The Winter Promise

Chapter 22: A Long Trip to Mount Prau.

The sun was already high and shining very brightly, the clouds were moving slowly, and,

and the wind that moved the bamboo tree in front of my house to make a whistling sound, making the remnants of my holiday look beautiful.

Right now I am spending my time lying in the living room watching my favorite show on tv. Because both of my parents are always working and just came home late at night, making my home very quiet and comfortable to relax.

“Nikmatnya..”.

Fx : Treeet... Treeet…

My phone rang and got an incoming call.

“From Riki? Why would he call me during the day like this?”

I picked up my phone and received a call from Riki.

“Halo assalamualaikum Mar? You're home now?”

“Waalaikummussalam, no.. Why?”

“Jum’at tomorrow I and my friends want to go to Mount Prau, do you want to come?”

I also looked at the calendar to check that at this time of day I did not have any schedule.

Right now I am still worried about whether I should take Riki to Mount Prau or not. Actually I really want to go there. Compared to the beach, the mountain is more suitable as a place to see the stars. When my vacation is staying soon, I better make the most of it.

“Alright, will follow.”

“Really!? Asik.”

“What Maul also come with?”

“Of course.. If so already yes, I want to contact others first, then I will call again.”

Riki closed his call.

Well then, now it's better that I clean my keril bag and my other climbing equipment. Been a long time

I didn't use it, I'm sure it's already very dirty. Oh yeah, do my shoes still fit to wear? I better try later to make sure.

Day after day has passed. During those days, I not only prepared equipment to go up the mountain, but my physical lately I also sharpened. Every morning and evening I jog a lot to restore my stamina. I don't want to climb the mountain later, I'm the one who asks for rest.

The time has also shown at 4 pm. I also went directly to the terminal of Kampung Rambutan to depart by bus from there. I also have not been told by Riki who will follow the climb this time, I was only told where we gathered. At least it's a vacation, I should enjoy it.

At first I intended like that, but my intention was lost instantly when I saw the people who were going to climb this time.

“You were so long Mar?”

“So they're your friends Rik?”

“Yup.”

Right now, I see the people who are taking part in the climb this time. At first I thought that the climb this time would be followed by his friends Riki from the pencak silat exkul. It turned out that the friends in question this time were Kirana, Rina, and Miyuki.

“Why did you take them?”

“Actually this was not my plan. Yesterday I accidentally met Miyuki while dating Kirana at the mall. Continues because he knows I climb mountains often, he so asked me to make this trip.”

So that's the story, it's appropriate that he took me to Mount Prau when we have often gone there. I guess Riki just wanted to reminisce and enjoy the scenery there, apparently because of this. Indeed Mount Prau is a mountain that is suitable to be climbed by novice climbers.

“I want to go home.”

“Please wait for Ar, at least we're already here.”

“Iya, you are evil once Mar.”

Miyuki and Rina tried to hold me back as usual.

“You are selfish once yes..”

Huh.. It seems I better go with them to climb. I've been struggling to prepare for this and I've also been given pocket money by my parents, it's a pity if I have to return it.

“...Alright, I'll come with you guys.”

“Really?! Asik.”

Rina and Miyuki looked really happy.

“Hee... Tumben once you instantly change your mind, usually we have to persuade you with some arguments first.”

Maul taunted me for being too easily persuaded by the two of them.

“There are a few things I just thought of.”

“Most he just thought about the pocket money he asked from his parents.”

Riki was able to correctly guess what I had just thought.

We also went directly to the bus platform that provides services to the Mendolo terminal.

For those of you who do not know about Mount Prau. Mount Prau is a mountain located in the Dieng Plateau Region, Central Java. Mount Prau has an altitude of 2,565 masl, but the highest peak is around 2,590 masl. Mount Prau is also commonly used as a destination for novice mountain climbers because the climbing route is not so difficult and the mountain is also not so high.

A little more information for those who do not know, mdpl stands for meters above sea level. Usually mdpl is used to measure the height of a place from sea level.

When on the bus, Riki had arranged his seat as he wished. She sat down with Kirana, Rina with Miyuki, and I sat down together with Maul. Actually at the moment, I'm still not good with Maul.

“Hei Mul, don't you care about this?”

“What's the problem?”

“You know, we're currently going with Miyuki and it's not a short trip you know.”

“So you're worried about it..”

Maul smiled slightly when she heard that.

“...If you take it easy Mar, I've forgotten all about it.”

“Heee... Then in vain I worry about you.”

“Again, I felt that I would meet Miyuki often..”.

What does he mean? If that happens, it's a problem for me. Hopefully Maul is just the origin of the call

just.

“...But looking at circumstances like this, I feel better I tried once again.”

It's a serious, motivated motivation from which Maul wants to try to approach Miyuki again. One person who

at that time it came to my mind only Riki, but I was also not sure considering that he had told me about the similarity of thoughts between me and Miyuki.

“Better you stop it Mul.”

“Why?”

“Miyuki hates what is called love, although the way she looks at me is a little different, but

our conclusions are both the same. We don't want to deal with that called love for now.”

“No way, where there are normal people who can have such thoughts. And you just met

with him, how could he have the same thought as you..Didn't you deliberately say that because you also like Miyuki?”

Maul did not believe me and instead she accused me of turning back.

“How many times do I have to tell you. I never liked Miyuki. I'm not a fool who just saw a very beautiful woman and immediately liked it.”

I was a little annoyed by the question Maul asked. He doesn't usually suspect me and he doesn't

believe my words.

“Whatever you say Mar, but I still haven't given up.”

“Alright, good luck.. Wake me up when you get to.”

“Oke.”

I covered my face with a scarf, turned my back to the window and prepared to go to sleep.

***

“Oi Mar... Mar.. We'll be here soon, get up! You want to stay here and follow the driver's brother

back to Jakarta?”

Maul moves my body slowly. I opened my eyes and gathered my consciousness. I slightly shifted the curtains next to me to look out the window.

“Where have we reached?”

“We are almost to Mendolo terminal.”

“Why didn't you wake me, this bus didn't stop for a short break?”

I was still gathering my consciousness and I drank the water I had prepared beside my chair.

“So this bus had a break in the rest area, we have woken you but you did not wake up at all.”

I did a little stretching on my hands, feet, and head. Because I have been sleeping for a long time, my body feels sore and stiff. I want to move it outside the bus.

Why am I able to sleep so long? I usually get up easily when I wake up

somebody's. Is this a factor because last night I stayed up until the morning because there was an event in the game that I played? It might be like that.

After the bus we reached the Mendolo terminal. We immediately took our bags in the bus trunk and checked the logistics we brought.

I also saw my watch which showed the time at three in the morning. I occasionally take a deep breath

long to enjoy the fresh morning air that is there. The freshness of the air that is here you cannot get if you do not go to the area that is in the highlands.

Because the transport that goes to the new basecamp operates in the morning. So we also wait there until the transportation is there.

“What is less?”

I approached Riki who was checking the logistics we were carrying.

“Nothing, everything is ready.”

“Tumben once you didn't tell me to buy consumption.”

“Actually because this was Miyuki's idea, so she was willing to buy all her consumption. Though I have rejected it but he himself still forced.”

As expected of a rich princess.

I noticed the equipment brought by all of us. Only Me, Maul, and Riki carry keril bags while the women only carry school bags. I should have known that, because they must have all been climbing the mountain for the first time.

“Oi Mar.. Mul... Help me split this logistics into your bags both.”

“Ok..”

Maul and I also helped Riki to divide the logistics into each bag that we carry so that the load

brought by each of us evenly divided and in accordance with our capabilities.

At the terminal Mendolo we are not alone, there are many climbers who are just like us waiting

the road leading to Basecamp. And there are some of them who come to us just to say hello or even ask about something.

“What are you guys doing?”

Miyuki approached us who were working on equipment.

“As you can see we are sharing logistics so that our load is evenly divided.”

“Just your bags? Our bags are not shared either?”

“Didn't your bag only contain consumption? Is there anything that is too heavy? If it is too heavy, please tell us.” directly

“Not really, I think our load is not so heavy.”

“Do not force yourself too much yes, if you are heavy you can just say it. Do not be ashamed when it is like this, because climbing is one of them teaches togetherness.”

Riki's dependable nature is starting to come out again. It seems that if he is getting a responsibility, he will run it very trustfully.

Something made me curious.

“By the way have you asked permission to your parents before?”

“Of course Mar, Riki told me that I had to give my parents permission first. If I don't get permission, he won't ask me to go hiking.”

“Indeed it should be like that, we don't know what will happen to us on the mountain later. We better ask permission for our trip this time to be okay.”

I gave him a little advice.

“And it also seemed that my parents were happy to hear that I wanted to go far away with my friends. They also gave me a lot of money.”

Miyuki said that very casually.

Hehehehehe... A lot of money? I think I can use it for the return trip. It was your first mistake, princess, to tell me that you have a lot of money in front of me.

Morning arrived, and the transportation to the basecamp had begun to operate. We immediately boarded the transport and went to basecamp via Patak Banteng. During the trip, I saw a beautiful view from the car. The clear sky, fresh air, and the view of some mountains had already begun to be seen from there.

After a long journey, we finally arrived at the basecamp via Patak Banteng. We also plan to have breakfast before the climb. Moreover, because last night I did not wake up while in the rest area, making my stomach feel hungry once.

Kami pun menuju ke salah satu tempat makan yang berada di sana. Sedangkan Maul dan Riki pergi ke tempat

register to register ourselves before climbing.

“What's up?”

I rebuked Miyuki who was looking around the stall.

“Nothing, I'm just happy. I've never eaten in a place like this.”

“Really!?”

Kirana and Lina were surprised to hear that. I guess I'm the only one who's gonna be surprised.

“Yes, my Mom and Dad rarely invite me to eat in places like this.”

“Means this is your first experience huh?”

“Iya Rin, that's why I'm so happy.”

I don't know what's fun about eating in a little stall like this. It seems I can't understand the rich man's way of thinking.

“Hai Mar, may I try to carry your bag?”

Miyuki looks very eager to bring my bag.

“Cannot, this bag is very heavy. I'm sure you definitely can't lift it.”

“You seem to underestimate me too much Mar.”

Miyuki was very confident that she could lift my bag.

“Alright please if you want to try.”

I put my bag down and let him pick it up.

Miyuki started trying to lift my bag. The keril bag I brought was a keril bag that could carry a load of up to sixty liters, and Riki had filled my bag to the maximum. It would be great if he could lift my bag.

I saw Miyuki who was struggling trying to lift my bag. Various ways he has done to be able to lift my bag, but he still can not lift it. The behavior he did when he wanted to lift my bag looked very funny.

“Hahahaha.. I told you my bag is heavy.”.

“What are the contents of this bag of yours?”

“Only two tents, several bottles of drinking water one liter, and little consumption.”

I try to remember what was in my bag.

“And that's it, but I can't lift it.”

Miyuki gave up and gave me my bag back, and from a distance I saw Riki and Maul who had returned from the registration. We had breakfast together to fill our empty stomachs before going on a hike.

This is what I was happy about when I went hiking to Central Java. The food served here is not very expensive and it also tastes pretty good in my opinion. In addition, there are several stalls that serve buffet at a price that is not too expensive. If for example in a modern dining place we might call it All You Can It.

After having breakfast and talking for a while, we finally decided to climb at exactly nine in the morning.

“Alright, before we make the climb. It would be nice if we read the prayer first so that our climb this time can run smoothly without any obstacles in the slightest, and we can return home safely. Pray at start..”.

Riki also led the climbing event this time. Because he knows more about what to do when climbing, so we leave the task to Riki. We all prayed first so that the climb this time could run smoothly until we went home.

“Praying done.. Let's start climbing!”

“Come!!”

A long and difficult climb began.

the End Chapter 22