In The Rain

CHAPTER 18

The frenzied sound and the dust that billowed at the factory was a familiar welcome, Gemintang stepped in with Raden towards his father's office.

Raden saw that not much had changed, the workers who had come to swarm them were people he had known.

“Andi!” yells. “Still here?”

“Until death.” He held Raden's hand. “It's good to see you again, son.”

Others greeted Raden with joy. Raden asked about their families, remembering names that others might have forgotten. But these people are like Raden's family. They are part of him like life-giving blood during his life.

“What's the problem?” raden asked Andi, while walking to the broken machine in the row of machines.

“Tua, generally,” replied the foreman was fretting. “It's too old, Raden. I don't know if it can still be used. Especially if production is on the rise. Must be turned on day and night.”

Raden grazed leaf flakes and sand tucked in between the machines. “Let's go to the office, Raden,” invite Gemintang gently. He immediately turned around and walked first, hoping Raden would follow him and not argue with him in front of the employees.

The star was sitting on a leather chair behind the desk when Raden walked into the room and slammed the door, until it made his glass shake.

“It used to be the best rubber rubber factory in Indonesia,” Raden said without further ado.

“Now is still.”

“It is impossible when the quality produced like that."

“I told you, the problem is the equipment. Those machines..”.

“Anciently,” cut Raden. “Duck, does Daddy not want to fix or replace it with a new one?”

“Daddy says no need,” replied Gemintang, slow down.

“No need!” reload Raden with a loud voice. “Look at this place. More like a dinosaur cage than a modern rubber factory. We are not honest with ourselves, nor with the farmers. Strange if they do not bring their rubber results to another factory..” Suddenly Raden stopped talking, his eyes narrowed. “Or have many moved?”

“Yes, we lost a few years ago.”

Raden hooked the end of his boots to the foot of the chair, then pulled the chair close to him. Raden, after sitting on the chair, leaned over to the table and said in an unacceptable tone. “Tell me everything that happened.”

“Some farmers who used to sell their crops on daddy did bring to other factories, because other factories offered higher prices, while daddy did not want to pay them."

Gemintang. Raden voiced what was still buried in their minds. “They got more money that way."

Raden got up from the chair and walked to the window. He flipped his hand, then put it in his jeans pocket. It seems that he is looking at the environment, but the Gemintang knows that is not the view he is seeing. “You know the root of this problem, don't you? Know, right?” rejoice Raden, immediately turned his back when Gemintang did not quickly answer his question.

“Ya.”

“But you didn't do anything‐apa.”

“What can I do, Raden? First of all, my job is to take care of the bookkeeping. I learned about the production process, the marketing, just by listening, observing. I'm not a decision maker.”

“You are his wife! Doesn't that give you the right to do something?” Raden raised both hands. “Retract my words. Those who become wives of Thunder will not dare to give input to the old man, they just resignedly do the command.. wife‐wife is only her duty to please the husband.”.

Gemintang raised their chin, clenched their hands, and ruffled their waist. “I once told you I would never talk about my relationship with your daddy.”

“And I once told you I don't care what you do with Thunder in bed.”

"I think you shouldn't interfere!!"

Raden curses and grabs his hair with his fingers in annoyance. They looked at each other until they finally quietly relented. “I'll help all I can,” muttered Raden.

“You can fix the machine?” ask Gemintang.

“I need some equipment, but I think I can fix it. I once dismantled an airplane engine and repaired it. This machine is no more complicated than an airplane engine. But I dare not promise anything, Gemintang. The improvements I made were not the answer to your problem.”

“I understand.” The stargazer softened, his body not as stiff as earlier as he smiled shyly, apologizing for his behavior. “Whatever your help, I really appreciate.”

This time Raden's curse gets rougher, but only in the heart. The greeting was addressed to himself because of the feeling of guilt for having quarreled with the Gemintang.

There was nothing she wanted more at that time than to hug the Star, protect her, kiss her lips, close the woman's body to her. How foolish he was, imagining the body of the Starling embracing his father, sometimes he felt like he would go crazy imagining it.

"I'll do it now" Raden said as he walked out the door.

Gemintang worked in the office completing the letters, while Raden assisted employees looking for tools needed. An hour later the Gemintang stood behind Raden, as Raden was dismantling the inside of a large machine. “Raden, I'll go to the hospital for a while. If I'm not back yet but your job is done, you can ask one of the employees to take you home.”

Raden smiled bitterly. “Not bother. I'm still a little long here.” Gemintang. Raden saw the half-raised hand of the Starling about to touch his arm. But he did not do so, instead quickly said goodbye and left.