Lara's Admirers

Episode 29's

"Arka please take rice in the rice cooker dong dear." Mother's Order.

He did not say much, but immediately carried out his mother's orders.

"This is ma, he said."

While I was busy peeling and slicing red onions and other spices.

"This is Auntie, it's over." My word.

"Oh yes, that's where it was. Here you please continue stirring the rice yes." Pinta Mama Arka's.

I nodded my head then approached the frying pan with steaming smoke.

I flipped through the rice to ripen evenly and nothing sticky on the frying pan. Also so that no rice coagulates with each other. Mama Arka put the seasoning she made, I immediately welcomed the spice spill by stirring it to mix evenly with rice. After that, Mama Arka continued to wash the dishes again.

"It smells of my girlfriend's cooking."

Arka's face suddenly appeared from behind. Suddenly it shocked me half to death, fortunately I did not hit his handsome face with this hot spatula.

"Rush! Hobby makes me hang!" Tukas.

"Yes sorry." The answer was short while grinning as if innocent.

I turned off the stove when I thought it was ripe enough.

"I'll take the plate." Enthusiastic offering.

I nodded back to say his words. He came back with some plates in his hand. I split the fried rice equally across the three dishes that Arka gave me. While I was cleaning the remaining rice that fell on the stove, Arka arranged the dish on the dining table and then provided drinks there as a complement.

Arka pulled my hand excitedly then told me to sit next to her. The three of us ate the dish solemnly.

I can't imagine if in fact Arka was just alone with her Mama. They don't hire a housekeeper because they think it's unnecessary. Mama Arka must have often felt lonely when Arka had to go to school and Mama lived alone at home. I could see such a deep sadness from the sparkle of their eyes. There were still inner wounds all those years ago that could never heal from themselves. Although I don't know exactly what made Arka's Papa go away, I don't want to ask Arka again. I was afraid of making her even sadder, just like in the mansion back then. What is certain is that the departure made the two of them still very hit until now.

"Eh, sha." Arka breaks the silence at the table.

I raised both my eyebrows.

"So Brother Sendy called me. He said he had a gig tomorrow at the cafe yesterday. And the manager said his duet should be that, can't be solo." Evidently.

"Continue?" Ask again.

He finished the rest of the food in his mouth before starting to speak again.

"So gini, he asked me to help him make a duet dance tomorrow. And I said you're the one who's the duet guy." Clearly so plain.

I almost choked on the food I had just eaten. Luckily I immediately took the water in front of me and drank it.

"I? Why should I? Why aren't you?" I immediately interrogated the man.

"First, because I think your voice is pretty good. Second, tomorrow he will bring a song themed love that according to the request of the cafe manager. So it's weird that the duet is the same as me." Reciprocity.

"But Arka..." My whine.

"Udah, yes. It's a good honor to know."

I'm clucking back at the man's behavior. How could he take such a unilateral decision without asking for my opinion beforehand. I held back my emotions that wanted to explode right then and there it felt.

"Eresha can sing too?" Ask Mama Arka.

"Not Tan..."

"It could be ma, it's a good sound." Connect Arka.

I haven't finished my words, but he just cut them off. I stepped on the man's foot. But like he doesn't feel anything. Her feet are numb, or what?

"Yaudah if that's what we'll sing together. Coincidentally Auntie was also a violinist and Arka can play guitar too. How will you sing? Or the three of us sing." Clearly Mama Arka.

Damnit damnit! Because of this guy I got caught up in a situation like this. I can't possibly turn down Mama Arka's request again this time. By force, inevitably this time I have to accept the request of Mama Arka.

"Well, really ma. We'll sing along to dinner, okay?" He said as if he were innocent.

"Yes Aunt." My answer is that which has passed with the circumstances.

I shone a sharp glare at Arka with anger already in my crown. While Arka just laughed a little. He seemed so satisfied after getting me stuck in this complicated situation. I'm really sorry to have accepted his invitation earlier to stop by his house first. If you know the edges will be like this, I better catch a cold and get sick and three days not go to school. The teachers would certainly give me the leniency of schoolwork.

I scratched my non-itchy head while still finishing the rest of my food.

***

Arka and her mother led me to a room in the corner. The door seemed locked, it seemed like it had never been used before. Mama Arka opened the wooden door with a fairly complicated carving, then brought me and Arka to get into it.

I was amazed to see the contents of this room. It seemed like the owner of this place did indeed have concentrated art blood flowing in his blood. I circled my eyes around the corner of this amazing room.

"This is our family room first, we used to play music and sing together with Papanya Arka here." Clearly Mama Arka.

His mother Arka approached a violin that was just located on the sofa. While Arka took his guitar hanging on the wall over there. I sat on the spot, not knowing what to do. I didn't think the whole family were musicians.

"It's a piano that Papa often plays with. When we play music together, Papa plays this piano, Mama plays the violin, and I sing it. Because I was a kid and I wasn't good at guitar." He said in a serious tone.

Mama Arka patted Arka softly on her shoulder.

"But since Papa left, this piano nobody's playing anymore. Even touched by not." Connect Arka.

"What if I play the piano?" My bargain.

Their faces gawked, looking unconvinced by my statement just now.

"What can you do?" Ask Arka who held back her laughter.

Honestly at that time I immediately felt hurt because it seemed to feel humbled by the family. Indeed I was not as good as they might be in playing music, but I used to take piano lessons as a child.  After all, before I moved to this city, I was a marching band player. Even if it stops now, I can still do a little.

"Shorten up." I tried to convince them.

"Judah, we'll see." Ledek Arch.

"You don't know, if I used to be a bell player in a marching band?" Ketus I'm upset.

"Bell?" My mind is in my heart.

Again, I felt something strange about myself.

I approached the piano which he said had not been played for a long time but there was no dust on the surface at all. I pulled a small stool that was slid under her. I carefully opened the cover of the piano. While Arka was getting ready with her guitar on the sofa. His mother had flanked the violin between his shoulders and face, and prepared with the bow he held.

"Singing what song?" My toot.

"Dear God - Avenged Sevenfold." Answer Arka fast.

"okay." I nodded my head.

I pressed the piano keys in front of me randomly to find the key to his tone.

"Ready? One... Two... Three... Yak!" Instructions Mama Arka.

The beautiful tones began to appear one by one from the musical instruments we played. An abstract melody that blends elegantly into harmony. A loud sound that is heard clearly from the friction of the violin Mamama Arka, melodious with the heavy sound of the Arka guitar and the accompaniment of my pianoku.

I started to set my vocal cords, so did they and....

”A lonely road, crossed another cold state line

Miles away from this I love purpose undefined

While I recall all the words you spoke to me

Can't help but wish that I was there

And where I'd love to be, oh yeah

Dear God the only thing I ask of you is

To hold her when I'm not around

When I'm much too far away

We all need that person who can be true to you

But I left her when I found her

And now I wish I'd stayed

'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tied

I'm missing you again oh no

Once again

There's nothing here for me on this barren road

There's no one here while the city sleeps

And all the shops are closed

Can't help but think of the times I've had with you

Pictures and some memories will have to help me through, oh yeah”

Dear God - Avenged Sevenfold

Damnit damnit! How could I shed tears without even knowing it. I immediately wiped it before they saw it.

"Wahhh.... Crazy anyway. That was a good game." Praise Arka

"Yes, Auntie herself feels goosebumps. I think Papa Arka is here again." Said his mother Arka while rubbing her arms which she said creeps.

"Are you crying?" Ask Arka.

"No, it's nothing." Answer me who tried to avoid.

I don't even know why I cried. It all happened without me knowing.

"Is it possible that my passion is too deep in this song?" My mind is in my heart.

"But the song is mellow." Connect me.

"This is the last song we sang with Papa before he left." Arka clear without me asking.

"The song is sad. And maybe when you play Papa's piano, Papa's soul is called here and that's what makes you cry."

"Ih Arka, what the hell. Don't you fucking take it." I started to creep myself out hearing Arka's statement just now.

"Seriously deh sha." Connect Arka.

"Because Arka's Papa has not existed for a long time, so this piano is just that. Because it just so happened that he could play the piano only Papanya Arka. Since her father died. This piano nobody plays. Sometimes at midnight, Auntie likes to wake up and hear the piano. Auntie thinks the sound came from here. Because it's the only room here that has a piano. Aunty thought it was Arka who again could not sleep, she kept stopping by here. But Arka can't play the piano as good as Aunt heard it. So Auntie thinks it's impossible Arka. Make the mastiin all Aunt check into Arka's room and she's still sleeping." Clearly Mama Arka was serious.

I immediately moved away from that horrible thing after listening to the story from Mama Arka just now. I immediately moved and sat down on the sofa right next to Arka. Since when have I been such a coward. Ah, crap! I am basically a coward. Just now in the hospital hallway, if there were no Arka maybe I wouldn't dare go in there.

"Yes sha, so we think that Papa is still here with us and Papa still plays his favorite piano." Connect Arka.

I shuddered in horror at all the stories that came out of their mouths. I don't know what to say.

***

"I say back to Auntie, it's been a bad night here for a long time." I said to Mama Arka.

"Oh, jude. Dianterin Arka yes. It was night."

I say goodbye to Mama Arka, kissing the back of her hand. Arka pulls out her motorcycle from the garage.

"Arka nganterin Eresha first yes ma." Surprise the man to his mother.

"She be careful, son."

"Let's aunt." I said before Arka's motorbike drove away from the place.

***

"Wanna go back to the hospital?" Ask Arka in the middle of the journey.

"It looks like it's not. I want to go straight to the house, I'm sleepy. Then the condition of grandma was already mengingan kok." My answer.

"How will you get into the house? It was in the lock."

"I just remembered that the key is usually under the pot next to it not the pot that was it."

"Oh okay." Answer Brief arcs.

Lucky today the streets are not as chaotic as usual. Still quite crowded indeed, just not to get stuck like the previous days. I enjoy the night air of Jakarta which is not as cold as the night wind in my city. I looked at the passing vehicles around us. Jakarta looks more beautiful at night. When viewed from a height, the lights from these various sources look like a collection of stars.

***

I'm looking for a bunch of keys that were put under this big pot. As usual, Arka was still waiting there before I came in. Bingo! I'm getting. I can't wait to enter the palace that is so magnificent for me, then drop myself on the soft mattress that is waiting for me at this time.

I opened the gate and then locked it back up after I was inside. I walked towards the front door, but my steps stopped instantly as I felt like I had forgotten something. I turned my body around. Lucky the guy was still there.

"Well... Be careful on the road." I said while waving my hand.

I almost forgot about Arka for being too excited to rest.

"The chain forgot." Reply with a smile.

"Almost..."

"Judah I'm back. Happy resting, princess."

I smiled broadly with happy eyes that were hard to interpret.

***

Unfortunately I just remembered one thing, if there's still a lot of work to do before going to bed. I patted my eel.

"Come on, I'm sleepy. Can't I postpone it tomorrow?" I complain to myself.

I walked to the washing machine. My spirit just disappeared. I still have to wash my soaked school uniform earlier, and of course clean my shoes that I can't guess anymore.

While waiting for the washing machine to do its job automatically, I began to wash my shoes. Looks like it won't dry up tonight. Fortunately I have two sets of white-gray uniforms that I wear alternately every other day. But what about my shoes.

My break time should be cut by a few minutes or maybe even a few hours because I have to finish this job. Oh my...

I sat for a while on the dining table. I need to rest my body for a moment. I let out a long sigh while trying to brainwash how to dry my shoes for tomorrow. My head wants to break. Not to mention added with my eyes that want to immediately closed and can not wait any longer.

Suddenly I remembered one cartoon. You must be familiar with the character of Upin Ipin who never grew up. I remember one of the scenes, when the twins were confused about how to dry their shoes when it was raining. And her grandmother told them to put it on the back of the fridge.

I innocently ran to pick up my shoes that were on the drain for me to put them behind the refrigerator. I hope it works, for now I'm completely out of my mind and that's all that goes through my mind for now.

***

Finally all my work is done and I can go to sleep soon. I climbed up the stairs leading to the room with helpless steps. My eyes are really heavy. I dragged my bag with one hand.

I opened the door and closed it a little hard and made the things around it vibrate slowly. I tossed my bag in all directions and knocked my body down on the bed that was waiting for me.

I immediately fell asleep in an unfounded position at that time. I even slept without a blanket that night. Really exhausting day. Good night my soul, happy rest.

***

"Kringg!!!!"

Where is this loud voice from? Damnit damnit! I forgot to set my alarm. And now it's still ringing at the same hour as yesterday. I sat in my body position.

"Arghh! Wearing forgot to set the alarm all over again!" My grouse.

It's still four in the morning. It feels so hard to continue sleeping.

"If I go to bed later, how late?" My mind is in my heart.

I am considering this decision once again. And in the end I decided to just wake up. I quickly got out of bed and cleaned it up. Then with a forced step I went to the bathroom.

***

I came out of the bathroom in a full uniform and a towel still wrapped around my head. I circulated my gaze, looking for the whereabouts of the bag I just threw away last night.

"Ah? Get there?" My speech.

I approached my bag, which was in the corner of the room. Then take my phone from inside.

"Ciah, lowbat." I'm clucking bitterly.

No wonder my phone is lowbat, because last night I forgot to recharge it and went to sleep. I reached into my desk drawer to find the charger cable.

I took out everything last night that was in my bag.

"Stop!!!"

It was like the sound of solid metal falling onto the floor. I lowered my gaze to look for what that thing was.

That's my medal, I immediately picked it up from the floor. I looked around me, trying to find the right place for me to put this precious thing.

"Where are you trying?" I ask myself.

I decided to display it later on the wall next to my study desk. I'll stop by the material store near the school for a few nails. In the meantime, I'll put this thing in the drawer first.

I picked up a few textbooks today, after which put them together in my bag. Sometimes I also make sure that no one is left behind. It could be me, if it happens.

I dry my hair with a hairdryer, then fly it with a hair tie. I pulled my phone out of the socket and put it in the bag then immediately went downstairs.

I intentionally slowed down my path, even slowing down everything I did before. I was deliberately stalling, because I thought it was too early to go to school and I didn't have to rush.

I opened the fridge, trying to find leftovers there. I wish my aunt would have left me a little to eat, but it wasn't at all. I was heavy.

I turned my eyeballs towards the dining table.

"Thank God." I'm relieved.

I finally found a fruit basket there. Even if it was just an apple and a banana, at least it was enough to prop up my stomach.

I had breakfast with bananas which was not very filling for me. I just remembered if the milk box had run out, and yesterday was the last one.

I checked all my books again before leaving. I made sure that all my work was done. After that I went to school on foot.

***

I glanced at my watch.

"It's still six past twenty." My speech.

In hindsight, the distance from my home to school was quite far. Taking the bus will take about twenty minutes. Maybe if you walk, it will take twice as much time. That means if I leave now, then I will arrive at school at exactly seven. It was still fifteen minutes earlier than the school entrance hour which was seven past fifteen minutes. I finally decided to walk. Sports counting anyway. I made sure once again that I had completely locked all the doors, including the gate before I left. I left the keys in the usual place, who knows auntie will be home later in the afternoon if she needs anything.

***

I put my bag rough on the table, making Stefani surprised instead of playing.

"Why the hell lo?" Ask Stefani wonder.

I looked at him with cynical eyes.

"Cock tumben really come at this hour? What ramblings?" Reciprocity.

I set my breath on an irregular hunt. I took a deep breath and then exhaled it.

"So gini ya stef, yesterday I nyampe the house of malem."

"For a long time, yesterday I saw the Olympic children coming home before lunch. How'd you get to night?" He said while playing his nails.

"Yesterday my grandmother got sick so yeah I went to the hospital with Arka."

"What sick grandmother? How are things now."

"His blood sugar dropped. No matter what, too."

"Keep up and what?"

"Where's what?"

"Yes continue the story of lo who came home from the mallem earlier."

"Oh, that... Okay. So I came home last night. Well the afternoon was testing deres, so I had to wash the same clothes shoes again dong. I swear my eyes can't stand it anymore. And after everything was done, I went to bed without caring about anything, including the alarm." Clearly in detail.

"the alarm? Why the same alarm?"

"So yesterday I set the alarm at four o'clock in the morning because I want the Olympics and I have to hurry. Last night I forgot the reset was the alarm and the sound of the clock was like that again dong."

"Four o'clock in the morning?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"Keep your wake up dong."

"Yes that. And I don't want to wake up. If you sleep again I can say noon."

"Gue kirain why. Pantsan aja lo datengnya cepet bener."

"Once in a while I want to be an exemplary student too."

"Keep you here on what? Is the bus around?"

"Yes there is. I'll leave at six o'clock by the minute."

"Yes, you keep getting on the bus?"

"No." Answer's short.

"Continue?"

"Keep on! Go on foot! Don't see if I've been bored."

"Look, I've been working in Indonesian."

"Yes, that task is done."

"Udah. Why?"

"Temenin to the canteen yuk."

"Buset ni anak, early in the morning already to the canteen. That's what a snotty stomach is."

"Don't talk a lot. I haven't had breakfast since this morning, just eating a banana. It's a walk again. Good thing I didn't faint in the middle of the road."

"Yes it's your fault."

"Udah dehok hunted. It's a laper." I pulled Stefani's arm so she'd get out of her seat.

***

"Bak, the bread is three packs. The mineral water is one." My word.

"okay." The mother then put all my orders in the scraped plastic because it was too much for me to hold.

"Buset, you don't eat breakfast or not eat a year?" Stefani Ledek.

"Here it is, it will be ten thousand." He said while giving a plastic package.

"This is the money right." I paid for it immediately and then went back to class to eat all this.

"It's for you." I gave Stefani a packet of bread I bought earlier.

"Make me?"

"No, make security noh. Kasiin gih."

"That's really sha."

"Yes to you. Who else to do. Must not have had breakfast, right?"

"Do you know sha? Don't you want me to stay at the hotel, huh?"

"Dwelling... How unfortunate. I think less work. Have you ever had breakfast at school? Don't you? Yaudah is eating."

"Oh, yes. Forgot, hehe..."

We ate our breakfast which was very simple in class. Slowly the room began to fill up as time passed and the sun began to reveal itself.

***

"Teens... Teng... Teng..."

The bell sign that the first lesson hour will begin soon has echoed throughout the school.

"Well... Miss Sarah." Stefani.

Ms. Sarah is a math teacher who is classified as a killer at this school. Moreover, he likes to have his students do the problem suddenly on the board without prior notice. It succeeded in making the entire class die of fear, unable to dwell in the slightest.

"Good morning, kids." Sapa Ms. Sarah who entered the classroom with a long ruler that she always carries everywhere.

Me and the rest of the students were trying to be calm at a time when overwhelming fear was testing our adrenaline.

"Dead us sha." Bisik Stefani slowly.

I just swallowed my salivary while still continuing to stare straight ahead.

"Alright, let's continue the lesson from yesterday." He said in front of the class.

I opened the last piece of material I wrote.

"Geez!" Sarah from the front.

"I'm mom." I reply with a racing heart condition.

"Going forward, solve the following trigonometry problem."

The deadly sentence was just thrown from the lips hinted at Ms. Sarah.

"Dead me this time." My mind is in my heart.

I think today was really shit. Misadventures come to me in succession without stopping.

With a determined and hopeful step, I stepped forward to the front of the class.

"Well, you can copy it on the board." Said Miss Sarah.

My hand clasped tightly onto the marker that was ready to write down the death figures.

"If it is known that the alpha sine is equal to two thirds, and that angle is in the second quadrant, then determine the alpha tangent." Miss Sarah read it.

I finished copying the matter just after Miss Sarah finished reading the subject. I read it again in my heart carefully.

"Sinus is equal to the front side per oblique side. That means I have to find the side by using the formula phytagoras." My muttering.

I began to incise the series of numbers one by one carefully. Nothing can go wrong in the least.

"Two per five roots at times five roots per five roots what is it? Had me dead." My mind is in my heart.

I closed my eyes hard, trying to think hard to find the answer.

"Minus two-fifths of roots five times huh?" Guess me at origin.

My brain can't count any further. I've been completely resigned if I'm going to be the victim of this math teacher's cruelty this one time. With mixed feelings, I wrote down the answer.

"It's mom." My speech.

Miss Sarah confirmed the glasses. His eyes shone fixed to the blackboard. Corrected the answer I just wrote. His forehead frowned suddenly, and it succeeded in making me panic even more.

"Yes, please sit." Said Ms. Sarah clearly.

I couldn't believe what he said just now. Though the end result I answered arbitrarily.

"Let's sit down."

"Eh, yes, ma'am." I put the marker back into place and then I screwed it over to my seat.

I can finally breathe.

"It turns out that your brain is also thin. The same dating effect Arka ya gini, mostly in the same figure you eat him. It's what I said at that time, it's not in vain you're dating Arka." Bisik Stefani's.