EVEN THOUGH his eyelids were still tightly closed, Vanya forced himself to get up. Brr... why is Jakarta as cold as Bandung, huh? He glanced at the alarm clock on the table. Four o'clock in the morning. Gosh, it's only four in the morning! That means he woke up an hour before the alarm went off. Very annoyed! Every time you set an alarm, Vanya always wakes up first. Unlucky! Not wanting to lose out, he continued the event lying on the bed. Do you want to sleep again, don't you?
Can. Finally Vanya turned off the alarm. Let it be. Later, his mother's screams were no less loud than the sound of the alarm clock.
"Anyaaa! Wake up, Nya!!!"
That's right?
"Anya is awake, Miiii...!" Vanya screamed, not wanting to lose. Usually when it's like this, Dewa, his bossy older brother, bangs on his bedroom door. "Why do you have to scream? The neighbors are waking up!"
But Vanya just didn't care. It had been a long time since Vanya had spoken to his mother, since he was boarding in Bandung. Now you can reminisce. Moreover, today is his last holiday in Jakarta. Tomorrow Vanya will start living his college days again in Bandung. In his lazy style, Vanya went into the bathroom. Not long after, he stuck his head out. "Mi, please get a towel, please..."
Vanya's mother, grumbling, handed her a towel. Meanwhile, Vanya's father, who rarely gathers at home because he is often at sea, is just smiling.
"You're so big, Nya! How come you always forget to bring a towel? I wonder!" Vanya's mother continued her scolding at the dinner table. "Nya, hurry up and take a shower! You'll be late!"
"You can take the bus late," answered Vanya from the bathroom.
"Okay, just hurry up!!!"
"Mommy's been screaming all the time." You're starting to get annoyed. How can I not be distracted, I've been reading the newspaper one sentence at a time because I can't concentrate.
At half past seven in the morning Vanya arrived at the Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal. There are no Bandung-Jakarta fast buses yet. Vanya is early in the morning again! Vanya leaned his body against the wall. Daydream.
Vanya remembers the crazy times with Iman and Jaya. After school, Vanya arranged to meet at Blok M. Iman and Jaya went to the same school. They are both Bulungan children. From Blok M the three of them often wander to TIM. Watching strange creatures, Vanya said. But Iman likes to protest strongly when artists are called strange creatures. The thing is, Iman himself feels like an artist. If you say it's strange, you'll be offended!
They also played in Cililitan once. In the past, the terminal had not yet moved to Kampung Rambutan. It was fun watching the intercity buses passing by in front of their noses. Tired of watching the buses, Jaya suggested getting on one of the buses. The others immediately agreed to Jaya's proposal. As soon as he entered the toll road, Iman idly asked the conductor, "Sir, where is this bus going?" The conductor was of course really annoyed, he had been shouting until his neck veins almost broke shouting about the destination of the trip, eh... here is a passenger who doesn't know the destination.
"This bus goes to Bogor, where is it going? Banjar, right? Just get off at the gate!" he said sarcastically.
"Banjar?" said Iman innocently. "Where is that? I'll just go to Bogor! I've already been to Bogor. I've never been to Banjar. I'll get lost..."
The conductor walked away with a confused face.
"Jay, how come we can take this bus, huh?" Vanya asked, half lost in thought.
"I don't know!" Jaya, who had the initiative, was also confused.
The three of them looked at each other and laughed together. At the Baranangsiang Bus Terminal, Bogor, three missing children, Vanya, Jaya and Iman were looking around.
"Jay, come on, come on!" invite Iman, just like a small child who is afraid of getting lost in an unfamiliar area. J
I immediately glared.
"Hey, just arrived!"
"Yeah!" Vanya was also annoyed. "Do you really feel comfortable taking the bus?"
"It's not like that, Nya! I just remembered that it's Mama's birthday today, eh, I just wandered off to Bogor...," said Iman in self-defense.
Vanya's "feminine" feelings, which rarely appeared, were immediately touched. He remembered, every time his mother's birthday, she would give him something. Something small that doesn't seem valuable, but means a lot to Vanya's mother. What is important is not the price, but the attention given to it.
Vanya looked at Faith seriously. "Have you prepared a gift?"
Faith shook her head with a pitiful look.
"That, Nya, is why I want to go home quickly. I don't have anything for Mama yet!"
"Just bring pickles!" said Jaya indifferently.
"Uh, yeah! That's right, Jay! That's right!" Vanya shouted in surprise. "Bring pickles, man!"
"Sickles?"
"Yes, pickles!" Vanya repeated looking at Jaya and Iman alternately. Both of them saw Vanya as if they were seeing a strange creature. In fact, Jaya, who had previously made a suggestion, was surprised. The thing is, he was just joking around because he saw a shop selling pickles next to the terminal.
"Bogor pickles are delicious, man! Your mother will definitely like them! Trust me!" Vanya insisted again.
"But, Nya, can you give me a gift of pickles?"
Because of Vanya's cleverness, the essence of which is that a gift is not seen from the object, but from the price, er, attention, Iman finally complied. After buying pickles for Iman's mother, they returned to Jakarta. When he remembers their craziness, Vanya wants to go back to being a high school student again.
Vanya was still about to continue his daydreaming on the bus when he heard a warning beside him, "Empty, huh?"
"Early in the morning wearing sunglasses," Vanya commented to himself. He looked at the boy with the thin mustache who was reprimanding him, then he moved his seat away from the bus window.
Vanya remembers the warning message from Dewa, Vanya's older brother who pretends to be controlling but actually really loves his little sister, if there is a boy next to her, don't sit near the window. Later, if the guy wants to do something different, Vanya won't be able to move. Meanwhile, if you sit near the aisle, if something happens you can immediately run away. So far
Vanya had often met the guys her sister was talking about, fun guys who couldn't see an idle girl, even though the unemployed girl looked as cool as Vanya.
"Why don't you like sitting near the window?" The sunglasses man was surprised. "I actually really like sitting near the window..."
Vanya just grinned. He glanced at the appearance of the boy next to him. Bad look or is it really dirty? thought Vanya. His jeans were very bad. The belei is heavy with patches here and there. Wearing a white T-shirt with cut sleeves. His feet were only decorated with a pair of flip-flops that were worthy of being retired. Vanya secretly wanted to laugh at the boy's flip-flops, they were exactly the same as the flip-flops he was wearing. Both are worn and blue.
Vanya was staring blankly at the street when suddenly the guy next to him poked him. "How come you dare to go to Bandung alone?"
Vanya was very surprised to receive a question like that. Since being admitted to school in Bandung, he has become accustomed to going back and forth from Jakarta to Bandung alone. Now he met someone who was amazed.
"That's normal," said Vanya, somewhat curtly.
The sunglasses guy even laughed.
"Why did your mother give you permission? You're still small..."
Vanya glared in annoyance. He started to get irritated.
"That's great! I'm already in college!"
"Impossible!" The sunglasses guy even insisted. "You look like a junior high school student. Or at the top of your first year of high school!"
Vanya often encounters people who don't believe he's a student, but this is the first time he's ever met someone who doesn't believe in using a tough program! Vanya was so annoyed that he took out his student card from his wallet and then handed it to the sunglasses man.
"Still don't believe it?" Vanya asked sarcastically.
The black glasses smiled amusedly.
"Who knows, it might be your sister's!"
Vanya immediately looked away. Don't want to know anymore! Her irritation was mounting at this know-it-all guy next to her.
Suddenly the boy laughed so cheerfully.
"Sulking, huh? Sorry! I believe you're a student... But
you're so tiny!"
Vanya just grinned again. He was still annoyed with the sunglasses.
"Eh, let's talk!" invite the guy in a friendly manner.
Witnessing this friendliness, Vanya started to feel brave.
"But you take off your glasses first!" said Vanya. He really hates seeing people wearing sunglasses. Hate because you can't tell which way someone's eyes are wandering. Looks like a pickpocket!
"Oh, I'm sorry! My eyes hurt! I'd be embarrassed if I let it go!" the boy spoke pitifully.
"Oh, it's scary! Eye pain is contagious!" Vanya shuddered in fear as he shifted his seat away.
"Not this one! Trust me! The doctor said, this is an allergy!" said the sunglasses man hastily.
Vanya laughed amusedly.
"Mostly peeking!"
The boy laughed too.
"You, yuck, so tiny!" he said, patting Vanya's hand. Vanya was also surprised by the friendly attitude of the guy he had just met.
Later, Vanya found out that Tria - the name of the sunglasses person - was also an alumna of the place where she studied. Civilian graduates working in Jakarta. Tria is very open about her family life. Even his personal affairs were revealed. Vanya was a little suspicious when he heard all of Tria's stories. It wasn't usual for a guy she had just met to talk so openly about personal matters. Maybe Tria is a fraud.
After getting tired of chatting, the two of them fell silent for a moment. Suddenly Tria grabbed Vanya's hand. "Nya, look at the person in front of us!"
Vanya also paid attention to the passenger in front of him. A mother and a middle-aged man.
"Why ?"
"Look, they don't know each other either. Just like us! But neither of them wants to start talking. So it's like that... keep quiet!" Tria babbled happily.
Vanya was amused to hear Tria's chattiness.
"What should I do?" Vanya's fishing rod. He likes hearing Tria's funny comments.
"I can't just keep quiet like that. Imagine, nya, sitting on the bus for hours without talking! If I were next to the grandmothers, I would definitely talk to them. Instead of being stunned. It's not good, right?" Tria continued excitedly.
Vanya smiled. He starts to like Tria. This guy is not that cool but very charming. Friendly. He looks so friendly even though he looks super cool.
"Nya, do you like watching movies?" Tria opened a new topic.
"Reasonable......
"What's the theme?"
"This interview?" Vanya laughed. "I like colossal war films, ngng... horror too!"
"Romance drama?" Tria asked like a journalist lacking work.
"No way!"
"Eh, Nya, do you like watching Indonesian films?"
"Well, right! That's right, right! You really want to interview me! Or do a questionnaire?"
Vanya started to get suspicious.
"No!" Tria dodged. "Just want to know!"
"To be honest, Tri, I don't like Indonesian films yet. I almost never watch Indonesian films. Later, when the quality is good enough, I will watch them," answered Vanya honestly.
"That's your mistake," said Tria. "You don't dare try watching it. Even though now there are lots of quality film stars, for example Prasta Prahara, Nina Sitta, Rio Supit, Anggreini Erlanggawati, Maheswara..."
"Eh, just a moment, Tri!" interrupted Vanya. "Did you say Rio Supit? Yes? I've watched the film. I was invited by a boarding house friend who was crazy about him. Oh, it's like there's a shortage of cool guys. How come Rio Supit has an idol..."
Tria smiled bitterly.
Vanya continued saying, "But Rio plays pretty well too. Not bad. Eh...,"
Vanya looked at Tria's face, "eh, but she looks a bit like you, you know..."
"Really?" Tria smiled amusedly. "No wonder, when I was looking for a friend's house in the Bekasi area, I was followed by a group of small children. They shouted, 'Rio! Rio!' I was mistaken for Rio Supit!"
"Huhh! That's nice of you, Tri. Rio is a film star, he doesn't hurt his eyes like you! Hihihi... That's it, how would he want to ride a crappy bus like this? He's the unluckiest person to ride an executive class train," teased Vanya.
"Why do you have to take the executive train?"
"Yes. You have a lot of money. Who wants to have fun like us? You know, being a film star is difficult. Especially as an Indonesian film star. The salary is not balanced with the lifestyle that one has to live. You have to have a car, you have to have a luxurious house. That's why usually the salary for starring in a film isn't enough. Usually there are other things on the side..."
"Side? What side?"
"Fucking left and right."
"Like what?"
"Yes, that's how it is... changed its name to simatupang."
"Simatupang?"
"Day and night waiting for a call. Hahaha...."
Tria laughed too. "Oh, Vanya. You read too many tabloids, don't you?"
Vanya woke up a bit. "Yeah too, next time..."
Tria laughed.
"Yeah, by the way... I think Rio Supit would definitely be really annoyed at being said to be like me!"
"Not annoying anymore! You could even be sued for trying to imitate him!" added Vanya. Then they both laughed.
***
The next day, while reading the morning newspaper, Vanya was shocked to see a photo of a film star who looked cool.
"Like Tria!" thought Vanya.
Vanya remembered the business card Tria gave him when they got off at the Kebon Klapa Bus Terminal. Yesterday he immediately put it in his backpack because he was in a hurry to catch transportation to Dago.
Vanya hurriedly ran into the room. Rummage through the contents of the backpack. Finally found the business card!
Tria Ontario Supit.
"Oh my! He really is Rio Supit!" Vanya screamed. Then, smiling, Vanya read the text under the photo again. Rio Supit is in Bandung to promote his latest film, Kabut Berasap....