The Figure of the Teacher in the Angel of the Street Cat by Novita Ramadhini

The Figure of the Teacher in the Angel of the Street Cat

(06/12/22) Even though her back was no longer straight and her vision was starting to blur, this did not become an obstacle for Mrs. Asropiyah when she had to bend down while distributing dry food to the hungry meowing cats on the Pasar Pagi streets. The sixty-five-year-old woman always finds time to give alms to stray cats in the market area, sometimes preparing a plastic bag filled with dry food that she brings from her home or putting two-thirds of fresh fish out of her grocery bag. She did this every time she sets foot on the market streets, not every day, because there were times when she was absent due to several factors, one of which was her often tired so she had to go shopping another day. Mrs. Asropiyah, who goes to the market every day on a motorcycle, used to serve as an Islamic religion teacher at the 40 Pangkal Pinang Elementary School. The woman who lives alone with her younger sister in the house left by her late parents is a strict figure but cares deeply for her students. So even after undergoing a quiet period during retirement, she often gets greetings from her former students or her students caregivers who accidentally cross paths. "I always say this (to) them, it's okay if you are lacking in lessons. Who would be angry? you go to school for learning. But if you are stubborn, I will not hesitate to punish you " she said when recalling her time teaching in front of the students. " If i scold them, sometimes there are those who point (while) looking at me and make fun of, 'wew garang ge ibuk tu' (the teacher is so fierce) but I pretend not to hear" she replied. For Mrs. Asropiyah, their success now is the most important thing that she looks forward to when her students graduate from elementary level education. Whether or not she accompanies the students' learning process, Mrs. Asropiyah continues to pray so that they become successful people who can benefit themselves, their parents and the country. Now after leaving the teaching profession which she has lived for approximately 35 years, Mrs. Asropiyah spends her time caring for the grandchildren of her relatives and the cats she keeps at home. Sometimes teaching and reading the Qur’an to her nephews when they come to visit. The days she passed were not spent by reading the Qur'an and hunting for other charities by giving alms to small creatures such as wild cats or infaq every Friday. Even though she is no longer struggling with piles of notebooks that need to be corrected, Mrs. Asropiyah continues to pass on her knowledge and insights about Islam to her grandchildren and nephews and is known as the oldest figure who is firm but generous by her family and neighbors.