Lara's Admirers

Episode 24

"Mom I told you. Mas Arka is the most anti same girl, kayak rish that if in deketin. Especially if the girl is this kesentilan and deketin Mas Arka first. That's why I was surprised Mas Arka the same way girls."

"Emang Arka is that mang?"

"Yes mbak. Monggo asked himself the same person directly."

"What is mang." Elak Arka's.

"I suspect that the head of Mas Arka was hit by something like that or do not-don't Mas Arka satanic waitress school?"

"Eh, don't dong mang. It's good to say that Arka is. Is it wrong for Arka to have a boyfriend?"

"Yes definitely not dong Mas. It's good, though."

'Klings.'

My phone sounded short.

I then checked it. There's a WhatsApp message coming in from Sendy.

"Sha, is it a busy afternoon? Can I meet you at Cafe Star?"

As the message. I hesitated and confused as to what I wanted to answer. I promised to study with Arka today in preparation for the Olympics.

"It seems that it will not be until the afternoon of learning. At least for a minute." My mind is in my heart.

"I'll be back in the afternoon." Reply to the WhatsApp message.

"Arka, we'll study until the afternoon, right?" My toot.

"Why?"

"I have an appointment later this afternoon. It's time for a collision."

"Oh, jaudah then we learn it does not need until the afternoon."

"Seriously? Thanks for that."

"Where's the deal?"

"Cafe Star's. You know?"

"You know. Yaudah, how will you go there?"

"Duh, later even ngerepotin you."

"No, really."

"I'll be able to ride a motorcycle there."

"Udah, same as me."

"Okay, thanks again."

"Okayly enough. I have always been your girlfriend. So nothing dong I can't get you."

I just nodded.

"This is the order, monggo." Said the seller while giving a plastic package containing hodgepodge.

"This is the money." Arka took out the money.

"Punten mas."

"Sama-sama. Then we go first."

"Oh yeah, be careful."

"Let's mang." My speech.

The sun this afternoon was not so hot, very friendly to me.

We entered a housing complex that is none other than the complex where the grandmother lives today. I opened the gate that was deliberately locked from the inside. My grandmother should have come home from the market and been home.

We headed to the terrace. I put my bag on a small table at the end of the terrace.

"Sit down first." I let Arka sit on the lounge chair next to the table.

He just nodded and then opened his shoes. I opened the front door latch and then walked into the kitchen area to look for grandma.

"Loh, haven't finished cooking Grandma? How about old tumben?" I asked while finishing the glass of water I just took.

"Well, if you want to eat it is ready. It's for catering orders." Evidently.

Oh yes I forgot. Because all this time Grandma lived alone, so she also opened a side business catering. Yes, even though her children often send her monthly money, grandmother still continues this business. Grandma said it's better for her to work than to be confused about what to do at home. Usually grandmothers and aunts who mix recipes.

"Oh yes, my friend is playing at home. We're gonna study together." My word.

"Not told to come in? Where is she now?"

"In front of grandma."

"Take in, and have lunch here with us."

"Oh? Okay." Okay."

I ran forward.

"Arka, come in!" Take me.

"Udah is here. Not good at home."

"Grandma told me to."

"Your grandmother?"

"Yes Arka...."

"Oh, yaudah."

***

We had lunch to fill up the energy. Although at the dinner table grandma had several times to throw questions that made me cornered. I can't be frank if Arka is my girlfriend. For now, it feels like let me know about this myself. Even though Arka had almost failed to say everything, fortunately I could prevent it.

Actually, if we study together, the topic will not connect. He's Math while I'm English. But yes, this is his request.

Even though the title is learning together, but actually we keep learning each other. He was busy with calculations that saw him from a distance had made my head dizzy. While I was busy listening to English audio or English learning videos.

I lay my body on the floor. Jakarta's increasing temperature makes me feel better if I sleep on this ceramic floor.

I closed my eyes with the audio I still heard with the earphones.

I listen to all the audio from my phone. And of course it was because I was too lazy to take the laptop in the room.

Suddenly a call came into my phone. I woke up and checked it out.

"Sister Sendy?" My inner.

Didn't I reply to the message? Why is he still calling me?

"Hello, Eresha! Go to Cafe ya plis. Help me, there is a duty from my lecturer." He said after I picked up the phone.

"I'm just wearing it." My mind is in my heart.

"Tip... Tut's... Tut..." I turned off the phone.

"Nih, eat the bricks." Arka took off one of the earphones from my ear.

I immediately got up and tied up my hair that had been broken since.

"More." He said while giving a package of batagor that has been opened.

I put one in my mouth. Just incredible! It feels like it exceeded my expectations. Peanut seasoning is not just savory, as if there is a secret recipe that also the concoction into it.

"Nob ya." My word.

"What I'm really giving you says, hehe..."

"Oh, by the way ya ka, I'm confused."

"Why?"

"And gini I have temen, we have not long ago acquaintance. But it's like a hell of a deck... Very familiar..."

"And I feel like I've known him for a long time. Long before our meeting.  I feel the face, the name, all the things about him that are no stranger to me."

"Maybe you've met before, only you don't care about him too much."

"Well strange again, not only am I doing that. He also knows the same thing. So in essence we are both feeling that we have known each other before. Yeah, although I'm not too sure about that either."

"Don't..."

"Don't-don't what?"

"Don't you guys actually know each other before. There might just be something that makes you forget that."

"For example?"

"Yes, for example, in the movies. The main character is amnesia due to an accident. And then he forgets his own girlfriend, his family, his friends."

"Accident?"

"Yes. Uh, or maybe you two just crash together, keep forgetting each other? Yeah, it's kind of amnesia. So you don't remember each other."

"Do you think it's possible that something like that happens?"

"Why not. Did you ever have an accident?"

I'm nodding.

"Seriously? When?"

"Recently before going to Jakarta. And I met him at the hospital too. Because we happened to be treated in the same hospital at that time. He was also in an accident and said he had mild amnesia. I just had an injury in my leg. If the head, according to the results of the Ronsen is safe. And I don't think it's possible that I'm amnesiac and forget everything that happened before."

"Yes, too, there's no way amnesia should be if your head doesn't have any serious problems."

"Well, that's why."

***

Me and Arka are done studying. Now we're heading to the cafe to see Sendy. I was wearing a t-shirt with a cardigan along with sports pants and snikers shoes. I prefer to travel in a casual style. While Arka is still in her school uniform.

We waited for the bus at a stop near the housing.

***

"Hi." Sendy from the table in the corner of the room.

I just waved my hand and walked over to him.

"Old old?" My toot.

"No, I just got there." Reply Brother Sendy.

"Who is this?" Ask Brother Sendy.

"Oh, know Arka. Eresha's boyfriend." Said Arka while extending her hand.

"Oh, girlfriend? Get to know Sendy, Eresha's friend." Sendy returned the man's hand.

"Oh, how come I came here?" My toot.

"Oh, gini. So I got a assignment from college about that research. So we are told to take photos of some of the exterior of the restaurant or cafe building. And what's interesting is definitely."

"How about the exterior of the building? Isn't that the big brother of the communications major?" Many confusion.

"That's why if I'm still talking on the phone, don't just play matainn aja."

"Yes sorry."

"So gini, after I thought about it, I majored in architecture. Because the chances of success are greater in my opinion."

"okay.... How should I help?"

"Please find the address

a cafe or restaurant. Let me go to the place and photograph the building tomorrow."

"Wad... I guess I can't. I knew I had just arrived in Jakarta. I was just escorted here with Arka."

"Well... How do I do dong?"

"Ah, gini. How about asking Arka. He's been in Jakarta for a long time." My proposal.

"Can anyway. But tomorrow afternoon is nothing. Maybe tomorrow there's an Olympic meeting." Arka Clear.

"So seriously?" Ask Brother Sendy to make sure.

He just nodded, not saying much.

"What if tomorrow the three of us go straight to the location. Make a photo of the exterior of the building directly. How's it? Agreed?" Take me.

"Agreed." Reply to them simultaneously.

***

The cafe is very crowded in the afternoon. Maybe the night is much more crowded. There is one interesting, the band in this cafe is all female members. Unlike the band in the cafe in general, most of them are men. Yes, maybe this band is an honorary band, not always a band in this cafe.

We enjoyed the food we ordered while listening to the song the band was singing. Until suddenly...

"pri... Ijen... Annyoung..."

"That song...." Said me and Brother Sendy in unison.

It's a lyric piece of the song titled Downpour sung by a Korean girl band called IOI. Bingo! Slowly, everything started to come back. Slowly my memories of the accident appeared one by one. Yep! I clearly remember that time on the bus I listened to the song with earphones with someone sitting next to me. Damnit damnit! But I can't remember exactly who that figure was.

***

"That song.... Akh! Why is everything black! Damnit damnit! I'm sure there's something about that song! I'm sure that song can restore my memory!" Inner Sendy in the heart.

He closed his eyes tightly. This time he will remember something. At least one small thing, it will greatly help recover his memories that had been lost due to an accident.

"Cold."

It was the only thing he remembered.

"Yes, that girl. The girl next to me, she said cold. But who is he. His face I can't recognize. Everything is dark, jet black. All I heard was the girl's voice." His mind again in the heart.

***

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Ask Arka who was confused when she saw us daydreaming shortly after the song was sung.

"Arka, the song is ka..." I said while trying to remember further.

I wish I could find something there, deep inside my brain, there's a memory missing and I have to find it. I have tried to remember everything, I have tried my hardest. But the result was nothing, nothing there.

"Why is that song?"

"That song... Akh! I'm confused how to explain it."

"What does this have to do with your friend? He also acted strangely upon hearing this song."

"It doesn't matter." Connect Brother Sendy.

***

I dropped myself on the bed. I'm still thinking about what happened at the cafe. How could Brother Sendy also be astonished by the song. What else it has is something special for him. Or there's a memory of that song.

What's true Arka said this afternoon, if I have a problem in my head and make some of my memories just disappear. But I still have doubts about it. According to the results of the laboratory, I have absolutely no injury to the head. Then how can I forget something, and strangely I can't recall it even though I've been trying so hard.

There's been a lot of weird stuff going on lately.

***

"Eresha same Sendy is that weird?" Ask Arka to herself.

"Yes even though Eresha same Sendy is just a friend I really do not like to see them very tight. In terms of age, they are different. Although not far away the difference. Am I jealous? Ah, no way could I be jealous of my own. Uh, but what's wrong with me being jealous?" This time he asked in front of the mirror.

He kept asking himself things like that. He moved from the corner of his room to another corner.

"Crazy anyway, it turns out that love affairs are more dizzy than maths." His complaint.

Naturally Arka spoke so, she had never been in love before. His life is too busy to take care of this not so important business for him. His report card at the end of the semester was much more important to him. Of course, all students will also agree with Arka if it is about that.

But this time Arka lost. He lost his selfishness. His heart could not deny love, his heart now fell to the girl. A girl who was more than perfect for him. According to some people, love is the most beautiful gift for a person. Maybe now Arka will agree with that opinion.