Steps Connect
The Assalamualaikum Jogja Part 1
Anara POV's
"Know, this is Yuda. Girlfriend.hehe." Nilam introduced the position of the man next to him. I nodded kindly while saying the name, followed by Hartik.
We've driven to the center of the crowd. My eyes seemed unblinkingly bare every inch of this city I dreamed of. Like a dream I finally set foot in this Javanese cultural center. I look to the side it turns out Hartik is also enjoying everything presented in plain sight.
"Where? feel not yet vibe Jogjanya?" Nilam's voice led us both to a moment away from the view of the city.
"It seems to be stuck." Indeed beyond my shadow, it turns out Jogja jammed badly. Similar to the first step on the earth Arema, I thought it would be cold as I saw on tv, the reality is that Malang also jammed in certain locations. Like de javu, right now I feel the same way again.
"Yes this way. So many immigrants maybe yes. The one who went the same one that came ndak draw, An. So all kayak tumplek blek. If in Malang ndak jammed kayak here?"
"Just like, there was also a traffic jam. Hot." It turns out Hartik feels the same way as me.
"Oh yeah. You guys sleeping where the plan is? Is there a place yet?" We will not answer yet. Nilam said again, "If not. Sleep in my place! Here I rent a house together cement-temen, coincidentally on the pullam in this silent week."
"Not ngrepotin anyhow?" I asked doubtfully to Nilam. Kan sungkan has come to be picked up, bed time is also available. But we are guests. The other side of my ngaco rose to the surface.
"Oh my goodness, Anara, do not. I even have friends. You are like anyone." It turns out that Nilam really offered us, not just lip service.
"It just so happens, because we don't have a place yet. Very cool, hehe." Actually I was a little sad about him, but not what time. Later if he goes to Malang. Let's change the nginep at my place.
"Hahaha his name is also backpacker. If not reckless is not a backpacker name. Just relax you guys! Even I'm not suwung because there's a theme." That is exactly what Nilam said.
"Thank you, ma'am. So, the story is symbiosis of our mutualism huh?" The Hartik sentence that was greeted by Nilam's crisp laughter was actually a little embarrassing. Why should he say thank you should spice up the term symbiosis mutualism all the way?
I grabbed his arm while glaring a little but he didn't seem to feel that there was a word wrong there. Ahh already Hartik is too honest, the most important thing is we do not digembel in this person's city. It's funny that in a place I dream of, I'm like a fairy. Not to mention if Candra knows, it must be traded all-out.
Actually our money is enough to rent a room for lodging goods 2-3 daily, but the nature of students if there is free why out the money? klop once with me and Hartik. Right now I want to laugh at myself. Ha ha ha ha's.
...----------------...
Nilam's contract is wide and clean. The location is also not too close to the highway so it is not noisy. Hartik and I occupied a single room containing two single beds. Ahh comfortable once finally able to rest the back.
"You guys just relax here! I've got permission to have the same room. My room is right next to this room, if you want to go to the bathroom from this door to the right of the corner, look to the left, and if you want to just drink or make tea, please, before the bathroom there was a small kitchen." Hartik and I nodded their heads to understand Nilam's long explanation.
Before Nilam came out of the room, he warned us both to be ready after the magrib. Seeing a little about Jogja he said, only a little because Saturday we decided to return to Malang after Malioboro Express tickets were successfully obtained through an online application.
I opened the phone to tell Candra, I sent her a WA message and told her I'd reached Jogja. Due to exhaustion, I fell asleep and woke up when the day struggled in the evening.
I pulled my body to clean up the rest of the tired travel. I appreciate myself who still has the spirit to rise so far. It wasn't easy for me, because it was my first trip to a few cities. Pride runs through every blood stream.
...----------------...
The four of us are ready to go down the streets of Malioboro after the issue after fulfilling a stomach call that asked to be filled immediately. Beyond my expectations, it turns out that the road that became one of the icons of Jogja is amazingly dense, even to find a car park almost takes half an hour.
Not only that, the road that we stepped on partially transformed into a parking lot, angkringan, sales stalls, and lesehan stalls. Is it because Malioboro is so iconic?
Actually I feel a little disappointed because the road I passed was fairly narrow, even I want to get away from this place because sometimes clashing with other pedestrians until I see a crowd, where there are some traditional musical instruments that are being played and some people are engrossed in body contortion.
"There are a lot of street musicians here, they're ngamen but good right? It's different." Obviously Nilam when he saw me was interested in the phenomenon.
"It is intent." My answer is therefore because my focus is still on this interesting dish in front of me. Seen indeed, because they 'warming' is not careless.
Musical instruments vary from angklung, percussion, and some others that I really do not know. The shirt used is also uniform with a screen printing that says Calung Funk. The music created adds to the thick atmosphere of Jogja night that is friendly and culturally laden. I consider this as compensation for my discomfort because of the pedestrian special road that partially switched functions earlier.
I saw Hartik beside me busy in style and took some portraits of himself. Before long seeing my eyes watching him, he pointed his cell phone camera at my position. I know very well, he must have photographed me. I put on a smile with a row of teeth as sweet as possible and I circulated my gaze after Hartik gave his thumb.
...----------------...
Still around Malioboro, we walked so far without feeling. This time our journey boils down to the North square of Jogja, Nilam called it the altar. But, first! It's not like a square in my opinion, more like a night market if I call it.
Here are many game rides and sellers of all*****-whim starting food, household appliances, clothing, and also souvenirs typical of the City of Jogja. Answering the riddle in my head, I intended to question Nilam, but when I found his whereabouts. He joined hands with Yuda to a booth selling clothes.
Hartik's gaze followed the tail of my eyes, "I think we are, An who is accompanying them. Ha ha ha." Hartik's voice was soft but I could hear it clearly. I laughed at his words.
It seems true what Hartik said, from starting to get off the car to here. The two of them did not look to take off each other's grasp and we might be seen the nelangsa walking behind the two.
Instantly I felt lucky the girl beside me wanted to come to Jogja. If Hartik wasn't here, maybe I'd be more like a mosquito watching the other person. Tragic and kapok for sure.
"Fortunately you're coming, Tik. Try to imagine if I come here alone! I can be a mosquito."
"Yes son, thank me! Don't be sad! You're always there." Hartik said as he patted his chest proud of himself as a hero to me. Without a cue, we chuckled together and eased as the two lovebirds we talked about walked towards us while bashfully showing off the couple's sweatshirt.
...----------------...
Turning from the altar, we headed to the alkyd, Kidul square. The northern binary opposition must be a kidul, right? After we had walked away from the altar to where Judah's car was parked, here were the four of us.
Rice that I bribed before treading a little Jogja it feels already unable to supply energy because it goes so far. Now the worms in my stomach are protesting to be fed.
Pucuk loved ulam also arrived. I am not the one who is hungry. Hartik, Nilam, and Yuda also felt similar. We agreed to eat meatballs sold on alkyd pages.
Laying a mat that is held on the ground and on it neatly lined small benches where to put a spoon and sambal. We devoured what the seller was left with. Not because it is delicious, when compared to the meatballs in Malang that I usually buy, this is very far. But because I was so hungry, I ate what was in front of me.
"Eh, I've seen it on TV, if it's not wrong here there's a myth? if we manage to walk straight with our eyes closed and pass right in the middle of the twin desire all our wishes can be realized?" I opened the conversation after my stomach was a little comfortable.
"Then anyway? You believe that, An?" I just remembered this hartik is religious, realistic, and all measured using logic.
"Yes, believe me don't believe it. It's also fun to try."
"Yes, there is such a myth here, but as long as I'm here I haven't tried it. Maybe it's exciting?" The words of Judah are on my side.
"Yes, let's try! who knows what fortune, right?" Nilam got up from his seat, followed by Judah. Hartik's hands were finally forced to agree to my idea which might be ridiculous for him.
...----------------...
Leaving the alkyd with the failure to reach the middle point of the twin ringing does not make me lose my passion, my hands increasingly stretched to reach Bukit Bintang which is located in Gunung Kidul Jogja Regency. The streets began to be a little quiet as the day crawled into the night.
The car we were riding on sped smoothly away from the center of the crowd. The cold began to seep in, briefly reminding me of the coldness of Stone Town. I suddenly miss Candra. If my busy boyfriend were here, it would be a memorable sweet moment.
Yuda stopped his car on the side of the road when we got to our destination. Apparently there's a lot of it here. This place in my opinion is a spot on the plateau that is right to look down because the bright lights of the city can be seen fully from here. If examined using Hartik-style logic surely this place is considered ordinary, which makes it memorable because it is located in Jogja.
The air is not playing cold, Hartik and I officially shiver because the outfit we use is not prepared for cold. I think Nilam and Yuda purposely brought us here. They were happy to embrace. We were? Love is sometimes this selfish. Ahh Candra if you master teleportation.
Hartik and I decided to find something that could help us from the cold. Leaving the selfish lovebirds behind, we walked a few steps and stopped at a simple shop. The four roasted corns and coffee we ordered are still being prepared. Waiting for the dish, I pulled my phone out of the sling bag.
Honey, where are you going?
I'll get a message from Candra immediately even though I know there won't be a reply at this hour. It was past midnight when my message was sent. Like me from Malang, my mind was indeed less focused on him. I only call him once in a while to signal that I'm okay.
The order is in hand. I set foot to where Nilam and Judah were. Hartik followed me from behind. The four of us sat on the road divider below which was already gaping a precipitous gap of about 10m. Only prayer and eyes are always wide open that I must keep. Between thanking and wanting to blaspheme what I'm feeling now.
Nilam opened a chat in the middle of silence we enjoyed the snack. "Anara, about two weeks ago I met Janu." I just kept quiet while fixedly looking at him and then I continued to sip coffee that was suddenly not hot anymore.
"We had a chat and at that time I knew that Janu was on campus with me." Nilam is still waiting for my response and the wait is in vain because indeed I do not want to discuss it.
Unlike Hartik who suddenly said, "why is everyone talking about Janu anyway? Not in Solo, not in Jogja. That's special."
"She also told me why she left our high school." His words sounded paused for quite a while, "it turns out that he moved to Semarang with his grandmother." Nilam hasn't given up yet. I was still busy with coffee in my hands, pretending to be busy to be more precise.
"He asked you too." This time still without a change in response from me but my ears are faithfully listening.
"She asked for your number, An. But I refuse to give it." There was a tinge of disappointment in me. How's things? and one more thing I've been wanting to know. Why did he just leave?
"If I may, I'll give her your number, An?" This time not only Nilam, Hartik is also waiting for a response from me.
I just responded with a smile. Not sure what it means? If Nilam gave Janu my number, I'd make it clear to the bastard. If not, I had no hope for him, all worn out and buried deep.
After that short conversation, more precisely a short story because I did not respond to Nilam's speech. I was more silent, why did he come again after all these years I tried to forget him?
At 02.15 in the morning we had come down from Bukit Bintang, a Yuda car splitting the quiet city of Jogja as empty as without owner. Same thing in this car. So quiet without a conversation that I guessed because our eyes already wanted to be closed and the sound was increasingly reluctant to be issued.
The headset from inside the bag and the song Darling-Supernova have been reverberating. The faithful song drained my tears as he left without a message, leaving behind many carved wounds and slowly healed by a man named Candra.
Mustache restrained
Remember you're no longer with me
Kuteriris was silent
Hope happiness comes
Slowly I drifted back in the wound of loss, the pain still felt the same. Janu, if you never hurt, maybe this morning I'm more appreciated.
