RED COTTON CANDY

The midday sun didn't seem too bright today. The remnants of the earlier rain made the air a little humid. The scent of rain made anyone want to just sit on the porch and drink tea. But the footsteps of a teenager were now tracing a path filled with puddles. She walked carefully so her shoes wouldn't step into the puddles on the uneven road surface. That's why her steps were a little slower. She shouldn't have washed her shoes yesterday if she had known it would rain today. She walked with a slightly furrowed brow, busy choosing a safe path to tread. But her face suddenly brightened when, from a distance, she saw the figure she met every day.   “Bang Tem!” Maharani shouted to the man pushing his cart of wares. But because the figure still didn't turn, she shouted louder, no longer caring about her initial intention of walking carefully to avoid stepping in puddles, because now she was running and shouting. “Bang Tem, hey, Bang Teeemmmm!”. The figure stopped and looked back. Not only him, but also the people on the house porches turned to look.   “Well, Mba Rani?” the figure was surprised; his small customer apparently had such a loud voice. And at the same time, a young man approached Bang Tem, carrying a two-year-old child.   “Mas,” the young man called, and Bang Tem, feeling called, turned forward again and saw a fair-skinned young man standing near him. “Oh, yes, Mas? What would you like to buy?” Bang Tem asked kindly.   The young man smiled and asked his nephew, “Tino, which one do you want to buy?” The little boy looked at his uncle, then up at the colorful cart. “That one,” he said, pointing to the cotton candy, which turned out to be the last one. Bang Tem immediately handed the cotton candy to Tino. But before Tino could take the cotton candy from Bang Tem's hand, Maharani suddenly appeared beside the cart, opposite the young man.   “Bang Tem, I'll buy the cotton candy,” she said without looking at Bang Tem, busy catching her breath after running. Bang Tem, feeling awkward, said with a hint of guilt, “Oh, Mba, the cotton candy is all gone.” Maharani, seeing this, looked up and saw Bang Tem holding red cotton candy in his hand. “Then what's that you're holding?” she said, pointing at the cotton candy. “This has already been bought by Mas,” Bang Tem said, handing the cotton candy to Tino, who received it with sparkling eyes. He hugged the puffed plastic bag, which turned out to be quite large.   Maharani only then realized there was someone opposite her. The young man and Maharani looked at each other. And when the young man smiled, the impact Maharani felt was immense. Suddenly, her heart beat so fast. She might often see handsome boys; even at her high school, there were several handsome boys her friends were crazy about, but none made her heart feel like this. The young man's smile was so sweet, and his gaze was so calm. “I'm sorry, I already bought the cotton candy,” he said apologetically. And that baritone voice entered Maharani's ears, filling her mind with illusions. Maharani blinked and smiled widely. “It's okay,” she said, trying to regulate her breathing, which was now a little shaky. Not because of the run earlier, but because her lungs were now strangely expanding.   “So, Mba Rani, what do you want to buy?” Bang Tem asked, bringing Maharani back to reality. “Hmmmm...” Maharani, pulled back into her body, quickly looked at Bang Tem's cart. But it seemed she wasn't interested in other sweet snacks. So, she shook her head. “No, Bang,” she said, glancing at Tino's embrace and then back at the young man. “Alright, then tomorrow I'll save one for Mba Rani,” Bang Tem said, giving the change to the young man. Then Bang Tem walked away with his cart.   They were still standing there. The young man put Tino down and opened the cotton candy package. Maharani, seeing this, felt a slight reluctance, but it was impossible for her to argue with a small child who couldn't even speak properly yet. Finally, she just stared at the cotton candy and occasionally glanced at the young man. She wasn't doing that as a hint that she desperately wanted the cotton candy, although if the young man offered it, Maharani would gladly accept it. But Maharani did it because, for some reason, the young man's face was so pleasant to look at. And her eyes were caught when his eyes met Maharani's with a slightly apologetic feeling. The young man cleared his throat a little to ease it. “I'm sorry, I already bought the cotton candy,” he said, looking intently at Maharani, wanting to know her expression. Because he had caught this teenage girl glancing at the cotton candy and himself. “If you want, we can eat it together,” he offered, taking Tino's hand and heading towards the park across the street. And Maharani, taking this as an invitation, finally followed the young man's steps.   “What's your name?” the young man asked after cleaning the cement bench with his handkerchief and seating Tino on it. “Uhmm,” Maharani, asked like that, immediately beamed with joy. Then she extended her hand. “My name is Maharani,” she answered sweetly. The young man took Maharani's hand and introduced himself. “My name is Subangga.” And the handshake released. And Maharani felt so elated because his hand felt warm.   “Come, sit,” he commanded, which Maharani immediately obeyed. She wouldn't waste the chance to sit next to this boy. “What grade are you in at school?” Then he offered the intact stick of red cotton candy. Maharani was surprised. “Oh... This...” Subangga smiled amusedly at Maharani's cute expression. “My nephew isn't allowed to eat too much sugar.” “But...” “Tino only gets a few bites. Even that's too much. He can't possibly eat it all,” he said, continuing to offer the red cotton candy. “Later, he...” Maharani pointed at Tino, who was looking at her innocently. “I already told him that the cotton candy has to be shared with you.” “And he...?” “He agreed. Because I told him that real men prioritize women.” “And he understood that?” Subangga chuckled and nodded, then offered the cotton candy to Maharani. And finally, she took the cotton candy and ate it. But because she was being watched like that, she could only put two bites of cotton candy into her mouth. And it seemed her face felt hot. When Subangga saw Maharani's cheeks flush, he finally asked another question to distract her.   “So, what grade are you in?” Subangga asked, then received the offered cotton candy from Maharani's hand. “I'm in second year of high school, Kak,” she replied, cleaning her hands with a tissue she pulled from her uniform pocket. Subangga nodded understandingly, watching Tino happily eat his cotton candy. His small feet wiggled. Subangga smiled again. Maharani, seeing that, was captivated, because now it wasn't just the cotton candy she had eaten that was sweet, but this young man's smile also had the same sweet effect.   “Well then, I have to go back; my sister will be looking for her child,” Subangga said, standing up and carrying Tino, who had finished eating his cotton candy. “Oh...” Maharani replied, and she also stood beside Subangga. “Um... Kak...” Maharani called hesitantly. Subangga, called, turned around. “Can I have your phone number, Kak?” she asked, her heart beating a little faster, afraid of rejection. Subangga laughed and then gave her a string of numbers. “But I'm rarely home because I work out of town. This is just a coincidence that I just got back.” Maharani nodded understandingly but still smiled. “Then can I call you tonight?” she asked boldly, starting to feel confident. It turned out Subangga was a kind and friendly person. “Sure,” he said and walked away, carrying Tino, who waved cheerfully at her.   That night, Maharani called Subangga. The conversation wasn't too long. And they made a plan to meet the next day at the same place. After school, Maharani hurried out and walked to the park. Subangga was there with a package of cotton candy in his hand.   They ate cotton candy together. Many conversations arose between them. From school matters to stories about his older sister who also worked out of town. And for four consecutive days, they made plans to meet in that park, each with red cotton candy in hand.   “I didn't used to like red cotton candy much. But since meeting you, it turns out this cotton candy is also nice as a conversation companion,” he said, washing his hands with a water bottle he brought from home. (Click next to read the next part) “I think cotton candy can make someone feel better.” Subangga looked directly into Maharani's eyes. “So if you're sad, you'll eat cotton candy?” Maharani nodded, but then immediately shook her head. Subangga, seeing this, didn't understand. “I used to. If I was sad, I would eat this cotton candy. Back then, if I cried, Dad would always give me cotton candy so I wouldn't cry anymore. And it was true, every time I cried, I would definitely be given cotton candy.” “That's why you cried every day.” And Subangga's remark was not a question but a statement. Maharani winced and shrugged. “That's how it used to be. But for some reason, even though I wasn't crying or feeling sad, I still wanted to eat cotton candy. Because I believe sadness can strike at any time. So, before sadness arrives, it's better to gather strength through the cotton candy I eat to gain extra energy.” Subangga listened to Maharani's words, looking straight ahead as if thinking about something. “So I'm sure anyone who eats cotton candy, especially when sad, will feel better.” Subangga smiled faintly and nodded. “Thank you.” Maharani, hearing that, didn't understand why Subangga suddenly thanked her. “Thank you for what?” she asked, tilting her body towards Subangga. “I'm thanking you. Because it seems you've given me a philosophy of life through cotton candy.” Maharani, who didn't understand, just blinked. “Alright then, let's head back. It's almost evening; your parents will be looking for you.” Maharani smiled widely. “Don't worry, Kak, I already told Mom I'd be home late.” Subangga, hearing that, nodded understandingly. “But I have to go home because I have to be back tomorrow morning. My leave is over.” When Maharani heard that, her heart suddenly became sad because she had to part with her cotton candy partner. In fact, it seemed to be more than just that. Maharani had fallen in love with the young man in front of her. Yes, it seemed she was indeed in love.   “You must study hard, okay?” Subangga's warm hand patted the top of her head. “See you again,” he said, bidding farewell.   Maharani just nodded, wringing her hands. As Subangga walked away from the park, she noticed a postcard not far from where Subangga had been sitting. Maharani picked it up and read the sender's name and to whom the letter was sent. And she saw Subangga's name there. This must be Subangga's postcard. She tried to catch up with Subangga, who fortunately hadn't gone too far. “Kak!” Maharani shouted, chasing Subangga. And feeling called, Subangga finally turned around to see Maharani walking quickly towards him. “What is it?” Subangga asked when Maharani was in front of him. “You dropped this.” When Subangga received it, he realized that the postcard he had received earlier had fallen. “Oh, thank you!” Subangga said sincerely. “This is a postcard from my girlfriend. And I hadn't had a chance to read it yet because I was afraid of being late to meet you.” Subangga patted Maharani's head again, her body now stiff. Not because of the pat on the head, but because of Subangga's words. That the postcard was from his girlfriend. Girl... friend...   That made Maharani's heart, which had been sad because Subangga was going out of town, now shattered by Subangga's words. Subangga, unaware of this, then said something like 'see you again,' but it wasn't heard by Maharani, whose world in her head suddenly became barren, consumed by fire.   ---   That afternoon, Maharani walked the streets towards her house. Now she seemed to have no spirit like on previous days. Her footsteps seemed heavy. Subangga's words kept echoing in her head. And without realizing it, she almost bumped into Bang Tem's cart, which happened to be stopped. “Watch out, Mba.” Maharani immediately looked up and almost collided with Bang Tem's cart. “Oh, come on, Bang Tem, why are you parked here, Bang?” Maharani said, annoyed. “I already told you, but Mba Rani was still walking with her head down.” Maharani, hearing that, didn't answer. Her eyes scanned Bang Tem's merchandise. “Want to buy cotton candy, Mba? Mba Rani hasn't bought my cotton candy for two days now.” Maharani looked at the red cotton candy, and suddenly she remembered her meeting with Subangga. Their conversations over several days. Even the last day before Subangga left. All those sweet and bitter memories swirled in her head.   “Mba Rani, do you want cotton candy?” Maharani shook her head, uninterested. But Bang Tem, seeing his customer's sad face, still handed the red cotton candy to Maharani. “But, Bang...” Maharani refused. “It's free. Bang Tem is giving it for free so Mba Rani will be happy again.” Bang Tem said, and then Bang Tem and his merchandise simply left, leaving Maharani lost in thought alone there. Maharani looked at the red cotton candy in her hand. Then her footsteps carried her to a bench in the park across the street. The park that held many stories for her. Suddenly, tears flowed. She didn't try to wipe them away, but she opened the cotton candy wrapper. She ate it little by little, putting the cotton candy into her mouth. It tasted sweet and then salty on her tongue as her tears flowed into her open lips. But Maharani kept putting the cotton candy into her mouth until the salty taste disappeared. Until the bitterness in her heart vanished. And it proved true, because now her feelings began to improve. She savored the sweetness in her mouth, remembering the happy times in her life. And she remembered one thing she hadn't told Subangga: that sadness would disappear faster if we ate cotton candy while thinking about heartwarming events. And that was what Maharani actually did every time she was sad. Red cotton candy could indeed make her happy, but to forget sadness, she could only do it by thinking about the happiness she experienced, and even thinking about the happiness she would get in the future. Because life keeps moving forward. Creating happiness is the key to this life, because within happiness, there is always hope.   ~ THE END   Download: ~gulali merah by precilia