The Gem of the Heart of the Former Thug

oddities in the woodworking workshop

Elsewhere, Stevani was in the gallery kitchen. Fitri, his wife Kang Sukron, who came to visit her husband this afternoon, was cooking for dinner. Feeling bad, Stevani tried to help. Even though he only does light work.

“Embak often play here, mbak?” ask Stevani.

“Ngak too, Van. Every now and then. If there is overtime. Lately right, madam Ratih same Putri so often ngantor here” replied Fitri.

“Ngantor? Ha ha” Stevani chuckles at the word ‘ngantor’.

“He he, yes. Especially if the fish market is quiet again, and here again rame. Sample nginep here, they”

“Emang no obligation so mbak, make masakin employees here?”

“No, Van. Just a smile, that is. The husband has income that can be sandeled every month, it feels a pride, you know. Yes, although still the same people. Neighbors, there are still unclear income. So, as an expression of my gratitude, I have promised myself, always help what is needed kang Sukron. Kan kang Sukron is also human”

“Yes are human, right? What the hell?” stevani laughed half.

“Ya it. Humans eat food. Not rich rat-mouse toy boy, pulled tail directly ngacir”

“Hempf. Ha ha ha ha ha”

Stevani laughed, hearing Fitri's clumsiness. He even rolled on the floor so funny, hearing Sukron's kang compared to the rats.

“Wait, wait. Putri said, the employee mas Budi it, kang Supri, kang mangil, another one if not wrong, kang Bejo. Where is Bejo kang, mbak?” stevani asked, realizing there was something strange.

“Oh. Still am. Just take a day off today. Well, if Sukron kang, not too long ago, recruited. New weekly. That's because the order is getting heavier. It has penetrated the building sector. How many hours yesterday. Not a week either. Last night, the horses of the house. The last one was taken this morning. And said Mrs Ratih, as long as there is still an order, mas Budi is prohibited to fire his employees. Except problematic”

“Again pandemic even on waking up, yes?”

“Yes who knew there would be a pandemic? If the plan anyway, maybe already far away the day”

“But many yes, wood workshops that produce frames, door leaves and the like. How can you come here, huh? Sophisticated, Budi” mas

“Yes was Adel, the Masarin. Yesterday too, the mesen was a subscription of the late Mr. Fajar. Just because the workshop mbak Adel already most orders, so deh, diarahin here, same bu Lusi”

“Oh. That way. Yes bener” comments Stevani.

“Eh mbak, yesterday took the photos no, the same frame?”

“Photo-photo? Yes, inernal documentation, Van. Why emang? Create a promotion, so?”

“Iya. It is a pity that there is no documentation for marketing”

“Eeem. Tomorrow morning I'll do it again. It was going to be this afternoon, but the material has not even come. He said it was already running, but this hour has not nyampe”

“Emang buy from where, mbak?”

“Tulungagung”

“Oh, out of town. Trouble times, on the road”

“Kayaknya”

“Mbak Fitri tomorrow to here, no?”

“Why?”

“So photographer. I'm the model”

“Wadd. What is the cost, if you model?” fashion Fitri.

“Ya Alloh, mbak. I was given a place already thanks so much”

Fitri smiled at Stevani's reply. He just nodded, while continuing to finish his cooking.

When they finished, they had dinner. All of Budi's employees are still complete, except for Hanin. But there's an extra guy, Brandon. But he did not eat inside, but in front of the gallery.

After the meal, Supri reported the results of the work today. Everyone was confused by Supri's kang sentences, which did not lead to work, but looked serious, the look on his face.

“Why, kang?” ask kang Sukron.

“Bos Budi, again want to go to Tangerang” replied kang Supri.

“Loh. Princess is referred out, kang?” stevani was surprised.

“Not. My daughter, it's okay. But said Budi boss, he was ordered to tangerang bu Ratih to make nemenin mbak Adel”

“Lah. Why is Adel? How can I get to tangerang?” ask Stevani again. He's getting confused.

“Emang earlier Aldo did not say, Van?” sahut Fitri's.

“Enggak” replied Stevani.

Fitri told me what was going on. And Stevani was shocked not to play. But he did not tell me about the dongle that became the cause of the excitement at sea, yesterday.

“May congratulations to the destination, ya” prayer Stevani.

“You're not papa, are we staying?” ask Fitri.

“Oh. Are you going home? No papa”, Stevani replied.

“Si Aldo isn't here anymore, Van? There's Brandon noh, outside. Not afraid of what, she?” goda kang Mangil's.

“He he's. Actually, be careful too, he. But what else. Ortu he ngajakin nengokin his symbol. So deh, can not nemenin here” replied Stevani.

“Ya. We go home first, yeah?” pamit kang Supri's.

“Yes, kang. Thank you very much kang, I have received Vani well” Stevani said.

“Iya, equally” replied kang Supri.

They finally left the gallery. Stevani forced to drive them forward. Stevani very carefully climbed the stairs. His crutches were carried by Mangil's kang, while he held on to the safety iron. Then he used his cane again to walk himself to the front.

Stay now Stevani alone with Brandon. Stevani sat on the gallery steps, about two meters to the left of Brandon. He was pensive, thinking about everything that was happening to him.

“Not sleepy, mbak?”

“Udah start, sih” replied Stevani.

“Udah at nine, mbak. The wind is getting cold. Instead, mbak Vani rest in the dalem. Let's be healthy” advises Brandon.

“Oh. Yes, yes?” stevani exclaimed, realizing that the time on his phone had shown at nine o'clock at night. Wherever budge.

“Need to be helped?” ask Brandon. He approached Stevani.

“Oh, yes” replied Stevani.

He received Brandon's hand. But just to stand. After that, he could walk on his own using his crutches. But Brandon followed. He knew Stevani would have trouble coming down the stairs behind the gallery, heading downstairs.

“Mas”

And Brandon's guess is correct. As when he climbed, now Stevani needs help to go down the stairs. And Brandon swiftly helped him bring his crutches.

“Still”

Stevani receives back his crutches. He walked towards the back of Budi's wood workshop. Brandon was still on standby, perhaps Stevani had trouble getting into his room.

Yes, it is not the room Budi occupied. Everyone knows he'll have trouble going to the toilet. Because the upper room has no toilet. So, to make it easier for Stevani, Ratih asked Kang Sukron to modify the saung that was just below Budi's room to be used as a room.

Even if only gedhek walled. But the gedhek chosen is not a mediocre one. kang Sukron sought a patterned gedhek. And the material is full of bamboo skin. So it looks uniform and artistic. Not to mention the bamboo skin used there are two different colors, light brown and blackish dark brown. It feels like an inn.

Because it was originally a saung, then there was definitely a wooden floor that from the workshop floor there was a distance of about one meter. So, to get into the room, Stevani had to sit on the floor first. He had to raise his legs slowly, only to wake up slowly.

Brandon was still on standby, and only left when Stevani gave a thumbs up. Signs he no longer needs help.

When he fell asleep, Stevani felt his sleep disturbed. The loud noises from outside were too deafening to his ears. Anywhere awake.

“Emh. Aduuh”

Stevani complained as she opened her eyes. His head was dizzy and his eyes were a little blurred. While the loud noises outside the room still continued to deafen his ears. Like the sound of large wood dropped just like that, colliding with the floor or other wood.

“You what, nih?”

It took me a while to focus my eyes. And not yet perfectly focused, he smelled a strange scent inside this room.

“Kok smell of laundry can be here, anyway?”

Stevani held his head. Feeling the light of his head. He closed his eyes for a moment.

*Tw*

There was a foreign voice again. Sontak Stevani opened his eyes. He looked up to the upper right. He tried to sharpen his eyes. The room light that he turned off, made this room dim.

“Aduh. Why does the room fragrance use the scent of laundry, anyway? No other scent, what?”

Stevani tried to stand up. But he's having trouble. Not because of his legs that have not healed, but his head that feels swirling. And his intention to shut down the automatic spraying machine had to be delayed.

*Yes Alloh. Why is it now the power? Why not stay in the hospital? I have to hospitalize again, huh Alloh*?

Stevani's eyes were still fixed staring at the room's fragrant spraying machine. But his eyes are still blurred. Once clear, not focused. The objects around him were double in sight.

Hearing the noise from outside made Stevani's attention distracted. A glimmer of light barged in through the small gap of the incomparably tight gehek. Curious about the noise, Stevani decided to get closer to the wall.

“Oh. The wood? New night come?”

Stevani observed the process of unloading wood the size of his body. He tried to focus, as everything he saw outside the room also looked double. While observing, Stevani felt his head even more dizzy.

*Why me, huh Alloh*?

Stevani's eyes turned dark. When he could see again, he could no longer focus. Like a person affected by microsleep, several times he is not aware of his surroundings.

*Allohu Akbar*.

The more dizzy, the more dizzy, the more often Stevani is not aware of his surroundings. And in the end, he collapsed to the side. This time he was completely black out.

Out there, the loading and unloading process is still ongoing. About an hour later, the noise was still there. But no longer bother Stevani's ears.

After that, the truck and its driver exited the loading and unloading area. Leaving silence. The workshop lights have been turned off. There's a light in front of Stevani's room that's still on.

“Emh”

After a long period of unconsciousness, Stevani began to wake up again. He changed his position. He was lying down while holding his head. Still feeling throbbing. But he felt strange this time. The noise he heard no more. There is only the sound of room-scenting spray.

*Have you got a call? Means brandon's up front, dong? I forgot to ask for his number again. It hurts my head, Alloh*.

Stevani forced her body to sit down. He wants to go to the terrace. He wanted to yell to Brandon. For a long time he could not stand the throbbing in his head. He wants to be taken to the hospital. Highlight the lights from outside there was still one that barged in, but not as bright as before.

*eh, look. That's who passed by*?

Stevani was surprised to see that the spotlight suddenly disappeared for a moment, then there was another. Like something was passing in front of his room. Although dizzy, Stevani still forced his body to shift closer to the gedhek wall.

*That's who*?

Stevani saw someone walking towards the pile of wood that had been dismantled.

*Kalo from his posture, he's not Brandon. Who is dong? Truck driver*?

Stevani is confused as to who that person is. To be sure, the guy was a man. It was as if he was reaching into the gap between the logs. Moments later, the man pulled back his hand.

It's like he's getting something. Yes, a black crackle looks shiny in the light. The man seemed to pull out the crackle. And it looks like a plastic clip. Stevani could not recognize what was inside the plastic. Like brownish white sheet paper.

The man was a beard. Soon he went to the back of the workshop, passing by his room.

*There is no door there. Why is he there*?

Stevani was cautious. There was no illumination there, so he did not know, whether the person was near his room or not.

Stevani waited long enough for what would happen. But again, he's like he's got microsleep. And collapsed back, after several times he was unconscious with the surroundings.

***