The morning after Subuh prayers, the Principal and his entourage bid farewell to Ferdi and his extended family. “Ann..., can I ask you something?” Ferdi said amidst the hustle and bustle of his friends saying goodbye.
“What is it, Fer?”
“Can you come home with me? Because... there’s still something we need to do here. Don’t worry, I’m heading straight to Jakarta today too!”
“Hmmmm..., I don’t know...” Anna thought for a moment. “Ann..., let’s go home!” said the Principal, who approached them both.
“Sir..., can I borrow Anna for a bit...? Let her come home with us!”
“Sorry, Fer..., I’m responsible for everyone I brought here.” The Principal said, seemingly reluctant.
“You see, Sir..., the host family wants Anna’s help for their child’s engagement party today. We’ll also head straight to Jakarta this afternoon.” Ferdi said pleadingly.
“Hmmm..., alright, it’s up to Anna. I can’t forbid it.” The Principal said, giving in. Aditia and Indri were apparently observing their conversation. It seemed they were planning something.
“Hmmm..., okay, I’ll do it! Sir..., please tell Alia, Tania, and Gustina to accompany me here!” Anna said to the Principal. The Principal agreed to their request, but unfortunately, Anna’s three friends didn’t want to accompany her. Because they all had plans that afternoon. Anna started to get confused, while Ferdi kept pressing her to stay with him for a while. Finally, after Ferdi struggled to persuade her, Anna accepted Ferdi’s request. Anna borrowed Ferdi’s phone and called her parents, explaining everything. Her parents gave their permission. A few minutes later, the entire group was on the bus, except for Anna, Aditia, and Indri. It turned out Aditia and Indri also wanted to go home later. Indri’s reason was that she wanted Aditia to accompany her to visit her grandmother’s house, which wasn’t far from the area. The bus departed without the three of them.
“Why do we have to tag along with them, dear?” Aditia said, confused by Indri’s idea.
“PSSST..., I’m just curious....” Indri whispered into Aditia’s ear. At that moment, they were hiding in the backyard of the house so they wouldn’t be discovered. Because the place was very quiet, and everyone else was in the front yard of the house.
“Dad..., can I borrow your car?” Ferdi said to Mr. Tanto, who was enjoying his milk coffee with serabi cakes.
“What for, Fer? It’s still early!” Mr. Tanto said with a mouth full of serabi cake.
“Ferdi wants to go for a drive with Anna, Dad, and see the Bandung city view.”.
“Hmmm..., Dad’s fine with it, as long as you drive carefully. Because you’re taking Anna!” Mr. Tanto said with a worried tone.
“Got it, Dad, just pray everything goes smoothly according to plan.”
Mr. Tanto then gave Ferdi the car keys.
Ferdi immediately went to Anna, who was engrossed in conversation with Susan and Rina. Anna seemed to quickly get along with Rina. Ferdi then invited Anna to go for a drive. Fortunately, Anna immediately complied, so there wasn’t much talking.
Indri and Aditia continued to watch them from a distance.
“Looks like they’re leaving.” Indri said.
“So what does that have to do with us?” Aditia replied, genuinely not understanding.
“Let’s follow them!” Indri said in a whisper.
“With what, dear, with what...? You’re not thinking at all. I didn’t bring a motorbike, how are we going to do it? Let’s just go back to Jakarta!” Aditia said, already annoyed with Indri. This time, Indri was also confused. At that moment, Ferdi and Anna were walking towards the car they would use to leave. Ferdi was seen unlocking the car door. The car was parked on a soccer field not far from Rina’s house.
“Oh my goodness, Fer, I left my wallet!” Anna said, suddenly panicking as she checked her pants pocket. “Alright, go get it first!” Ferdi said, also patting his pants pocket. It turned out Ferdi’s phone was also left behind, so they went to retrieve their belongings together without locking the car door.
“Come on, quick!” Indri pulled Aditia’s hand towards the car. They immediately got into the car and hid in the back seat.
“This is risky, In, we could get caught!”
“Oh well, even if we get caught, it’s not that risky. OK, just trust me!” Indri said, her tone becoming romantic towards Aditia.
Ferdi and Anna then returned to the car. “Fer..., I’ll sit in the back, okay!” Anna said when they reached the car door. Aditia’s heart pounded fast when he heard those words.
“Dear..., if you’re in the back, who will I be with in the front? There’s still an empty seat in the front. I don’t want to be accompanied by a ghost of an empty seat! Hiiii..., scary!” Ferdi said with a figurative meaning. Anna just smiled hearing all that. She then complied with Ferdi’s wish.
A few moments later, the car drove along, exploring the beautiful scenery of Bandung city. The AC was turned off and replaced with open car windows so they could directly enjoy the cool morning air of Bandung. Unfortunately, this was not advantageous for Aditia or Indri. It was impossible for them to also open the windows, so they would suffer from the heat behind the car seats.
They had been driving for an hour, but they were still traversing plantations filled with green plants.
“The scenery is still beautiful, Fer, not like Jakarta where most of the land has changed function.” Anna said, admiring the surrounding view.
“Damn, In, I’m super hot now!” Aditia whispered.
“Am I not hot too? I didn’t expect it to be this bad!” Indri said, her voice a bit loud. Indeed, their sweat kept streaming down because the AC was not turned on.
The car began to enter a damaged and rocky road, causing a slight jolt. Suddenly, Indri and Aditia’s heads collided.
“Thump, ouch!” Indri cried out, muffled. Spontaneously, their heads popped out from behind the seat, making them visible to Anna, who happened to look towards the back of the car.
“In, I think we’ve been caught.” Aditia said, giving up.
“Shhh, only Anna saw, I hope she can cooperate.” Indri whispered. “Turns out, they didn’t go home! Why are they following me and Ferdi? Ah, I hope their intentions aren’t bad.” Anna thought to herself.
“Hmmmm, Fer, can you turn on the AC? The sun seems to be getting scorching.” Anna said pleadingly.
“What for, Ann? We’re stopping there soon anyway.” Ferdi said, pointing to a rather beautiful lake. A few moments later, the car stopped at that location. Both Anna and Ferdi got out of the car. Meanwhile, Indri and Aditia became even hotter because the car was completely sealed. Anna, who already knew of their presence, deliberately led Ferdi away from the car so they could get out comfortably. “See, I told you, Anna can cooperate with us!” Indri said, her tone becoming normal because Ferdi and Anna were really far from the car. Finally, Indri and Aditia could get out freely, after almost dying from the heat. While keeping her gaze fixed on Anna and Ferdi, Indri tore out the middle page of her blank notebook, then wrote a message. After finishing writing, she folded the paper into a paper boat. Aditia and Indri then stealthily approached them slowly. Indri and Aditia managed to hide behind a shady tree, not far from Anna and Ferdi.
“What’s that boat for, In?” Aditia whispered.
“I want to fly this boat to Anna!” Indri replied.
“Let me fly it! Despite all this, I’m a true pilot.” Aditia said, his mischievous instinct kicking in. Indri agreed to Aditia’s offer.
“Ann...,”
“Hmmmm?”
“Do you understand why I brought you here?”
“Hmmmm...” Anna said. They sat next to each other, quite close. Ferdi looked at Anna with a meaningful gaze.
“I realize... that I truly love you.”
“Hmmmm....,” Anna said.
“I feel grateful because I got you.” Suddenly, something hit Anna’s head and fell right into her lap.
“I want all beings in this place to know that I love you completely and no other woman can replace you!”
“Hmmmm...” Anna said, unfolding the paper boat.
“Anna..., are you even listening to me? You’ve just been mumbling ‘ham-hem-ham-hem’ all this time.” Ferdi said with an annoyed tone.
“Yes, yes, dear, I am listening to you.” Anna said, immediately throwing the folded paper far away without Ferdi’s knowledge.
“I trust you, because I’ve loved you from the start!” Anna said with a romantic tone.
“Hmmm..., can I ask you something?” Anna continued, still in her romantic tone.
“What is it?”
“Well..., like in the soap operas. Would you... kiss me?” Anna said shyly. Ferdi was confused for a moment, but his brain immediately rationalized the matter.
“But..., you have to close your eyes when you kiss me..., because I’m really shy!” Anna said coyly.
“Alright, if that’s the case, no kissing then!” Ferdi said, his tone a bit annoyed.
“Oh, you can’t do that, dear, I’ve never been kissed by a guy before, so it’s natural for me to still be shy.” Anna said coyly.
“Oh..., alright then.” Ferdi said half-hesitantly.
“Thank you, Fer...!” Anna said happily.
The scene began, Ferdi closed his eyes tightly while Anna was in front of him. Ferdi’s lips began to move forward, searching for Anna’s forehead to kiss. But it seemed fate had other plans for Ferdi. Anna’s figure had changed into Aditia, who was ready to receive a kiss from Ferdi. But unfortunately, Ferdi didn’t realize it. He still thought the figure in front of him was Anna, the woman who had completely won his heart at that moment. Finally, Ferdi’s lips managed to touch the forehead he thought was Anna’s. Then, he immediately kissed it. But, there was something odd when he kissed it. Ferdi’s lips tasted salty and a bit dirty. Spontaneously, he reflexively opened his eyes and saw Aditia and Indri laughing hysterically. “What is this? What does this mean?” Ferdi said, spitting on the ground because his lips were apparently full of salt, which he believed came from the salt smeared on Aditia’s forehead. At that moment, Ferdi was truly annoyed. He almost left the location but was immediately stopped by Aditia. “Fer-Fer, calm down, Fer! This is all Indri’s crazy idea, because you still owe her something.” Aditia said in a calming tone.
“Owe what, Dit?” Ferdi said, confused.
“You haven’t given me a dating treat! You’re already official with Anna, aren’t you? Come on, admit it!” Indri said, speaking up immediately.
“When... did I say I’d give you a dating treat? As far as I remember, I never said anything to you.” Ferdi said, his tone somewhat calm.
“I already know you’re official with Anna. So automatically..., even without me saying it, you have to give me a dating treat!” Indri said, without much consideration.
“Okay, okay, if that’s the case, last night..., Bondan also told me that you and Aditia became official a few days ago. So, I also have the right to ask for a dating treat from both of you!” Ferdi retorted. Indri’s face turned a little pale with confusion.
“Hey, that’s not fair, you just found out from Bondan, the gossip monger whose truth is completely doubted.” Indri countered the argument.
“I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a member of my band. He’s most afraid to lie to me. How could that all be gossip, when he even swore to me last night!” Ferdi said, seemingly unwilling to give in.
“Alright, Fer, let’s just give in! How much could a dating treat cost anyway?” Anna interjected.
“It’s not like that, dear, right now I’m upholding justice! I could treat them to a dating treat, how much could it be? But the truth must be revealed first.” Ferdi said, rejecting Anna’s solution.
“I think your girlfriend has a point. You guys should just give in! Besides, Bondan was drunk last night, how could a drunk person tell the truth!” Indri said triumphantly.
“Hold on, I admit Bondan was drunk last night. But..., before he got drunk, he told me everything about you two.” Ferdi said triumphantly.
“Alright, dear, just admit it, we are official, aren’t we!” Aditia said, also trying to mediate the argument.
That solution was also rejected by Indri. She preferred to argue rather than find a peaceful resolution. Finally, the debate became even more heated.
“Hey, hey, hey..., what’s going on here, what’s going on here?” Robi shouted, having just arrived and immediately seeing the debate.
“It’s like this, Rob, this girl is asking me for a dating treat. While she still won’t admit that she’s official with that guy!” Ferdi said, his spirits fiery, pointing at Aditia and Indri.
“Okay, okay, I admit, I am official with Aditia. But...?”
“Stop!” Robi cut in. “Don’t continue! As the third person present at your debate, I feel truly grateful because I got two pieces of information from you all at once. So, as the supreme judge, I decide that all of you must give me a dating treat! It’s not heavy..., just two pans of Pizza Hut. One from you, and one from you!” Robi said, pointing at Ferdi and Indri with great joy.
“Rob-Rob, you’re crazy! How much does a pizza cost now!” Ferdi said, expressing his inability.
“Hey, you’re rich, Fer, that price shouldn’t be a problem for you.” Robi said, dismissing Ferdi’s inability.
“Hey, OK, think about it, Rob! I can afford to buy it for you, but them? What about them, Rob? We don’t know their economic situation.” Ferdi said sympathetically.
“How rude, Fer, talking carelessly! Who says I can’t buy it for him? I can, just swipe my ATM and my mom’s money comes out. But, don’t ever expect me to buy you pizza, I wouldn’t even buy you one bakwan!” Indri said with an annoyed face, running away from them all. Aditia chased after Indri.
“Dear..., you shouldn’t be like that! Ferdi is just defending us so we don’t spend too much money.” Aditia said, successfully hugging Indri near the gazebo by the lake.
“But Dit, I feel insulted by Ferdi’s words! Just because he’s rich, he talks however he pleases.” Indri said, crying in Aditia’s embrace. “Yes..., I understand how you feel. Just forget about it! I’m sure Ferdi didn’t mean to say that.” Aditia continued to try and calm Indri by kissing her forehead. “I regret it, why did I lose the argument to him.” Indri said with regret.
“Indri, I’m sorry, because of me you got offended. Now it’s up to you, whether you forgive me or not.” Ferdi said, having just arrived at the spot, followed by Anna and Robi.
“I’m also sorry, In, I wasn’t too serious about asking for a dating treat like that. I was just mediating your debate. Forgive me, okay!” Robi said, shaking Indri’s hand.
“See, dear, they’ve apologized to you. Now it’s up to you, whether you forgive them or not.” Aditia said in an admonishing tone.
“No!” Indri said angrily, “I won’t forgive you until you treat me.” Indri said, which surprised everyone present for a moment.
“Hey...” Ferdi said, not continuing his words. “Alright, alright, dear, why are you so stingy!” Anna cut in. “It’s not li...” Again, Ferdi was cut off. “Alright, the important thing is she’s willing to forgive us. I’ll help you!” Robi cut in.
“Yes... If that’s what you want. We agree!” Ferdi said.
“One more thing, I’ll decide the place!” Indri said sullenly.
“Well..., where?” Robi said.
“At Mang Asep’s Delicious Siomay Stall.” Indri said with a fiery tone.
“Oh my goodness, dear, you come up with the craziest things! I feel uncomfortable, you know!” Aditia said, rejecting the agreement.
“Let them be, whether they want me to forgive them or not.” Indri said, seemingly stubborn.
“But that’s the same as not being sincere, dear.” Aditia said, trying to make her understand.
“Just let it be, Dit, sometimes girls are hard to understand. Besides, we don’t mind going there.” Ferdi said.
“Alright then, whatever.” Aditia said, truly dizzy dealing with Indri’s attitude.
Finally, they agreed to go to the stall. Not forgetting, Robi also invited his partner to join the event. Even though his partner was visually impaired, Robi felt no shame at all introducing her to his new friends, Anna, Indri, and Aditia, as well as to his own cousin, Ferdi. Because, even though she was visually impaired, her beauty was not inferior to most girls. She was able to maintain her appearance because she believed she was still very useful in society.
A romantic scene then occurred at the stall. Where each couple fed each other, including Robi’s partner. To maintain equality, Robi’s eyes were also covered. So he had to struggle to feed Melani (his partner), causing Melani’s face to get messy with the siomay peanut sauce. In the end, whether they liked it or not, the scene with Robi and his partner became an entertaining spectacle for Ferdi and Aditia’s couples. They had to apologize to Robi’s partner for laughing at the scene, as they couldn’t help themselves from laughing.
“It’s okay, we’re happy too, because we can provide entertainment for you all. Isn’t that right, dear...?” Robi said, completely unconcerned by the incident. Melani just smiled when Robi said that.