MEMBACA RUMI, MENGEJAR KEDAMAIAN -PART VIII
Dalam novel Forty Rules of Loves, Elif Shafak menjelaskan bahawa Kimya mempunyai seorang kakak, tetapi tinggal di dalam sebuah bilik "berhantu", selepas sepupunya meninggal di bilik terbabit. Kimya merupakan seorang yang "who could see the ghosts."
Kimya juga kadangkala membuatkan keluarganya menangis diusik dengan "the little spirits were doing. I tried to explain, to no avail, that they didn't need to be frightened or worried, since none of my dead siblings looked scary or unhappy. This I could never make my family understand.
"One day a hermit passed by our village. Seeing how exhausted he was, my father invited him to spend the night in our house. That evening, as we all sat by the fireplace and grilled goat cheese, the hermit told us enchanting stories from faraway lands.
"While his voice droned on, I closed my eyes, travelling with him to the deserts of Arabia, Bedouin tents North Africa, and sea of the bluest water, called Mediterranean. I found a seashell there on the beach, big and cooked, and put in my pocket. I was planning to walk the beach from one end to other, but a sharp repulsive smell me midway.
"When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the floor with everyone in the house around me, looking worried. My mother was holding my head with one hand m, and in her other hand was half an onion, which she was forcing me to smell.
Sebelum meninggalkan tempat itu, si pertapa berkata kepada ayah: Your daughter Kimya is an unusual child. She is very gifted. It would be a pity if such gifts went unappreciated. You should send her to a school."
Dalam kebiasaan kehidupan mereka kebanyakan sekolah yang ada ketika itu tidak ada ruang untuk gadis perempuan belajar. Ia juga menjadi sesuatu hal pelik dan ibunya berkata:
"What would a girl need an education for?" dan "Where did you hear such a thing? She should stay by side me and weave a carpets until she gets married. She's a talented carpet weaver...".
But the hermit didn't waver. "Well, she could make an even better scholar someday. Obviously, God has not disfavored your daughter for being a girl and has bestowed many gifts upon her. Do you claim to know better than God?" he asked. "If there are no schools available, send her to a scholar to receive the education she deserves.
"My mother shook her head. But I could see that my father was a different mind. Knowing this love for education and knowledge, and his appreciation of my abilities, it didn't surprise me to hear him ask, "We don't know of any scholars. Where am I going to find one?."
It was that the hermit uttered the name that change my life. He said, "I know a wonderful scholar in Konya named Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi. He might be glad to teach a girl like Kimya. Take her to him. You won't regret it." (Elif Shafak, Forty Rules of Loves, London: Penguin Group, 2010, hal. 114-115).
Setelah itu, ayah Kimya cuba mencari manakah sekolah yang boleh memenuhi keperluan anaknya yang dikatakan mempunyai kelebihan yang luar biasa itu. Namun dalam masa yang sama, ibu Kimya seakan tidak setuju. Alasannya, ketika itu dirinya sedang hamil. Ertinya, mereka perlukan Kimya untuk membantu, mengemas rumah dan memasak. Kimya tidak perlu "buku-buku", dan yang amat diperlukan ialah "belajar membuat kerja rumah dan menjaga bayi".
Apa pun halangan yang cuba dikenakan, ayah Kimya bulat tekad untuk ke Konya. Mereka akhirnya sampai ke madrasah tempat di mana Rumi tinggal dan mengajar. Setelah selesai mengajar, ayah Kimya menemui Rumi dan menyatakan hasratnya untuk menyekolahkan anaknya yang luar biasa itu.
Kata ayah Kimya: "My daughter is very gifted. But I am a simple man, and so is my wife. We have been told you are the most learned man in the region. Would you be willing to teach her?"
Setelah beberapa peristiwa kecil berlaku, akhirnya Rumi berkata: Coke here, Kimya, ...Your father informs me you love to study. Tell me, what is it in books that you like so much?"
I swallowed hard, unable to answer, paralyzed.
"Come in, sweetheart," my father said, sounding disappointed.
I wanted to answer correctly, with a response that would make my father proud of next except I didn't know what that was. In my anxiety the only sound that came out of my mouth was a desparate gasp.
My father and I would have gone back to our village empty-habded had the young woman not intervened then. She held my hand and said, "Just tell the truth about yourself. It's going to be fine, I promise."
Feeling better, I turned to Rumi and said, "I'd be honored to study the Qur'an with you, Master. I'm not afraid of hard work."
Rumi's face brightened up. "That's very good," he said, yet then he paused as if he had just remembered a nasty detail. "But you are girl. Even if we study intensely and make good progress, you'll soon get married and have children. Years of education will be of no use."
Bagaimanapun, akhirnya Rumi mengambil Kimya sebagai pelajar dan juga anak angkat. Jelas Rumi: 'Now I understand why everyone thinks your daughter is gifted,....Let's go to my house. We can talk about her future over dinner. I'm sure she'll make an excellent student. Better than many boys." (Elif Shafak, Forty Rules of Loves, hal. 116-127)
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