Boim fell in love again. No surprise there. This guy just loves falling in love. With anyone. Even a goat, if you give it some lipstick, Boim might have a crush on it.
But this time, he claims it’s serious. Not like before.
His hidden love has been going on for quite some time. Since we first entered Merah Putih High School. And the unlucky girl who caught Boim’s eye is none other than Nyit-nyit. Lupus’ classmate. Nyit-nyit. Her real name is Yunita. Besides having a body anatomy that resembles turmeric, this sweet girl is obsessed with wearing soccer socks. It’s funny, really. But Boim is in love.
“I think there are signs, Pus,” Boim exclaimed excitedly to Lupus.
“What signs? Signs that you’re going to get rejected?”
Boim pouted. Sulking.
Lupus hid his smile, pretending to sip his iced tea. The other kids were also buying snacks in the cafeteria. It was break time.
“What should I do next, Pus?” Boim continued. “Because it’s difficult, I can’t keep going to her house all the time, it’s not nice to the people at home. Probably her parents and neighbors don’t approve. Only the maid seems to be okay with it.”
“Well, just date the maid then.”
Boim pouted again.
Anto and Aji, who happened to be eavesdropping, burst into laughter.
“Come on, Pus. I need your advice. How can I date without spending a lot of money? Because lately, I’m broke.”
“Just take her to the museum. It’s cheap, only a few cents. Plus, it’s usually empty…”
With a pout, Boim stormed out of the cafeteria. That’s his bad habit when he’s sulking. He pretends to forget to pay for his food.
Anto, Lupus, Aji, and of course, Gusur, laughed together in the cafeteria. Meanwhile, Boim threw a grumpy face, pretending not to care.
After laughing, the kids got hungry. Gusur immediately ordered salted egg with half a plate of rice. Half a basin, to be precise. Because his appetite is just extraordinary. Meanwhile, Anto was busy looking for fried snacks. “Where are the other fried snacks, Bu? Why is it only banana fritters? Not fair, again. And they’re small too…,” Anto complained.
“Oh, do you want the big ones? They’re there. In the fryer. Guaranteed to be fair,” Lupus defended Bu Kantin. Anto pretended not to hear, while busy grabbing a banana. His eyes wandered to the cafeteria wall covered in announcement posters.
Near the bag of crackers, a group of kids were gathered, having a good time. Looks like there’s a new announcement on the wall. Anto immediately got interested and walked over. Lupus and Aji followed suit. A few seconds later, the three of them were squeezed in the midst of the sweaty crowd, reading the announcement.
Turns out, it’s about the Bio kids’ plan for a study tour to Bogor Botanical Gardens.
This golden opportunity couldn’t be wasted by Boim. Because almost all of Lupus’ classmates, from class IIA2, were joining. Including Nyit-nyit. During the trip, there would be plenty of chances for Boim to make a move on Nyit-nyit. Maybe even sit next to her.
So on that day, the day they were leaving for Bogor, Boim got all dressed up. His hair was slicked back, his shy mustache was shaved, and he even had a red comb worth five hundred rupiahs in his back pocket. Just in case the wind decided to mess up his hair. He even almost used cooking oil at home when he couldn’t find any cologne.
Lupus, Anto, Aji, Fifi, and everyone else (including the language expert, Gusur!) were already having a blast inside the rented bus. Singing and making noise. These kids are the happiest when there’s a picnic. They can go crazy to their heart’s content. And even before the big bus entered the toll road, Lupus was already busy with his riddles.
“Come on, kids. Name three funny incidents. Whoever can answer, I’ll treat them to ice lolly at the Botanical Gardens. Come on… the fastest one gets it. Just for fun… hehehe.”
The kids sitting together in the back seat of the bus were thinking hard. Our actress, Fifi Alone, who was wearing a frilly outfit like a safari actress, didn’t want to give the answer too quickly. “I know. The Concorde plane fell into a ditch!” she shouted loudly. Our actress has a very limited thinking capacity. She likes to give random answers.
“Wrong!” Lupus replied.
Fifi grinned. She said, as long as she looks good, it doesn’t matter if she’s wrong.
“Three poodles fighting!” Anto blurted out.
“Wrong! Okay, give up, guys? I’ll tell you the answer.”
“No way! Not yet,” the kids were still curious.
“Fine, give up then!” Lupus whined, and he immediately stood up to reveal the answer. “The correct answer, ladies and gentlemen, is when Bokir rode a bemo and met Dono. Applause for me, clap clap clap!”
No one clapped for Lupus.
“I have a riddle too,” Fifi said in her actress style. She ran her fingers through her hair, intentionally styled to look like Farah Fawcett. “Guess this, friends. Big, black, stinky but agile. Come on, what is it!”
The kids turned to Fifi all at once. “You guys don’t know? It’s easy, Idi Amin at Stardust… Hooray, a hundred points for Ike!” The kids were annoyed. Fifi Alone got hit with a peanut shell. Bored of playing guessing games, the kids started singing. It was the usual… dangdut music. Lupus and Gusur played the guitar. Lupus played in the key of C, while Gusur played in the key of G. It sounded weird, but the kids singing were all over the place. The song went in different directions, and the music too. No harmony. Each one doing their own thing. The most fun was Anto, with his drum that he brought from home.
All the kids were happy.
Well, not all of them. There was someone who was restless in the corner. Who was it? Turns out, it was Boim. While everyone else was having fun, Boim was anxious, thinking about the steps he needed to take to get closer to Nyit-nyit. That’s the downside of being in love. You’re always restless.
“Hey, why so quiet, Im?” Anto teased.
Boim pretended not to hear. Afraid that the other kids would notice his quietness. As a distraction, he pretended to be busy opening his lunchbox. Inside, there was a box of chocolates. Chocolates that he planned to give to Nyit-nyit. Because he heard that Nyit-nyit also loves chocolates. But how could he give it to her without standing out in front of their friends? Without getting teased by their friends?
Ah, Boim had an idea. He stood up and casually offered his chocolates to the kids sitting near Nyit-nyit. Because indirectly, the chocolates would end up in Nyit-nyit’s hands. This was also a way to improve his image in Nyit-nyit’s eyes, to show that Boim is a good person. Not stingy, like Lupus often said.
Meta, Ita, and Utari, who were sitting on either side of Nyit-nyit, of course, felt like they hit the jackpot. They eagerly accepted the chocolates offered by Boim.
“Wow… wow… Boiiim. Which heavenly wind turned you into such a kind person to us…” Ita exclaimed loudly.
Boim blushed with embarrassment.
“Hey, friends, we hit the jackpot! Boim, with his kind heart, is offering us a box of chocolates. Who wants some?”
Without waiting for the next cue, Gusur, Lupus, Anto, Aji, and the other kids immediately rushed to Ita’s seat. In just a few seconds, Boim’s box of chocolates was empty. Boim was left dumbfounded. Because the box of chocolates hadn’t even reached Nyit-nyit’s hands yet.
But the kids didn’t care. They didn’t know Boim’s pure intentions. They were too busy packing up as the bus exited the toll road and entered the city of Bogor.
Lupus was the first to jump off, and he was warmly greeted by an orange seller. “Oranges, buddy. Sweet ones.”
“Sweet? Who? Me?” Lupus didn’t pay attention.
“Here, Jang. The oranges. If they’re sour, no need to pay.”
Lupus furrowed his brow. “Well… in that case, I’ll take the sour ones, then!”
The orange seller walked away.
Not only the orange seller, but Boim also felt so annoyed. It was about the chocolates earlier. He cursed his friends and himself for being stupid. Why didn’t he give the chocolates in a secluded place? So that the other kids wouldn’t know? Like now, for example, the kids were busy exploring the paths in the Botanical Garden. They were busy taking notes on what Bu Sut, the Biology teacher, explained as they walked by.
Boim regretted it.
A few steps ahead, Nyit-nyit was whispering with Ita. While Lupus, Aji, Anto, and Gusur were busy playing with toy trains. Lupus was the locomotive, making loud “choo-choo” sounds. When Bu Sut looked their way, they pretended to be busy taking notes.
In another area, Fifi Alone was seen chatting with some cool guys she met on the street.
“Huh! That Palapa kid is such an SKSD!” Ruri sneered.
“What’s that?” Suli didn’t understand.
“Pretends to know, pretends to be close, but doesn’t know anything,” Ruri explained.
Suli nodded.
Even though he didn’t understand. Just like Boim, who wasn’t paying attention to Bu Sut who was busy talking. His heart was only focused on Nyit-nyit, who was sweet. Nyit-nyit, the love of his life. Oh… before they left, Boim had already warned Lupus to always be ready to take pictures of him if they happened to be close to Nyit-nyit. For the sake of friendship, Lupus agreed.
And during lunch break, around one o’clock, the atmosphere became calm and relaxed. Slowly but surely, Boim inched closer to Nyit-nyit, who was busy with her lunch. Seeing the perfect moment, Lupus immediately sprung into action. He struck a pose.
Boim approached and got closer. And just as Boim was about to start a casual conversation and offer his lunch, which was his favorite jengkol stew, something rubbery hit him right on the forehead. Boim and Nyit-nyit were startled. Ita, Utari, and Meta, who were sitting nearby, were a mix of confusion and amusement.
“Who took a picture of me?!?” Boim snapped in pain, holding his forehead. Lupus spontaneously emerged from his hiding spot and pointed his finger. Some of the kids laughed, while others were bewildered.
Immediately, Boim dragged Lupus to a secluded spot.
“Damn it, why did you take a picture of me just like that? Jealous because I can get close to Nyit-nyit?”
“Oh, you were told to do it?” Lupus said without feeling guilty.
“Told?” Boim paused for a moment. Then…
“You idiot, I told you to take a picture with a smartphone, not with a rubber band!”
Lupus struggled to hold back a smile. Boim walked away, cursing under his breath.
As it turns out, despite all the mishaps Boim had at the beginning, he managed to establish a close relationship with Nyit-nyit. Can’t believe it? Well, in the late afternoon, when Bu Sut had finished explaining about plants, Boim was seen walking together with Nyit-nyit. They were chatting and joking around, although still a bit shy. Even Lupus was surprised.
The intimacy continued when Boim and Nyit-nyit sat next to each other on the bus that took them to Jakarta. Ita, Meta, and Utari, Nyit-nyit’s close friends, grumbled because they had to change seats. They were not only annoyed with Boim (even though he had bribed them with chocolate!) but also with Nyit-nyit for easily falling for a playboy like Boim.
The worry, disappointment, and confusion were understandable. Not only Ita, Meta, Utari, Lupus, and Nyit-nyit’s other friends, but even when they left the Botanical Garden, many other people were surprised to see Boim walking with Nyit-nyit. They were mostly shocked, while shaking their heads. “What a pity for that girl…,” they said, looking at Nyit-nyit with sympathy and at Boim with hatred. Yes, many didn’t sympathize and couldn’t accept the fact that a sweet girl like Nyit-nyit could be involved with a loser like Boim.
But, when it’s meant to be, what can you do?
And unfortunately, on the night they returned from Bogor, Boim joined the kids in staying at Lupus’ house. Well, that night, Boim kept blabbering with his twisted lips, bragging about his success in winning over Nyit-nyit. The kids were clearly bored listening to him.
“Nyit-nyit, the ice queen, finally succumbed to me. Just imagine, all this time, no guy could have a friendly conversation with her. No one could sit next to her. None!” Boim said confidently.
“What are you looking for, Im?” Lupus interrupted, in the midst of his drowsiness.
Boim shrugged.
“And… this shirt that I’m wearing today, I won’t wash it for a week. I’ll keep wearing it to remind me of Nyit-nyit and the time we spent together at the Botanical Garden in Bogor,” Boim continued. “And don’t be surprised if next Saturday night, I can take her out for a movie.”
At the same time, a few kilometers away, Nyit-nyit, Ita, Meta, and Utari were also gossiping in Nyit-nyit’s room. They were giggling like ghosts.
“Well, you guys don’t need to worry. I’m still the same old Yunita. As for my kindness towards Boim earlier, well… consider it charity. Helping someone in need doesn’t hurt, right?” Nyit-nyit said with a laugh.
“Ugh, why are you so mean to guys like that?”
“Whatever. He’s always pranking us, isn’t he?”
Ita, Meta, and Utari nodded in agreement.
The next morning, Nyit-nyit, accompanied by her friends, busily gathered around the bonfire. Nyit-nyit’s shirt, which she wore yesterday afternoon with Boim, was burned to ashes. A reminder of the worst day in Nyit-nyit’s life.
Oh, if only Boim knew all of that…
