The Musafir
Thing-brained
“Where have you been?”
CHITRA Anggini sizzling sharply. Looked sharply anyway. His face covered with the shadow of the hood could still be seen in his anger. Standing a little far from the market gate.
“There is little business, forgive me.” The mantle approached while smiling nervously.
“I feel entitled to know your business.”
“I bought plants for Munding food, as well as selling medicinal plants he once found.” Mantingan patted Munding Caraka next to him, the buffalo bellowed softly while raising his head with an arrogant look on his face. Chitra Anggini stared at the buffalo tickle. “Now, Munding has eaten everything without waste. That's fast. If you had seen him earlier, you would have been amazed. A bundle of grass the size of one adult hug was spent in just the blink of an eye.”
Now Munding is precisely the one who sharply looked at Mantingan. Not Chitra Anggini anymore. While the young man only shrugged, he had no intention of insinuating the buffalo at all. According to him, swallowing a lot of food in a short time is included in one of the extraordinary abilities possessed by Munding.
“Better we continue the journey,” said Mantingan while patting his hand. “There's nothing else you want to buy, right?”
The woman shook her head. “I only buy clothes, some kind of poison, flying knives, discs, and leavened throwing knives from the Sky Roofing Country.”
They started walking side by side, getting away from the market.
“There are so many souvenirs you bought, Chitra. Though from the beginning, you seem afraid if your disguise as a layperson opens.”
“I really can't help myself when I see those things.” Chitra Anggini said lightly. “Again, there's not much money I have to spend. Only TWO HUNDRED gold pieces only.”
Mantingan simply nodded his head while muttering small. Chitra Anggini clucked resentfully in his mind, that was not the response he wanted from Mantingan. He had deliberately raised his voice when he mentioned the amount of price for all the items he bought.
“Indeed, how much did you spend to buy Munding food?”
“Eight hundred gold pieces.” The mantel answered lightly. It was even easier than Chitra Anggini. “But that's not how much, the sale of plants found Munding reached 9,800 gold pieces. I have to buy him more food in the future.”
The Mantingan's words made Chitra Anggini choke on his own saliva. Not at all expecting. So much money Mantingan spent, but far more money he got. And even more surprising, Mantingan looks mediocre. There was almost no excessive excitement on his face. Just warmth and tenderness, as usual.
“Oh Munding, you need to get closer to me from now on. Ah, I guess you are no longer smelly and dirty ..” Chitra Anggini approached Mundingan with a big smile, while the buffalo replied by showing a triumphant smile to Mantingan.
The young man who was being stared at could only shake his head, while saying, “Women.”
***
THEY fly back among the mega-mega. With a strong gust of wind coming from the front. With a face staring in admiration towards the land.
Chitra Anggini remained seated at the front, even though the woman was no longer afraid of heights. He just wanted to see the scene more clearly. No matter the mantingan behind him who always sees his tie neck and black hair.
“So I saw you take off your condition, Mantingan.”
“I'm afraid of being suspected of being a man, Chitra.” Mantingan replied, his voice clearly filled with energy within.
“Wear now. No one would have thought of you as a man so the events above here.”
The mantle breathed a long breath. Back pair the wooden conde on her hair loop.
“That's a good luck charm.” Chitra Anggini again added, although in fact he only repeated his words yesterday.
“You never appreciated it.”
“I will only release this conde in certain moments only.” Mantingan silenced, hoping that his words were enough to satisfy Chitra Anggini. Tired of having to keep talking in the middle of such a strong wind like this. However, the woman still let out a conversation!
“You-you, me-you, me-you, keep it that way! I'm tired of hearing it. Use a closer call. ‘I’ and ‘kau’, or ‘aku’ and ‘kamu’. Can't you think of me as a real traveling companion?” As he said that, Chitra Anggini twisted his body, completely staring at Mantingan.
A gulping mantle faced such a gaze. “Alright, it's very easy. I'll—”
Look at how Chitra Anggini looks at her now! Like a sharp dagger strapped from the Roof of Heaven Country he had bought! It was as if what he threw was not a look in the eye, but a knife! Once again the Mantingan gulped.
“I will try my best, but never look at me like this if I'm wrong later.” The mantle explained slowly.
Chitra Anggini exhaled a long breath, along with her softened eyes. Slowly but clearly heard, the woman said, “I just want us to get closer, Mantingan. All this time, I've never had a friend like you. My comrades in the Leaf Dancers Group have never really fancied me, since I disappeared a dozen years ago. They never thought I was the same again. Brother Kartika cannot be a close friend of mine, although I know that he always wanted to be like that, but his time is spent more on taking care of his group and putting together complicated strategies.”
Actually, Mantingan did not know what to respond to, but finally he said, “I've considered you as my own younger brother, Chitra, although really I have never had a younger brother or adopted before. So, we might be able to raise each other as brothers after descending to the mainland later.”
Chitra Anggini shook his head quickly, as if he had long anticipated such a word. “No need. It's a garbage ritual, a useless ritual. I don't wanna do it. Why should I drip blood for you and drink it with your blood?”
The mantan only smiled bitterly. Was the woman really lazy to drip blood on the cup of drink and drink it together as a sign of having raised a brother?
However, really Mantingan did not know the real meaning of Chitra Anggini. No one will know until the time comes.
The mantan complained softly as the look in his eyes turned back to look far ahead. Far ahead there, black clouds rolled around. A flash of lightning struck. They have to go down if they don't want to be hurt.
***
As usual, Chitra Anggini built his tent. While Mantingan just shelter under a shady tree, with Mundingan Caraka. The young man told his car a lot, before it became disconnected as a result of Chitra Anggini calling him.
“Put into my tent, Mantingan!”
____
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