The Tippingback of Rania's World

Episode 5 – Family (Tree) Spruce

Fyuh, it's a good thing that the job at Mr. Ganendra's house is not too much today. After finishing washing dishes and ironing, they just wipe the windows and sweep the house (more precisely vacuum, anyway). They can go home sooner.

For a moment, Rania had to forget about her problem. He must find more complete evidence, in order to claim to be the son of Entrepreneur Geffie Austeen and famous model Chloe Eilaria Austeen.

The city bus in the afternoon turned out to be much denser than it was this afternoon. All passengers were jostling. Various kinds of smells mixed with cigarette smoke and vehicles, making Rania's stomach again churned. Not to mention the passengers standing up, who raised their armpits high to hold on. Uh….

Ah, mom and Livy must have gotten used to this. They look relaxed and not disturbed at all. Rania was amazed and pleased to see it. Should they feel like this every day?

“We got off at the intersection, yeah. Stop by my dad's sales wagon first. Later on foot we go home,” take mom. Livy and Rania just nodded.

“Thank God. Looks like it's better to walk than to stay on this hell bus, Rania's inner”.

Not long after, they went down right in the row of food vendors. Behind a green and quite quiet wagon, Rania saw the figure she had called father since this morning.

Apparently dad peddle a special dish of Maluku, his hometown. In his not-so-big wagon, there was sanole, walnut dried bread and pickled bananas. Everything teases Rania's sense of smell.

Although he had never tasted any of the snacks, but his instincts said that everything was delicious.

“Rania want?” ask dad. He noticed Rania staring at her trading with sparkling eyes.

“Bby?” ask Rania.

“Of course. What the hell is not for Daddy's son,” he replied. The middle-aged man then wrapped up some of his merchandise cookies to take home.

“This is dinner for dad.” Mom gave me a box full of water bottles.

“Ah, apparently rice and side dishes brought from Mr. Ganendra's house earlier for father,” thought Rania.

In addition to salary, Mr. Ganendra allows them to cook for lunch with available ingredients. Nor is it differentiated. It's just that, the mother is sometimes reluctant, and only cook potluck from the rest of the ingredients.

At five o'clock, they got home. It turns out that they are not immediately rested as Rania estimates. Livy soaks the laundry, while mom cleans the house.

“Can I help you, Mom?” ask Rania. It's not nice just sitting sweet, while the others keep working.

“If you cook dinner how?” mother's proposal.

Cook it? He likes to be in the kitchen, but he doesn't do it enough. Rania recalled, she changed the kitchen like a former war territory some time ago, even though she just wanted to try making fried rice.  But in the end, he decided to try to cook dinner.

Rania opened a small refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen. The refrigerator is very old. Some parts of the door's skin seemed to peel off and slightly rusty. The size is also very small compared to the refrigerator at home.

Not much stuff in the fridge. There is only a bunch of young corn, a bunch of spinach, two pieces of chicken breast, five eggs and a variety of spices.

“Duh, cook what, yes?” Rania's confused. “What are we cooking tonight, Mom?” ask Rania to my mom.

“As far as you are,” says mother.

If at home, he will not bother to cook anything. Everything's complete. He just look for recipes in gugel. And most importantly, he's not the one who cooks. Their family has a personal chef, Andra, to prepare a daily meal menu.

“It's best to cook chicken tonight. Eggs for breakfast tomorrow morning,” he thought.

He also prepared ingredients to make black pepper chicken with young corn. Hopefully he still remembers the way that chef Andra taught him.

“Ah, how is this?” lamented Rania.

He only realized that they were using a wood stove. And guess what, Rania is not good at using it. But why is there a gas cylinder in the corner of the room?

“Bu, how to use the stove?” ask Rania then.

“Hmm?” mom frowned. Despite feeling strange, he still taught Rania using a wood stove. "When he has used it often" murmured mother.

“Tomorrow if mom is already on payday, we refill gas for cooking,” mom said later.

“Uwah..!” Rania screamed as the fire suddenly grew. Onions that have been sauteed become charred.

“Aduh...truck,” murmured. It fanned the furnace fire, but grew larger.

“Ah,” suddenly Rania thought of an idea. He reduced the amount of wood to shrink the fire, as in campfire scout camping activities.

“Successful,” muttered Rania pleased.

“Hmm... What is this scent? Perfumed once?” ask Livy.

“Kakak try cooking black pepper chicken, nih,” said Rania. But he's not quite sure what it's like.

“Wah, restaurant menu. I've been wanting to taste it for a long time,” said Livy with sparkling eyes.

“Really?” rania Gumam.

“Every mother cooks this at Mr. Ganendra's house, I would love to try it. It turns out it can be cooked with these simple ingredients,” said Livy innocent.

The deg! For the umpteenth time Rania's heart was sliced to see this family.

“Nah, try,” says Rania. “Hopefully my cooking does not destroy his expectations,” do’a Rania in the heart.

“Wah, very good. Mom, try sister's cooking,” said Livy cheerfully.

“Ah, thank goodness.”

The corner of Rania's eyes was wet seeing the teenager soaring merrily just because of a very simple thing. Ah, Rania so remembered the father who had to trade and not come to dinner with them.

“Dad would have liked it too,” said Rania.

I don't know why he started loving his new family. Although they have many shortcomings, but their affection is abundant for their children.

“Hei Livy, how about we deliver also to dad,” take Rania.

“Good idea. Dad would have liked it. Pity if you only eat egg sambal this afternoon,” replied Livy.

“Go, but go home soon before magrib,” mother said.

“Ready, Bu.” The two girls then prepared to drop off the side dishes for the father.

...🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺...

“Hey, where are you going?” asked Arka when she passed by the door. He just got back from college.

“You delivered a special side dish for dad,” Livy replied.

“Nih, your HP has been taken from the counter. Don't put it in the water again, yeah. The repair cost spent the pocket money for a month,” Arka said to Rania.

“Aaaawww.. thank you..”.

Rania received an android phone from Arka's hand. Although not as sophisticated as his smartphone first, but he was very happy. Hopefully from the phone he can dig information.

“Indeed as expensive as that repair cost?” ask me to worry.

“Quiet, Mom. I can cover it. Later I will stay part-time work as usual to replace my pocket money. Yesterday I heard, Mr. Surya needs additional power in his rice shop,” said Arka.

Rania who heard everything so feel guilty, “Hey, how much money to spend Ar, I mean Bang Arka a month?” rania whispered to Livy.

“Wah, brother pretended not to know or indeed forgot? Bang Arka's pocket money is only two hundred thousand a month, he deliberately relented so that we could have more money for the fare and eat at school,” explained Livy.

“What? Two hundred grand? While I am still in the second grade of High School, my pocket money a week can be more than five hundred thousand,” squealed Rania in heart.

“Hey, you guys want to stand there until when? Not so dropping off side dishes for dad?” reprove mom.

The two teenage girls then ran out of the house.

(Connected)

Thank you for reading. See you around...

Bonus Biodata Tokoh