Malay Romance Zaman Now
27. Innocent
Check Molek just got home from Pasar 26 ilir.
“Nak, in the market there is a sweet shop that again needs employees.”
Rama shrinks the volume of TV sound. “Culy, Mom?”
“Yes, be, Ram, at least to find your pocket money. From idle.”
“Weight nian gawaian it, Bu.”
“Watch fish want? There's a friend of Mom who offered me that gawaian. You cut fish the most.”
“Mother. Mada’i give the gawaian to Rama?”
“Ya already, tomorrow morning follow Mom to market.”
***
The beautiful twilight. Right in front of Vio and Dita right now was a stretch of artificial lake. This afternoon they went to a place they had visited a few months ago.
“Say you want to answer now, Dit.”
“Why the hell can you love me? What the hell is more of me?”
“Dit, you are more beautiful than what I see now.”
“Subscribe.”
“Serious. Nianlah. I want more than just friends, Dit.”
“But why can?” Dita has already acknowledged Vio's achievement. It's even over target. Usual wearing belts, not anymore. Usual wear S size t-shirt, now it's L. Usually wearing socks, now Dita sees only shoes and a few strands of foot hair. Vio's cheeks are pudgy. But the fat isn't good. More fat than muscle.
“Vio, I can't answer now. Later finished homecoming and already in Palembang again I can answer.”
“Later I'm skinny again, Dit. So minds. Trouble with three months, uh three days without you and this miciri, my weight can be fifty again.”
“How heavy are you now?”
“Seventy.”
“I'm just asking for weight, Ugly. Dak includes sin weight.”
Dita felt the rough hand trying to hold her hand.
“How long have you been a building coolie, ha?”
“I dak nguli.”
“Aih, especially if you care yeh?”
“Dit,” said Vio gently,“if you want to be my girlfriend, come on! If you don't want to, watch out!”
“Max?”
“Full soul and body. “
“Just after I came home just given the answer.”
The roar of wind brought Vio's hope and love into two weeks' time.
***
His mother was outside, ready to lock the door.
“Good little clothes of yours, son. Try wearing a cocoa shirt, or a shirt, don't wear a black shirt. Pants too, look for the narrow dak.”
“Rama don't have loose pants, Mom. There, but Mr.”'s pants
“Wear Dad's pants there.”
Rama came in and changed his clothes. Exactly when he visited Masayu's house the other day.
“Well, fat see it. You're so cute, Ram.”
Fitting on Jalan Merdeka, they turned around. Kampung Sekanak directly opposite 26 Ilir. Around the archway there are rickshaws lined up. On the street around Pasar 26 lined up shops that sell pempek. Jupiter MX was stopped in front of the pempek store where Chek Molek worked.
“You wait here.”
Rama sat on his bike. In the shop, Chek Molek talks to Khadijah, the shop owner. “So delivered my bachelor son, Cheque. Raden Rama, now again in the parking lot.”
“A month ago someone wanted to propose to Nyayu. Son of an entrepreneur. He said, open the car showroom at Veteran.”
“Cek reject?”
“Yes. Because it is not a Palembang bujang, it seems to be from Jakarta.”
“So already frequent Cheques Khadijah and Mang Cik Bastiar reject applications people?”
“Yes, Check Molek. It was all because we felt the dak fit. Nyayu is the youngest of five children. We do not want him to be the same fate as the number two, ayuk*nya, Ajeng, although married to the son of a rich man, but there is no Palembang lineage. My first child is a bujang. His name is Masagus Kurniawan, the same marriage of the girl who lives in Stairway Buntung. The number three single also, Masagus Ramadhan, married the same girl whose house in Satu Ilir. Now he just bought a house there. Thank God, my son works at PT Pusri. Their home is not far from work,” beber Khadijah.
While the fourth is also a bachelor, already married as well. His son's name is Masagus Oktariasnyah. “There are many Palembang people who live in Four Ulu.”
Chek Molek nodded in disdain to listen to Khadija's explanation. “So just stay Nyayu yeh Cheque who has not married. How was his lecture at Raden Fatah, Cek?”
“Newly finished the test he.”
A pink anderok can be seen from behind the door. Her footsteps are so graceful. Slowly, because his roosters protrude through the eyes of the feet. He was wearing a white shirt, no motifs or patterns. Looks simple. Check Molek already know and know him because almost every day meet and talk. His smile became a silent greeting.
“Nyayu, in front of his son Chek Molek. A book often told. Would you like to meet him?”
“Don't now, Mom. Shy.”
“Mada’i is neat like this, but never met Raden?”
“Bu..., tomorrow-tomorrow only the finder.”
“Come, Son. There is not necessarily a tomorrow as it is today.”
Because it continues to be forced by his mother, Nyayu finally obeyed his mother's will. But on the condition that Rama approaches. She's not. So Chek Molek came out and met with the dreamy Rama.
“Rama, let's go in first, Nak.”
Khadijah said, “Hinyayu, get a plate of pempek for his son Chek Molek. Just mix it up.”
He passed through Rama. The road was so low that he did not see Rama. Taking plates. Then put some pempek on the plate. Oh yeah, he likes boiled pempek.
Rama saw the bottle containing the shop. That's all he sees. Then suddenly his eyes caught the pink anderok stick that just passed him. Now highlighted the beautiful swing of the move. His head slowly looked up and his eyes slightly rose. Then his eyes fell on the girl's face. Oh, his nose is pointed at the indigenous class. Oh, his eyes are shady and melancholic. Oh, his cheeks are flat. Oh, her face is pure. Oh, innocent's look.
Nyayu's cracking the plate. Nyayu quickly turned around and left Rama. Rama immediately stopped this madness because the scent of pempek made him sniff. Pempek fry, it's warm! He gulped because he had not eaten for several days. A day not eating pempek, for Rama, is the same as not being in Palembang.
It seems Nyayu is serving the buyer. He noticed every gentle hand move. But Rama can only catch a thin body and fat neither, and is able to watch the pink veil that also covers the shoulders. Rama could not catch his face anymore. Ah, apparently he imagines, imagining Masayu already wants to wear a veil like Nyayu.
Khadijah standing nearby, “Do not hesitate, Raden, eat.”
“Iya, Cheque.” Rama threw another smile. Slowly he took a fork and struck the pempek lenger. There is a cocoa sauce in a small red bowl. Dyed-pempeknya pempek it in the shop, then. Keep repeating, until the third.
Khadijah approached Nyayu and whispered. It seemed Nyayu was shaking and pouting. Rama was not able to hear the conversation clearly because it was swallowed by the sound of the conversation of other pempek connoisseurs. Moreover, there are three “cabe-cabean” girls who are eating. Pempek only order one portion, but the ingredients are a lot. It was as if there was an estate talking in their mouths.
“Let Mother bae serve wong-wong.”
Nyayu mangosteen. Bujang who was enjoying the seventh pempek was surprised because the girl who had been observed secretly was now right in front of the seeds of his eyes. Stuck a lump of egg pempek in his throat. Unfortunately, the shop that he had inhaled was now attached and parked in the esophagus. Then there was Ramah. He hiccups. Soon he took a kettle filled with water. And unfortunately, there's no glass on the table.
“Let me take it. Wait, Rrr.
Suddenly Rama gulped until sekonyong pempek and shop in his throat sauntered casually and let’s go to the hull. He held her neck while breathing. He saw Nyayu walking towards him while carrying a glass.
“It...”.
“Still.”
He immediately poured water from the kettle into the glass and downed it. “You know my name?”
“Cek Molek tell.”
And Rama saw a new smile rising from Nyayu. Oh, her lips are blushing. Oh, her flat-cheeked dimples are teasing. Oh, that mole on the lips. Oh, his thick, curvy eyebrows. Oh, his Malay face.
But the greeting of the introduction from Nyayu made his heart more stirred. “I Nyayu Anandita.”
Oh, the Palembang people mean.
Without greeting in the form of a handshake because Nyayu knows not to touch hands that are not his muhram. “Stop pempeknya.”
Rama counting. There are eight more. There's no way he's going to gobble it all up. For a moment they talked until Adzan Zuhur reverberated.
“I want to pray first. Don't forget, Raden.”
The pink anderok was no longer visible from behind the door.
