A LONG BEARDED MAN

It was 11 p.m. when somebody knocked the door. Hesitantly I peeked upon the window then opened the door. There I found nothing but darkness before my vision. The wind blew over my face, I took a moment to investigate what had been happening. Nothing there, all I obtained was darkness, frosty wind touched my cheek. Startled I. Back to my room again, “it’s time for me to sleep” said I. Brushing teeth or washing up my face was not my custom. 

The clock’s tick harshly hit my head. Long I lied on my bed, but still I could not sleep. I thought what just happened this night, who was the one knocked the door. No, it’s a real life. A raven would not knocked my door, it only happened in Poe’s mind, not me nor in a real world. But still, the question kept me awake though my eyes shut. “Of course not, it must be someone who meant it. But why?” Quietness then, only the clock’s ticking. 

“Sir!” 

That voice startled me. “Yes?” I answered but no response. Was it the one? I thought. Quickly I caught the door, opened it widely. “Who’s there?” No answer. “Hello. Come on, man! Stop playing around! You mean to fool me?” still no answer. “Look! I’ll let the door unlocked. So you may come or do whatever you want. Just kill me if you want!”

“You look mess, sir. And hopeless, too.”

“Excuse me”

“May I come? It’s cold here outside. Moreover, I am starving.”

“Oh, there you are! I told you to do so.”

I did not move from the place where I stood. He passed before me, stepping inside my house. “Excuse me, if I may ask. Who’re you?” He paid nothing to my curiosity. He, instead, kept noticing pictures on the wall which were arranged nicely. “You were a great youngster, I can tell, from this photo” he nearly touched my young face. “And I’m sure you’re the leader of those people who stood behind you.” He turned his view. Now, he looked at me. As I could tell, I did not know who this man was. Most of my fellow friends were dress and act like him. But this guy, I really could not tell. 

“Sir, you may sit there if you want.” He grinned. “What a lovely chair! Comfortable!” he stroked the chair before sitting. “It tells who you are,” “what do you mean by saying that?” “This chair!” he stated. “Well, whatever is that, but you haven’t answered my question ‘who are you?’. Could you please tell me?” “Oh, that’s... uh... I’m sorry, but I’m starving can I, at least, get some to eat?”

Unluckily, I never cooked myself. All I had were loaves of bread, tea, and bunch of coffee. I did not say the fact to the guy. I serve my best. “Here you are, sir. I think, warm coffee and bread are appropriate one.” Without saying thanks or any other words, he sniffed and sipped it. “Ahh, what a nice coffee you made. Let me check another” he smiled without even seeing at me. 

It has been about 15 minutes I saw him chewing the bread, sipping the coffee some times. If I may say, he did enjoy it much. His jaws moved in tone followed by beard that grown upon his chin. Quietness, again. Only the sound that came from the small glass and saucer, even I could catch a mantra he whispered among the chaw. I knew it, a mantra which expressed a feeling of grateful to the god, though I didn’t practice it for that’s not my belief. I was sure, too, that he saw the cross that clung next to the photo of mine. 

“That photo, it brings me to real situation of that time, 98, I was there. Some people died.” He fixed the headscarf he wearing. His long white vest still as white as the bone, none a drop of the coffee or dot of bread touched it. Besides, he sit and talked more humanly, now. “Well, a lot of youngsters at that time realized that this nation needed them for the revolution.” “Revolution,” he murmured. “I was there at that time as I am here right now.” He smiled widely right now. “All right, I am not trying to disrespect you, but I got no idea of you’ve been talking. So, would you mind...” “Well, no one could understand directly something they just seen without diving into it deeply.”

“So, you mean you were there, dressed like this? Literally means as you are here.” 

“Yes, literal meaning.” Now, he shifted his way to sit. “I know you have a lot of friends who dress like me, act as I do, and believe as what I believe as the faith. But they are not my kind.”

“Sir, you make it darker.”

“I know, I do. All of the people I’ve met saying and showing the similar act as you’re doing right now.” He laughed lightly now. Honestly, I almost got mad because of his deed. However, he chilled me out, first. “I never met a man who’s really temperate. I tell the truth, for I never lied.” 

The wind blew inside as we were speaking. I didn’t even remember that the door wasn’t closed firmly yet. I excused him to close the door a moment. Surely unusual brawny wind blew at night, I could feel it through my skin. “It’s unusual. The wind blew harder, feels colder. You feel it too, don’t you?” He was in silence, I thought. Hastily I moved back to the table. Quiet startled I, seeing no one there. And the stuffs, cup, coffee, nor bread too. Even the table and chairs were set firmly as there’s no one ever sit there before. “Am I dreaming?” I murmured. 

All was happened to clear for a dream. Moreover, never had I found myself sleep walking. I did not back to my bed to lie, I sit instead. ‘Who the man was?’ ‘Was he a robber, thief, homeless man who unintentionally decided to come to my house?’ He didn’t looked like robber thief, nor a homeless man. Besides, none of my stuffs gone. I then set myself before the mirror of my chamber, “how could I assume this way? What’s wrong with me? Barely clear, it was a dream body, no more.” Back to my chamber, lied on it. “I need more sleep” I thought. 

The clock’s ring knocked my head, it was seven. It was right I lack of sleep. I had never woke at seven before, a half to seven, that’s my number. “Well, I had no time for exercise this morning.” Directly I washed my face and brushed my teeth. “Not really bad, huh.” I looked my face in the mirror. “Might be really bad if you’re late. Thank you for the advice, man.” It was Friday, people were coming out going to a sacred place, they’re in white. Some of them were riding the vehicles and many of them walked. As usual, nothing changed on my neighborhood, since I was a child. Once I asked to my father why did they dress so nicely every Friday, but he did not answer my question. He took me to his friend, instead. “You may ask him now, boy” said my father. I didn’t ask my father’s friend, for the answer was not really big deal to me. After about fifteen-minute my father and his friend discussed several things that I did not understand, we left. “Well, boy, I brought you here so you might find the valid answer but you ain’t asking. You will find the answer later, then.” My father smiled at me. 

If I might say, those people who were walking on the edge of the road that dressed nicely in white were the most dynamic people in my country. I classified all people in my country into two major groups, based on their belief. And the bigger one was the most dynamic one. Not only that, the reason why this group considered as the most dynamic one, but also the majority of gentlemen who sit on the legislative within constitution were belong to the group. 

“Excuse me, Sir”

He smiled at me. That was another magic words that stated when you were passing a bundle of people walking or sitting. It might be as equal as hello. Very friendly. That’s why I love my village. 

It looks more people over there, where I was heading to. “Have to keep my vehicle slow, and about to late.” I saw they were heading to a bus, well there were more bus, in fact. So, they were not heading to a sacred place to pray, then. If they meant to, they didn’t need a bus to take them, for it was quiet near. Besides, it was seven-fifteen in the morning. I just realized that it was not usual. Shortly I remembered about the man who came to my shelter which was just a dream. I meant some of the people I passed through wore exactly the same as the man, long white vest and a headscarf. 

“Wait, I might find the man standing among these people. Just standing over there then keep the eyes on each of them.”

“But why should I do that?” 

“Certainly, to find the answer, man.” I looked over my watch. “You’re about to late, man,” 

“Huh, I will be late, anyway”

“Okay, so I will find him. But not just standing over there, I will be searching.”

And so, I searched over the quiet crowded road, among those men. I looked over them face by face. Finally, there he was. I found him. He was clung on the bus’ deck. Yes, the picture. Smiled I for a moment, “excuse me, sir. Are you all going to head to that man’s place?”

“Yes, sir. He was died.”

“Died? When was it?” 

“Yesterday. Seven-thirty in the evening, his soul was ascended upon the heaven”