WHEN I FELL IN LOVE

Chapter 20

After the morning briefing. I don't know if there's any wind Erwin wants to come with me to visit every store I have to go to. Actually, things like this are natural and often occur in other companies. Supervisors go with salesmen to visit the store, an activity we call, join visit. However, in the company where I work, joining a visit is a rare occurrence. Erwin rarely wants to go to join a visit with a salesman, for whatever reason. It made me, Jayadi, and Jessica who had known Erwin for a long time, a little surprised by his desire. But, of course, I immediately obeyed Erwin's wishes, because it was indeed part of his job. Well, maybe Erwin has indeed turned into a better leader, and his attitude towards Lela who is super good, is one part of his improvement.

I left the office about nine o'clock and thirty minutes, because Erwin had to speak in front of the snack team first. He said he had to explain about the new product to be sold by the snack team. Jayadi and Jessica are gone, and Boris? He did not come to the office because he went straight from his home to the Kalianda area, South Lampung, to visit the cake shops that were in the place he had to travel for about one and a half, he said, up to two hours, from the city of Bandar Lampung.

Once Erwin is ready. We went on my motorcycle—the one I drove.

“Ben, we go to Mall Kedaton first,“ Erwin's order suddenly, after just my motor passed the office gate.

I'm sharing his desire. I thought, maybe Erwin has some business in that place. Work affairs related to new snack products that our company wants to sell. I immediately drove my motorcycle to Kedaton Mall. Before long our journey, only about fifteen minutes, we had arrived at our destination.

“We made coffee first Ben,“ take Erwin, when just standard side of my motorcycle I lower.

Again, I expressed his desire. From the parking lot, Erwin and I walked directly to a restaurant on the second floor of the Mall. Ewrin chose a seat in the outside area so we could smoke. A choice that suits me. Then a waitress came to our table, and gave each of us a menu book. After looking through the menu listed in the book, I decided to order a cup of black coffee. Erwin ordered the drink with the longest and most complicated name listed in the menu book: Double Shots Iced Shaken Espresso. And I imagine if Jayadi read it, "doble sut ised saken espreso," would certainly sound like that, hahaha. After taking down our order, the waitress immediately left the table to give the order to a barista who had been standing behind the bar since (this resto, this one, this one, a typical restaurant that uses salespeople to request orders to guests).

Erwin and I sat down opposite each other. A wooden box table that is also colored wood, is in the middle of us. I felt a very awkward and very uncomfortable atmosphere. Understandably, I rarely go alone with Erwin. The last time I went alone with him, if not wrong was about five months ago. It was just to deliver him to send a parcel containing baby bathing tools, to one of our customers whose wife had just given birth.

It took about fifteen minutes, until the drink we ordered came before us. Fifteen minutes that we used to stare at our respective smartphone screens and there was no discussion. The cup of black coffee in front of me and the Double Shots Iced Shaken Espresso that Erwin ordered was our separator with a smarthphone. At once we immediately enjoyed our drinks, and for me, the atmosphere still felt awkward.

“So, how's your brother doing, Ben? What's name?“ asked Erwin suddenly. A very pleasant question because I don't have a sister. But it's natural, because not everyone on this earth knows my family tree, including Erwin.

“I'm the oldest child, Mas,“ I replied with a smile.

“Oh, forget me,“ reply Erwin, with very smooth gestures and speech. Other people will definitely be fooled and assume Erwin completely forgot. But sorry, not with me. “You have a sister, right?“ he asked me again.

“Iya Mas's. Fitri. Female. He is still SMA,“ I replied, clear and detailed. Do you also want to know Erwin's date of birth? Thought.

“Oh, yes ... yes,“ he replied with a smile, with eyes staring intently at me. Honestly, I was a little intimidated by Erwin's figure. For some reason, I felt his gaze and speech absorb my energy. “Then, how do you work? No problem, in the field?“ ask again.

“Good, then,“ reply Erwin. Then he was silent for a moment. “Ben,“ said later, teputus. I stared at him, waiting for what he wanted to say. “What do you think of Lela?“ continued. A question that surprised me a little. Why would Erwin ask for my opinion on Lela? And, what opinion of?

“I think Lela is good. Slowly Lela began to master her work,“ I replied. Of the many choices, I choose to express my opinion about Lela's performance as a sales coordinator. I think that's the most fitting answer to this moment. Erwin is my boss, and right now, we're in business hours.

“Not that I mean,“ Erwin said. Then he took a mild cigarette out of his box, squeezed it in the left corner of his lips, then he burned the tip with a lighter. Erwin looks like a gambling king in mandarin movies. “I mean. What do you think of Lela, as a woman? Is he good? Or .. well, you're the one who knows Lela the most among us. I want to know your opinion,“ said Erwin.

Instantly my throat was dry, and my heart was pounding when I had just heard Erwin's question, when he said it in more detail. I was offended by that question. Offended? Yeah, I feel offended. I no longer knew what vocabulary was most appropriate to describe my feelings and suspicions. But, I should still look calm and sane, like the Bento she knew.

“For me, Lela is good, Mas. Beauitiful? Yep. Hardworking guy? Yep. And, as a woman, she is very independent and responsible,“ my reply, to be honest. Actually, my reply wasn't finished. There was one more sentence I wanted to say to Erwin, which was: "what's the matter, Mas?" A simple question I had to disqualify, because I was too scared, to hear the answer.

Erwin smiled happily when he had just heard my answer, then he smoked his cigarette, and exhaled his smoke into the air. “I'm glad to hear your answer,“ reply Erwin, suspicious. I know he wants me to ask, why, man? But, looking at her guts, frankly I don't want to know the reason she asked my opinion about Lela.

Erwin waited for my reply while looking at me. I know what he expects, and I don't want to give it. I kept quiet, looking at her kindly, like the Bento she knew. If he wanted to explain the reason. Better just say it straight away, without having to wait for me to ask.

“Ben,“ said. My heart throbbed even more as he called out to me. “It looks like, I'm interested in Lela,“ he continued.

“Textracted?” my many.

“Ya, interested. I fell in love with Lela,“ she said again. This time it was more firm.

I'm silent. Silent more than usual. No words came to my mind at all. Erwin had just given an answer to Jayadi's question, "maybe it's not Bang, Erwin likes Lela?" Well, Jayadi had already gotten an answer to his question. And suddenly, I remembered what I said last night in front of Jayadi and Boris: “Love is like life. Full of mystery. Everything is the will of the power.”

The will of the power? God, what will you do with Erwin's love for Lela? Suddenly the question just popped into my head. Like a crybaby complaining about love for God. The love I myself have never told Lela.