Chapter Text
On 21st May 2031, at 3.03 p.m., a rare phenomenon called 'Solar Eclipse' began.
Solar wasn't allowed to watch the beginning of it though, as he needed to learn the Arabic Language alongside his classmates. But, Ustazah Fatin was kind enough to allow them to watch it when the Solar Eclipse almost reached its maximum point.
As they were learning, writing down anything and everything Ustazah Fatin had written on the whiteboard, the outside began to get darker as time went on and at one point Ustazah Fatin stopped teaching them, letting them come out from the classroom to watch the phenomenon Solar had been wanting to watch right alongside his best friend, Sopan.
He walked fast (almost run) out of his classroom with Sopan a few steps behind him right along with their classmates and Ustazah Fatin and was immediately greeted with the sight of multiple students, even some Ustaz and Ustazah were standing among them and all of them were looking up, focused solely on the darkening sky.
He followed their lead and---
The sky was dark, as if night itself had settled already. Clouds that covered the sky began to make way for the sun that gradually lost its shine, covered by the moon only leaving some light that appeared to be surrounding it, making it look like it was wearing a ring around its body.
All around him people whispered excitedly, some shivered from the sudden cold that settled in the atmosphere and some even huddled together to keep warmth but judging by their faces, it seemed like they also shared the same thought with Solar as they watched the sky.
---His breath hitched.
It was pretty, prettier than the one he saw online.
(And pretty thing must be preserved.)
His hand instinctively twitched, reaching for a phone or camera...that weren't even there. A few seconds later, it hit him that his school didn't allow bringing gadgets unlike other schools, which disappointed him.
Sopan, who seemed to notice his worsening mood only patted his shoulder in comfort from beside him.
(Ah, at least he could see it with his own eyes.)
He looked up again toward the sky, enjoying the view that God had created for him and everyone there.
"---and then when I looked up, the Solar Eclipse was so pretty! It looked like the moon was wearing a glowing ring around it!" He told his hamsters enthusiastically about what happened earlier at school while sprinkling their food around the cage.
Greedily, Bulan and Matahari ate their food, munching on it making their cheeks bulge while they occasionally squeaked to Solar.
Solar nodded his head with a big smile on his face, pretending their squeaks were responses.
"I'm glad that you're happy about it too!" He grinned at them before a thought flashed through his head.
Huh. Now that he thought about it, Solar Eclipse had played a big role in his life.
His name for one.
"Talk about Solar Eclipse...did you know that I was born on the day of Solar Eclipse?" He asked his hamsters, who only squeaked in response.
He nodded his head. "Yeah, it's true. Mama said that I got the name 'Solar' because I was born on that rare day, the day where we can see the Solar Eclipse partly from our place" His eyes softened, remembering his mother telling it to him.
"Mama said she was looking forward to watch the Solar Eclipse but couldn't watch it because she was having me at that time"
He remembered feeling guilty about it, which his mother only laughed before she reassured him.
"Oh, my little Eclipse" She began, remnants of her amusement still echoing. "The phenomenon rarely happened that's true" His mother reached her hand, carding through his hair softly. "But the phenomenon of your birth only happened once, and yours are more important than any other phenomenon that exists in this world"
The warmth in her tone and the way she carded through his hair with love still echoed in his memory, becoming his favourite one out of everything he remembered in his short life.
He tilted his head, suddenly remembering another fact about his name.
"Oh yeah..." He began. "Did you know that the Solar Eclipse also happened to be in the month of Ramadan? Just a few days before Eid too"
His smile didn't falter as he leaned his face closer towards his hamsters' cage, giggling to himself when Bulan and Matahari squeaked at him back, as if responding to his earlier words.
"That's why my name has 'Ramadan' in it--Muhammad Solar Ramadan Bin Amato" Pride swelled in his chest as he said that, his smile blooming into a grin.
Bulan and Matahari squeaked at him again, as if mirroring his pride in his name.
Solar was just chilling on the sofa, half-heartedly watching the television when he was suddenly picked up and hugged by someone.
He didn't even have to guess who was it, clearly Abang Taufan was the only one who would do that to him.
Solar could only resigned himself to the hug, his ears caught the sound of Abang Halilintar going off about not giving salam before entering the house while Abang Gempa was trying to calm him down.
Abang Taufan? He only tightened his hug around him and Solar was pretty sure that Abang Taufan was currently grinning mockingly at Abang Halilintar judging by how Abang Halilintar never stopped going off about it.
"My beloved little brother, how are you today?" Abang Taufan asked, ignoring Abang Halilintar who was still grumbling in the background and Abang Gempa who only pat his shoulder. Abang Taufan had let him go a few seconds ago, though the warmth of his hug remained.
"Fine" He replied shortly as he walked towards Abang Halilintar, to kiss the back of his hand and doing the same thing to Abang Gempa. Abang Taufan didn't give his hand as he usually greeted Solar by hugging him, so Solar never bothered doing it to him.
"Did you watch the Solar Eclipse?" Asked Abang Halilintar as he settled himself on the sofa, right beside Abang Gempa who already sat himself there first.
Abang Taufan without saying anything just picked him up again and sat himself on the sofa right beside Abang Halilintar with Solar himself settled on his lap.
Unfazed by it (he was too used being babied by them), Solar only nodded his head before he settled himself against his brother's chest. "I did, it was very pretty" He replied as calm as he can, hoping that his excitement wasn't clear enough for them to see.
(It was in fact clear enough for them to see but they didn't say anything to that.)
Abang Gempa smiled, a small tired one but still he smiled nonetheless as he reached Solar's head to pat him.
"Unfortunate that we can't capture the picture, right?" Asked him softly, which successfully reminded Solar of that one unfortunate fact, making his shoulder drop a bit.
"Yeah...." He muttered morosely.
Feeling bad for ruining Solar's mode, Abang Gempa said that he'd cooked his favourite dish; Ayam Masak Merah tonight as his sign of forgiveness.
And Abang Halilintar followed Abang Gempa's lead (for some reason) by offering to help him do his homework tonight, which Solar didn't really need but well, if his brother insisted, he didn't mind about it.
Strangely enough, Abang Taufan was quiet throughout the whole exchange, although he was smiling quite mysteriously in Solar's opinion.
After dinner and doing his homework with the help of Abang Halilintar, he was called by Abang Taufan in his room.
(His brothers were triplets but it doesn't mean that they didn't have their own room.)
When he entered Abang Taufan's room (not without knocking it first), he saw the same mysterious smile he saw earlier still etched on his brother's face while he was sitting on the bed, legs dangling.
"What is it Abang?" He asked his brother when he was near enough.
Abang Taufan didn't answer except to just pat the space beside him.
Wordlessly, Solar obediently sat beside him.
He was about to open his mouth to ask about it when Abang Taufan beat him to it by showing his phone---specifically the picture on the phone---to him.
When he realised what picture it was, his eyes widened and he whipped his head up to his brother, who was grinning.
"You...took a picture of it?" Asked Solar, quite shocked with the fact that his big brother had taken the picture of the Solar Eclipse phenomenon earlier.
The quality was good too. But, the thing was.....
....His brother's school also didn't allow the use of gadgets at school.
So, that meant-----
His brother, noticing the change in expression, lifted his hand, placing a finger on his lips as he said; "Don't tell Abang Hali and Gemgem alright?"
-----His brother took it illegally.
And Solar can only nodded his head.
(Abang Ufan was cooked if Abang Hali and Abang Gem knew about this.)