WHEN I FELL IN LOVE

Chapter 3

At my mother's command, after a shower and breakfast, I went straight to the Source Cake store located in one of the most legendary traditional markets in my city, the Yellow Bamboo market. The distance from my house to the Yellow Bamboo market is quite close, only about 10 kilometers. 

My house is in the Blue Gem housing complex. The type 36 house that my father bought when he just married my mother. My father said, in the past there were still many snakes passing by in the street in front of my house. Understandably, because once around the housing where I live, there are still many rice fields. But, different then, different now. The residential area where my house is located has experienced rapid development growth. There have been many shophouses or other housing established around it. Things that make the snakes migrate somewhere, because their residence eroded the pace of development. It is not just residential areas that are growing. My house has also undergone an overhaul since it was first bought by my father. The one-story type 36 house, remodeled into a two-story building. Where on the second floor, my room, Fitri's room, and a terrace for my mother to hang clothes were.

I reached my destination after a fifteen minute journey. After I parked my bike right in front of the store. I immediately stepped inside.

"Assalamualaikum," I saluted.

"Waalaikumsalam," replied Mr. Selamet, who seemed busy counting the numbers written on the pile of notes in front of him (Pak Selamet is the owner of the store Source Cake, as well as the father of Nurlela). "Hey, Bento," said Mr. Selamet. His gaze was still fixed on the pile of notes before him. "It's Sunday, no order!" I laughed, and laughed after hearing it.

"It could be, Mr. Selamet," I replied.

The Cake Sourcing Shop was indeed the store I visited most often to offer instant cake flour distributed by the company I worked for. In a week, I can go two to three times to this store, either to take the order, or to collect the payment. So, my relationship with Mr. Selamet is quite close.

I stepped over to the cashier's desk where Mr. Selamet was busy with his work. If I see a pile of notes he hasn't counted yet, it looks like his work is almost done. So I just wait for Mr. Selamet to finish his job, while I look at the items displayed near the cashier table.

The display in the store Source Cake is the same as the store of cake sellers in general; a white painted room, the, where several glass storefronts are arranged lengthwise in the middle of the room to separate the consumer area and the seller area, the, then there is a cashier table whose size is higher than the storefront placed on the right side of the store— when viewed from outside the store. Some products are arranged neatly in the storefront, some are displayed hanging from the ceiling.

"You usually shop with your mom or Fitri?" asked Mr. Selamet, after I saw him pressing the same button as, on his calculator.

"Yes, sir. Mother was busy preparing the cake batter, with the help of Fitri. Thank goodness, sir, I have a lot of pastry orders" I said.

Mr. Selamet smiled and nodded his head in response to my words. "So, what do you want to buy?" tanyanya.

"Five kilos of wheat flour" I answered, clear and steady.

"Well, wait a minute" said Mr. Selamet, then he got up from the cashier's desk and started to prepare my order.

As Mr. Selamet prepared my order, I grabbed my phone in my pants pocket, opened Google, and typed in the search field: facts about witchcraft.

Something made me a little gerogi, while I was reading seven facts about the witch. When suddenly there was a sweet voice of a woman saying, "assalamualaikum." I immediately turned my gaze toward him, and said, "waalaikumsalam." And, I was stunned when my eyes caught the figure of Lela walking into the store while carrying a white plastic bag full of various kinds of vegetables.

"Bang Bento, shopping?" ask Lela.

"Yes, shopping" I replied, a little nervous.

Lela smilingly responded to me—sweet once, as she continued to step towards the glass display case in the middle of the room. Arriving in front of the storefront, his white and clean hands pushed the storefront plan to create a little flaw, so that he could enter the seller's special area in the store. Of course my eyes watched every second of that moment that made my heart flutter.

As I was watching Lela, suddenly ...

My eyes caught the figure of a middle-aged woman wearing a red negligee and carrying a black plastic bag on her right hand. That woman is Sulistiawati's mother. I called her, Mother Wati. The wife of Mr. Selamet, who is also Lela's biological mother.

"Mom Wati?" sapaku, friendly.

He smiled at me, then said, "cock tumben shopping alone?" tanyanya, while walking past me, towards the same place that Lela had been to.

"Yes, Mom. Mother is busy making cakes assisted by Fitri," I replied.

Wati's mother smiled in response to my words.

Then, "Nih, your order is Ben," said Mr. Selamet from behind the storefront, putting a plastic bag containing my ordered goods on the display case.

Since my order was ready, then soon I reached into the back pocket of my pants to retrieve my black wallet.

"Ben?" said Mr. Selamet. I looked at him, handing over the money for the price of the goods I bought. "Help Lela find a job" asked Mr. Selamet.

"Lela, the scholar. How about applying to my company, sir?" my reply.

"For what department?" ask Mr. Selamet.

"Yes .. try sending the application, sir. If there will be an empty position for the staff, who knows Lela was called to the interview."

"Ah, is not clear dong, if that?"

"Yes, there's actually an empty job for the sales coordinator, sir. But, does Lela want to work in the field? The work of the sales coordinator is, almost similar to me, only the responsibility is greater," I said.

"It's okay, Bang Ben," sambar Lela, walking up to Mr. Selamet, then standing next to him.

"Well, have you heard it yourself, right, from the guy?" continue Mr. Selamet, pointing at Lela with his thumb.

"All right, then. You just make her job application letter. I'll take you to my office" I said.

Lela nodded her head, a sign she agreed with my proposal. "But, Bang Ben wait, huh? beware. I just wrote his proposal. If the other files, I happen to have been there and kept here" said Lela, enthusiastically.

"All right, I'll wait."

After hearing my reply, Lela immediately rushed to prepare her job application. When I looked at Lela who seemed so excited about preparing her job application, how come I felt a little sorry to tell Lela about the job vacancy info in my office? Honestly, I was horrified. What if Lela's not accepted? Or worse, how about for an interview, Lela is not called? Wouldn't that disappoint him?