SALIKHA

Ew, Creepy! Part 8

Bright and sunny morning, yo!

Salikha was strolling and strutting down the narrow alley of her crib. She was nimble on her feet, stepping through the muddy road like a boss. You know, it’s rainy season, so if you ain’t careful, you might slip and slide. Salikha’s hood was always buzzing with activity, man!

Check it out. Even though it was still early in the morning, the moms were already out and about. Some were doing their morning exercise routine, like SKJ (Sweating to the Oldies, I mean, Sweating for Physical Fitness!), some were fetching water, some were bringing out their pet chickens and ducks, some were taking their kids to school, and yeah, there were also the girls gossiping and doing laundry together at the communal bathroom!

There were also those who went straight to the ketan rice vendor for breakfast. Like Mpok Uti.

Wow, but there was one who stood out from the rest. Look at Bu Indun! She was all dolled up early in the morning. Of course, the moms, especially the ones doing laundry, were all eyes on her!

“Wow, Bu Indun, why are you all dressed up so early in the morning?” Mpok Uti asked while busy choosing her ketan rice.

“I’m going to a gathering,” Bu Indun replied, adjusting her XL-sized dress.

“Isn’t the gathering later in the afternoon?” Mpok Uti questioned.

“Well, what’s wrong with being prepared ahead of time? Remember the saying, ‘The early bird catches the worm.’ It’s not good to be late. Mpok Uti doesn’t know that the gathering I’m attending is a high-level gathering.”

“High-level? Is it a gathering with the wives of government officials?”

“No! It’s not with government officials’ wives, but the gathering is held on the upper floor of a meeting hall. That’s why it’s called a high-level gathering…”

“Hehehe, Bu Indun, you’re something else.”

But suddenly, the conversation stopped. All other activities ceased. No more splashing water, no more sound of hands wringing clothes.

“Hey, hey, isn’t that Lika?” whispered a girl with a towel-wrapped hair.

“She’s looking even more gorgeous, right?” whispered another.

Salikha, emerging from the alley, flashed her sweet smile.

“Where are you off to so early in the morning, Neng?” Mpok Uti greeted, mesmerized.

“Work, Mpok.”

“Work? Where do you work, Neng?”

“At the Department Store.”

“Wow, you’re amazing. Do you get rice too?”

“Ah, no, Mpok!”

“But Ati’s husband works at a department and he gets rice, you know? I forgot the name of the department, though. But he gets rice every month, Neng.”

Hehehe, Mpok Uti always has something up her sleeve. Well, it’s different, you know. The department that gives out rice is a government department. But a Department Store is a private one. Some of the moms who were doing laundry there couldn’t help but giggle. Meanwhile, Salikha just kept smiling.

“Sogo, right? You work at Sogo?”

“Ah, no, Mpok. A girl like me can’t get a job at Sogo.”

“Hehehe!”

Man, this oil vendor always surprises me. “Come on, who wants to buy kerosene? It’s still early, still hot. What about you, Bu Indun? Interested in my offer?”

“Nah!”

“But didn’t you stop buying it the other day?”

“I don’t use kerosene anymore, bro.”

“Then what do you use for cooking, Bu?”

“I found a new fuel.”

“A new fuel?” The oil vendor was curious.

“Yeah, a mixture of plastic waste that I blend with spices.”

“Really? And does it turn into oil?” Mpok Uti chimed in, intrigued.

“Forget about it.”

“Then what does it turn into?” the oil vendor asked, even more curious.

“Well, it turns back into trash!”

The oil vendor walked away in annoyance, leaving the crowd of moms laughing hysterically.

Yo, Bu,” said Salikha, still giggling, “I gotta bounce, ya know.”

“Eh, yeah, Neng. Let’s go, Neng. Be careful when you hop on the bus, find an empty one!” Bu Indun advised.

“Yeah, Neng, if you wanna find an empty bus, look for the one that’s broken down! Guaranteed no pushing and shoving,” Mpok Uti chimed in.

Hehehe, the moms burst into laughter.

Salikha is friendly, man. Almost everyone in the neighborhood knows her. Plus, she’s pretty cool-looking. She’s got a sharp nose, like a triangle.

Like earlier, she still took the time to chat with the moms who stopped her. Even though it’s already noon. Salikha also took the time to respond to the greetings from the dads, the kids, or the dudes she happened to pass by. Well, not all of them, though.

When Salikha passed by Mpok Inah’s stall, there was a warm greeting for her. “Hey Lika. You’re all alone, huh?”

Salikha shrugged.

“Can I give you a ride, bro?”

Salikha quickened her pace.

Salikha has never been into Kodir, man. Even though every morning Kodir faithfully waits for Salikha to pass by. And what annoys Lika the most is Kodir’s greetings. It’s been the same old thing. No change.

Of course, Salikha is fed up.

Kodir is so clueless. Imagine, for over a year, Kodir always greets, “Hey, Lika. You’re all alone, huh? Can I give you a ride, bro?” And Kodir keeps greeting like that even when Salikha is walking with her mom or her sister. “Hey, Lika. You’re all alone, huh?”

That’s still tolerable. One morning, Lika was with a group of moms who were going to a wedding. Salikha hoped that Kodir’s greeting would change. But guess what…

“You’re all alone, huh? Hey, Lika.”

Oh my goodness, it’s the same thing but reversed!

That afternoon, the area around Inpres market was totally jammed.

Because a city bus ran over the clothes of a street vendor. Of course, the vendor was furious. But the driver felt like he did nothing wrong.

“Like, who told you to sell in the middle of the road!” argued the driver, supported by the conductor.

“But dude, you should’ve seen it, right?” the vendor retorted, pointing at his merchandise. “If a short-sleeved shirt costs a thousand bucks, I mean, you should know there’s stuff for sale here. Don’t just run over it. I don’t care, man, you gotta buy the clothes you ran over!”

“No way!” protested the driver. “What’s up with you telling me to buy kids’ clothes like that. Am I a little kid or what?”

Luckily, a traffic cop who usually regulates the traffic there quickly arrived to mediate.

Salikha, who was waiting for the bus, felt so annoyed seeing the incident. Because the bus she was waiting for wasn’t showing up. Maybe it was blocked by the line of cars that started honking their horns. Ugh, it reminds me of New Year’s Eve…

Salikha kept waiting for her bus. Luckily, the cars started moving slowly. But sweat started dripping from her forehead. She was getting hot. Her work uniform wasn’t suitable for a situation like this. Besides, the material made her feel stuffy, and the color was tacky and cheap. The yellow inner blouse was wrapped in a short green jacket with thin brown lines. And the skirt, made of the same material as the jacket, was bright red!

Salikha herself reluctantly wore such a uniform, but what can she do, she’s forced to.

Luckily, Salikha has fair skin, a clean and sweet face, so her tackiness isn’t that noticeable.

So don’t be surprised if a few meters away, there’s a guy who keeps staring. Salikha knows, but she pretends not to care. After all, the guy is still in high school. He’s probably younger than her. Nah, it’s not worth dealing with a little kid.

Oh, but it seems like he was staring at me yesterday, Salikha thought to herself.

And the days before that too, huh, Lik? Yeah, for a few consecutive days, Salikha was constantly being watched by that guy. She doesn’t know if he intentionally waited for her to go home or if it was just a coincidence.

Honestly, Salikha gradually started to enjoy seeing that guy’s sweet smile. The smile that always appeared on his face when Salikha happened to look in his direction.

Especially since he’s well put together, not messy and not a nerd like Kodir! He’s got a big build. He must work out a lot, Salikha thought, remembering the well in front of her house.

And his hair… it’s like Jason Donovan’s! Salikha often saw Jason’s poster at the cassette selling spot in the Department Store where she works.

Pretty cool, right? Way better than Kodir.

That guy also often carries a unique folder with Milli Vanilli pictures on it as a bag. He only has a few school books.

What impresses Salikha is that the guy often helps stop the Metromini buses. Wow, a true gentleman, Salikha guessed again.

The following week, Salikha got the night shift. She doesn’t have to go to work early in the morning anymore. That means she’s free from Kodir’s monotonous greetings. But Salikha also can’t meet “Jason” during that time. Because when Salikha has the night shift, she starts work at three in the afternoon and finishes at nine in the evening.

Salikha was feeling lost without “Jason” around to stop the Metromini buses.

“Ugh, why do I have to work in shifts,” grumbled Salikha. “It’s messing up my chances of meeting that guy!”

But hey, it’s the rules at the Department Store. They keep changing the shifts. One week in the morning, one week in the afternoon. If you think about it, it’s not just about missing out on “Jason”, but it’s also about not having the opportunity to develop herself. The Department Store has taken up all of Salikha’s time. It means she’s stuck being a good salesgirl for that place. Imagine not having the chance to sharpen her mind through courses or other lessons. It’s impossible for Salikha to find a course that has classes in the morning one week and in the afternoon the next.

Salikha is so annoyed with this shift system. There was a time when she wanted to explore her other talents. Back in high school, Salikha won first place in a Jakarta-wide Dance Creation competition. She really wanted to join a dance studio. Maybe she could become a top dancer. She had the money from her salary at the Department Store. But once again, it clashed with her schedule. There were no dance studios open one week in the morning and one week in the afternoon!

Salikha was torn. If she didn’t work, she needed money because her parents were retired. But if she kept working, all her time would be dedicated to the Department Store.

Maybe for a girl who doesn’t want to move forward, it’s not a problem. But for Salikha, it’s a clear problem. She even asked for an exception to have a fixed schedule. Like if she worked in the morning, she would always work in the morning. If she worked in the afternoon, same thing. But the manager said it would go against the rules!

Now Salikha really feels lost. On the other hand, that guy secretly waits until night. He feels frustrated when Salikha doesn’t show up.

Where could she be? He tries to look for her at the bus stop near the cinema. She’s not there. But he can’t wait for the bus here, he touches his heart, “Jason”.

Or is she…? Ah, forget it!

Yeah, finally that guy, whose name turns out to be Gito, Lupus’ close friend, doesn’t really expect to see Salikha again. Maybe he’s feeling frustrated. He’s just chilling, waiting for the bus alone.

But when he’s busy counting the number of girls in yellow-green shirts passing by from a distance, suddenly Salikha appears. Gito is shocked, like… why is she here again?

Without realizing it, maybe because of the hidden longing, Gito approaches Salikha.

“Where were you? Just showed up out of nowhere?”

Salikha is momentarily stunned. Gito is being bold on his own.

“Uh, sorry. I mean, I…”

“Ah, I wasn’t anywhere. Where were you? Haven’t seen you in a while,” Salikha, who didn’t really care before because she thought of that guy as a little kid, suddenly starts to like him. This feeling of liking him arose after a few days of feeling lost. Thanks to the shifts.

“Oh, I’m here every day,” exclaimed Gito enthusiastically. “My school is right there on that street.”

“Oh, I also have a friend…”

“What’s their name? Do you have a friend who goes to SMA Merah Putih too?”

“No! They don’t go to that school. I have a friend who knows that there’s a school on that street.”