Dying While Dreaming
Hope There's a Birthday Surprise
Alarm beeping. The digital clock on the table located beside the bed shows at 06.00 am. A girl named Claire Morven wakes up from her sleep. Claire seemed excited, because today was her special day. It's his 30th birthday. Drink a glass of water, then warm up, then do yoga in the room for 30 minutes. Finished exercising, Claire headed for the terrace of the house from her room.
“Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday. Happy birthday Claire,” Claire sings very slowly while dancing a little while heading to the terrace of the house.
Arriving on the terrace of the house, Claire took a hose that was coiled in the water faucet. Then Claire doused the flowers on her porch. One flower of his love was looked upon deeply by him.
“Good morning my beautiful orchid. Today is a wonderful day. I'm your birthday. You don't want to say congratulations to me?” greet Claire on the orchid given by her lover, Adam.
“Oh, thanks orchid dear. You were the first to say happy birthday to me. Thank you,” hugged Claire to the orchid, as if the flower was talking to her.
Before long, the next-door neighbor appeared from behind the side wall of the house.
“Hei girl. Very happy it looks. Until the waving of flowers so,” greet Erik, Claire's neighbor.
“Hei snot child. Why does it look cheerful?” welcome Claire to smile.
“It looks like someone else is happy,” said Erik.
“Yes are happy,” Claire said
“Acque aunty's salary?” asked Erik curiously. Because Erik doesn't usually see Claire that happy.
“Hush little boy, want to know anyway,” replied Claire, smiling mischievously.
“Ah, aunt Claire is no fun! Why anyway? Kepo nih,” said Erik who was ready to rush to school with his bike.
Claire, who had been watering the flowers, put the hose in place and approached Erik from behind the fence.
“Erik, snot boy. Go to school there. It's adult business to know. Daaaaaaa, be careful son of snot, hahahaha,” Claire said as she waved to Erik without looking at him, then went inside the house.
Shaking his head, Erik drove on his bike to his school at Citra Bangsa Junior High School. Erik is Claire's friendly neighbor's son. He likes to invite Claire to talk when he sees her on the terrace. Normally they only met in the morning as Claire watered her flowers and Erik rushed over
go school. While at night, Erik almost never saw Claire who always came home late at night.
Claire rushed to take a shower. A song by Queen's legendary band I Want to Break Free accompanies her in a shower. Sometimes he hummed and jogged a little.
After the shower, she immediately dressed up with a flawless makeup, wore a light blue shirt in a white shirt and combined a knee-length black skirt. Then he rushed to the office without breakfast with white high heels and got into the car. Before arriving at the office, his feet will only be in flip-flops.
In the chili-red city car, Claire played her favorite radio. The voices of two broadcasters were heard through the air frequency.
“Eh Dika, you were late. I have to open up alone to know. Your habit,” said a female announcer named Sesha pitched annoyed.
“Oh my god.Sesha dear, only 10 minutes I am late,” said Dika.
“Cannot. Not a minute I forgive!” sesha said with a firm tone of voice.
“OK, okay. Gini deh to make up for my guilt ya to you, how about if I buy you lunch ntar, how, how? Wanna, would? Mau ya, please,” refer Dika to Sesha.
“Indeed you want to buy me where?” sesha replied in a soft tone, like being persuaded by Dika's seduction.
“Tuh right. I know you must be devastated if you hear the words treated,” said Dika girang.
“Ah, not to be. I'm not sorry. I ate in the canteen under me lah,” replied Sesha cambek
“Yes erah, women basic women. Nambeknya high level yes. Gini Sesha dear, I will invite you to eat at the barbeque restaurant ala-ala korea that,” said Dika.
“What is kayaking in korean dramas? Thin-thin raw meat, can continue to roast yourself on our table is it?” sesha asked curiously.
“You right baby's. You see there is a restaurant that is again a promo to eat both free seafood. So later in addition to eating the meat, we can also choose a variety of seafood. As a complement there are various sauces that we can choose, such as teriyaki sauce, sesame sauce, clam sauce, and many more. And special again there are a variety of toppings that we can choose, such as cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, seaweed, and others. Anyway there can freely choose this it deh,” explained Dika.
“Wah, I want dong. Where the hell is the place,” asked Sesha spoiledly.
Claire who had just heard was also curious. He also wanted to know where the broadcaster meant. Raised radio volume in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Jakarta City street atmosphere in the morning.
“The name of the restaurant is Mashigetta Barbeque which means delicious barbeque. It's a mixture of Korean-English. The address is where, there is on Jalan Sudirman, Complex Ruko Cendrawasih boulevard block A number 20-24, Central Jakarta,” explained Dika.
“Loh near dong from here. And as far as I know it's a huge complex. Not difficult to park dong yes,” said Sesha.
“Ya dong Sesha. Anyway, anytime we go there, there is always a parking slot for us. The restaurant is also very spacious, 5 shophouses are made into one place. How dear is the extent. I was there two days ago,” said Dika while laughing.
“Oh. Two days ago I went there without me. Yes yes yes,” said Sesha.
“Udah deh Sesha do not sulk dong ah. Later in the afternoon I will take you to Mashigetta Barbeque, okay my baby Sesha,” said Dika.
“He bang Dika. But how much is it? Halal not?,” said Sesha.
Claire put up an ear when the announcer asked the price of eating at the restaurant.
“Oke, ready to do. I'm not patient. Just like our loyal listeners certainly also do not wait to try,” said Sesha.
“Yuk, try the free seafood lunch promo at Mashigetta Barbeque, Jalan Sudirman, Cendrawasih boulevard Ruko Complex block A number 20-24, Central Jakarta. Because later in the day you can meet us at 12:30. See you at there,” said Dika and Sesha together.
The conversation of the two broadcasters who were advertising a barbeque restaurant was also changed with the music of singer Raisa, titled Second Time.
“Mashigetta Barbecue. Sudirman Street. Okay, not far from the office,” said Claire slowly while focusing on driving.
The car stopped. Traffic light indicates red light. Claire was a little shocked when her car window was knocked on by a young mother carrying a small child. The woman often he saw around the road, but only this time the glass door of his car was knocked. The woman offered him a bottle of mineral water and some bread from behind a small box he hung in front of his neck. While his son he carried with a brown batik motif cloth on the back. The fabric also looks worn. There was a boy who was about 2 years old wrapped in the cloth.
Clearly from his face, the boy looked happy. There was no weight of life in his eyes. Very plain. But his mother seemed to hold a lot of sweat. His long curls were tied like a ponytail with bangs clamped backwards. The red lipstick was stretched just about any on her thin lips. Just so that his face looks not pale. Black but not black. His body is thin but looks tough. The clothes are also makeshift, sleeves up to the elbows and slum jeans whose blue color is no longer clear. Footwear is just black-toothed white flip-flops. The woman seemed to smile a little at Claire as she offered her merchandise from behind the windshield. Claire opened the window half.
“I want the water two bottles, the same bread taste chocolate three yes,” pinta Claire on the woman who looks happy to welcome Claire's request.
“This mbak. Two bottles of water and 3 flavors of chocolate bread. This bread is still new. Last morning I just took from his agent,” obviously a woman aged approximately 28 years.
“OK. How much mbak everything,” asked Claire while taking a blue plastic package containing her order from behind the car glass. The package he put on the front bench next to him.
“Rp20thousand mbak,” replied the woman gently.
“OK a minute yes,” Claire opens her wallet. There are several pieces of Rp100ribu, Rp50ribu, and Rp10ribu denominations. The money was Rp100ribu.
“This is yes mbak,” Claire said while giving the money to Claire.
“Duh, I just opened mbak base. No change yet,” said the woman was lethargic.
“Show to make mbak. Make a meal for the bitch. Hello,” Claire said as she greeted the boy in the girl's arms.
“Truly mbak for me. Not most of this mbak?” ask the woman seriously. His eyeballs looked enlarged with a twitch on his forehead.
“Iya. Really. Take it, I'm sincere,” said Claire, then look at the traffic light that has signaled soon will be green.
“Aalhamdulillah's. Thank you very much mbak. May her work be blessed by the Almighty God and in.”.
Claire could no longer listen to the continued prayers the woman said because the green light was already on. He immediately gas. The woman immediately ran over to the sidewalk because the horn was heard from the car behind Claire.
While Claire just pulled out her small hand from behind the car glass and waved her hand at the woman. Claire could only see the scene from behind the rearview mirror. The woman was still standing looking at him far away.
“I just love him so much but his prayers are sincere for me. It is life. Everyone must fight. Including me,” Claire said slowly to herself.
On the other hand, the woman was still standing on the sidewalk while holding Rp100k from Claire.
“And may it be avoided from all dangers,” continued the woman prayed Claire.
The woman stared in the money Rp100 thousand gift from Claire. His face was so implying deep gratitude to his Lord.
“Nak, until tonight we can eat rice with eggs,” said the woman to the child in her cradle.
The little boy hugged with a tiny hand against his mother's neck. It was as if he understood the heart of the mother.
Claire arrived at the office. He parked his car in a normal place. Claire's face looks so bright. Arriving in front of the elevator, he greeted his office friends. Until such a typical greeting sounded from behind his body.
“Good morning Ms.Claire,” says Jack, the most narcissistic office boy in the office.
Claire turned her body.
“Hello Jack's. Good morning,” said Claire who was waiting for the elevator door to open.
The elevator doors opened and about 10 people came out.
“Ladies first please,” Jack told Claire and other female employees who also
waiting at the elevator door.
“Thank You,” Claire smiles at Jack and gets into the elevator followed by her staff, including
Jacks.
Inside the elevator Jack acts as an elevator operator. He asked people one by one in the elevator to what floor. Jack is not his real name. The 25-year-old single man has the real name Zakaria. But he chose Jack's call to sound cool.
The elevator door opened, Claire reached the 3rd floor, where her office was pitched. Sumringah's face still adorns Claire's sweet face. As he usually thought, there would definitely be surprises from his office friends. Just like last year. It all seemed busy that morning. No one greeted or looked at him.
*connect*
