traditions, that's what they say about us, we must not hold back on them", the voice of a furious commander alarmed the audience of a well-guarded tent. "But what i got from my people who accepted their believes are positive responses, they say its a perfect combination of physical, mental, & spiritual judgement of life. They are moving to Kensay, seeking the protection of the Muslims, what should we do? This battle is going nowhere", with that statement, the leaders that brought loyal soldiers to bloodshed, in deep confusion with their lives to consider. 

       With that information, the spy revealed himself to the arch enemies, with knowing that he's like a meat in a lion's den. The guards surrounded him with haste, but he just kept his calm, & let his sword, which made of hard iron steel with a shape of a moon's crest, down to the ground as a sign of unarmed & ready to negotiate. "Salam, i can't help myself over heard your conversation, so i let myself in to help you. 1st of all, what do you know about my religion, my faith? 2nd, do you think i came here without the protection of my brothers? Lastly, what are you aiming by winning this misunderstanding?", with the smooth & soft tone of voice, they all sat with him & agreed to talk things over. At that moment, they knew that this man is no ordinary soldier. 

           "My religion that you called a nuisance is a beautiful gift from Allah, The One. It sees is greatness when you all see is inconvenience, it sees is humbleness when you all see is power,  it sees sharing & giving when you all see is wealth & greed, you all see is a statement, it sees the truth. My brothers are all over, you have nowhere to escape, they are just waiting for my signal, if you think you can make me hostage, i would rather die than to make them surrender. Lastly, if you win this, Allah we'll still be there, Islam we'll still be there, so we'll will be waiting for you, maybe not here & not now, but our brothers will come, for they are coming with not revenge, but retribution, but if we win this, then all we asked for is your forgiveness & open your heart to Allah, where you'll return to. Salam". Afterwards, the man just stood & left the scene with a smile on his face. "Stop! We will think about this, & i, myself will go & see you at daybreak, in the hall of Kensay. Before you go, i want to know, who are you, Muslim?, "I'm Said, a servant of the al-Mighty, Allah, leader of my people, brother of my brothers", he left...........         

Madhi (The Past Of A Legend)

King Said was making his preparation when two lovely blue-sea eyes gazed through his deepest soul, a familiar feeling but in a different place & time. "Why do you have to go? Let the soldiers go to war, who will protect us here in the castle? I don't want to lose you, you 're the only family I had", cry of a girl who's greatly praised as one of the strong healers in the kingdom, made the king down on his knees to get her daughter. "Listen here, I need you, Princess Amira, my only child, to be strong & help others who's in need, I gave you the knowledge of the medicine so that you can be there when lives of the weak are in great peril. I need you to watch over the kingdom when i'm gone. When Amrullah came on the 6th day, he will help you. You're one of the greatest miracles Allah, The Almighty gave to me, & I will try with my whole might to keep you, the people & the kingdom in peace. Your eyes still kept memories of your mother. Farewell, my dearest, pray for us", he left her with a smile, but his heart was in tears. With five teams of reinforcements, they rode the night to Kensay, the fortress of the North. With the king & a few friends that had been alongside him since he had his first battle with a bear, they were in full confidence that The One was watching them.

The eyes of his soulmate reminded King Said of how hard was to lose a part of your heart, & give it back to The Creator. His wife was a stronghold to him that always support him when he was in leisure or in complications, she's the second biggest sign of love by Allah, next to the believe itself. Queen Hidayah, that was her name after she rejected forcefully to her last name, Karen, because that name made a war between her & her father. When the rebels broke out from their hidings & attack the villages, which was just before they had a daughter, made her decide to keep her illness a secrecy, just to make him worried on the war. While he was busy restructuring the riot in the South regions, she was busy making sure the people were within easy reach, with the help of loyal friends & leaders. They made a great team, but when her illness was in badly state, she had to faced the facts that she had not much time left.

From that on, King Said started medical facilities for research & development, but it was too late. The research still moved on with success in many discoveries, but the torn heart were the hardest to sew. The last words she left him to hear before she made herself alone with The Al-merciful, were that he must made their daughter one of the healers to help the weak. Then, he left him, & move to the barzakh world. Since then, he just put up a smile & in remembrance that he keep his promise to his partner. "My brother, we are near. What should we do?"..........

Qam (The Awakening)

"What happen, my dearest? Where are the others? Where am I?" whispered the ill king of Healspeak, trying to recover over a deep long sleep. "They all had gone to battle when you started not to wake up for one week, how are you my king?" worried Princess Amira, the beautiful lady of the castle, the only daughter & child of the king, King Said who also known by the south as Sir Jake, The Noble. Jake was in his future, his dream, his world over the fence. He went out to the balcony like he knew the passages of the castle as if he built it himself, seeing with his own eyes of what become of his kingdom. The town were emptied, the streets & shops were closed, the farms were unattended, everything were quiet as a graveyard. Where did they all go? " Father, you must rest, you've got to regain your strength for the final attack at Nellshire", insisted by his daughter that he went to bed to sort out his mind.

"No, the last time I rested, I didn't wake up for a long time, now, I'm done resting, I'm going to war, I'm going to help my brothers. If I don't come back, see it you take Amrullah's hand in marriage, I know you like him, don't bother denying it. I'd watched him since he came to the castle, & so were you. I'd been meaning to give this, it was your mother's, she wanted to give this for your wedding. Well, now I'm giving it to you", he pulled out from his small pocket a necklace which was a gift by his father-in-law to his beloved wife. Then, came two guards with a big smile on their face, tears dropped onto the armored uniforms with carvings at the side & a logo on the front signifying the unity of two regions, the North & the South. They kneeled a knee to the king, as a way of respect, " Great king, we're from the battlefield of Kensay, here to give the report. For the first time, it's an honour for us to finally meet you in person my king", King Said hold them at their shoulders & hug them as hard as possible.

"Thank you, my brothers, you've given me great joy just to send a message from our brothers. As this is your first time, i'll remind you for the first & last time, you should only kneel to The One, not your brothers, if I caught you again, then there's no forgiveness by me". With that statement, both of them were proud at the same time felt ashamed of their actions. "Let's ride tonight".........

Haflah (The Ceremony Of Life)

The tree branch just missed Kyle by an inch, which had him white like a ghost, for that, he chattered like a monkey & showed the fear in his eyes. The trio ran to the village without hesitation, while the clouds were right behind them, as if they were followed. All the villagers weren't expecting a storm, as they're targeting a grand festival that night, the Soul Circle. It's a festival to remind them of a huge flood landed to their village ages ago, before the war that scattered all the town into two regions, the North & the South. It was conducted by the village's chief, Mahu Gron, the man that brought the light of the village into Jake's eyes. "Father! A storm is coming, we better get the people to safety", "Thank you, Kyle". Mahu Gron & Kyle, moved from cottage to cottage, telling them to move to the underground cavern, which was situated at the foot of a mountain, near a stream. For that moment, they were safe & the ceremony could still be done as planned.

As privilege for the guests, they were included in the main event, which was 'dream catching', "What's dream catching, uncle Albert?", with a joyful face he explained, "Well, it's like seeing a memory of the past, the present or the future, which you see as a dream, only you could see it & no one else, because of that you must figure it out by yourself. Some of the dreams, are direct, others are a glimpse of a series of events, some were nightmares, some were reflection of your actions, & others were guides for a great adventure. Well, that's what they all say, here's your chance". With the words coming out of the old man mouth, he felt a huge aura or force that was coming from someone, but he was uncertain from who.

The 1st five were the strong & courageous warriors of the village, two of them saw their past, one experienced a life in the future, one saw the dream as if he 's watching the ceremony but in a different place. Suddenly, one of them didn't wake up, Mahu Gron said that he was unconscious because he's too frightened of what he saw, it maybe despair, sadness, lonesome, bloodshed, even death. "Ok, its your turn, my brother", he walked into the circle and lay his head facing the dark wall of the cavern, seeing nothing, like a continuous end, for some reason, he became sleepy, & sleepy, until his eyes were closed shut. "Father! Hurry!".............

Khauf (The Fear of The Mind)

"Yahooo!" Splash! "Yeaaah!" The adrenaline rushed made a great push towards a decision-making situation. Jake went to the edge, seeing the other two watching him, waiting for him to put all doubts aside & just let go. He took his time, thinking the possibilities whether he could make that jump & survive or just being the same boy he once before & not knowing what's the other side of the fence. "I'm yours. Aaaaaah!!" For that instance, he jumped from the 2 storeys high waterfall, with that last heartbeat, he made a choice. Splash! "You did it! Jake, come on, lets do it again" The place was amazing, the forest made the waterfall as a hidden treasure of its own, as if they were the first ones there. The water reflected the sunlight, which was dispersed & illuminated the fine details of the miracles of the forest. Jake just sat there, with his feet feeling the cold surface of the rocks & water from the mountains splashing to his skin, while the others enjoyed the brushing of the air in their attempt to make a dive into the deep waters of the waterfall. He thought a lot since the jump, which reminded him of the brave plan to explore & seek the witch's place of stay.

After filling their heads with rumors of the waterfall, one caught Karen's attention, the purity of its water that made any person who drank it had the power to conquer the world but with the condition that it's from the mouth of a compassionate lover. "Kyle, are you making stuff up? Because it sounded like a hoax to me", "Well, all I know is that the mighty king of Healspeak, King Denvour, took that drink, it's said that he was actually a small town black smith & was in love with a commoner, the star of his life". They took a quite long pause, trying to understand why did the king choose that path, a path that only great leaders would take. Would it be because of eternal love? Or maybe he wanted a change in the rules that were made by the people who assume power can control anything. "Who cares, the real problem now, are we going to check out the witch or not?".

"Well, tonight I still have time before I continue my journey. Let's do it!" shouted Jake with a strong vibe surrounding the atmosphere. The other two agreed we him & listed out the items needed for the trip, without considering there's more to it than meets the eye. The clouds were gathering, like there would be a storm coming their way. "We need to get home. It's getting dark", with the fear coming from her voice, Karen sensed something's not right. "Watch out! Behind you!"........

Sohabat (The Lost friend)

Morning rose with a scent of new faces in the atmosphere, leading a boy to a road he never venture. "Hi, good morning! What do you want to do today?" said Kyle, the first boy who greeted him to the village, the boy who gave him the opportunity to make a change. "Who's she? Is she around here?" "Oh! Karen? She's actually not from here at all, she's the daughter of a wealthy merchant who just passed by here a week ago. She's here waiting for her father to come back from a town called Nellshire, doing some errands i suppose", "Alright, I see. Well, I still have a whole day with you, let's go to that waterfall you're been saying last night", agreed Kyle with a clear anticipation in his face. "Hello, maybe I was not properly introduced, I'm Jake. I think i know you somewhere". Yes, he has a name, which made no difference for him before because people tended to recognize him as a nephew of a skilled carpenter. But, nevertheless, he still expressing to people the significance of that name. He seem unnoticeable to her, he tried the second time but with a more manly tone of voice. When she turned, her blue-sea eyes were gazing right through his deepest soul. " I know you! You're that nephew of the carpenter that always come to my father's shop. I'm Karen Smith, how did you end up here, in this small village?", with the worry on her face, he too was shock, shock to see that someone really care about his leave from home.

Although he actually never seen her up close, but they acted like close friends, separated by time & distinct history. He never had real friends, neither he seem to care about the enemies he encountered, he was in his own world, a lone ranger, a desperado. That meet made a difference. A slight of relief appeared in his heart for the worries he had in his sleep, whether by knowing her, could help him satisfy his curiosity. "Karen. Kyle & I will go to the waterfall in the forest. Have you been there? They say its one of the most beautiful creation of life. Wanna go?", "Sure", she nodded gently with a smile. On their way up the hill, Jake just couldn't help himself realizing she was different from what he saw every time at the window of the shop, while waiting for his uncle. Somehow, she's more radiant than his vision could show. Along the way, they talked their way from boredom, with spooky stories about the forest & the magic within it. With a rumor that a witch stayed here & trespassers hit her most sensitive side, the trio became cautious for a moment. "How about tonight we go & check it out? Just the three of us", Kyle had them both with question marks on the matter. Jake never really gave an answer, but kept on walking, giving himself space to make a decision, the next biggest thing besides putting his foot down on moving out of town. Should he go? Do I need this right now? What is really out there in these mysterious forest? "We're here! Come on!". Kyle & Karen left him with his thoughts & ran up a steep slope, to an opening which leaded to a ..........

Salam (The Greet)

"Who are you?" shouted a boy with a smile on his face, holding a spear on his left hand, & a hand shake on the right. He got off the mode of transport, trying to regain cautiousness after the slumber. "Did you see an old man around here? he's wearing a farmer hat, with a black shirt?" asked him. "Oh! You mean, uncle Albert, yes, he's with my folks. Come, i take u to them" the little boy pulled him to the cottage although he made an effort to refuse. "You're awake, good. We make a slight detour, just getting some supplies, i hope u don't mine" gently asked the old man. He nodded & sat himself in the nice, comfortable place the villagers called home. Then, a huge man came in, "Who might you be?" He explained himself to that man, who obviously the head of the family, that he's just a hitchhiker, & just needed the help of the old man. "If you're a friend of uncle Albert, you're a friend of ours". He was surprised, back at the old town, they were never this friendly. Then, the man showed him around, teaching the way they live, the way they look at life. He was fascinated & realized every people has their own way of finding happiness. The villagers were very enjoying everything they do, like they loved it, not like they were force to do it.

The old man said that they'll spend a couple of nights, seeing that he was very enjoying himself with the children, learning new tricks with the people. A smile of the guest has brighten up the day. At night, the people gathered together & ate dinner while discussing about the daily events, problems & about the newcomer. He was greeted well by them all, as if they already knew him. That night, they made a feast just to celebrate the presence of him, with the great food, drinks, the laughs, the smiles, the joy were everything to him. He never had a birthday party when he's with his uncle, because every time he celebrated it, it reminded him of the loss of his love ones. But that night, he was reborn. On that night, it was his birthday.

After long laughs & talks, they all went to their cottages, dimmed the oil lamps, let the night enlighten by the beauty of the moonlight. He was given a very cozy room with the old man, over a soft rattan floor with some sewed up leaves as a blanket. It's a new experience, a new feeling & he hoped it would never disappear. One other thing, he saw someone that was very familiar, but he didn't had the courage yet to talk to that person, who he had maybe mistaken with someone else, maybe it's just his imagination. Was it?

Ba'din (The Traveller)

"With great power, comes great responsibilities" A boy, whose mind troubled, trying to figure out what was his uncle trying to say, just before he left town. He was busy gathering supplies for his journey when his uncle came to him, giving some advise about being a man, taking responsibilities for his actions. "What power? Responsibilities?" The boy just shook his head, signaling he had no idea what would he be facing in this unexpected journey. The horse walked along the road, pulling the bundle of hays with the master on top & a hitchhiker who's grateful for the free transport to the next town, moving pass the green open fields, mountains & beautiful streams. He never knew what was he missing when being in that old house, with no one to show him the beauty of the world, except for his uncle who took care of him since his family were gone when he was a toddler. Some say his family were victims of a fire which was a devastating accident, & others rumored that they were slaves of jealousy by people who envied his father's wealth. But his uncle knew, that whatever the cause, he would help the boy, showing him the path of a man should take, showing the ropes you might say. That day when he said that he wanted to get out of town, the 50-year-old carpenter realized that the once toddler must choose his own path from now on.

Well, on that smooth trip, where the sun was high in the sky, a boy was solving a puzzle of his life. Then, a voice slowly became strong, " Young man, where are you heading? You look like a man with high hopes, trying to get a job?" asked the old man. He smiled, "I'm trying to find something that I love in life, & i want to hold on to it". The old man laughed, " Well, good luck with that, we all trying to get that happiness, i hope you find it as early as possible, you'll regret it when you didn't". The boy paused, he didn't know that it would be that hard. After a long thought about it, he eventually fell asleep. Dreams took him away, filling his head with the future he had no knowledge of. He saw himself arriving in a well-known town, he was greeted happily by the people, like he's one of them.

The next day, he was off, to another town. He was confused, why did he had to leave even though he was so happy there?. "WOOO!" the horse stopped at a small village, the old man got down & was starting to walk to a cottage. The boy was startled, dream suddenly vanished, but the answer still remained hidden. Without any doubt he didn't know where he was, nor knowing where did that old farmer gone too. He's trying to decide whether he should just go into the village & find that old man, or just sit there & wait. For that short time, he looked around, trying to get some clues where he was actually. Suddenly,...

Al-Awwal (The Clouds)

A young, strong guy, was looking out the window, into the mysterious scenes of everyday life. At his right, no one's there, while looking at the other side, still nobody in sight, so he turned his head to the sky. Seeing the clouds, so beautiful, yet different from one another. How's that possible? Sunlight was penetrating through them like a beam, but still the beauty remained. The change of color while walking through time, showing every beauty for every color, from dawn till midnight. Then, he realized, what if he could be like that, then he'd be going to places that he never knew, seeing events that never occur to him to exist. He'd get a new life, a better life, & be a beauty to others. He went out to the streets, trying to think of a way to be just like what he imagine. Then, rain droplets fell to the mirrors at his glasses, the mirrors that had help him see what was important, & what was not. The rain started to pour, but he just kept standing. Seeing the clouds became dark & gloomy, like they were sad of some sort, why were they sad? "Why aren't they happy like I imagine?" he said. He thought a lot of things in his mind, while trying to find shelter, fortunately, there's an umbrella-like roof at a nearby table.

He sat & he said, "Maybe the clouds are also unsatisfied that they are pouring their sadness to relief their pain". Maybe it's not that perfect to be like the clouds, maybe some of them found a place they felt like home, but because of nature, they are just travelers, moving from one place to another. Get a glimpse of something they love, but they have to sacrifice, & move on. Maybe it's best to stay on the ground, seeing at that point of view. "Maybe this is a turning point for me, I think i move away, find something that can accept me, that i love, something that can complete me". So, he's off, packing his bags, taking his life to a new scene, new environment, new people, new life. He wanted to experience what the clouds didn't. Here started his life, with a new journey lay ahead. "Son! come here," a deep-toned voice echoed through the small room. He turned &......

Muqadimmah (The New Beginning)

Assalamu'alaikum, hello. Maybe this is the 1st time i'm doing this, well it's for my benefit & for others if it helps. The novel that i will write is about life from many perspectives, not just mine. The chapters vary depending on the life that Allah will give me, so hope this is not the last thing i will write. Well, 1st of all, i would like to say thank you to all that i know & those who knew me, because this is apart of your wisdom, your experiences, your opinions, & even your life. Therefore, thanks for the help. If there are any comments or suggestions, just put it on my wall, or msg me, or even just say it to me directly. I'll understand. This is open to all, & i hope i can give any benefit towards the meaning of life, meaning of belief, meaning of god, meaning of people, family, friends, knowledge, work, what you earn, what you sacrifice, what you love & what you hate. If this is a mistake, then let it be my mistake, if this is a great way to help, then let it be for others besides me. if i could tell all my mistakes, then this is not one of them. lastly, if this is the last time i will speak of my behalf, then i'm proud of what i'm right now, & there are just a lot of memories that i want to experience especially with the ones i love. i hope u all get to experience that feeling because time cannot be rewinded nor paused. InsyaAllah, there's still time. Assalamu'alaikum, & goodbye.