Love Across the Road

Daniarto's Big Dream

In my life, there are three big dreams that I'm working on.

Go to heaven with family.

Become a great lawyer at one of the foreign law firms.

Building a family of Sakinah, mawadah, warahmah with Meliana.

Although my mother did not approve of my double number dreams and did not know my number three dreams. But I'm confident I can make all my dreams come true, later in time.

Actually my mother agreed more with my neighbor's advice that I focus on the culinary business that I now live, which is to be a traveling meatball.

No wonder actually, because I am one of the most successful meatballs in the village, which already has two carts, one is used by me, the other is used by the Kolay friend and my employee.

I realized very well that later I have to study abroad, it means I have to give up the meatball business that has been supporting my family for the last three years. Yes, I am the backbone of the family. My father can no longer work in the workshop because of heart disease he suffered.

Still stuck in my head three years ago when I was in third grade Junior High. At that time my spirit was almost broken, my future was almost deadlocked.

At that time I was reading IPA books because tomorrow morning there is a daily review. But mother suddenly approached me with a shabby face.

"Nar," Mother called me with a trembling voice and glaring eyes.

"Yes, Mom?" I looked at him with a face full of questions.

"It's not because my mom is not dear. But it's urgent, son."

I don't understand what Mom's saying.

"meaning?"

"Get out, son, meet your uncle first."

Despite the doubt, I kept getting out of the chair. Followed my mother to the television room where my uncle was.

"Nad!" swipe with his trademark wide smile, the tip of the mustache that is pointing upwards becomes his trademark.

"Sit down, Nar!" mother's Decree.

I said, sitting next to Uncle Wawan.

"From tomorrow, you don't have to go to school, you join the uncle on the project," Uncle spoke so lightly as if it was a very trivial thing.

It was like being struck by lightning when I heard that phrase coming out of my uncle's mouth. I'm sad not to play. I love school, I love to study, I love to exchange ideas with my teachers and friends. And when my uncle lightly said that I should quit school, my world was devastated.

"No! Danar doesn't want to!" reject me.

It's not that I don't love my mother, it's not that I don't understand the situation. I know that my mother has tried to work anything. But I also can't imagine how to live my life without school.

"Nar, you see your father!" My mother pointed to the father who was lying weakly in bed. "Father is sick, Nar. I've struggled, but not enough, it's all for nothing. We fought together for his recovery."

My tears melted at that moment. I know, for the size of a boy, I was too whiny at the time.

With rage erupting, I ignored my mother's words. I got up from sitting, without saying a word I left the house barefooted.

My footsteps took me to the Mang Aep coffee shop which happened to be quiet. Too dead-end my head back then, only this place crossed my head.

"Wes, boy want some milk coffee?" tanyakanya. I did not answer, instead sitting on a long wooden bench with empty eyes.

"I want to go to school, Mang." My eyes looked forward, I don't know what I saw. My mind was empty at the time.

"Sabar boy, it's still night, wait for tomorrow morning."

Mang Aep with a curious face sitting beside me, our faces are now only 10 Sends away.

"What do you mean, boy?"

I rubbed my face with my right hand. "Father of Mang's pain,"

"Had known to me that, yesterday I would have come to your house with bread."

"The cost of treatment is expensive, mother is not able to Mang. Danar has to work."

Mang Aep flicked a finger with a face twinkling. "They have a solution, boy!"

I stared at Mang Aep's face lazily. At best just a ridiculous solution doesn't make any sense.

"Amang has an acquaintance with his meatball boss now. You can still go to school in the morning and be a traveling meatball at night, so your school is not interrupted, boy. Money's good too, Boy."

"What time is mang?" I stared at Mang Aep's face.

"Remove your tears boy. Missing your male aura!" reproofing.

I rubbed my tears and snot that had spilled almost all over my face.

"I want to, Mang. Register me, Mang!" I said kind of begging.

"Eitt! So the meatball is not easy, boy! You should be able to concoct good seasonings."

My head glazed over, imagining the hand of the savvy meatballer concocting the seasoning into a bowl. Alah, just salt, micin powder, vinegar, soy sauce, sausage, keep giving fried onions a lot. The Indonesians would love it.

"That's it, Mang!" I said with confidence.

"Not just that, you have to hold on. If it rains–"

"Can, Mang!" About hardiness, nothing can beat the determination of a Danar Daniarto.

"One more. Here," Mang Aep patted my upper arm, "strong, push the wagon?"

"Be strong, that's small!" I said, a little offended.

Mang Aep smiled widely. "Good boy! Congratulations, you passed the initial interview." He shook my hand with a proud face. Just for information, Mang Aep is a Law Scholar who became HRD staff in one of the large companies. But unfortunately, he repeatedly proposed but always failed and was rejected. Between his educational background and his ideals alone is somewhat disconnected. And finally ida decided to turn the steering wheel into a coffee maker.

"Tomorrow Amang take you to Amang's friend's house."

The first day of being a meatball is not easy. I swear, I felt so embarrassed especially when one of my school friends bought me meatballs, I felt like I had no face.

But it all feels good when the money fills my cart drawer. It's true people say, money can buy everything including my prestige.

There was one day, I remember very well it was the 5th day I was selling. A decision I am very grateful for, which is to decide to sell meatballs to residential areas.

"Mang, buy the meatballs one yes. Do not use sausage, do not use vinegar, use sambel aka keep a lot of soy sauce. " I was transfixed when I heard a soft voice greet my hearing, and a beautiful, smooth hand placed the bowl of a rooster on my wagon. My heart was also visceral at the time.

"Why, how did it go?"

"Eh, yes." I began to mix meatballs slowly.

"Now" I turned around to give her a bowl of meatballs. Oh my God, this is bad. Her face was very pretty, especially her brilliant eyes made me get lost inside there.

"What's the matter, anyway?" Meliana frowned, looking at my hand that was shaking until a few drops of meatball sauce in the bowl dripped onto the ground.

"Snack."

And at that moment I decided that this housing was my trade route.