What a Beautiful Divorce

84. Smilingly

By noon they arrived in Jakarta. Because the promise to meet with a new friend Prapto later in the day, they first go to the places sent by Stepen. They came to these addresses one by one but no one made clothes using manual methods and natural materials.

Mr. Purnomo parked the car in the parking lot of a restaurant whose courtyard was also used for a visitor's desk. The aroma from various dishes up to the parking lot, making their stomachs even hungrier. Mr. Purnomo went down, followed by Prapto and Nimo.

Nimo turned to Prapto. He smiles. "We haven't eaten here in a long time, yes, boss," Nimo said. He then looked around the restaurant which did not seem to have changed much. Visitors still remain crowded and more crowded in the courtyard than inside the restaurant. And on restaurant tables there are green candles, colors that are thought to symbolize the aura of wealth.

"Yes, Nimo. Not much has changed. The preamusajinya is still the former. Only the wooden tables outside of this seem to be replaced with better polished wood" Prapto said. "Where was your uncle, Nimo?" Prapto looked around looking for Mr. Purnomo.

Nimo scrunched his forehead. "Where's my Uncle, huh? Uncle was in front of us, right, Boss? Come on, boss, let's go find it!" bring Nimo.

Prapto and Nimo then split into a search for Mr. Purnomo who suddenly disappeared from their sight. Nimo searches the courtyard section of the restaurant, while Prapto searches inside the restaurant.

“Prapto!”

Prapto turned his head when he heard the voice of someone calling him from the direction of a table. “Ronal,” greet Prapto. “You came first it turned out?”

“Not too long ago. Where are you going? Seems to be looking for someone.”

Ronal was a friend of Prapto's when Prapto was still working at the company and he was a painting lover. That is why Ronal wants to help sell the painting Mr. Purnomo with pleasure.

“Yes, I am looking for his uncle Nimo who wants to sell the painting,” Prapto replied.

“Pak Purnomo's, right?” Ronal whose hair was split in the middle pointed at someone before her.

“Eh!” Prapto exclaimed in shock.

“Mana Nimo earlier, Prapto?” ask Mr. Purnomo who just sipped his iced tea.

“He's looking for Father. We split up because Mr. Purnomo suddenly disappeared. For a moment Sir, Ronal, I'll call Nimo first.” Prapto went to the courtyard of the restaurant to call Nimo. Soon they returned and sat down with Ronal and Purnomo.

“Unknown to Mas Ronal?” asked Nimo, astonished.

Mr. Purnomo laughed. “No, but Ronal called me and said that he was your friend who would help sell my painting, so I sat down. Instincts Nak Ronal is good.”

“I can guess from the bag that your uncle Nimo brought. From the shape, the bag must be a painting,” said Ronal.

A female waitress came with a menu and a book to record the order. He gave me the menu, waited, and then went back to the kitchen.

Soon the waiter came to serve the order; four servings of fried rice and two additional glasses of iced tea.

“Come, we'll eat first. After our new full stomach to where to sell paintings,” invite Ronal.

Ronal seemed to think for a while, then he said, “I've heard of it. A woman who came from a village and opened a clothing store whose cloth was made manually, but I forgot where it was. My mom once ordered that guy. I asked my mother. For what, Prapto? You need fast?” Ronal again scooped up the fried rice.

“To teach the skill of making clothes in our village, Ronal. Yes, if you can after selling the painting we will directly offer an offer to teach in the village to him,” answered Prapto.

“Alright, after eating will I call my mother,” said Ronal.

After they ate, Ronal called her mother, but her mother did not keep the number.

They then went to a two-story shophouse whose ground floor was transformed into a painting gallery. They were greeted by an old man whose hair was combed backwards entirely. Most of the parents' hair is already bleached. His name is Pak Akum.

Mr. Akum noticed the paintings of Mr. Purnomo. “Great. Why is Mr Purnomo coming now? If you come here again, just bring more paintings. Painting Father will certainly be many buyers.”

Mr. Purnomo smiled. “Call Purnomo only, Kum. We're the age. I was in Paris before, and before I went to Paris I had not done much painting. All right, Kum, thank you,” he said while receiving the money raised by Mr. Akum.

Mr. Akum nodded. “Just leave your number, Purnomo, it seems I'll order a painting for you. And also, if there's a race, I'll let you know.” Mr. Akum lit his cigarette. “Oh yes, I had a chance to hear your chat. You guys are looking for someone who is skilled at making clothes manually, huh? I know someone who is very skilled.”

“True, Mr. Akum,” sahut Prapto. He then explained to Mr. Akum that his village was looking for a teacher to make clothes. “That's how it is, sir, a tip from our village chief. And said Mr. Village Chief, his teacher must be a citizen of our village as well.”

Mr. Akum nodded. “You guys relax here while looking at the paintings, I'll order a coffee. In about two hours my employees will be coming and I can leave the gallery's oversight to him. I'll take you straight to the guy.” Mr. Akum then asked a young man who was his employee to order coffee to the stall next door.

“Thank you, Mr. Akum,” said Prapto. “About that person will want to stay in our village no, yes, sir?”

“That person is hard to guess, Prapto. He's also a little stubborn. But his skill in making clothes, his precision in choosing natural fibers to make clothes, and his intelligence in making color alloys are remarkable. I know some natural clothing makers, but no one has been able to beat him yet,” explained Mr. Akum.

Prapto, Ronal, Nimo, and Mr. Purnomo nodded. They seemed so interested in hearing Mr. Akum's explanation.

“Looks like he's so steeped in the art of making clothes, yeah. Like a true painter, a true clothing maker must be steeped in the science of making clothes to the smallest meaning,”, said Mr. Purnomo.

Mr. Akum nodded. “Yes, Purnomo is right. Sometimes he can sit for an hour just to observe the clothes that will be given color.”

They continued chatting while looking at the painting. After his employees came, Mr. Akum took Prapto and others to the place where the clothes maker was talking about earlier. “The place is quite far from here. But ‘kan y'all no other agenda,” said Mr Akum before getting into the car.

The one driving the car is still Mr. Purnomo. Mr. Akum sat in the front seat while guiding the road. Mr. Oscar's old sedan car is full of carcasses.

After they traveled for an hour, Mr. Purnomo parked the car in front of the fence of a two-story house that has a fairly large garden.

“This ‘kan your house, Mr Akum?” ronal asked in a surprised tone.

Mr. Akum smiled.