Antara Darah dan Hati: Dream Reality English Translation

Chapter 16 Part 2 "Muhamed's Visit to Prison"

POV Muhamed

It's been a day since I woke up from my long sleep and received all the information that I had skipped through mr. Wisnu and Ilya's narrative. Based on the information I got, I immediately did something I always wanted to do before I had to risk my life again, I wanted to visit Karim in prison.

After permission from Mevrouw Sofia and mr. Wisnu, using an online taxi I went to the prison accompanied by Ilya. Ilya accompanied me at mevrouw Sofia's request just in case something bad happened to me and this time, he was asked to accompany me wherever I go and not leave me alone again like when the last time I went with Ilya to met a fake informant who turned out to be something else in which had a terrible form that I don't want to remember again.

When we were at the prison, we immediately entered and went to the administration desk, told our intention to visit a prisoner named Karim Dawala Sokolović. After that, we were given a queue number for the visit and asked to wait in the waiting room for the warden to call our queue number. Ilya got a queue number before my number.

The two of us walked into the waiting room and sat on a bench, a few moments later, Ilya's queue number was called, he entered the prison visiting room. I waited for him until he came out and then my queue number was called. I got up from the bench and walked toward the entrance door to the prison visiting room. When I was almost at the entrance, the warden opened the door for me, I went inside and then the door was closed. I walked to the chair opposite the chair where Karim sat. He smiled broadly when he saw me, I smiled back then picked up the phone and started talking to him.

"Assalamualikum." I said.

"Waalaikumussalaam." he replied.

"Karim, how are you? They don't do anything bad to you right?" I asked him with a little tone of sadness.

"No, alhamdulillaah, I'm fine, at least for now, heheh." he answers me in a low voice and tries to joke with me using irony.

"You will be free Karim, I am sure of that, I always pray for your freedom." I said to him trying to comfort him but he said something pessimistic to me.

"Muhamed, even if I am not free it's okay but I have one request to you, please take care of Sofia." he asked, I'm still trying to hold back my tears and encourage him to have spirit to have hope for his freedom.

"Karim, you will be free, you must be free, even if I have to sacrifice my life for your freedom, I will do it. You and Ilya saved me when I was kidnapped and beaten in the old building where I was held during the candlelight ceremony. This is the only thing that I can do to repay you for your deed. "

"Muhamed, brate, you don't have to do this, you have parents at home, you have to be happy with them, you have to graduate from college and have a good job afterwards, make them proud." she asked me.

"How about you yourself? You also have to be happy with your parents, make them proud. You can't end up being labeled as an ex-prisoner." I said to him asking him to be passionate about fighting for his freedom.

"Brate, do you remember the story of the prophet Joseph in the Quran? Prophet Joseph prayed to Allah, if he was better off imprisoned to avoid the tricks of the bad people around him then he would rather be imprisoned. I myself don't want to be in prison and get the label of a former convict but at least the people out there who follow the news know that I am innocent. Besides, I have already given up everything to Allah. If He wants to free me, without you sacrificing your life I will definitely be free but if it's not His will, what can we as His mere creations do about it?" he said to me giving the answer.

"But at least you have to keep praying so that you can be free, Rim. You don't deserve to be locked in prison, you are not a criminal." I told him.

"I know that, Allah also knows that and if He wills it, I will be free. Besides, even though I am free from this prison there are still other prisons. Every human being is imprisoned in their lives because they have to live their lives based on what has been written for them. I mean, you know the story of one of the billionaires from Germany, Otto Beishem who committed suicide? Or the story of famous singers like Kurt Cobain and Chester Bernington who committed suicide? I don't understand why they killed themselves when in terms of wealth and fame they were successful. I can only conclude from the story of those who are rich and famous who were eventually ended up committing suicide that, you don't have to be in jail to feel unhappy and imprisoned.

In fact, even if you are free, there is a chance that you will feel imprisoned and suffering for one reason or another. Like what the Queen Victoria actress said in the movie Victoria & Abdul 'we are all prisoners, mr. Karim'." he said to me giving his reason for the answer he gave me about himself who did not mind even if he had to be locked in prison then he continued his sentence to me.

"Also, you don't remember what our prophet peace be upon him said about prison, do you? 'The world is a prison for believers and a paradise for non-believers'."

I was silent when I heard his answer, I want him to be free but he is right, I can only fight and pray while Allah will decide whether my cousin will be free or not.

"Yes, I remember, yes Karim you are right, but I will still fight for your freedom and if I fail I hope that at least it will be written as a good deed for me." I told him, he nodded and prayed my wish to be granted.

"Aamiin, hopefully, Insha Allah."

"Besides, if you are not free and imprisoned, whose house can I give visit here? Where else can I eat Rendang, Nasi Goreng, and drink Bir Pletok? It's hard find those in Netherlands, you know?" I joked to him then continued my sentence.

"I like it here, if I can move, I want to move here and become Indonesian, ik ben Indisch, ik ben Indonesiër (I am Indies, I am Indonesian)."

"Hahah, witte inlander (white-native)." he said to me laughing and jokingly, I laughed at him for a moment.

"Yes, Muhamed, thanks for your intention and all that you have done to help the fight for my freedom, I will also pray that I can be free, for sure, but if I'm not freed in the end, please don't be sad and please take care of Sofia." he asked me again, I could not say anything anymore to answer his request and just nodded.

"Thank you so much." he said to me, I answered in a low tone still trying to hold back my tears.

"You're welcome. Oh, I think I should go now, the time limit for my visit is almost over, assalamualaikum." I said to him giving my greetings.

"Waalaikumussalaam." he answered me, I hung up the phone, got up from the chair and immediately walked away as fast as possible to the doorway because my tears were already at the end of my eyelids. Karim, I will try to fight for your freedom even if my life is at stake.

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*Trivia

The video below is about the scene of Queen Victoria and her servant Abdul Karim talking about how everyone in this world are imprisoned and are prisoners.

Web sources:

About prophet Yusuf/Joseph in the Quran regarding his choice to be in prison instead of be a freeman but being around wicked people.

https://www.alim.org/history/prophet-stories/11/22/

About prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said about this world is a prison for the believers.

https://marytn.medium.com/the-world-is-a-prison-for-the-believer-and-a-paradise-for-the-unbeliever-adc4bbb99d24

About the suicide story of a German billionaire, Otto Beishem.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSBRE91H0GL20130218