When it comes to teenagers, they never let a chance to have a break slip away. There’s always something to do. And during holidays, their creativity shines even brighter. They come up with all sorts of activities that bring excitement. All of this will soon be forgotten when they have to dive back into their school books. Forcing themselves to study, even though their minds wander.
And the excitement during holidays sometimes becomes a trend that quickly spreads among teenagers. It’s hard to tell who started it, but it spreads like wildfire with just one person initiating it. Like now, on a Friday, Irvan was so thrilled when he realized that there was a long weekend ahead. That means two days off: Saturday and Sunday. Perfect for a special event. So he approached Lupus, who was busy copying chemistry notes from Utari’s book.
“Hey, you must be thrilled to hear my brilliant idea this time!” he exclaimed, patting Lupus on the shoulder. Lupus didn’t react and continued with his usual task of copying notes. He’s not really into making notes. He once said that free time at home is the perfect time to pursue hobbies. And you know that schoolwork shouldn’t interfere with hobbies… That’s why if there are notes to be made, he always comes early in the morning. Immediately looking for Utari, who loves making notes.
“Listen, Pus. We have Saturday and Sunday off. I have an idea to make those historic days memorable. You know, there will be a full moon that night. So, we can go to Puncak and have some fun. Just like other kids. It’s gonna be so lively!” Irvan continued.
“Lively?” Lupus asked, still focused on his notes.
“Yeah. Don’t you know that many kids go to Puncak when there’s a full moon? Wow, you’re so outdated. It’s gonna be so cool, right?”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah, tonight. Because we have two days off after that. Enough time for some fun.”
“To Puncak?”
“Yeah. We can invite other kids like Ridwan, Anto, Roni… They’ll definitely agree. What do you think?”
“When?”
“Tonight. It’s easy to get transportation. I can try to borrow my dad’s car.”
“With whom?”
“Well… we can invite our friends. Like Ridwan, Anto, Roni…”
“Invite them where?”
“To Puncak. Oh, you can’t even imagine. It’s gonna be so lively. We can meet friends, cool girls… Trust me, you’ll love it. It’s so lively there…”
“Seriously?” Irvan stared in disbelief. This guy is unbelievable. I try to share something serious and he just messes around. Can’t he appreciate someone else’s brilliant idea?
“Hey, do you even have a clue?” Irvan snapped in frustration.
Lupus just chuckled (if you don’t know what “ngikik” means, it’s like laughing, but with a creepy ghostly sound). “Sorry, man. You’re being naughty too. I’m in the middle of something important and you keep bugging me. We can talk later after we hang out. Okay? Now, go have fun. Here’s some cash if you want to buy ice cream or something…”
Irvan huffed and walked away, annoyed.
After their first hangout, Irvan gathered his friends: Lupus, Ridwan, Anto, and Roni. With great enthusiasm, he shared his brilliant idea. “Alright, like I said earlier, we’re gonna have an event tonight. Everyone meet at my place around 5 PM. I’ll try to borrow my dad’s minibus. It may be old, but that thing is super fuel-efficient. With just 10 liters of gas, we can go back and forth from Jakarta to Puncak. Especially if we mix in some alternative fuel; two liters will be enough!”
“That’s crazy, there’s no way two liters will be enough,” Lupus objected.
“Well, we’ll use a mix of fuel. Push and go, you know. So when we run out of gas, we’ll all push together to Puncak. Hehehe…” Irvan grinned, satisfied. Lupus, on the other hand, was getting more irritated.
“Almost funny!” Lupus retorted, annoyed.
“Alright, what do you think? Agree, right? I’ll be the one bringing the car. You guys just need to prepare the other stuff. Like a stove, pot, rice, sleeping bags…”
“What do you mean, camping?”
“What are we supposed to bring?”
“Well, how about bringing some cheap but tasty snacks…” Lupus suggested.
“Like what?” Irvan became interested.
“Ants on a log…”
“Gross! Yeah, let’s just bring whatever we need ourselves. And remember, let’s not invite our girlfriends. It won’t be fun. We won’t be able to chill. We can’t flirt.”
Everyone nodded quickly.
“But the most important thing is that everyone brings plenty of food, right?” Lupus added. He’s always enthusiastic about food. No small talk, just straight to eating. He has the same principle as his friend Rosfita, who also loves to eat. He says, never disappoint someone who kindly offers you food. It’s a big sin! Lulu, Lupus’ little sister, once commented, “If we stand on top of Lupus’ rice pile, the whole island of Java will be visible.” Lupus got annoyed, but he does eat a lot. At his friends’ birthday parties, he unconsciously takes too much rice. His friends would comment, “Are you just hungry or greedy, Pus?”
“No, I’m possessed,” Lupus replied, annoyed.
And strangely, despite his love for food, Lupus remains slim. Only his thumbs keep getting bigger. Maybe all the vitamins go there.
And the conversation among the five boys stopped when Boim entered the classroom.
“Set… here comes Boim. He’s not joining, right? He’s always so clueless!” Roni whispered. Everyone stayed silent.
“Come on, why is everyone suddenly quiet? Were you gossiping about me?” Boim said loudly.
“How did you know? We didn’t mean any harm. Seriously!” Lupus innocently replied.
“Of course I know. You guys were probably talking about how I went out with Svida yesterday, right?”
“No. We were playing a guessing game; what object is curly all over. Hair, nose, lips, eyebrows, and other hairs, but it’s alive. Then we all thought of you. But seriously, we didn’t mean it that way at first. Just making a silly riddle. And you, you have a long life ahead. We were just guessing and suddenly you showed up.”
Boim immediately walked away.
Lupus knows that the minibus Irvan is bringing is quite old, but he never imagined it would be this rundown. Lupus was surprised when he saw the sad-looking body of the car. “Hey, can it still run?” Lupus asked uncertainly.
“Don’t insult it! The engine is still good. It can handle the trip to Surabaya. Come on, get in. We’re leaving now.”
And true enough, despite its age, the car was running smoothly on the empty toll road after dusk. Irvan and Roni sat in the front. In the second row, Anto and Ridwan. And Lupus was alone in the back. He happily opened his snacks. There were chocolates, chewing gum, sunflower seeds, roasted peanuts, banana jam, chips, dodol, and the like. Just like people going on a holiday trip. Some of them were given by Rina. Earlier, before they left, she said goodbye and asked for blessings. She even packed various snacks for the journey. Anto, Ridwan, Roni, and Irvan also said goodbye to their respective families. And now they were imagining the atmosphere there. Meeting other friends, gazing at the full moon together. With the cold air of Puncak. While below, the beautiful tapestry of nature unfolded. It consisted of twinkling city lights in the distance. Oh, how beautiful life is in this world. And who knows, they might even meet some cool girls on the way. But can they really flirt with girls with this old-fashioned car?
But God is indeed Just. Near Puncak, a sweet girl suddenly passed by. Irvan immediately hit the brakes.
“Wow, that girl is so cool. She’s alone. Let’s invite her, shall we?”
Simultaneously, they all leaned their heads towards the window. Outside, a sweet girl was walking. She was dressed casually, but it made her even more attractive.
“Yeah, let’s invite her. It’ll be fun…”
“Shh, that’s a sin. We promised our girls not to mess around, remember?”
“This is just for fun. It’s harmless, really. It’s normal for guys. Come on, let’s invite her.”
Lupus hesitated, but eventually agreed.
“Who’s brave enough to ask? You, Pus. You’re always daring!”
“Why me?”
But because his friends insisted, Lupus got out of the car. He recited Bismillah ten times.
“Um, excuse me. Is this the way to Puncak?” Lupus said as he approached the girl.
“Yes, just keep going…” the girl’s voice sounded so melodious.
“Is it still far?”
“Well, it’s still a bit of a distance. Why? Are you going to Puncak Pas?”
“Yeah, wanna come along? It’s gonna be lively there with the bright moon like this. Just join us, don’t be alone. Don’t worry, I’m a good person. I’m not planning to kidnap you. I swear!”
The girl smiled. And somehow, she finally agreed. Ridwan, Irvan, Roni, and Anto jumped up and down with excitement.
The minibus was speeding along when suddenly it went crazy with wild jaipongan music. Everyone inside screamed and held on to each other. Irvan quickly slammed on the brakes of the uncontrollable car. And inevitably, everyone was thrown forward. Lupus was the unluckiest. He was busy chewing gum and accidentally swallowed it. Even though everyone knows that you shouldn’t swallow gum.
“What’s going on, Ir? Trying to be an acrobat?” they all exclaimed.
“Just great. There was a big rock in the middle of the road. I couldn’t avoid it. And the car’s tire burst. Instead of cursing, it’s better if you help me change the tire,” Irvan replied. Everyone got out of the car, including the pretty girl. They all checked the flat tire.
“Oh, God! I forgot to bring a spare tire. What do we do now?” Irvan shouted after checking the tire compartment. All the kids looked at each other. Worry spread across their faces. Especially when suddenly a rumble was heard in the distance. The sky turned pitch black. The light of the full moon and stars slowly disappeared behind dark clouds. The night fog began to descend and envelop the surroundings. And everyone rushed to get inside when the rain poured down heavily. Crushing their hopes of enjoying a beautiful night, joking under the moonlight.
No one spoke. Everyone seemed to regret their fate. But what else could they do in this situation? Suddenly, they all realized that the girl was no longer with them. Disappeared somewhere.
“Where did she go? Did she join the car that passed by earlier? Or…”
Everyone suddenly gathered closer.
“Or… is she a ghost?” Irvan’s voice sounded dry.
Lupus jumped up immediately. He couldn’t bear to imagine what if the girl was really a ghost. Even though he was the one who invited her.
“This must be our punishment. That girl was a bringer of bad luck. Hi… we have sinned by betraying our girls’ loyalty. Guys are indeed selfish,” Irvan said seriously. The others fell silent.
“Earlier, when you invited the girl, did something strange happen?” Roni asked.
“Don’t ask! I don’t want to think about it anymore. Whether she’s a ghost or a pontianak. Whatever. Know that I don’t believe in superstitions. But don’t think I’ll have the guts to meet that girl again. And, I think Irvan is right. We should apologize to our girls. Who knows, maybe God will hear our good intentions and help us.”
Everyone fell silent. Lost in their own thoughts. Meanwhile, outside, the rain continued to pour. Making the air even colder and biting.
On Monday, they all walked in like usual. Joking around in class, gossiping in the cafeteria, teasing the new girls who just enrolled. They completely forgot about the events of last Saturday night. They also forgot to apologize to their girls.
Yeah, it’s better to forget about those bad memories from the past.
