Play your guitar Sophie
A Letter
“You're not the same Nando ?”
“There is outside, again the same Frans,” said Dede sat on my bed.
“Tell me now what is it ?” ask Dede softly. He's not usually soft like this.
I became moved. My best friend was willing to cut her courtship time for me.
“Kok so cry anyway Soph ?” said Dede worried. I was crying harder. It feels like the confusion I've been having all morning is overflowing.
“Diem dong ah. What the hell is ?”
“Tengkyu you want to come here, hu .. hu ...,”
“One more time you cry, I come home !” said Dede with his explosive style that arrived – just arrived I missed. Then still with sobbing I pointed to ‘something’ from Hardin who was still lying under my bed, next to Fernando.
“Maling ... night ... night,” said Fernando.
“Fernando says what the hell is Soph ?”
I wiped my eyes and told Dede everything from me hitting the pool yesterday to Fernando's words I finally understood when I saw Hardin dropping them on the little road beside the garden apples.
“Then what's the problem ?”
“You remember khan, what did Nando write when he did the same thing to you back then ?”
Dede was silent for a moment. “Nando go. he doesn't show up again,”
“I'm afraid Hardin wrote the same thing,” my eyes glazed – glass again.
“That time was different Sophie. Back then I also liked him,” Dede was silent for a while like realizing something, “Yak geez …. You fell in love well ?” said Dede with sparkling eyes – binar. “My best friend has found his soul mate. The four of us can update together,”
“Ngawur. How can I fall in love ? I paused while questioning myself whether I was in love or liked or sympathetic or had a crush or what on Hardin. But one thing I always remember is that I always wanted to just look at her face when she walked in haste – days when I closed my bedroom window. As if – would, the most interesting part I waited for all day of my life was to close my bedroom window after practicing guitar and find Hardin there with a smiling face. Then am I in love ?
“If he's right – is right go how ?” sahutku later.
“Ah .. Yes well. Hence Soph, first opened ‘something’nya. What if you don't open it ? How can you know what it is ?” Dede spoke in her old pretentious tone.
“I don't think De !!! Why not know – knows anyway ?” i said sebel.
“OK Deh …. Since you are my best friend Soph. I will do this for you,” said Dede.
Fernando took another ‘something’ from the floor with his beak then put it in Dede's hands. Dede swipe ‘something’ it slowly – slowly. He looked at the face and back.
“What's the writing ?” I looked at Dede worriedly.
“Nothing – what. It was written by Sophie from Hardin. It is very tacky anyway, this time there are still aja who use this way,”
“Iya .. I know that tacky. But cepet dong see what it contains ?”
“Shortly ..., not very impatient,” Dede then silent as his hands open the envelope lid. From inside, he took out a neatly folded paper.
“Nih,” said Dede while thrusting at me the paper that was still folded neatly.
“Yah bukain dong De, keep reading. Cook just like that don't dare ?”
“Open it yourself if you dare !” Dede sewot's.
“I dare not !” I said loud.
“Me too,” says Dede no less harsh.
“Nona – miss, what is it ?” my grandmother's voice came from outside the room.
“Gak pa – pa Nek,” I said. We both sat limp against the harmless paper.
“I have an idea,” said Dede. “I open one side, you open the other side. How ? Fair isn't ?”
I nodded in agreement. Dede opened one side with his right hand. The paper was folded into three parts. There's only one part I have to open so we can both see what's inside.
“Come Soph,”
I shook weakly.
“Sophie, this isn't for me. It's for you. If you don't dare, mending I go dating again with Nando !”
I always hear you singing from your room. Maybe you find it strange to see me walking down the little street near the apple orchard next to your room every night. I'm sorry that you're distracted, but I really enjoy the song you're playing. I never came to Toebroek to hear you sing. Afraid to get nervous when you meet. Said people, your voice is right – is really good. And I know they're not wrong.
Hardins
“He was the apple thief you told me about the other day khan ?”
I'm nodding.
“You said he was cute,”
“Indeed,”
“Continue you like ?”
“Not because he's cute,” I replied.
“Why ?”
“I don't know,”
Dede sighed again. “Ok. No one knows where love comes from. So now you want to do ?”
“Do not know I De,”
“You must reply Sophie,” Dede said.
“But how should I deliver it? If I have written a reply letter then how ngrimnya?” I asked panic. I imagined every problem I had to face. Why didn't he just send WA? Easy right?
“It's been a problem send mail we leave it to Fernando only.”
“Hah, Fernando?”
“Yes, unless you want to resist the embarrassment of giving the letter directly to him. How?”
I was silent to Dede's words. Right too. That parrot from now on should do as I ask. I no longer want to be treated as just a corn-taker chick.
Fernando tried to run from my room. He knew that there was a hard task he had to do.
“Eit, not as fast as that naughty parrot!” I said while catching his tail. Fernando thrashed – thrones sambiul said, “Release ... release ...,” kinds of birds who want to be persecuted.
Dede grimacing. “Fernando is so much Soph?!”
“Yes, that's it. You naughty bird,” I nodded Fernando to my face while kissing his beak. The bad bird could not escape anymore.
“Now, you reply to that letter!”
“How do I Dede?”
“You grab a ballpoint pen, and then you write it on paper. Can't cook it? Write Sophie .. write ..”
“Yes, but I never wrote a letter before. At best I wrote an official letter in Indonesian lessons. In this day and age why should he send a letter? Why not WA?”
“It is nulis. Write what is in your heart. Say thank you because he wants to send a letter to you. express your feelings, give the green light but do not get nervous. Remember, guys should chase girls, not the other way around.”
I don't know how to reply with the right word – words. Which is not tacky but gives a green light.
“How De ?”
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Check out other stories written by Eveningtea81 in Noveltoon
1. Play your guitar, Sophie
2. The Sun Becomes a Star
