Lupus and Aji were still in front of the house of singer Evita Fanny. They had no idea what else to do. Even though Lupus had interviewed like this quite a few times, he still couldn’t relax. He often found himself pushing and shoving or arguing with his friend about who should go in first. It was really embarrassing! But it’s okay, Lupus never gives up just because of things like that. Anything can become normal if we do it often enough.
“Let’s just cause a ruckus here, maybe they’ll come out!” Lupus exclaimed, his craziness acting up.
“You’re crazy, what if we get caught by the police?”
“Are we terrorists or something? I mean, we’re just expressing ourselves, you know!”
“You’re in trouble when you get reckless, Pus! So, what’s the plan?”
“For example, we keep ringing the doorbell non-stop. Eventually, they’ll get annoyed and come out. Either they’ll talk to us or kick us out. But it’s okay. It’s called entrepreneurship. Nothing wrong with that!”
“Yeah, I guess.”
And they took turns pressing the doorbell. Over and over again. There was a barking dog in the background. Until finally, the scary face that appeared earlier showed up again behind the tall gate. Ready to unleash his anger. But Lupus quickly greeted, “Assalamualaikum! I think we’ve met before. When was it? Oh yeah, a few minutes ago. How are you? Look, I’m from the magazine…”
“Boring! Haven’t you guys learned a lesson yet? Have you ever experienced what it’s like to be bitten by Pleki?”
“Not yet. Who’s that? Your dad?”
“Damn it! You guys are really disrespectful!” he shouted angrily while jumping down. But just as he was about to open the gate, there was a voice calling out. Reluctantly, he postponed his anger and hurriedly went to meet the person calling.
“Hey Bang Kerpa, can you get my car ready? I’m heading to the studio in half an hour. Also, please unload the groceries from this morning,” replied the caller, who turned out to be Evita.
“Sure, Miss.”
“Oh, by the way, why were you climbing the gate earlier? Are you dating the maid next door or something?”
“Um, Miss… those were two young guys. They claimed to be journalists who wanted to interview you. But they didn’t have their press cards. So, I chased them away. But they were really daring!”
“Well, those two sweet little guys are us!” suddenly a polite voice continued from behind Bang Kerpa. Bang Kerpa turned around in surprise!
“Hey, you rude kids. How did you manage to get in here? Jumped over the gate, huh?”
“How? It was easy. Who left the gate unlocked just now, while your dog was busy chasing after a cat and went out of the yard…” Lupus calmly replied.
Bang Kerpa was shocked and quickly rushed out, calling for his dog. Leaving Lupus and Aji face to face with Evita Fanny.
Lupus didn’t blink. This singer was still young. Probably around 17 years old. Her face, oh my goodness, so beautiful. With thin but sexy lips, beautiful cat-like eyes, and a tanned complexion. Wow, no wonder she became a singer. With such a perfect appearance for a teenage girl, who wouldn’t want to stare at her for hours?
Lupus immediately gave her a rating of nine.
“Who are you?” Evita asked softly. Her voice, wow. Gave him goosebumps.
“It’s Lupus and Aji here. From a teen magazine. And who are you over there?” Lupus replied.
“Oh… you guys are journalists, huh?”
“Yeah, impressive, right?”
“Why are you still so young? Fake journalists, huh? Where are your press cards?”
“Well, we forgot them. But if you don’t believe us, you can call the Hai magazine office…”
“Alright, I believe you. So, what do you guys want?”
“An interview. Is that okay?”
“But I have to go. You guys didn’t make an appointment, after all.”
“We did, actually!”
“When? I wasn’t informed.”
“Five minutes ago. Remember when your clumsy male servant climbed up the gate…”
“Ah, fine. If you insist. Just for a little while, okay? Come in!”
With light steps, Lupus and Aji walked inside.
In the living room, they were quite impressed with the atmosphere. A luxurious set of big blue sofas, with a carpet that looked like lush green grass. Combined with the blue-themed wall decorations, it created a soothing ambiance. Meanwhile, a majestic close-up photo of Evita Fanny was displayed on the left wall. Above neatly arranged antique items. Soft instrumental music was playing from inside, coincidentally Lupus recognized the title, “Cantabile”. It was an interesting song, and Lupus used to hear his father play it on his classical guitar.
Surprisingly, Evita had quite a good taste in music. Especially compared to the cheesy, sentimental songs she often sang, it was a stark contrast.
Lupus felt like he had entered a palace.
“Come on, have a seat. Why are you all standing like that?”
Lupus was startled. Yeah, he was daydreaming earlier. How could someone be so rich like this? It reminded him of his comrades at the office. They seemed so far away. Even though they liked to pretend to be wealthy, when they were hungry, they would just lie down under the table. Hoping that their hunger would disappear when they woke up. It saved them money for food. But it’s okay. It actually made it easier to write sad poems or stories. No need to imagine too hard. Just write about their personal experiences, done!
Meanwhile, Evita struggled when it came to creating sad stories. It required extraordinary empathy. But let’s forget about that for now. Let’s focus on Lupus, who was feeling a bit hot and cold from being constantly stared at by the lovely Evita. He didn’t know why, but he always got nervous when a pretty girl looked at him.
Stiffly, Lupus took out a pen and a piece of paper with a list of questions. Evita couldn’t resist peeking at what was written behind the question list. So, with a little force, she snatched the piece of paper.
“Take a look. Is it okay?”
“Uh, no…” Lupus was taken aback, but Evita had already snatched it. “That’s the question list, you know. I made it so I wouldn’t forget. Because honestly, when I’m nervous, I tend to forget what I want to ask. Give it back….” Evita smirked. She furrowed her brow as she read the paper. Then she smiled to herself.
Lupus became suspicious.
“Are you here for an interview or for shopping? Why is there a kilo of salted fish, three bird’s eye chilies, ten stinky beans, and chewing gum…?”
Lupus quickly grabbed it back and read it. Oh, God! It turns out he grabbed the wrong one. It was the shopping list his mother gave him this morning. With a face like a traffic light; red, yellow, green, he quickly put it in his pocket. Replacing it with another piece of paper. One that actually had the question list.
“Now you just sit there, I’ll ask the questions from here. Okay?” Lupus replied irritably. Evita burst into laughter. A new level of familiarity had just been reached.
“But remember, we don’t have much time. I need to leave!”
The interview continued in a friendly manner. Until at one point, Evita felt the need to leave. With a bit of reluctance, she got up. Lupus quickly stopped her, “Hey, don’t bother!”
“Huh? I need to change my clothes, you know. I’m going out…”
“Oh, I thought you were going to make us drinks…”
“Oh gosh, I forgot. Are you thirsty?”
“Nah, not really. I was just thinking, why is it the same as at home? Whenever we have guests from far away, we always forget to offer them drinks. Even though they might be thirsty after such a long journey. Right, Ji?” Lupus rambled while glancing at Aji, who was practically dying of thirst.
Once again, Evita laughed. She quickly prepared some drinks.
Dan Evita turned out to be a really cool artist. She invited Lupus and Aji to come to the studio while continuing her interview on the way. There, Evita shared a lot. About her three albums that were recorded in a short period of time. About her cassette tapes that sold like crazy. About the bonus car she got. Basically, everything.
For a singer artist, she really had it all. Even though her songs were mostly about cheesy love, her voice didn’t disappoint. Despite the common belief that pop singers nowadays only rely on their looks, Evita was an exception. Because she had the vocal skills and interpretation that were perfect for the commercial songs she sang.
No matter how good a pop song is, if it’s not supported by good interpretation and perfect vocals, it won’t succeed. It’s nonsense for those who say that being a singer is all about looks. No matter how advanced the studio techniques that can help the artist’s vocals, it won’t help much. At most, it will be like a comet. It appears briefly, becomes popular, and then disappears. Forgotten.
This is what Lupus wanted to emphasize to Evita. This singer was very talented. But why did she release albums that sounded the same so often? Was she trying to take advantage of the trend like everyone else?
“You should be more selective, Vita. Limit the release of your albums. You have a good voice. I often see you singing regional songs on TV. Your vocal abilities are clearly visible there. You’re not just a cheap pop singer. If you release albums less frequently, you can keep your fans hooked. Make them curious about your next albums. And with a little variation, they won’t get bored easily. And you won’t get dumped by fans who get bored because you release similar albums too often. Don’t let yourself be fooled by producers who only care about making as much profit as possible, without thinking about your future. They can easily find a new singer. But what about you? That’s it, Vita. So, why are we going to the studio now? It’s better to go get some fried chicken or somewhere else, and talk about this. Don’t be like a machine. Asked to go to the studio, given a song, and then immediately sing it without being given the chance to choose a song that suits your vocal character. For your taste. Oops, sorry. I’m being so chatty, aren’t I? But it’s up to you. Do you want to go for fried chicken or to the studio…”
Evita fell silent. The creature sitting next to her was talking too much, like a medicine seller. Is that how it is, that journalists try to get treats?
“Do you want my number or do you want to kidnap me?” Vita replied sternly.
“Both. But the ransom isn’t heavy. Fried chicken!”
Dan Lupus was over the moon when Volvo Evita made a turn towards fried chicken.
A few days later, Lupus was back at the office. He was super stoked because he just got a call from Evita. How could he not be happy? Evita called him like they were old pals.
“Even though sometimes I doubt if you’re a fake journalist or a real one, or maybe even a shady doctor running an underground practice, I still appreciate that you actually think about what you say. Thanks. I like that you pay attention to me like that. I’ve canceled my recording schedule for the near future. The boss was mad and surprised, but eventually he’ll understand me. Because I want him to need me, not me needing him. I’ve asked to select the songs, select the arrangements. If you wanna know, I never listen to my own songs at home. You heard it yourself when you came over, right? I’ve never been proud of my own songs all this time.
Thanks again, seriously. When are you coming over to hang out again?”
That’s why Lupus was smiling all the time. Mas Veven, who just walked in, immediately pointed at him with his own original riddle, “Come on, what’s the Indonesian translation for: Mother goes to the market?”
“What is it? I have no idea!” Lupus pretended not to know.
“Belanja ni yee…” he answered with half-dead excitement. Because it’s rare for Lupus to not be able to guess his riddles.
Or there’s Mas Wendo, who was being praised by his friends because he appeared on TV in an FFI program. “Ah, what’s the use of someone like me…” he humbly replied, raising the bar.
But what surprised Lupus was that Aji never showed up again. Not even at school. Because Aji was his schoolmate, just in a different class. They were comrades during the Evita interview. So the next day, Lupus specifically looked for him in the classrooms. And found him chilling in the cafeteria. Still in his cool style even though Lupus approached. Lupus remembered Iwan, the music editor at Hai. He was also a cool guy when he was listening to his walkman. Ignored when called! He’s a real tough cookie.
“Hey, Ji, are you sick or something? Why haven’t I seen you around?” Lupus greeted him kindly. Aji just shrugged. Lupus was clearly puzzled. After digging deeper, it turned out that Aji was a bit annoyed because Lupus was so close to Evita back then. He didn’t even get a chance to join the conversation. Even though he dressed up nicely for it.
Lupus couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Oh, Aji, are you jealous? Do you think I have a crush on her? Well, dream on. I know my place, you know. What’s so great about dating a famous artist like that? It just brings emotional pressure. We’re not used to their lifestyle, you know, the easy come easy go stuff. Nah, better not. Besides, there’s no guarantee she’d be as open with me if she were my girlfriend.”
“So, it’s better like this. I’ll just write a good report for the magazine. Can our friendship really be ruined by such trivial things, Ji? Let’s forget about it all, Ji, let’s go back to how we were. Let’s find another cool star and interview them together again. Who knows, maybe the next one will be your soulmate. Hehehe… How cool is that? Adventures like this are important, you know, to get to know different types of girls. So when we actually get a girlfriend like that, we won’t be surprised anymore. One thing we need to remember is not to get too excited when people like that seem to pay more attention to us. ‘Cause you never know if they actually like us, right?”
Aji stood up, smiling at Lupus. Then he gently punched him in the stomach. Both of them burst into laughter.
