Silhouetted

2.5 In a City That Never Was

THEM

In the dim Cafe, the four violinists were resting and the stage was empty. Only the sound of the instrument from the CD took over. The entire table in the cafe was filled with young and middle-aged couples. The waiter drove the order.

At a table, somewhat hidden as it was in a corner, the lovers squeezed hands together. There was a ring on their finger. Wedding rings. Raya and Anjeli looked at that and exchanged smiles

“They are married huh?” tanya Raya

“Yup, Dimas and Santi, they're newlyweds. If it's not wrong they married two months ago.”

“You know?”

“They are customers of this cafe really, they often come here.”

Raya nodded silently. Enjoying the song Norah Jones who was singing “Nightingale”, she remembers trying to perform this song with her violin and. He turned towards Anjeli

“You want all night here?”

“I'm interrupting ya?”

“No, absolutely not!”

“Yes already, if I do not interfere, I am lazy to work, besides my mother will also not be angry kok.”

“Hmm..”

Why?”

“If anyone sees us, surely suspected we have known ya?”

Small widest anjeli “Iya anyway, but I really like this, I can easily know who is good to be friends with, who is not.”

“You're so cute anyway!”

“Oh yes, thanks! You're the two hundredth person to say that.”

They laugh again.

While the night still moves like a song that never finishes, outside life gets more colorful. Like neon on the walls of buildings, on the walls of hotels, bars, discos. Neon that makes anyone interested in entering it.

Ah, why is it that only those buildings are given colored neon? While many other buildings are deserted without visitors when they should be visited. Probably because there is no colored neon on the wall.

Raya stared at the street outside and found the nightlife. He felt that his lover was still missing, so he did not want to leave this place. I even thought about spending the night here. Anjeli said the cafe was closed exactly two hours before midnight

But what if the night doesn't end? And time stopped? Doesn't that mean this cafe won't close forever? Then how many cups of milk coffee should he order? How many plates of food should he pay for? Because the night seems to move like a song that will not be finished.

Well, maybe so are their feelings that are out there. They also question the night. Some wish the night had passed, some wish the morning would not come. Sometimes Raya wants to ask everyone outside, on the street, on the sidewalk, in tall buildings

“What do they do when night falls?”

But as often as she wanted it, as often as she also found the night netting lonely. No matter how many streets at night, there will be a quiet time that comes. And when the silence had come, then everyone was asleep and awake just to keep the night.

The bums who sleep on the sidewalk are clinging while dreaming about soft mattresses and hot food of course. They hope the night doesn't have to go away so they can continue to sleep and forget about hunger.

The seekers of God in the middle of the night to one third of the night certainly want the night not to go immediately because they still want to talk to God in solitude and silence. How they long for death while searching for it.

Hostesses who are more often languishing cold while wondering what his mother's father is doing in the village today, of course, hope the night does not want to pass because there is still not enough money collected for the rent of the house, eat and buy HP pulses. Also those who have children still have to remember what their child eats tomorrow if he can't sell his body tonight.

The corruptor, sleeping in his fifth house, tired of sitting in the back seat of his eighth BMW, dreamed while covered in thick European wool, hoping for a night if necessary. For there are still many questions to be answered in his brain, where the biggest question continues to bother him:

“Tomorrow should eat whom?”

Nightly. The night sometimes presents a lot of questions. But there are only a few answers. She also remembers herself now. Of course he had questions but he had not found an answer.

“What do you think?” anjeli's voice was surprising

“Mirning night.” Answer is short

“Cok think of night?”

“Because that night was unique!”

“Hmm..” Anjeli raised eyebrows

“I want to ask, you yourself want the night to end quickly or not?”

Anjeli plays the napkin, more seemed to waste time than thinking, then even back to ask

“I want the night to come longer.”

“Why?”

“Because I like night.”

“Simple it?”

“Yes, why do we always need complicated answers anyway?”

“Sometimes I think your wish last night so that night comes longer will be more fitting if paired for love.”

“Love?”

“Yes, anyone would also like to stay in love with longer.” Anjeli put on a sure face.

I thought, this conversation is interesting. What is uninteresting when we talk about love? So when love becomes so attractive, why do we like to forget love? Is it because love is complicated?

“Love is complicated huh?” Raya raised an eyebrow

Anjeli shook his head “Not really, depending on our point of view dong!”

“You ever fell in love?”

Anjeli nodded, answering half-whispered “Until now, it's been a long time.”

“Then?”

“Turquently!”

“So true love is there huh?”

And then I don't know until when they talk about love, because time goes on with the second hand that keeps twisting. What is certain is that night continues to come down and now there are two humans left at the table. They talk about love, although they may have different meanings about love. It's okay, right? Love can mean all kinds, even some say getting the opportunity to love is good enough.

From the stage was heard the last song, “Czadas”[1] Shortly two hours before midnight. Two humans are still there.

I

 Have you ever been in love?” I asked him that after I held on for a long time.

He put down his half-living coffee, shook his head slightly, but I saw his lips smile. I am amazed and more confused because a woman's smile can mean all kinds of things.

Now he looks at me and his eyes start to glaze over. I tried not to look at him, I almost apologized if any of my words offended him. But I didn't do it because I thought I didn't say anything, I was just telling stories.

From a distance the sound of the violin slashed, as if to be the background for his teary eyes. And I don't want to ask any more, in this life it is enough I see people crying, besides outside it is raining, the sky is crying, so don't add any more.

“I never thought she could do this to me!” I heard his hoarse voice

I turned my head, I also did not expect that the rain could fall as beautiful as this, the small dots became one obscure the view, similar to tears. I imagine if the rain was hit by the sun, wouldn't there be a rainbow that expands?

I saw her crying, a river of tears coming down. Ah, what kind of event could make a woman like her cry?

“I searched for him but he didn't look for me!”

I was also looking for the atmosphere of the sky, I was also looking for an atmosphere that could not be found. But no one comes near me, everything just passes by

“You're still listening?”

“Iya.”

“But I want you to tell me!” she wiped her tears

“Let's tell me you cry again!”

“No! No will!”

I see the clock, the needle has shifted but still the time feels long, when it seems we have been sitting and talking for centuries.

　

__________________________________

[1] Monti's Czardas are popular songs that have in the past been a favorite of Idris Sardi with his 17-member ensemble. Czardas, in particular, is known as a Hungarian lullaby that does seem to be composed to be presented at parties, and is usually played as the final song.