This afternoon, I'm in the pool, swimming as usual.
Mom, that woman, is sitting in the gazebo near the pool, peeling fruit.
“Irsha?” she calls.
I poke my head above the surface.
“When are you getting married?” she asks out of nowhere.
“Uhh??”
“Nothing, I'm just kidding, honey. But if it really happens, I'll give you my blessing.”
I walk over to Mom and take an apple from the plate.
I sit beside her. “Irsha hasn't thought about it yet.”
“I haven't even made it to college yet, Mom.”
I sigh. “When you meet the right person, it'll happen. Like that song by Afgan,” I chuckle.
“You really say the funniest things.”
“Oh, right, Mom. When is Fita coming here?” I ask, remembering something about my sister.
“I don't know. I haven't heard from her yet,” she replies.
“Ugh, that woman. I'll call her tomorrow and make her give you an update.”
Mom only chuckles. She ruffles my hair and hands me a towel. I happily accept it, then leave for the bathroom.
After getting dressed, I take my sling bag, which contains my wallet and phone.
I say goodbye to Mom.
I ride my motorcycle at an easy pace, glancing left and right. Then I turn toward the chicken-noodle vendor.
“Sir, four chicken noodles and four orders of fried rice, okay?”
“Yes, ma'am. Please wait a moment.”
After waiting for twenty minutes, the order finally arrives.
“How much is it, sir?”
“110,000 rupiah, ma'am.”
I take out my money and hand it to the vendor.
“Thank you, sir.”
Once I'm done, I ride my motorcycle home.
When I arrive home,
“Peace be upon you, Mom.”
“And peace be upon you, sweetheart. You're home?”
“As you can see. Come on, let's eat?” I invite her.
In the kitchen, I put the fried rice and chicken noodles into containers.
“Mom, is Aunt Fanti still coming here?” I ask.
“She is. She'll be here soon,” she replies.
Aunt Fanti finally arrives with Grandma and Grandpa.
We all eat the food together, with a few conversations sprinkled in between.
Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Fanti have gone home, picked up by Aunt Fanti's child. Now I'm sitting on the rooftop of my house, my favorite spot when I'm home. Night is beginning to fall, and I pull my jacket tighter. I gaze at the vast expanse of glittering stars.
Those stars are like the dreams I want so badly. Will I ever be able to reach them?
The ring of my phone snaps me out of it. I pick it up and dial back.
“Sha?”
“Peace be upon you?”
“Oh, right, I forgot. And peace be upon you. Go ahead, I want to talk.”
“What is it?”
“I ran into Agil at the mall earlier,” she says.
“And?”
“I don't know. I just wanted to tell you. He was alone, too. I think he and Nadya broke up.”
“That isn't important at all. I'm hanging up, okay?”
“Oh, please. Just admit you still like him.”
“I don't. I guess I admire him, sure. But love? No,” I explain.
After that conversation, there is only silence.
“So you're still coming here, right?”
I answer with only a hum. “Want Agil's number? In case you want to text him.”
“ULFYAAA!” I scream.
“Oh my God, your voice. It's getting louder and louder. Gotta go. It's late, and I have homework to do. Bye-bye.”
“Bye-bye.”
Someone pats my shoulder. “What happened? Why did you scream?”
“Nothing, Mom.”
Mom smiles at me and rubs my shoulder, making me rest my head against hers.
“Is this about the older student you like?” she guesses.
“He already has a girlfriend, Mom. There's no way Irsha would still hope for anything with him. I just admire him, that's all.”
“Cavin?” she asks.
“No, Mom. That was a long time ago,” I answer shortly.
“Yes, I know.”
“I think I just like looking at them, Mom. Because after that, there isn't anything special or anything.”
“A racing heart. Cold sweats.”
“No, none of that. It's nothing serious. Just like I said, I like looking at them.”
“Well, it's not impossible that you might end up liking one of them, right?”