"Yes, that's right."
Then they ate it together with the packet of rice from earlier. Imagine Agatha, a rich man's daughter surrounded by wealth and luxury, having to eat packeted rice with tempeh, tofu, and chili sauce as side dishes.
In the middle of the meal, Sister Regina remembered what Sister Retha had said about the donor.
"So, have you met the donor Sister Retha mentioned?"
Laras fell silent. The moment she heard the word donor, she immediately thought of Bram. However, she didn't tell Sister Regina that the donor in question was actually Bram, her former boyfriend from back in high school.
"Sister..." Sister Regina prompted again.
"Huh? Yes. I'm sorry!" Laras replied, flustered.
"Oh, the donor? Yes, we met him a few days ago. Then he told me to prepare a proposal," she answered.
"Have you started it, Sister? Do you need my help?"
"I've finished part of it. I plan to continue working on it tonight, then send it tomorrow morning," she replied.
"Oh, I see. Then you don't need my help anymore, Sister?" Sister Regina asked.
"It's not that I don't need help. I just haven't needed it yet, Sister," Laras replied, panting from the chili sauce she'd eaten earlier.
"What's wrong, Sister? Is it too spicy?"
"Yes. Huh... hah... huh... hah." Laras looked as though she could barely breathe because the chili sauce she'd eaten was so spicy.
They taught until noon that day, and after they finished, Laras returned to her convent and resumed her routine.
"Ana, is there an email for me from Santa Theresia Convent?" Bram asked his secretary quietly.
"No, sir," Ana replied at once. But she was a little puzzled inside and couldn't help wondering. It was unusual for her boss to be so calm today. Normally, whenever he asked a question, his tone was always forceful and abrasive, never gentle.
"Okay. Let me know as soon as one arrives, all right? I'm waiting for an email from them."
"Yes, sir."
Then Bram left Ana and entered his office. He went back to work until it was time to meet with a foreign investor who would be putting capital into his company.
Meanwhile, as evening approached and after she had finished all her usual activities, Laras resumed working on the Sanggar Tinta Emas Proposal, which she would give to Rafael.
All night, she thought about and arranged the right words—beautiful, precise ones—to submit to the foundation managed by Bram.
In any case, this was an official proposal, so every word and sentence had to be chosen with absolute precision and care.
Laras continued organizing the proposal until, at around midnight, she finally finished it. All that remained was to edit it briefly, and by tomorrow morning it would be ready to send to Bram.
It was exhausting, but the fatigue would be worth it whenever she saw the children's smiles at the studio. They were so sweet and innocent. If Laras didn't help them, who else would care about their lives?
That night, once everything was finished, Laras went straight to bed and let herself rest.
By morning, after she finished her morning prayers with the other sisters, Laras immediately emailed the proposal to Bram at the address printed on the business card he had given her.
"I've finally finished my work. I hope they accept it," Laras said to herself.
Laras truly hoped Bram and his colleagues would accept her proposal. It felt as though the feelings that had once visited her heart were no longer part of what she felt now.
Serving and loving others was her top priority in life now—but Bram was different. He still believed that Laras remained in his heart to this day.