Fero drove without saying much. Every now and then, he glanced at the passenger seat, where Angelo had slumped against the window, his mouth slightly open and his breathing steady. Apparently, heartbreak couldn't stop the sleep that had been piling up since the night before.
Fero had actually planned to visit Yayasan Cinta Bunda the next morning. But after seeing his cousin made a fool of in public earlier, he decided to move up the schedule. It couldn't hurt. The children there always managed to make people forget their own troubles for a little while.
The roads were fairly crowded that afternoon, stretching what was usually a quicker trip into a full hour. Fero didn't mind. He turned on the radio at low volume, letting the announcer's voice fill the silence of the car while Angelo slept soundly beside him. Every now and then, his cousin's head bumped lightly against the glass whenever the car passed over a bumpy stretch of road, but he still didn't wake up.
"Idiot," Fero muttered, shaking his head while keeping his eyes on the road.
Half an hour later, the foundation building came into view in the distance. The two-story cream-colored building stood among lush trees, its spacious yard usually filled with children at play. Fero slowed down as he entered the gate, then parked in his usual spot, right beneath a large mango tree.
He turned off the engine and looked over at Angelo, who was still fast asleep. Without warning, Fero slapped his cousin hard on the shoulder.
"Hey! Wake up!"
"Huh?!" Angelo jolted awake, his eyes going wide in panic as his hand reflexively grabbed the door handle. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was. "We're here already?"
"We've been here for a while. You slept like a dead man." Fero had already opened his car door and stepped out without waiting for a response.
Angelo followed, still half-dazed. He climbed out of the car with slightly unsteady steps, blinking several times as he tried to adjust to the harsh sunlight. His head still felt heavy, the lingering sleep mixing with the dizziness left over from what had happened at the café.
"Fero! You finally made it!"
The cheerful voice came from the direction of the main building. A middle-aged man hurried toward them, followed by two young volunteers who were also grinning widely. Fero returned the greeting with a warm nod, a slight departure from his cold attitude at the café earlier.
"Mr. Hardi." Fero shook the man's hand. "Sorry for the last-minute visit. I was planning to come tomorrow."
"Whenever you come, our doors are always open." Mr. Hardi patted Fero's arm, then shifted his gaze to Angelo, who was still standing a little behind them and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Who's this? I don't think I've seen him before."
"My cousin. Angelo." Fero turned and gestured for Angelo to come forward.
"Oh, hello, Mr. Hardi." Angelo hurriedly shook the man's hand, his smile still somewhat stiff because the sleep hadn't completely left him.
The foundation's yard looked quieter than usual. Some of the children in their care had already been picked up by their respective families, while the others had moved to the dormitory building behind the educational building, preparing for their afternoon rest. Only a few small children were still running around the yard, laughing as they chased a plastic ball rolling back and forth.
Angelo looked around, taking in the atmosphere. Before he could comment, he stopped short when his eyes caught sight of a woman emerging from the building's doorway with a stack of books in both hands.
The woman wore a simple white shirt tucked into slacks, her hair neatly tied back. She descended the steps with a light stride, occasionally smiling and greeting the children who passed her. Without realizing it, Angelo stopped rubbing his eyes.
"Hey." Fero nudged his cousin's arm, noticing where Angelo was looking.
"Huh? What?" Angelo startled and quickly looked away, even as his face reddened slightly.
Fero only shook his head, making no further comment. It was no secret that his cousin was easily captivated by beautiful women, even just hours after a breakup. Fero held back from teasing him, though inwardly he could only shake his head in disbelief.
The woman finally reached them and placed the stack of books on the nearest wooden table before turning to Mr. Hardi with a friendly smile.
"Mr. Hardi, I put the donated books from the school in the reading room," she said, her voice clear and relaxed.
"Good. Thanks, Sita." Mr. Hardi nodded in satisfaction, then gestured toward Fero and Angelo. "Let me introduce you. This is Fero, one of our regular donors. And the one beside him is his cousin, Angelo."
Sita turned and extended her hand to Fero first. "Sita. Nice to meet you, Fero. I've heard your name from Mr. Hardi."
"Fero." He returned the handshake briefly, polite as always.
Then Sita turned her attention to Angelo, her hand still extended. "Sita."
"A-Angelo." He hurriedly took her hand, nervous. For a moment, he forgot how to act normally.
Sita gave him a faint smile, unaware—or perhaps pretending not to notice—the awkwardness that had suddenly appeared in the man before her. "What brings you all the way out here? Did you come to see what the kids are up to?"
"Yeah, and to drop off this month's donation," Fero replied, his tone shifting back into the formal mode he always used when dealing with the foundation. "I also wanted to take my cousin out for a change. He needs some cheering up."
"Oh, I see." Sita nodded in understanding, though she didn't ask what kind of cheering up he meant. Her gaze briefly returned to Angelo, who was still standing stiffly with the awkward smile that hadn't left his face.
Mr. Hardi clapped his hands softly, breaking the moment. "All right, let's head inside first. I'll get you something to drink, and we can talk in there."
The small group started toward the main building. Fero walked ahead with Mr. Hardi, while Angelo fell a few steps behind, quietly stealing glances at Sita as she strolled along, occasionally greeting the children who passed by.