A Cross Tattoo (Short Story)

A Cross Tattoo

By: Siti Nurhasanah IC

            “Mam, I go to course now”, said Ana by kissing Mama’s hand.

            “Remember my words, you are teenager ! Be smart in making friends and selecting your mate”, said Mama

            “Na, may I borrow your task book, I could not do the task”, said my course mate, her name’s Dewi.  She often borrows my task book.

            Unlike Monica, she often helps me if I don’t understand in our lesson yet and we always study together.

            “Wi, you never asked Monica to help you do the tasks”, asked one of Dewi’s friend.

            “Oh no, Monica had different religion with us so it was not so good if I cooperate with her”, answered Dewi.

            “Wi, what did you say ! You utterance was not proper.  We are friend so we may no be choosy and differentiate our friend”, regretted Ana.

            “Monica looked sad, I try comforting her ,”Nic, Dewi’s word isn’t necessary to think about and don’t keep to your heart, you knew Dewi liked annoying us.

            “No, Na”

            “Nic, will you like to drop in my house after the course ! I thought you never came over at my home, later I introduce to my mother”.

            “Yes, I will”, answered Monica.

            “Mam, Ana arrived at home.  This is my friend, her name’s Monica”.

            Then Monica smiled and shook hand to my mother but Mama was surprise because Mama saw  a cross tattoo at Monica’s hand.

            “Astaghfirullahhal’adzim”, Mama said apologize.

            “What the meaning of it, Mam?”, aske Ana.

            Then Mama called me to go to back and asked Monica to wait in living room for few minutes.

            “Why do you call me Mam?”, said Ana.

            “Na, is it right that Monica is Christian because I saw a cross tattoo at Monica’s hand?”, asked Mama.

            “That’s right Mam, she is Christian.  However, is it wrong with our friendship?’, I asked Mama.

            “Why did you choose Non Moslem to be your friend?”, asked Mama.

“Mam, it is not false.  She is the same with us too, only belief that makes different, but for me religion isn’t obstacle for us in association and friendship, aren’t we, Mam?”, quarreled me to Mama.

“What did you say that we are the same with her ! Obviously We are different in our religion, we are suggested not take companion to the non Moslem”, Mama convinced me.

“But our religion doesn’t forbid us but it limit us not to break the belief line”, replied Ana.

“Na, do you forget my suggestion ? There are still Moslem friends except her !”.

“Mam, Monica is a girl.  She becomes my friends sincerely, even now I find her my true faithfully friend.

“Yes, perhaps you are right.  Mama feel worried because you are teenager and I afraid if she will affect your belief, because the teenager usually try to do a new thing.

“Mam, believe with me ! I am mature enough, certainly I can differ which was it true or false, if she doesn’t disturb and prevent my belief and worship, it isn’t a problem, Mam !”, I tried convincing Mama’s reason.

“Na, do you remember that Christian believer thought and accused us Terrorism.  In the fact terrorism isn’t Islamic teaching.  You didn’t know, who she is and how Monica’s family are.  Maybe she will affect you with her goodness and her property”.

“Why were Mama be negative thinking with Monica.  Monica is honest friend”.

“Na, once again you must remember to our brothers  and sisters in Palestina.  They did nothing wrong, suddenly Israel attacked them brutally”.

“Mam, why did you think about it? There isn’t relation between Palestina and Israel with my friendship.  It will be true if people of non Moslem tried to destroy Moslem people, so we must fight them, but in this way Monica isn’t false, is she?”, I quarreled of Mama’s negative thinking to Monica”.

“Na, you  always obey Mama, did Monica make you be different? And made you dare to Mama”.

“No, Mama.  If it is truth, I must defend it Mama.  We must remember with God’s word in al-Kafirun that said “to you your religion and to me my religion”.

“Nowadays, teenagers always want to insist on their idea.  At this time, I permitted you but you must try to avoid her if your friendship be so close, I will forbid you to be intimate friend!”

“Mama grumbled continuously for my goodness.  Then I felt less comfortable with Monica then I went to living room to meet her.

I saw Monica’s face was look sad as afraid of my mother, then I thought that she heard my conversation with Mama, then I asked but she cried and I felt so sad and didn’t able to look at her.

“Na, is it false if I have a friend as good as you ?”, asked Monica .

“No, you aren’t.  Why did you ask that to me.  I am sincerely to be your friend without differentiating, if it’s good so I will make it’s good too ! Nic, I will be happy if I have one faithful friend than I have one thousand of egoistic friends”.

“But, will our friendship stand longer?”, asked Monica while cried.

“Yes, of course. We will be best friend forever”, said Ana.

“Actually, we different religion and certainly different belief?”, Monica still cried.

“Nic, no problem.  Certainly we can keep our friendship. What ever we have different religion”, said Ana clearly.

One day, Ana went to the course place, but she didn’t see Monica come to the class until many days.  I tried to call her but her mobile phone was mail box.

Short-story background:

“First of All, thanks to God because the chance when I was child, I joint in Genius English Course of Andong. This experience has made me to learn English which has influenced me until now. Now I take English Department in my university. I remember with my best friend, her name’s Monica. Actually we are different religion but this relation made me adult to interact with other people. It is due to, in my university I have many friends in overseas and different religion while some of them will be Pope but I remind my mother’s advice that  I must be smart in making friend.”