It was late at night (like, seriously late), when Lupus and Anto were crossing a deserted road near the Dutch cemetery. The cold air was biting, and the loud chirping of crickets could be heard in the distance. It was like they were trying to add some drama to the situation. And yeah, the atmosphere was really quiet. Lupus kept his lips tightly sealed, not interested in breaking the eerie silence. I mean, who knows, he might startle himself. Meanwhile, Anto, his quiet friend, didn’t try to lighten the mood. Even though this was his neighborhood, Lupus was just a newcomer. He was invited to stay over since they had a day off tomorrow. If you want to know about holidays or important dates, just ask Lupus. He’s the expert at remembering that stuff. He’s been memorizing it for a long time, even before it became his job. It’s like his hobby.
And now, the two of them had just come back from watching a midnight movie at the cheap theater near the local market. It was an old Linda Blair film, “Hell Night”. Pretty creepy, to be honest. No wonder they still felt tense. And to top it off, they had to pass by the cemetery on their way home.
“Nto, isn’t there another quieter route?” Lupus finally couldn’t keep quiet anymore.
“Well, you said we should take the closest route. And this is it. If we go through the main road, there won’t be any vehicles. We could walk, but we’ll only get home tomorrow. It’s quite tiring, you know! It’s creepy passing through here, especially if you’ve heard the weird stories that often happen here. Like last week, Mr. Karta, who usually works the night shift, said that he saw someone walking without a head in the cemetery over there. He was carrying something, and little did he know, it was his own head…”
Lupus quickly covered his ears. He was disgusted. Why would they talk about such creepy stuff when it was already creepy enough?
“Wait, you don’t believe it, Pus? Seriously, it’s true. Mr. Karta is an honest, righteous man, and he hardly ever lies, unless no one knows he’s lying…” Anto interrupted without realizing he was wrong.
“Anto, haven’t you been taught how to tell a good joke?” Lupus said angrily.
“Whatever, if you don’t believe me. I’m not forcing you. I’m not joking anymore either. Don’t accuse me without any basis. That’s called slander. And slander is the work of the devil. So, you’re just as bad as the devil…”
“Yeah, and I’ll strangle you if you don’t stop blabbering!”
But suddenly, they both let out a soft scream as they heard a bottle being smashed near them. Reflexively, they held onto each other, looking around with pounding hearts. And then, a creepy figure emerged from behind the frangipani tree, giving them a sinister look.
“Shh… is that the devil Mr. Karta saw? Why does it have a head?” Anto whispered fearfully.
“Shut up, you!”
The figure approached, followed by a few other rough and scary-looking individuals. Anto whispered quietly to Lupus, “Uh-oh, Pus. Those aren’t ghosts. They’re troublemakers from across the cemetery! They must be looking to mess with us!”
“Damn, what’s their reason for bothering us?” Lupus replied loudly.
“Shh, not so loud. Oh God, they can beat you up…”
And now, the face of the first figure was so close to Lupus’s face. Staring without blinking with sharp eyes. Lupus, acting like nothing was happening, whispered to Anto, “You’re right, Nto. He’s not a ghost. But look, he’s trying to scare us with that intense gaze. He thinks we’re scared, huh…”
But Lupus’s whisper was clear enough for the person to hear. With one swift movement, he grabbed Lupus by the collar. Anto was half terrified.
“You think I’m a ghost scaring you, huh? You’re trying to act tough here? Where are you from that you dare to talk back to me?” the person replied harshly, while his friends started getting closer.
Lupus resisted and broke free from the grip. Then he took a few steps back, still looking at the troublemakers. Anto immediately held him back and said hesitantly, “Sorry, dude. We’re just coming home late and need to pass through here. We didn’t mean to act all tough and stuff…”
The troublemaker spat on the ground. Lupus wanted to do the same, but his throat felt dry.
“Hey, do you have any money?” one of his impatient friends stepped forward and grabbed Anto’s shoulder. Lupus, unable to bear it, stepped forward to help Anto. But someone else pulled him back forcefully.
“Don’t, dude. Don’t hit my friend. I have some money. Take it, man. It’s all we have!” Anto quickly responded. Lupus was pushed and fell at Anto’s feet. He tried to get up and fight back, but Anto held him back, saying, “Stay calm, Pus. There are too many of them. It’s pointless to fight…”
Finally, after some swearing and dirty insults, they let Lupus and Anto go. As they walked away, Anto let out a relieved sigh.
“Can you believe they had the audacity to ask for money? Who do they think they are?” Lupus grumbled. But of course, those troublemakers didn’t listen. They were too busy being all high and mighty.
“Yeah, that’s what they do. Harass people who pass by. They actually live not far from my house. I know the guy who pushed you earlier, Jalil. But I never hang out with them. What’s the point? They spend every night loitering on the streets. Bothering people or looking for trouble. Luckily, you didn’t try to fight back, Pus. If they got angry, we would’ve been done for…”
“Ewww… like I would even dare?”
The next afternoon, Lupus was still at Anto’s house. They spent the whole day cooped up in Anto’s room. Anto rarely went out. His only job was to play cassette tapes or listen to the radio all day. He knew all the programs from various private radio stations by heart. He even listened attentively to the economic reports about the market prices of garlic, shallots, jicama, turmeric, and the like. What’s he planning to sell?
Lupus, with nothing to do, just kept him company while reading a few books.
“Hey, Nto, I think I’ll go to the hangout spot of those troublemakers tonight. It’s near the post you mentioned, right?”
Anto was shocked. “Are you crazy? Why would you go there? Are you looking for trouble? Forget about the money we lost, Pus. Walking away is the best option. Don’t keep thinking about it. And don’t act all tough. They’re even more dangerous in their territory. Oh God, forget about that crazy idea, Pus. Don’t seek revenge. This isn’t some cowboy movie era… Let it go!”
Lupus wasn’t the type to engage in philosophical discussions. He leaned more towards speaking his mind, being straightforward, and sometimes irritating. But now he looked at Anto with a serious expression.
“There are better things in life that we should forget. Especially negative thoughts that will only make us restless. But don’t worry, To. I’m not some hero who wants to stir up their nest. I’m interested in uncovering stories that might be intriguing about teenagers like them. Why can’t they stay at home like you? Or how do they view their future…”
Anto fell silent, looking puzzled at Lupus. He had been friends with Lupus for a long time, but until now, he often couldn’t guess what was going on in Lupus’ mind. And he was truly baffled when Lupus daringly went alone to the hangout spot of those troublemaking kids that night.
The next day, early in the morning, Lupus returned home. His face pale, probably from not sleeping all night.
“Thank God, you’re still alive!” Anto exclaimed, rushing towards Lupus. Lupus just smirked and then collapsed onto the bed.
“Why do you look so worn out? Did they do something to you?”
“What right do they have to hit me? I went there peacefully, with good intentions!” Lupus arrogantly replied. But if you knew how terrified Lupus was when he went to the hangout spot of those troublemakers, you wouldn’t be able to hold back. Thankfully, that part was censored.
“Do they even know the meaning of compromise?”
“Nah, that’s your mistake, man. You’re too quick to judge others as bad without even trying to approach them first. I don’t believe there’s anyone in this world who’s so wicked that they have no feelings at all. Sometimes, it’s from them that we find interesting personalities, like the incredible loyalty of a friend who’s willing to sacrifice their own happiness. Sure, their loyalty might sometimes be misplaced and cause harm to others, but that’s not always true. That’s why I was intrigued when you told me so much about their actions that always seem to harm others. I wanted to prove if it’s true. And if it is, on what basis? So, I went there. Tried to connect with them. Even though it wasn’t easy. I ended up spending a lot of money buying them cigarettes. Sacrificed my own feelings and other things, but I succeeded. I admitted that I’m new here. I didn’t feel comfortable at home because of a lot of family problems. I wanted to join them. And they accepted me with open arms. Basically, they always sympathize with people who are in the same boat as them. They’re even willing to help me. Pretty awesome, right? From last night’s experience, they shared a lot about themselves, their way of life, and even their aspirations for the future. Turns out, they’re extraordinary, Nto! Most of them want to become ABR! Defenders of the Nation. Impressive, huh? They shouldn’t be seen as enemies, but rather deserving of love and hope. It’s good material for an article…”
“Article material? Are you saying you went out last night to write an article for your magazine?”
“Why are you surprised? It’s a good topic for a human interest article. Writing that highlights the various dimensions of humanity in their lives, it’s interesting, right? It can evoke emotions and sympathy from those who never cared about them before. Who knows, after reading my article, those delinquent kids might want to change themselves. And the public’s perception of them might change too, so those who didn’t care before would try to reach out to them…”
Anto fell silent. For a long time. Like he was deep in thought. Then he spoke softly, “Sometimes, I envy you, Pus. You always find a way to make something out of whatever happens. I often feel envious. You know, I’m someone who never takes initiative. Especially not to do something for the people I dislike the most. I’ve been living in their neighborhood for so long, but I never had thoughts like yours. I feel like I’m worthless…”
Now it’s Lupus’s turn to be shocked and silent. Like, he’s just there, not saying anything for what feels like forever. Anto even thinks he might have dozed off or something.
But then, out of nowhere, Lupus finally speaks up, but in this really soft and slow voice, he’s like, “Don’t think like that, Nto. God created all kinds of people with different personalities, you know? Honestly, I wish I could be more like you. Not caring or getting bothered by anything that happens. Being able to sleep peacefully even with a million problems on your mind. Seriously, I want to be like you. Never feeling called, guilty, or tempted when something feels off. Always just living life so calmly. And here I am, unable to fall asleep that easily, with a million problems swirling in my head like this…”
But, like, the next minute, Lupus is knocked out, snoring like crazy. Meanwhile, Anto is still trying to figure out the thought process of this weird creature that God made…
