Being a Middle Child

I'm not them

Right now I have grown up as a teenager when others are busy with school and boast of achievements including my brothers, I am not like that. After graduating from elementary school I did not want to continue school, finally I was sent to the boarding school where my brother studied. But before long, it was only a year there that I acted by hitting another santri that I considered impolite and then ran away to the house.

My world is now with my favorite bike which is a gift from my grandfather to my father, almost every day I go to play with the bike without a destination, I drive the bike at high speed. Sometimes with motorcycle lovers, too. If I'm tired I will go to the house or boarding friends, because I'm a person who is supple and has many friends.

"Grace, don't go anywhere mama's going to the fields!" I scream from outside my room almost every morning.

Now I rarely do homework because my first brother Asep is married, and his wife lives with us, her name is Ami tea, she is the one who now does homework.

"Ready!" I answered from the room because I slept again after dawn.

After the sun rose and I made sure mom and dad weren't home then I went out of my room and prepared to go out on the street.

When I was tidy and took out the motor suddenly Ami tea called out.

"Rahmat, where are you going? mom says you can't go anywhere,"

"Hehe, the tea boss at the mulu house, would like to play ajar ya," I said with a cry.

"Why if mom comes home to you?"

"Say aja bentar ya tea, drugs..," I said as I passed my motorbike.

Traveling at high speed is my daily life. Trying and practicing motorcycle tricks like jumping is my favorite. Maybe because I used to play out most rarely now it feels saturated if a day is not out, and if even at home most just sleep my daily.

After an hour of playing the bike, it seemed good to have coffee. I also went to one of my shops.

"Mom, Mommy Nini. Coffee Mak regular cappucino," I said while lighting a cigarette.

"Eh, Grace. You can," replied Mak Nini while brewing coffee.

"Where's Rafli?"

Rafli is Mak Nini's granddaughter who is the same age as me.

"Still in school at this hour mah Mat,"

"Oh yeah yeah forget, hehe,"

"Yourselves why aren't you in school?"

"Males mak, the president is still there, doctors are many, kiyai many ah why I'm in school,"

I said relax while smoking a cigarette.

"Your basic, yes yes, the president still exists only if the president dies who changed, if you go to school it could be you, it must be an old mother like this! this is the coffee Mat," said the fiery mother as she offered me a cup of coffee.

"Ah I have no interest in being the president of Mak, justin who at school I have already seen the books are afraid to be nerds, mending so a flea jump just caught,"

"If you want to do the same cigarette? Ask your mama?"

"Yes, my mother, but before I was given money I had to work first, help in the fields, help an hour of his pay at will, haha,"

"Matt!" call someone across the street.

This Mak Nini stall is located near the school and far from my home, but I am used to being here so familiar with Mak Nini, residents and school children here.

"Oy," I answered, apparently Rafli Mak Nini's grandson who just returned home from school in his gray white uniform.

"Here long?" ask Rafli.

"Lumayan" I answered, giving him a pack of cigarettes, and he picked them up and smoked a cigarette.

"You want to kosan? there's more kids hanging out there,"

"Hmm ayok,"

"Tar change clothes first" Rafli said as he walked into his house, and came out in casual clothes.

"Yu Mat," asked Rafli.

"Yu," I said as I rode the bike and Rafli rode behind, driving the bike towards the boarding house which was only fifteen minutes from this shop.

Down the highway and into an alley called Gang Duck, in this alley there is a multi-storey boarding house consisting of many rooms, filled by students as well as students who study around here.

As usual me and Rafli nyelonong into the room, in it turns out there are five other friends of mine, some are sleeping while playing the device, he said, there are those who play guitar and others who play carom.

"Which coffee is coffee! Oy coffee..," I cried enlivening the atmosphere.

"Dewi Mat?" ask Egi when I see me come in.

"Goddess? Which goddess? Goddess Fortuna, far away ah in kahyangan," replied my origin.

"Don't forget about Mat, people's children have fallen in love too" Galang said.

"Well time!" reply origin.

"Eh but actually Mat, yesterday Dewi nanyain you to me," said Egi who is one class with Dewi.

"Ah but my feelings are not normal to approach as well" I replied as I headed to the dispenser to brew coffee.

jreng....

Gild ringing his guitar.

"Ciee, kasmaran bang! yahoo!" said Gilang later.

"It's normal" I said while looking at the device that had not been touched since.

Ting...

Incoming WhatsApp message notifications.

Then I opened it from the Goddess.

[Bang, I miss]

I frowned as I read it, as I recall, I was just an ordinary friend with her the same as my other female friends.

[Ok, how are you meeting tonight?]

The reply I sent to the Goddess.

[Well, thank you bang, my understanding brother, in the square ya bang]

[Ok]

"Balesin who's Mat? Goddess yes," asked Gilang.

"Cieee," answered the others in unison.

"You want to meet Mat, hahay," said Rafli.

"Hmm," I said flatly and continued my preoccupation with playing gadgets.

And the others continue their own preoccupation.

"Ah, fuck!" rafli said when he lost the carom and ended up with a streak of wet powder on his face.

"Hahaha," the others laughed.

I'm more comfortable here than in my own home. The street was a second home for me where I could find the warmth I longed for.

'I love you ma, just love your attention it's not for me until I'm more comfortable with them' my inner self.

If it's been out of the house like this for days I don't go home, not run out of money that will make me go home but miss. Missing the nagging mama who seemed like a tiger would pounce on its prey.

But if my mom calls me home, I'll be home soon. But unfortunately it rarely happens even though it sometimes happens.

Who is the Goddess?

Boyfriend or just a friend?

Looking forward to the next part.