Morning Basement

Morning Basement

7. 15 in the morning. It is not the right time to laugh loudly at the basement foodstall Al – Azhar University, but my friends and I have begun to pump up our spirit no matter what situation is going. I sit on the chair together with my friends, Diana, Ayu, Reza, Dita, Tefi, Nurul, Tya, Ficry, Bayu, and several others. We are talking about Korean actor, Kim Nam Gil, admired extremely by Diana.

She talks in a high tension and high tone voice so that I am sure the others sitting on the different tables can hear her extravagant words of adoration. Her hands are sometimes raised to the air while practicing the action her favorite actor is doing in the film, until the fork and spoon laid on her lunch box fall and produce jingling sound.

‘What a noisy morning!’. I guess that is what a few people sitting in the foodstall think about, especially the girl next to our table.

7.15 seems a nice time for her to study. Yes, perhaps that is also what I thought if I were her. The quiet situation, the less people, and the unopenned stalls should have made her comfort to re-read materials of the subject on her very thick book titled ‘LAW of AGRARIAN’. I am sure everyone can see the big size title written in front of that book with only a glance.

Her glasses also seem to be ready to explore every single letter noted neatly on another big paper she holds. Well, at least I can see this view until she takes all her belongings and moves to another table far from ours.

‘Girl, I am so sorry for breaking the quietness of this place. But, yes, you better move’, I thought.

Crazy fifteen minutes have passed. Basement area is no longer enlivened by only the noise of my friends, but the sellers begin to come one by one while bringing heavy boxes or packages filled with cooking equipments and raw foods.

Their footsteps sound like random march, because some of them can walk fastly while the other two women cannot. They looked so tired and exhausted for lifting the big plastic bags on their shoulders. They watch carefully their steps while going down the stairs. Sweat comes out of their foreheads like water from faucet. Having no energy to lift anymore, they ask one of the men sellers to help her bring the plastic bags.

What a beautiful view I see! It is almost rare to see people helping each other and doing hard work with pleasure. After the women arrive to the stall, they thank the man and say some jokes to him, then they laugh loudly as if they want to compete breaking the quietness with my friends.

In order to relax my mouth from unstoppable laughing, I drink my sweet hot tea I bring from my house. My body temperature is warm enough after shaking my body when I laugh. I look at my watch and time shows 7.40. I suddenly know who is going to come in a miute.

Mimi and Sasa. The sound of their footsteps when they step down the stairs is very clear because there is no other students approach from the stairs yet. They come quickly to my table with very strange expression.

Sasa’s forehead is furrowed and her face turns red like it is going to explode. She drops her grey square heavy bag harshly on the table and immediately pulls my hands repeatedly. Seeing her panic expression, Mimi laughs happily while closing her mouth with the blue thick jacket she holds. She also stamps her foot on the floor like a crazy horse. A picture of an extremely happy face now can be seen on her. What has happened actually?

This time, Sasa seriously and strongly pulls me until I almost fall from my seat. The people sitting around me stare at me strangely. I am so ashame because the crowd is now getting bigger.

I pass through the basement corridor full of dark and empty classes on the left and right side. The transparent glass of the classes even can reflect perfectly our fast movement like mirrors.

My curiosity is finally answered when we arrive in the quietest place in campus, restroom. I don’t have any questions in mind to ask anymore. I let Sasa to quickly accomplish the responsibility most people usually do in the morning.

I go into the restroom consisting of three small chambers of toilet. I look at the big mirror on the wall and do a little touch up to my face. I also wash my hands and feet slowly for there is no one will disturb me.

Yes, morning restroom is the best place to visit before I go to the class. No sound of flirtatious girls making their faces up with compact powder and giving a touch of pink blush-on on their cheeks for a long time so you will surely have no space only to look at your nose on the mirror.

Tissues are still full. They have not touched by extravagant girls who sometimes roll the tissues very long to be saved in their bags. And for Sasa, I guess it is also the right time to have stomachache. No one will knock her even if she takes a long time in there.

8.10 in the morning. It means that I have waited for Sasa for almost half an hour. Now, it is my turn to pull Sasa’s hands strongly and run fastly to the canteen to take our belongings left on the table. We pass through the classes in the corridor again which are now bright and full of students having started to study. The Glasses also don’t reflect the hurry of us anymore. It indicates us that perhaps we have been late!

As usual, Mimi of course always waits for us. She sits alone among the crowded people beginning to chat, laugh, and eat because the foodstalls are now open. They remind me of the earlier activite I have done this morning. It is so fun. But however, the class on the fifth floor has been waiting for us. We run fastly up to the stairs and take the elevator. ‘See you tomorrow my morning basement’.