The Gem of the Heart of the Former Thug

unexpected meeting

Budipun drove his bike towards the parking lot. Erika's? Of course he dropped it off at the lobby door.

“Mas”

A greeting from behind the lobby table surprised Budi. Until he took a step back so surprised. Marsya chuckled at Budi's shocked expression.

“Ngagetin aja, Yes. Why?” ask Budi.

“Surely mas, you are the same as Rika?” Marsya asked instead.

“Ha?” Be surprised to hear that question.

“Aduh. Who's gossiping, this?” it was like complaining.

“I anyway, danger from Ratna”

“Heemm” Budi responds to Marsya's remarks by ruffling his waist and head bobbles.

“Thankful, mas. I shunned him. Yes, although fierce sih” comments Marsya while turning to the door translucent.

“Hempf”

Budi chuckled to see Marsya commenting while putting on a vigilant attitude. He knew that Marsya was afraid that Erika would suddenly enter the lobby.

“But mbak Rika if the same mas Budi, can melt gitu” continued Marsya.

*Tuuuut.. tuuuut*

“Udah right, the gossip? Foster hunt! Mr. Paul tuh” Goda Budi.

“Know where?” kilah Marsya's.

But he chuckled at Budi as if he wanted to run away from him.

“Halo, good afternoon” said Marsya received the call.

Budi moved into the office, accompanied by a meaningful smile from Marsya. Inside the office, he stopped by first to the place where the drinking water dispenser was located. He's feeling thirsty. Ratna and Resti were discussing in front of the production staff.

*They why? Is that so bad*?

Feeling strange, the two of them looked at him with surprised looks. Like employees who are caught being comfortable during working hours. Their position is different from that of production operators. So there should be no need to be afraid even if they seem to talk casually. Because for Budi, they both work it must be by talking and discussing.

Finished with his drink, Budi suddenly felt like urinating. And so, he went straight to the toilet.

“There are people, mas. Up to aja!” exciting Ratna.

He turned towards Ratna. He smiled in amusement at the cry. Make it weird. There are two toilets. Even if waiting in line, how long, anyway? This is an office toilet, not a production toilet, which likes to be made smoking as well.

*cachect*

The sound of the door lock being opened. Budi made a gesture of greeting Indians to Ratna. Instead of laughing, Ratna looked tense. Budi immediately turned right without caring about Ratna's facial expression.

“Haa”

There was a surprised voice when Budi turned right. Yeah, he almost collided with the guy who just came out of the toilet. He was also as surprised as that person.

But not because it almost collided that made him surprised, but because of the person who almost got hit by him.

The familiar face of ayu, who had been missing for a month from the sight of her eyes, was now standing just a little less than half a meter away from her.

The face he desperately wanted to erase from his mind, now appeared without him expecting it. Scratch back wounds that have not been completely dry. They just stared at each other, without a word coming out of their lips.

“Mbak Adel?”

A call shakes them. He looked at the source of the voice. But not with Budi. His eyes were locked to focus on a single point.

“Can come with me?”

Resti's voice echoed again in this silent office. He, who replaced Isma, was indeed reasonable when it came to the vendor. Including the ayu woman in front of Budi.

“Iya. Can, mbak” replied Adel.

For a moment he looked back at Budi's face. And Budi seemed to understand the meaning of that gaze. He shifted a step to the left, without changing direction. And Adel nodded his head as he was about to cross, instead of the word, excuse me.

*Yes, what other drama will you present to me? Facing his memories I am confused, O Allah, this is even You meet me with his person directly*.

“Mas”

I was surprised to hear a reprimand. There was Ratna patting her right shoulder.

“Dunggu mbak Farah, in the meeting room below” Ratna continued.

Not responding immediately. His focus was still crumbling due to the unexpected meeting earlier.

“Mas?” scold Ratna again.

“Oh, yes. Oke” replied Budi stuttered.

“What?” tanya Ratna tested Budi.

“From mbak Farah, in the meeting room below”, Budi replied, imitating Ratna's sentence.

“OK. Don't be long!” ratna said with a seductive smile.

“Oke” reply Budi flat.

Ratna's temptation did not hold in her heart. Because at this time, Budi is feeling his destruction again when he had to part with Adel.

He nodded his head, in exchange for permission to enter the toilet.

After shitting, Budi went straight to the lower meeting room. In the corridor, he saw Erika talking on the phone. But his eyes were straight in his eyes. He also rubbed his chest a few times.

You know, Erika is showing her attention. I nodded and gave a smile. Even if it looks forced. Erikapun let Budi continue the journey to the meeting room below.

*Who is it, the guest? Tumben make me? If it's an internal meeting, why not above? What is Farah Mager*?

“Bud?”

A greeting distracts her. A hand waved in the direction he wanted to go.

He was confused, why Farah wore waving her all. There are only three cubic meeting rooms. Not as big as minulyo market. But he also stepped his feet toward Farah.

“Assalamualaikum” reply.

“Loh” he continued later.

“Wa’alaikum salam” replied Farah and the guest in front of her.

“Liz. How are you?” exclaim Budi heboh.

There is a glimmer of happiness in the heart of Budi, when he found out that the guest was his former lover. Equally unexpected, but this one feels like a cure for Budi. Lizapun stand greeting Budi.

“What wind, nih?” ask Budi while smiling widely.

“Sit down first, Bud!” farah Tape.

I looked at Farah.

“It's been successful, mbak”

A voice held Budi back to sit. Reflexes he looked to the right. And again the gaze of his eyes must be collided with the eyes of Adel.

“Should have entered. Please in check!”

Resti's voice caught Adel's attention. He looked at Resti.

“Mother, how are you, mas?”

Liza's voice could make Budi avert his eyes. He was confused to find Liza also still standing.

“Mother?” Be a little less connected.

“Health. Alhamdulillah, again seneng, he” Budi continued to answer Liza's questions.

“Abis dapet what, um?”

“Ha ha ha ha”

Be laughing instead. She was amused at the thought of her mother falling in love again. Not to lose to his children.

“Main dong! Definitely seneng the Putri” with Budi.

“InsyaAlloh's. Abis from here” replied Liza.

On the other side, Budi can see if there is a face that is bent because it feels jealous. But his heavy breathing implies that the owner of the conscious face, if now he no longer has the right to bully Budi. Moreover, expressing it in verbal form, especially actions.

“Gini, Bud” said Farah started her talk.

“Mbak Liza wants to order a recliner, which is of Ini” type Farah continued.

Budi is proffered a catalog by Farah. And I immediately understood the designated one. It was just that he felt strange about that choice. Moreover, the number one hundred and fifty units feels too much for individuals. Budipun looked at Liza with a smile that invited question marks.

“Why, mas?” ask Liza.

“You're actually making your own store, Liz?” sahut Budi enthusiastically.

“Oh, no. This isn't for me. This is papa” pesenan Liza replied.

Budi jerked. The word ‘papa’ contains two meanings for Budi.

“Papa? Eemm. Who do you refer to, nih?”

Budi trying to find something that distinguishes the status of Liza now.

“Yes my papa is Liza, Bud. His papacy Rika. Mr Paul, dong?” sahut Farah.

“Hempf. Ha ha ha ha ha”

I laughed when I heard Farah's joke. But in his eyes there were still eyes full of question marks.

“Papaku, mom. I used to call him father. Because I'm not used to calling papa, so. The villagers call their father, papa. There are no pantes-pantesnya” replied Liza.

Budi was even pensive while looking at Liza's face. It seems that part of his mind wanders.

“Liz, sori. Off topic, this. Mom how are you?” ask a few moments later.

“Eeem”

Liza looked heavy to answer that question. But Liza's inertia seems to be enough for Budi, that his mother Liza has died from a disease that he had long suffered. And Budi's guess, his stepfather was married again. That's why his calling changed too.

“Sorry to me yes, Liz. I wasn't there when you were down. I'm just, eem”

“No papa, mas. You are not wrong with me. Yes, the name is age, there must be a limit, right?” answer Liza.

Budi nodded his head. He remembered his father. Liza also forced to come when she returned to the village to see her father. So much attention Liza had on him and his family. But what he gave was exactly the opposite. He also remembered Fajar. Then also remembered the story of his love that had run aground.

“Bud?” farah's Admonition.

“Eh, yes. Eee. Ouch, sorry. Even out of focus” said Budi stuttered.

Lisa understood what Budi was feeling. In his heart, he wanted to come back closer to Budi. As Budi said he wanted to marry her, she would happily leave her career, and become a full-time housewife.

“Thank you, Adel, for taking his time. Sorry, so make mbak Adel must come here”

Resti's voice echoed again after a moment of inaudibility.

“I thank you, mbak. Ma'am Resti wants to put me first. It must be Resti sibuk, right?”

Adel's voice is echoing. I still remember the intonation of that voice. Answers that do not escape from the heart. Typical Javanese pleasantries.

“So how, Bud? Can this order be reached later in the afternoon?”

Farah's question makes Budi as drawn from dreamland. He was not connected for a moment.

“Sore? Waiting for?” ask to make sure.

“Iya, mas” replied Liza short.

“Wait-wait! It's a pandemic starting to spread, Liz. Seriously want this much pesen?” ask Budi in a soft voice.

“Create in Manado equals labuan bajo, mas”

“Manado?”

Hearing the manado mentioned, Budi's memory drifted on Erika's parents, who were currently also in Manado. Liza just nodded her head.

“Currently both places are still safe. And this order, asked to be spared because papa already has an agreement with the regional hospital. If the pandemic gets there, and the regional hospital runs out of beds, the hospital will borrow the recliner as an emergency bed”

“Oh” budi mangosteen.

“So, how?” ask Farah.

“Kalo squirm loading this morning, should be able to” replied Budi.

“Ya. This price has agreed, DP has also entered, slide another, first this one!” farah's orders.

“Siap” reply Budi.

At that time, I was also ready to coordinate. When he turned to the middle cubic, Adel was no longer there. He wondered in his heart. Because he had not heard footsteps coming out of this room before.