SULIVANS

Lake

Zalva stepped out of the bus feeling regret.

The bus that he thought his route through the front alley of the house turned out to go straight, while the route he went turned to the right.

He regretted that he decided not to go down in that crucial T-junction.

Because he believes this bus will turn right viewed from passengers who are full enough, until he must stand hanging face back.

He had thought about going down when he saw the seller of salt fish raise his hand to go down there.

But if he went down, his legs would walk about five hundred steps more than if he went down in front of the alley.

The density that makes it difficult to move also makes it lazy to go down.

He was sure the bus would turn right.

The bus continued without turning.

Zalva looked at the salted fishmonger who started to move away.

Then slowly he covered the back door and stopped right in front of the city forest.

He had to walk more than a thousand steps to his house.

Zalva stepped over while observing the road noise.

In the hours of almost rush hour, the streets are full of private vehicles racing each other to go home quickly.

That density brought back thoughts that had been erased by the strong scent mixed together in the bus.

Thoughts on his resignation from the sulivan.

And perhaps, its dissolution.

Zalva sighed and turned his gaze to the loose sky.

He then stared at the large billboard containing insurance ads that stood majestically on the highway barrier.

The ad was set in plain white, featuring a large black font and a red logo in the upper left corner.

If you almost give up, remember the difficulty of the first foothold.

The writing reminds him of the first time he met Tera.

At that time he and Doki, neighbors and classmates, tried to pass the shortcut they found yesterday afternoon after karate lessons.

Their main goal is to visit a comic book rental store located in the corner of the shortcut.

Doki had even prepared to bring in more money by only buying two pieces of mendoan during the break.

They deliberately skipped karate today to visit him; worried that the store had closed.

When it got in front of him, it turned out that the store was not only closed, but was no longer operational.

It was seen from the announcement that was plastered on a small piece of paper stuck near the entrance.

They continued their journey disappointed; thinking about going out to play or going home.

If playing again, they have to go all the way so as not to meet Doki's father who works as a bus driver.

If they go home, they will be confused to find the right reason to cover the truancy event.

Walk them following the path that was ten meters away towards the highway.

That day the shabby little alley was not as quiet as when it was first passed.

There was the sound of the children airing around them.

Apparently, the commotion came from the exit of a large, worn-out building in front of them, from students in adjoining school batik uniforms who seemed to be joking.

As he and Doki passed by, they all suddenly kept silent, staring at his slowing steps.

Zalva realized they were not joking from the sharp gaze that seemed to want to skin them both.

A bully-shaped joke with the alleged victim sitting in fear behind them, hugging his bag tightly.

There was a one-way conversation that challenged him to call the police.

Which was not responded to by him and made the leader angry.

A minute later, Doki ran away leaving him to be attacked.

The cornered Zalva cannot go after Doki.

Forced to tighten his fist and put up the horses.

Although initially scared, it turned out that the five people could not compete.

They could only kick and hit hard without paying attention to the direction and precision of the attack.

Be the five men to fall the next five minutes, the result of dodging their blows.

Tera, who was still closing her eyes tightly, pulled away after the five bullies ran away in fear.

From then on, Tera followed her and Doki went to play everywhere after school.

Tera also proposed the name SULIVAN to name their whatsapp group after the addition of another member, Rio, the classmate Tera.

It just so happens that they have the same hobby; they both like to do sunmori, exploring the farthest roads around the city that can be passed by two-wheeled vehicles.

They were just ordinary motorcycle boys who happened to be martial arts masters.

He and Doki from karate tutoring, Rio out of nowhere, and Tera are being taught by the three of them.

They then follow various small matches between gangs after their school.

From helping the school fight next door, to fighting one on one with another gang.

With their abilities, the name of the sulivan skyrocketed among the fighters.

Until the rise of the archenemy of the district gang next door who is notoriously cruel and violent, Oreo.

Of course they do it for fun.

At least that was the reason the three of them; not with Zalva who had always lined up in the top three parallel schools since Junior High.

Doki often jokes that he wastes the aura of his smart son by joining them.

Which of course has never been taken seriously by Zalva.

Because the real reason Zalva does that is that their playtime is the most exciting time of his life.

The times that make him feel alive; feel part of a world that is constantly spinning.

A time when he didn't have to do well at school.

Times where he does not have to be a quiet and obedient child at home.

But the good times must now be let go for the good of his friends.

It may be time for him to enter the adult world, where pleasure is no more important than survival.

Zalva decided to turn his steps to the supermarket, going to buy a chicken curry noodle pop and a can of vanilla nescafe.

Somehow the ripples of the reservoir in front of the supermarket drew his body closer and drew his soul to contemplate looking at him.

After pouring hot water into the pop container of noodles, Zalva opened the door springing with her elbows, then was surprised by the familiar figure standing still staring at the sparkle of the reservoir.

"Damn?"

Sena's dancing hair was hit by the wind along with her turned eyes looking at him, twisted in a slow scene in Zalva's brain.

The brief scene astonished him, entrenched in the data storage center in his brain.

"Hi."

Sena greeted briefly by curling her lips, then passed into indomart to buy a box of guava juice and a piece of donut.

Then he sat not far from where Zalva had sipped his coffee.

He crossed both legs, letting them dangle down, moving in the free air.

Zalva looked at him from two meters to his right, sitting cross-legged.

They just sat quietly in their respective places, feeling the breeze of the moving wind gently lowering the surrounding temperature.

Feeling the sunlight warming their backs.

Feel the fresh air arising from the flow of reservoir water under them.

Feel the calm brought by the rustling of leaves that move slowly in the wind.

Feel the existence of each other.

Twenty minutes they went through in silence, busy with their own thoughts.

Zalva who thought about the meaning of pleasure, and Sena who thought about the meaning of friendship.

Twenty minutes of silence passed without awkwardness, though not a word was spewed from their lips.

After the rest of the guava juice can no longer be sucked, Sena crumpled the carton packaging.

Then look for something that can eliminate this calming silence.

"You good?"

Zalva looked at Sena with the tip of his eyes without turning his head.

"...little."

Somehow the word made Sena pull her lips up.

Making him exhale with relief to find the similarities of their situation.

Makes her feel not alone in this world.

"Not the same as Tera?"

Zalva stuffed a container of used pop noodles into a white crackle that read indomie while answering the question of Sena's stale base.

"Go home to him."

Sena lowered the frequency of movement of his legs that were puffing the air.

"Healthy, right, Tera? Rich afternoon looks pale.."

Zalva held back a laugh as soon as he knew the reason for Tera's deathly pale face.

Which of course was caused by himself who was caught hiding a secret.

"Bust take the results of the check-up he just now."

Sena looked at Zalva who was leaning her body backwards, supported by her hands.

Then turned to look at his two hands which also supported his body forward.

They both sit with the help of both hands, the difference is that Zalva straightened her back leaning backwards while Sena arch her back forward, bent over looking at the water ripples.

"The results aren't bad, are they?"

Zalva stared at the movement of the clouds that were flying very slowly.

"Pretty bad."

Glide through the smooth flowing everyday conversations without awkwardness.

With the distance still the same and the gaze of the eyes no more than two seconds, the conversation was sweet to the speaker.

Touching the deepest heartburn and spreading warmth within it.

Support each other through that warmth.

Unaware of someone standing by a tree smiling cunningly, watching them both.

Bi, the leader of Oreo.