Dollar Girl

Chapter 6 Notes

"In a third of the night I always held out my hopes even though he would crash into the sky and fall back, wounding me in the perfect spot. Until I lost my faith in justice that felt impartial, because the time I wanted did not arise to carve a smile. Should this hope be extinguished? without it, this story is incomplete."

Excerpted from Ratna Mangalih's personal archive.

* * *

"Ratna." called Sapardi who had just returned from the garden.

As soon as possible Ratna ran out to fulfill the call.

"Yes yeah!" the answer.

"Please give this bamboo shoot to his grandmother Amus, I got a lot from the garden"

"Oh well" he replied, leaving immediately.

The distance from his house with Amus was very close, even because there was no fence around their house Ratna could see Amus who was sitting in his room through the window.

"Grandmother." call her from the front door.

"Yes, enter Na" answered the grandmother from inside the house.

He opened the door and went to the kitchen, where he saw that Grandma was washing dishes with only two seeds.

"This, dad gave bamboo shoots to grandma" he said, handing over the plastic bag.

"Oh thank you" replied granny smiling kindly.

After fulfilling his duties he did not go home immediately, just into the room Amus who was busy studying with the ear on the earphone plug.

Without Amus realizing it had been fifteen minutes Ratna stood behind him to notice how to complete a mathematical formula.

"Ah.. You are indeed smart, not wrong to get a second rank in the class"

Wa. aahhhhh.

"Ish, you're surprising me!" amus shouted from Ratna's face that was suddenly so close beside him.

"Next time look around you too, don't just focus on one object only"

"You who suddenly came, like a ghost" said Amus.

Ratna pouted hearing that remark, but then she acted as usual again.

"I've been standing behind you since, what did you listen to not know I was coming?" tanyanya took one earphone from Amus' ear.

"Whose song is this?" ask Ratna.

"Peterpan, that's her latest single I say beautifully"

"really? oh... I really like the songs, where did you get the songs?" ask Ratna enthusiastically.

"I filled my memory card with songs in the cafe, it's pretty cheap you can get 100 songs for just 5000"

"You said cheap? at that price I can buy rice and side dishes. After all I don't have a memory card or MP3" Ratna said gloomily.

Hhhhhhhh

"You can borrow mine, but don't get damaged" said Amus gave the MP3.

"really? can I borrow it?" ask Ratna sumringah.

"In exchange for a historical record, I want to go play football with others" Amus wrote.

"Aish.. as smart as boys why don't you like taking notes"

"It is not necessary to talk much, we are mutually beneficial. All right, I'll go first." cried Amus who soon passed.

"At least we are indeed mutually beneficial" Ratna repeated staring at Amus' departure.

Ratna began to work on Amus' request when night had come, for him who was already used to taking notes only needed time to complete the task.That night he also returned his notebook to Amus.

"Oh you're here too" said Ratna, seeing Ardi and Jimy gathered in Amus' room.

"This is your note!" he handed the book to Amus.

"It's over?" ask Amus to check out the book.

"Of course it's over, I'm used to making notes of my half-sister so I can get it done quickly"

"cheat! you just make notes for him, we also want to make notes" Ardi said.

"Hey it's not free, instead I borrowed Amus' MP3"

"All right! make me a note as well as tomorrow I'll buy instant noodles in the cafeteria" Jimy said.

"With egg topping?"

"Well with egg tops"

"Yey.... How about you? what can you offer?" ratna asked excitedly to Ardi.

"You're this to a calculating friend of your own" Ardi scolded with his face bent.

"In this world nothing is free dear" Ratna said in a spoiled tone.

"Hey! I don't need a cheat!" erang Ratna's.

"Then I'll buy you a snack now, but finish my notes now"

"That's just acceptable" Ratna said back sumringah.

Ardi and Jimy went to get their books and also bought some snacks, they returned shortly afterwards and handed them to Ratna.

"Amus please turn on the radio" Pinta Ratna.

"Oh well."

A song came out of the radio, creating a warm feeling in a room filled with young people. They enjoy the music while busy with their respective work, Ratna with the task of taking notes and Amus, Jimy and Ardi who focus on their comics.

"Three more months of the first semester exam, do you have any preparation?" ratna asked without taking her eyes off the book.

"What to prepare?" ask Ardi.

"Of course it's mental and brain, after entering the second semester even I don't think we have time to get together like this. Every heart we're going home in the afternoon because of tutoring, it must be tiring"

"Are you nervous?" ask Amus.

"Not really, there's something else that takes up my brain more than the exam"

"What's that?" ask Jimy.

"Exam fees, then prep for admission to High School."

All are silent, they will turn fifteen years old and after entering High School they will be considered big enough to make life choices.

"Where do you want to go to High School?" ask Jimy.

"Of course High School, because the cost is quite affordable for my father. After entering High School I also intend to find a side job"

"You want to go to school and work?" ask Amus.

Ratna stopped her writing hand, looking straight at the wall but what she saw was a shadow of the future.

"I have to do it, even though SMA Negeri is affordable but there are still many expenses for others. I have to get a job to be able to cope with my school needs later because Dad's income is unreliable" he said.

"Don't that be too heavy for you? anyway as a student what kind of work can you do?" ask Jimy.

"Anything, maybe keep a shop or do the dishes at a diner"

"Before that you should finish the record first, it's almost late I want to go home" said Ardi.

"If you want to go home! I'll give you your note tomorrow" Ratna replied.

"Well then, I'll go home first"

"I'm coming too! I'll take the book tomorrow!" said Jimy who followed the departure of Ardi.

"It's not too late, there's no way they're going to sleep" Ratna murmured.

"They want to go play PS" said Amus.

"What's? that's why they left! is that why Ardi sleeps in class?" ratna asked quite surprised.

Amus nodded his head justifying Ratna's words.

"Ah shit! why are they just wasting money?" his gerrick.

"You better finish the job, you won't understand the way the boys think."

Ratna lowered her head again, continuing her duties while Amus also returned to her comics. Accompanied by a song that continues to play on the radio, without feeling the time continues to run until the night is getting late.

"Ahhhh... finished as well." cried Ratna removing the ballpoint pen from her hand.

Uh. ahhh...

"What's wrong?" asked Amus who was shocked to hear Ratna's moaning.

"My hands are cramping.." he clasped his right wrist.

"Ah you're this..."

"Aw.. Don't hold a fool!"

"Sorry! sorrysorry! then what should I do?"

"Anything, aw. I told you not to touch!" shout Ratna.

"You said anything!" reply Amus.

"But not to touch"

"Find me already"

Aw.....

Amus quickly held onto Ratna's cramping hand, scolding her quickly without caring Ratna's scream grew louder in addition to the endless mockery. Amus continued to do the massage until a long time ago Ratna's hand back can function properly.