And then

Nothing much happened today. I had my toasted bread with chocolate milk on it, had shower late in the afternoon, and slept long hours after I woke up this morning.

Actually, I feel bad leaving Kiko on his own at home, with the chewing I just gave him before I locked the door. He ran away from me, tail swayed so hard to both ways, then he stopped, cranked his head to look at me as if to say, "Now, please try to be nice; follow me! Play with me for a while."

I thumped my feet, bent down, both hands on my knee, made a funny fierce face, "Hmrrrrrrrrrrh!!" Well, played with him for a minute wouldnt hurt at all. He ran to me, ecstatically, made his own pretentious angry voice, begged me to tease him and try to steal his chewing. Wait a minute, I dont want to get sweaty all over my back. Enuff, buddy. I sat down on the brown long chair and listened to the commercial from the TV. Ah, the recorded Golden Globe Awards will be on air this eve at six. I knew some of the winners, but it will be fun. Besides, there's nothing much to do at home.

The thick clouds spread over the sky when I was still on the bus from downtown. Please let me save my dried clothes, I begged in my heart, occasionally staring up at the sky out of the bus window. A fat white twenty-something woman was sitting on my row seat, she looked familiar. Someone from my hometown, attended the same church, I guess.

Tika, my irresistibly super-friendly cousin asked for a meet up. I ignored her phone calls which was started from yesterday in the late afternoon.

You gotta help me, seriously. Today, her sms says, this afternoon, before lunch time. Her older sister, Linda, had made million of phone calls, as well, which I had ignored, too.
Here's the case: Thamrin, this dark-skinned, hillarious, lively personality which lived in a relatively short hairy body, had been lying to his whole family. Asking for college tuition fee, monthly allowance, and the latest one which he doesnt get yet: three million for the sake of his apprentice which was, of course, a big fat lie.Tika and Linda have been very suspicious in the last two years.

Dull day, dusty road less inhabited by pedestrians since it's Saturday and most schools finished before 12pm. We walked less than two hundred meters from the main road to the campus. Deserted, too. I opened the door for Tika and followed her to the reception girl whose make-up wasnt that bad, played Indonesian pop music that filled the whole room. Tika was hesitated to sit and waited for me to greet the reception girl and sat down.

I told the issue to her in the simplest shortest way. Wait, she said, dialled a number, then smiled at me. "She'll come downstairs in a minute," she said. I made a confused face, "I meant, the admin girl," she clarified. Ah, sure.

She, the admin girl, asked us to come next Tues, "The person who's in charge for this has left the office a couple of hours ago."

I told them I'd like to get official stamped and signed notification letter saying that Thamrin is no longer a student in that univ, added the much needed details like since when and all.

Sure, we'll be glad to do that, come again next week, sir.

She said she'd had lunch, liar.
I took her to the Chinese restaurant, I was starving enough to walk faster but when the fried rice with Pork, I lost my appetite. Couldn't finish even half it, I looked at Tika who religiously ate her fried noodle, slurped ketchup, sauces, and simply all of the spices offered on the table.

Can I use your phone to call mom? She said after finished her lunch, I smiled at her, a content smile for she left the plate real clean, "sure."

There were silent moment between them, I can imagine how disappointed her parents about all this. To make it worse, her dad made a sudden visit last week to meet Thamrin who took this fake lecturer from his univ and had long conversation somewhere in town, without Tika's knowledge.

"He told dad that guy is his lecturer, " Tika said in a sad yet irritated voice, looked away at the road, as if she were expecting to see Thamrin will show up from the far end of the road, "He asked dad more than three millions and had this phony guy told that Thamrin should get/buy his own computer, or, Notebook," she continued, "can you believe that?!!"

I didnt answer. I wasnt able to remember his face, Thamrin. He should've graduated last year, if everything has been right. Yet, he brutally defends himself, keep going on with that lame lie.

I took her to the plaza for one hour of more, we talked more about her family, then the the sky turned dark, threatening both of us. "We should get going," I said, took her right hand and then crossed the street to the bus stop. "See you on Tues," I waved at her.

I went to bed at ten thirty last nite, after staring at the TV for hours, had my dinner which was a series of small cakes I bought from the roadside, and a cup of hot Green tea. I could hear the loud music from the nearest cafe, the music will always last until three in the morning, the TV was no longer interesting, and Kiko himself has lied flat beside my bed, leaving me on my own in the living room. The phone was low battery, I put the vibra-only mode and charged it, slept in the empty house.