Romance In Makara Orange

Take Something in Stride

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The Metropolitan Mall weekend is always packed with visitors. For a long time he had not set foot in one of the entertainment centers in Bekasi City. Vira still faithfully sits in the ashes of an old Vespa belonging to Kosa, down the driveway in the basement in search of empty parking.

When I got to the restaurant where the meeting with the Papah children, Kosa whispered softly “Abang to the bookstore yes, later when it is finished, chat Abang aja where, where, let Brother Samperin Vira.”

Vira nodded without answering. He was still hesitant to indulge with Kosa because of the events earlier. Vira stepped inside without looking back at Kosa.

Vira's gaze led to a square table consisting of six seats in a corner bordering a brown wooden partition. There were Papah, Natha, Mirna, and two boys who were waiting.

With a smile, Papah waved his hand for Vira to head there immediately.

Kissed the back of a middle-aged man's hand with a little moustache and a gray-white beard. The bandage in her hair also seemed evenly present on the sidelines of her fading black hair.

“Sorry too late Pah, was a long time looking for parking.”

“Long Pah, the previous fight with her boyfriend,” Mirna interrupted while singing her lips.

“Issh what the heck Mir, silence!” vira is upset.

Vira takes the empty seats available in the line of Natha and Mirna. Right in front of him, sat a tall teenage boy with a Papah facial line especially when young. The facial lines are also printed on her three daughters. On the right it looks like the youngest. The boy seems to still be sitting in the first high school. His face is not very Papah-like, probably taking more of his mother's genes.

Papah introduces his big son with the name Raditya who sits in the first grade of high school and the youngest Reza who is still in the first grade of the first advanced school. Neither Natha, Vira, nor Mirna seemed too enthusiastic about this introduction. Both of Papah's boys also looked the same, more silent and occasionally looking at his phone.

“Papah wants you to get to know each other. You brothers, someday can help each other.”

“Why does Papah know him now anyway? It's this big too. How old are you eh, what was his name?” natha asked looking at Raditya. Natha's voice grew slightly higher but remained calm.

“Radit, Brother!”

“You're seventeen years old right?” ask Natha back.

“Sixteen Sister!” raditya answered quickly in response to Natha's question.

“Yeah, as long as Papah hides Papah's son from us. How many years is Pah from Mirna? Three years ago Pah!” natha said with a little bit of elevated intonation.

Smiling papah. It seemed like it was ready if her daughters would ask a lot of things related to this matter.

“Pah, why if we go home, Papah is always not there. Once I met even like this. Meet your own parents koq use any agreement,” sergeant Mirna.

No time the man called Papah replied, two waiters in brown uniforms came to bring various foods and serve on the table.

“We eat first yes, only later we chat about everything. I promise I will answer everything you ask!”

The middle-aged man was well aware that his entire child loved to eat. His first wife did spoil the family with her cooking. No wonder if the girls are used to eating well with large portions. While his second wife is not good at cooking, there are assistants who cook for his two growing sons. The man looked at all his children with a smile.

The atmosphere in this meeting was not as expected, although not as he feared. None of her children were enthusiastic about getting to know each other. But at least, this middle-aged man was grateful that his children were still willing to come and meet. The fear that was approaching for almost eighteen years slowly began to erode. The mother of her daughters already knew and accepted this situation. His children did not refuse to meet. He hopes everything will be better in the future.

“Mir, that's his sesame sauce chicken moved in here Mir. This is the Pokchoy, off the plate. Papah want the chicken? Radit same as Reza?” tawar Vira when he realized it seemed like everything was so good to eat oriental dishes that are served at this table.

“Kak Vira is okay to eat this much? Will not eat again Kak Kosa?” suddenly Mirna reminded.

“Please Mir, Vira has her stomach as wide as the Indian Ocean,” timpal Natha with full mouth.

“You know, Nath, we are all the same descendants. Equally moody and strong eat,” reply Vira.

“Radit same Reza likes oriental food like gini?” tanya Vira broke the silence of the two Papah boys.

“Eh, yes Brother,” replied Radit short. Reza the younger brother just nodded.

“Mamah you like to cook kayak gini too,” asked Vira again trying to find out how to extend the conversation so as not to get bored.

“Hhmm, never Sister, Mother does not like to cook but Dad often invite us to eat outside,” Radit replied.

“Ooh call Daddy Mother huh? Not Papah Mamah?” ask Mirna.

“Eh, yes Kak,” replied Radit again with a plan that makes Vira feel that these two other brothers are different mothers are the type of shy men.

“Rez, koq no sound? Do not be afraid of your sisters. They look fierce but are actually kind,” Papah told his youngest son who only nodded in response.

Only pleasantries were spoken to each other as long as they ate the dish. Neither Natha, Vira, nor Mirna understood that meeting these half-sisters was not for attacking, insinuating, or inconveniencing each other. The three realized that these two younger brothers seemed so vulnerable and insecure about facing them. They are only children who are forced to accept the situation that happens to their parents.

Natha, Vira, and Mirna did not even ask the reason why Papah married again. Though that question that they had planned to ask right in front of his two half-sisters.

Mamah did tell that the reason Papah married again was because he wanted a male offspring. As a man of the Minang Tribe who married women not Minang certainly can not continue the family name but as a follower of his religion today, of course the descendants of men who will continue the family name. Such patriarchal reasons are indeed a frightening specter for women to marry despite modern times like this.

None of them took the initiative to exchange mobile numbers so that the friendship among the Papah children continued. No one spoke the words until they met again when they were separated. Only Natha then approached Papah and then spoke in a soft tone. “Pah, Natha would like to see Papah's second wife. The three of us but not the same Papah.”

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Natha and Mirna decide to go to the supermarket to buy some fruit and order Mamah before returning home.

“Nath, I nitip buyin yellow watermelon yes! Kosa ngajak watch, like running around watching eleven o'clock at night. So it is impossible to return to Depok, surely my boarding house has been padlocked the same Aunt. So don't lock it up! Kosa will also stay at home. It's okay Nath, sleeping on the sofa in front of tivi koq!”

“Yes is okay anyway, as long as not brought into the kayak room yesterday,” said Natha half insinuated.

“Eh, who did Brother Vira bring into his room?” tukas Mirna curious.

“What the heck are you two, ah ah!” elak Vira's.

“Truly Sister Vira entered the guy into her room? Issh really, Sister Vira, what a terrible behavior!” mirna said that made Vira even more upset.

Natha immediately gave the code to Mirna. “Already Mir, ntar I told at home! Don't look for a fuss here.”

Vira sighed in annoyance. I don't know why today he was so easily provoked by emotions. It felt like pinching Mirna who was looking at him with a strange look.

“When to Depok?” ask Natha.

“Besok Nath's. Maybe a bit of a shame about all of you want to pack clothes. Starting Monday, I have entered UTS week, and I have a South Asian exam before going to Jogja,” explained Vira.

“So there. Where's the same Sin agreement? A bookstore? Poor kids, have not eaten like, already want to pass lunch.”

Vira nodded and then walked quickly towards the escalator towards the third floor where the bookstore was located.

Vira finds Kosa reading Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography in the aisles of social and political books. It is not hearty to leave Kosa without news and certainly hungry because Kosa has promised to have lunch with Vira.

“Abang,” call Vira slowly so as not to surprise the surrounding people who are so overwhelmed with books in his hands.

“Eh Vir, done yet? How's meeting? You guys know each other already? Vira is full or still hungry?” ask Kosa streak with soft tone.

I don't know why the anger and annoyance that originally remained now disappeared. His affection for this man reappeared. A faithful man awaits him. The man who asked Vira's situation first than himself. Vira smiled with a loving look at Kosa.

“Abang hungry? Yuk, we're eating. Vira buy it! What do you want to eat?”

“Anything is up to Vira. Means still hungry dong?” ask Kosa while laughing. Touching the tip of Vira's nose with her right index finger makes Vira frown.

The time has shown at three o'clock, already past lunchtime. It is not too difficult to get an empty seat at the restaurant they are heading to. A restaurant serving pasta and pizza is a choice for Kosa and Vira. Regular pizza with toppings for meat and cheese lovers, a serving of lasagna, bruschetta, salad, and cola. Not too much, enough to eat both. But not much for Vira just the opposite for Kosa. The young man was always inexhaustible with Vira's appetite which was completely different from most girls he knew.

“So how was that? Glad to have another sister. How old is Vir?” ask Kosa while nibbling on a piece of bruschetta with a topping of minced beef and corn that blends with a melted mozzarella cheese.

“If not wrong that big name Raditya, age is still sixteen years and the youngest is Reza, still first class Junior High, means age thirteen.”

“Means her age is far too under Mirna huh? How old is Mirna Vir? Eighteen huh?”

“Iya. Why did you ask Mirna's age?”

“Abang does not mean to be pretentious about this problem, but maybe the reason Papah Vira married again because he wanted to have a male offspring. At least remarry after Mirna was born,” Kosa said.

“Eh, Brother's guess is decent too. Mama also said that's the reason. When Mirna was born, Mamah said she did not want to have any more children, so immediately make your own decision to be sterilized. Papah disagreed and was angry but that was it, he got married again. Wonder why men want to have a boy. Don't know!” vira.

“Yes how Vir, maybe this is an inherent culture in society. The man has a big ego. Feel himself strong, have a role as a protector for his family, breadwinner, successor to the family name. So if you have a son, the Father feels calm and safe because someone continues his function and role.”

“Abang itself how?” asked Vira who suddenly made Kosa stop chewing and then forced her throat to swallow a pizza that had not been too smooth into her stomach.

“Eh, means Vir?” Suddenly Kosa felt that Vira's question seemed to trap her.

“If you get married, what should you have a son? If her daughter were all girls? Or what if your wife can't have children? Will you cheat or marry again?” ask Vira with tendency.

“Vira's question seemed to assume that Brother would do such a thing. Don't because the brother and then Vira consider his attitude and behavior the same as Papah Vira.”

“Vira don't accuse Brother koq! Vira just wanted to ask. Koq Abang replied,” picked up Vira in an annoyed tone.

“Vir, let's eat first huh? Vira don't be angry. If you eat again do not get upset so, later the results are not good to the body. Vir, you know what? The secret of the French is good even though they eat a lot of it because they are always happy when eating,” caju Kosa.

“I mean Brother, Vira's body is not good because it likes to be angry when eating? Brother is very flirtatious to think of the body of the French girl as much,” said Vira increasingly shows his frustration.

Kosa took a long breath. I don't know what's going on with Vira today, so sensitive. What Kosa said became a boomerang that swooped back at him. All wrong.

“Vir, Brother surein if we get married, want our daughters all or do not have children even though, Brother will not wish Vira with anyone. Point!” cetus Kosa firmly. This makes some visitors turn their attention towards them.

Now Vira was silent after hearing Kosa's unsuspecting speech. Why also talk about marriage. His face became red like a shrimp that changed color when heated.