Dul
121. Life Must Keep Walking

It was many years ago when he saw Dul's hand wave outside the airport. When he stepped away from there, he had promised himself to keep in touch with his classmate. Dul is always sparing to use words, but someone who is very sensitive. Dul paid a lot of attention in his silence.

God always has surprises. Her mother's departure and her half-hearted move to Borneo turned out to bring so much change in their family. Life cannot always go smoothly. In fact, who seems to live without any problems, it could be keeping wounds and pain guarded for itself.

Annisa stood frozen in place. Abdullah's figure was an awkward, yet warm teenager standing looking at him. Abdullah changed a lot, but the look in his eyes remained the same. In fact, at that time their eyes seemed to be in the same state. Glazed to hold back the tears that crammed want to be shed. I don't know .. but he didn't like the way Abdullah looked at him. He does not want to be pitied.

“Nisa! It's been ordered, right?” ask the guy at the corner of the table. That shout scattered Annisa's daydream.

“Oh, yes.” Annisa tore the paper and handed it to the clerk who took care of the portion of the perpiring. It only handles bookings and payments. Occasionally he helped serve buyers if the stalls were very crowded.

Annisa saw Dul step inside and turned to the long, empty bench. He came out from behind the table and approached Dul.

“Abdullah …. What a surprise! (Really a surprise!)” annisa exclaimed with a slightly choked voice.

Dul nodded. “Iya, surprise. You ... how are you?” ask Dul.

“Bang, this is my friend. Permission is sitting over there, yes. Let's get close from the cashier's desk,” Annisa told the man whose behavior resembled the operational manager at the stall.

“Iya. It's nothin. Sana,” said the man. I looked at Dul with a curious face.

“Come, Abdullah sitting there aja.” Annisa holds Dul's arm and takes him to a long bench located on the right side of the cashier's desk. Frontmost. Near the stockpile of Roso tea bottles.

Annisa dragged Dul half forcefully to sit on the long bench. Then deftly take a bottle of mineral water and a bottle of Roso tea to put it in front of Dul. “Make your drink. If you want to talk, talk. But I can't...."

A pair of men and women were standing near the cashier table. “How, Ma'am? Table number four.” The male customer took out his wallet.

“Sebentar.” Annisa touches Dul's shoulder and returns to the back of her desk. “Table number four ... two fried rice, two mineral water, one cracker, all sixty-three thousand.” Annisa grabbed a hundred thousand pieces and gave the change she took out of the drawer.

After making sure the customer left, Annisa came back to Dul. His smile was broken, and his eyes were cheerful again. But his tired face could not be hidden. “Abdullah is completely different. I almost did not know,” said Annisa.

Of course he lied. Since Dul was standing at the mouth of the stall earlier, he immediately recognized Dul. Dul's look did change a lot, but his flat expression and look were hard to forget.

“Nisa has been in Jakarta for a long time? When to move here?” It was the first question chosen among the hundreds of questions that walked in his head.

“Lumayan long. Maybe two years more,” replied Annisa, her gaze sweeping out among the customers of the fried rice stall. “Abdullah .. sorry to talk this way. I'm working again. The one standing was the supervisor. The sister who owns this shop. I was here to eat, right? Or is there an appointment someone met here?”

They spoke from a distance of no more than two meters. Dul sat resting his two elbows on the table facing the cashier. “I have no promise with anyone. His intention was to buy it to take him home. My dad ordered fried rice.”

“Mau made now or...”

“Later,” Cut Dul.

Annisa nodded. “Oh, okay. By the way ... congratulations, yes. Turns out Abdullah was in..” Annisa goes around the table and approaches Dul. He then slightly looked down at the writings attached to Dul's uniform. “Air Force Academy,” Annisa said in a whisper.

“Working time is complete? Can chat?”

“His return is midnight. Still long. Abdullah must have been waiting at home. If you still wear this uniform.wear a backpack. Abdullah's new king arrived, right? Semester holidays?” guess Annisa.

Dul nodded. “Holiday semester. I wait until it's done,” said Dul.

“You picked up someone?” ask Dul directly. Questions that should not be asked directly, but just slide.

Dul's head looked up at Annisa's face. After two more years without any news, he was finally able to see the girl, that close. Annisa who still maintains her long straight hair. His eyelashes are long and thick. Also the skin of his face that looks white because it is coupled with his hair that is jet. Although his face looks tired, Dul does not deny that Annisa is getting beautiful.

“Neg. No one picked me up,” Annisa replied quickly. “I used to go home on a subscription motorcycle. Or I'll be with Mr. Samsul. That's what a cook is. The house is in line with my costs.”

“OK, then I'll wait for Annisa to finish. I'm calling my dad now.” Without waiting for an answer from Annisa, Dul took her phone out of her pants pocket. Simultaneously, Annisa left him back to the cashier table because there were other customers coming.

‘Yes, the friend I met turned out to have just finished work at midnight. I still want to talk. I'm afraid tomorrow there's no chance. But if Dad doesn't let me go, I'll go home now.’

Dul sent the message with a slightly grimacing face. His heart was slightly pounding waiting for Bara's answer. If Bara answers he must go home, with a heavy heart the conversation with Annisa will again be interrupted.

‘Nothing if you still want to talk. Don't forget to tell Daddy where.’ is

Quickly Dul typed in a reply. ‘I'm still in that place. I'll call Dad as soon as possible. Thanks Dad. Thanks.’

Finished typing out an answer, Dul raised his gaze to the cashier table. Annisa was also looking at him with a spotlight of doubt. "I wait until it's done,” said Dul.

Annisa nodded. There's no point in rejecting Dul in that place. Abdullah who used to know rarely spoke, now his speech is getting shorter. Short, firm, solid. Rejecting Dul and reasoning this-it would make the night even longer and tiring. Dul has to go home as soon as possible. Before they spoke together, at least Dul could sit quietly waiting. And at least ... from the cashier table he could be content to look at the young man.

“Pak, fried rice one,” Annisa told Mr. Samsul the cook. It didn't take long, the fried rice was instantly spooned from a giant frying pan and decorated with a wide omelet covering it. Annisa brought the fried rice in front of Dul. “Must be eaten, yes. This is a treat from me,” Annisa said, smiling.

“I eat now,” says Dul.

Towards midnight, an Annisa was busy finishing her work that night. Downstream back and forth to and fro serving customers of crowded stalls. His eyes occasionally glanced at Dul, ascertaining whether the young man waiting for him was sitting firmly.

Heading into the middle of the night, a Abdullah pretended to be busy with his phone. The activity he did so that his eyes did not continue to look where Annisa was walking. The order of questions he has compiled based on priority and strict consideration. But in fact, all just froze when Annisa held a bag and stood nearby.

“I'm done. Wanna take a walk? At the intersection there is a bright stop on the side of the road. There are police stations as well. So ... safe.”

“Come, can.” Dul stood with his backpack and put his hat back on.

Five minutes on the sidewalk in silence, they simultaneously turned to start the conversation.

“Abdullah first,” Annisa said.

“You go first. Because I've been waiting a long time for your news. To your mobile number which...”.

“Oh, that number? That phone is gone" Annisa cut down.

Dul stopped his steps and twisted his body staring at Annisa. “How are you? I'm always waiting to hear from Annisa. I always check my phone just to make sure that my messages are up and read. Annisa why?” ask Dul in a very soft tone.

Annisa returned Dul's gaze with a grim look. “My father got married again. Now I have a new family. My brothers are too busy with their families. Papa is now in Kalimantan. His efforts are not very smooth. And I .. college from the insurance money that Mama has prepared. I'm snacking, I'm buying clothes, all from the money Mama put up. Medical school was quite expensive even though I entered because of the satisfactory value. Mumpung now the course is still loose .. I can still find extra pocket money. Next year it might be even more difficult. Maybe I can't work anymore. Life doesn't have to be smooth for everyone, right?” Annisa laughed offingly. “Since then .. surely all those explanations that Abdullah wants to hear. Bener? Hence from earlier I continued.”

Dul shook his head accompanied by his faint smile. “I ngeliatin Annisa because it is kangen,” replied Dul. He really misses that girl. No matter what she looks like, she misses Annisa.

To Be Continued