Gone is Oyen, Now is Loly: A Friend of the Education Secretariat at Al-Zaytun Indramayu
INDRAMAYU-JAYA NEWS.COM – When stepping into the courtyard of the Al-Zaytun Education Secretariat, there is a small orange-furred figure who often greets us with friendly eyes and a spoiled body sway. He is Oyen, a male cat who has been part of the secretariat’s extended family since he was little. His name is simple, taken from the color of his fur—orange or “oyen” in everyday language. He is not just a cat; he is a mood keeper, a silence breaker in the midst of busy work, and a tireless greeter of guests.
“When Oyen is around, the atmosphere becomes lively,” explained Sahrul Abadi, one of the “kuncen” of the Secretariat.
Oyen is present in the lives of the staff of the Education Secretariat after his mother left him. Since then, he has grown up with the pulse of office activities, participating in various daily dynamics, becoming part of light chats and evening breaks. He knew who liked to share food, who stroked him every morning. For him, every resident of the secretariat was a provider of sustenance—in the form of food, affection, or simply presence.
However, towards the end of 2024, Oyen, who was getting older, was often no longer seen in the office, until finally he disappeared. Without a trace, without saying goodbye. He never appeared on the terrace or curled up under the table again. Question after question rolled—was he gone, or maybe someone took him? No one knows. What is certain is that there is an empty space in the hearts of the residents of the secretariat. In afternoon chats while sipping coffee, Oyen’s name was mentioned again, becoming a memory that is not easily forgotten.
“Oyen is nostalgic,” said Usth. Indah, one of the Secretariat personnel, to Jaya-News.com, Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
Loly Present, Silence Changes to Cheerfulness
Time passed, and the beginning of 2025 brought a small surprise. A female cat with graceful steps and a gentle gaze began to be seen frequently in the yard. She did not immediately become familiar, but slowly began to approach, opening up space to be known and greeted. She was Loly.
No one really planned Loly’s presence. She just appeared, as if answering a longing that had not yet been expressed. With her characteristic patience, Loly won the hearts of each secretariat staff. She was not a replacement for Oyen, but a new figure who brought a different color. Her elegance, spoiled attitude and familiarity that grew day by day made her an inseparable part of the dynamics of life in the office.
Loly’s presence is proof that an animal can also fill a human’s social and emotional space. She is entertainment in the midst of work pressure, a reason to smile when the day feels heavy. In silence or in the crowd, Loly is there as a friend who doesn’t talk much, but comes with warmth that cannot be measured.
Message of Love in Silence
In Islamic tradition, keeping cats is not just a hobby, but also a form of love taught by the Prophet Muhammad SAW. He is known as a cat lover, even in a hadith from Abdullah bin Umar, it is told about a woman who was punished for locking up a cat without feeding it until it died of starvation. This hadith is a strong warning: that compassion for living things is not a trivial matter, but part of human values.
From a psychological perspective, interaction with pets such as Oyen and Loly turns out to have real benefits. According to Allen’s research (2013), keeping pets can relieve stress and anxiety through the release of the hormone oxytocin. Raina (2018) emphasized that people who have pets tend to have lower levels of anxiety and depression. Even Mc. Nicholas’s research (2005) shows that the presence of pets can improve the quality of life, happiness, and overall life satisfaction.
Oyen and Loly are not just two cats; they are loyal emotional guardians, invisible emptiness fillers, and part of a life that builds a balance between work logic and tenderness of feeling.
Epilogue: Unspoken Tenderness
Behind the silence of the workroom and the hustle and bustle of daily tasks, Oyen and Loly have taught us a lesson: that attention, affection and tenderness can come from little creatures who don’t speak. They are there not only to be stroked or fed, but to shape our sense of humanity into a more complete one.
Al-Zaytun Education Secretariat is not just a place to work—it is a home. And in that house, Oyen and Loly have left traces of love that time cannot erase. Because sometimes, those who fill our lives are not those who speak loudly, but those who are present with gentleness, and leave behind a sincere longing.**
Ali Aminulloh
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