FONDEST MEMORIES
7. POLICE STATION
Actually Ari can wait until tomorrow and deliver it at school, or tell Tari about Ata's return by phone as originally planned. But the excitement held back was already heavily chest-pressing. Ari was ready to throw herself at any risk to pay for her muffled scream.
Ari quickly turned around before Papa Tari realized his presence. One of Tari's neighbors let her mango tree not far from the fence, grow in an impressive hoard, creating a pitch-black canopy on a patch of asphalt road beneath. Into the dark patch Ari directs his motor. The guy then went down. He's still standing there. His brain is spinning hard. Soon an idea came up.
Ari took out a cell phone from one of the jacket pockets. Simply browsing for a minute, the guy gets who he is looking for and contact is made immediately. Then Ari stood still, fused with the darkness while his two eyes continued to be directed towards the house of Tari.
Twenty minutes later what he was waiting for came. Ari came out of the canopy and waved his left hand. The motor stopped right in front of him. Ari and the biker then engaged in a conversation in a soft voice. The biker understood the content of the conversation and accepted the task with great enthusiasm. Ari gave up some money that he really had to spend, plus some more money as compensation for the contents of this conversation.
The biker continues on the road and Ari again disappears in the shadows. At the last second the biker completed his short distance, Ari touched the phone screen. The biker had reached his destination. He parked the motorcycle in a position according to the contents of the secret conversation earlier. Meanwhile, the person on the other end of Ari's phone line, answered the call.
One time the voice across said ”Halo?”, Ari ended his call without answering. A split second later the biker shouted out loud, ”PIZZAAA!!!”
The screams catapulted Tari and Geo from their respective rooms. The call without answer from Ari earlier made Tari run out with a mobile phone clasped in hand, as Ari expected.
”Who pesen pizza?” papa Tari asked in wonder.
”I'm not..!” exclaimed Geo, but while still running to the pizza delivery officer's motorbike, which was parked right in front of the gate.
Following behind her two children, Papa Tari walked with frowns. The pizza delivery officer immediately shifted the body. Then it proved, he did his job brilliantly.
”Who ordered the pizza, Mas?” ask Papa Tari, because it turns out that his two children answered no.
”Nobody ordered, Om. But this sister once ordered pizza. Twice...” The delivery officer pointed at Tari with a very light movement, so it could hardly be known the exact direction showed his hand. It could be Dance. You can also order pizza is a tree soursop next door neighbor that grows right in the front corner.
”People order pizza. Twice. Twice I was too late to send the order here, Om. So the free pizza had two pans. Moto at my place, ’Order delivered no later than thirty minutes.’ If late, customers will get a gift in the form of free pizza.” The delivery officer explained cheerfully, as if being late to deliver pizza orders to customers would actually make him get a bonus.
Ari paid a fairly expensive sum for the formation that was now formed. Papa Tari and Geo stood on their backs. The pizza delivery guy was standing at the back of the bike, near the box where the pizza was stored. Only Tari was the only one standing facing Ari.
While pointing at the pictures on the brochure sheet he held in his left hand, the delivery order attendant's man rambled furiously. As if the pizza product is a very rare product and the only one in the world, because the topping is made from fish meat that lives at a depth of eight thousand meters. And to make such a special super duper topping, super-sophisticated diving equipment is needed plus casualties from divers. Because the deep sea, like the summit of Everest, is a ferocious space on earth.
For reasons of politeness, because of the windfall in the form of two jumbo-sized pizza pans, Papa Tari listened diligently. Geo listened while chewing voraciously. While telling the product in a frenzy, for a moment the delivery order officer opened one of the boxes and then kindly offered Geo to take the biggest pieces so that the SD child did not comment let alone ask. And most importantly, so that his attention is totally diverted.
Dari, who had been staring at the officer with a frown, opened her mouth to say something must have gone wrong. Because he can't even remember the last time he ordered pizza from the store. Especially up to twice. Not yet had he spoken, the pair of eyes that kept watching from the darkness immediately acted.
The phone clasped in her left hand Dari pulled out the ringtone. A short message came in. From Ari. Quickly open the message.
Dngrin aja dlivry man. Look towards 12 o'clock.
Dance looked up, but she saw nothing in her straight line of sight. Ari out of canopy protection. Aghast dance. Hurriedly he clenched back his mouth that had gaped. Slowly he moved away from the motor.
The movement was clearly very aware by the pizza delivery guy, because the way he explained his pizza products became more fiery. Compared to the appeal to prospective customers to be interested in buying his merchandise, the way he spoke more like a provocateur who was too eager to incite the masses to join the demonstration.
Even to make the focus of Papa's gaze Dance was only fixed at one point, the pizza deliveryman deliberately pointed at one of the pictures in the brochure. Latest product. Very recommended! And again, the only one in the world!
Geo took it seriously. With both feet on her tiptoes, she stuck her head out to look at the brochure, enthusiastically looking at the pizza picture with the toppings that made drooling. Especially before, shortly after he swallowed his last slice of pizza, the pizza deliveryman swiftly opened another pizza box.
Ignoring her heart that was pounding with fear, Dari ran towards the tall silhouette that was overshadowed by the darkness.
”Lo crazy!” his whisper was tense, as soon as it reached in front of Ari.
”Lo know, I've always been crazy,” Ari replied to that whisper. His hand slipped into one of the front pockets of his black jacket and pulled out the phone that was knocked out in just two weeks. He put the phone in the palm of Dance's empty hand.
”Just want to give this.”
Stupefied dance. He immediately recalled the conversation he had overheard while walking down the sidewalk to school. The three girls who seemed to be of the twelfth grade, walked hand in hand in front of him. They're busy gossiping about Ari and her new phone.
”Padala the ads just nongol. He already has.” The girl who walked in the middle clucked while shaking her head.
”Great cool to have a cape.” The girl who walked to the left spoke with envy. ”Kalo I said bokap me, pep have a cape like that, surely I will be directly told istigfar much-many.”
”It. The price is crazy,” his friend who walked on the far right responded.
”Try me to be Ari's girl huh. I could ask for the same buyin hape as he had. Definitely buyin. Guys don't count their money.” The girl walking in the middle breathed out her high-altitude delusion. ”Eh, lest the Dance hapenya the same. Kayak is too. We find out yuk?”
At that time also Tari slowed down the steps and created as far distance as possible from the three girls. He didn't want the three of them to know he was hearing their conversation. Since then Dari has also been cautious, removing the phone only if absolutely necessary.
And now the phone that caused the envy of many people was in the palm of his hand. Ari has a new phone since two weeks ago, because he does not like a phone that is hard to grip in five fingers.
”For what?” Dance still looked at the cell phone in her hand with her mouth agape.
”To call or call. You must know it's useful hape, right?”
”I mean..”.
The words of Dance stopped. Ari grabbed both of his hands and pulled them into the shadow cover. The guy then bowed before him. Those two black eyes were now aligned with his eyes. It lights up like a beacon in the middle of the storm.
A lot to say, but Ari did not manage to find a word that can accurately represent. He finally chose to shut up. Instead, he stared at Tari with the whole unspoken word.
The long road he takes to keep looking for the two most important people in his life who have ever been lost. Obstacles that break. The despair that he covered from everyone's eyes. Loneliness often conquers him without mercy.
”He went home..”
Dance heard the whisper along with two arms outstretched then rolled her in an embrace. Giving her only Ari's heartbeat for all she could hear, and two arms across her back for all she could feel the first time.
When what cannot be said suppresses her from within, Ari tries to fuse the existence of the girl in her arms to fully become part of her own existence. Hope that silenced feeling is finally understood. For the right words that can never be found.
Accompanied by Ari's happiness, his two best friends smiled widely in front of the laptop and school worksheets for tomorrow. But in one place, Ari's happiness is not able to complete the distance let alone reach the goal. Dance was still in the same position as when she entered the room, long after Ari and the pizza deliveryman left. Sitting quietly on one side of the bed, the focus of Dance's view seemed to be lost in swathes of the floor.
The envious phone clasped in both hands, only briefly giving away a few seconds of hysteria before vanishing instantly when Ari said that the phone was a gift for Ata's return.
The memory of his last meeting with Ata made Tari see the happy news as it really was. A very transparent and low wall. So easy to jump. So easily cracked. Anything that is behind it is clearly visible even to the smallest detail.
Just sad things…
The next day, as soon as the first break bell rang, Ari immediately dropped out of class. While heading towards the quiet corridor area, he took out a cell phone from his pants pocket. There was a final number he had to contact with regarding the return of his twin brother to Jakarta. Ari contacts from school. If the good news was not welcomed well, it was certain that Ata's existence would whip up the anger of that person.
Shortly after the contact made Ari arrived at the destination, a slow knock on the door made Papa Ari stop his busy checking a pile of files. Before long his secretary entered with a map in hand.
”Ari in line two, sir,” said the woman while putting the map on the table of the man who for the last five years became her boss.
Papa Ari looked up. For a moment he stared at his secretary before then reaching for the phone handle in front of him and pressing the number two. The secretary left the room.
”Why not go directly to Papa's phone?” tanyakanya.
”Papa's phone is off,” Ari replied in a unconcerned tone.
”Oh yes.” The man woke up. ”There's an important meeting coming soon. So your phone accidentally turns off Papa.”
”Ari is just for a minute, Pa. Won't bother important meeting Papa deh.”
The boy's cold words made the man sigh.
”Not so Papa meant. Papa forgot that Papa matiin mobile,” he explained patiently. Ari did not react. ”What's up?” ask Papa then.
Ari did not answer. It's a really landslide victory and he likes to put off saying it in order to maximize his outburst.
”Ari... What's up?”
”There's exciting news, Pa.” Ari could not help her winning smile.
”What?”
”Papa must have cried. Ari just cry time denger.”
”What is it?” At the end of the connection, Papa held patiently. There was still a pile of files to learn and he was almost out of time.
”Ata want to go to school in Jakarta again. The Ari.” school
”What!?” Instantly Papa's back was up. ”What did you say?”
”Ata... mau.. school... in.. Jakarta... again...” Ari repeats. Deliberately decapitating the sentence word by word so that the news that is certainly surprising this papa can have a more devastating effect again.
”Who is...Who said?” Ari's hopes are granted. Papa's voice instantly turned tense. That great shock was even caught clearly in his voice. A very rare moment, because all this time Papa is always calm and rarely shows emotion. The coldest man in the world.
”Kata Mom. Last night,” Ari replied with calm. ”Udah yes, Pa. Ari also has an important affair nih.”
”Ari! Waitaminute! Papa be—!”
Satisfied Ari disconnected the connection. Silencing the rest of Papa's call. It's always nice to feel like you're winning against that guy.
Ari had cut off the conversation, but the news he brought made the papa stay seated in place with his back straight.
Undeniably, the info was shocking. Very surprising. Instantly all the important meetings that will be held today so it looks not important at all and a pile of urgent files that must be studied no longer seem necessary to just touch especially until it must be observed.
He pressed one of the buttons on the phone plane in front of him. Before long the door of his study was slowly knocked and his secretary stepped in.
”Iya, Sir?”
”Cancel all meetings today,” Papa's orders. ”Then contact Mr. Cokro. Ask him to meet me at the usual place. This afternoon too.”
”Good, Sir,” the secretary replied obediently.
Once the room was quiet again, Papa's gaze was fixed on the empty wall in front of his desk. He did not not not not know his other son and the mother came to Jakarta not long ago. He did not know that reconciliation had happened without him.
Nor did he not know where the two were. He just wanted to make everyone think he didn't know. He knew where the two were all along. Since both were asked to leave the house, nine years ago, to this day.
He knows everything. Very well know!
