KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
The door to Lupus’ room is knocked from the outside.
Uh, who doesn’t have any sense of decency? Knocking on someone’s door in the early morning like this?
Knock-knock-knock, “Pus…, Pus. Wake up!”
“Lupus is still sleeping!” a voice from inside responds.
“Wait – how can you talk?”
“Oh, that’s a habit from when we were kids. Lupus always sleep-talks like that.”
“Just come in. It’s not locked. Just remember to leave later, okay? Don’t forget to close the door.”
Boim enters. He smiles amusedly at Lupus, who is still hiding under the thick blanket. Yeah, the air is really cold this morning. It rained all night, making this morning so chilly. Perfect for sleeping. But that can’t be. Mornings shouldn’t be filled with sleep. Morning is when we wake up. Open our eyes with a bright face and hurry to our tasks. Even if our eyes feel heavy, even if the blanket holds us tight. Once in a lifetime, as the great writer Pramoedya said, a person must make a decision. If not, they will never become anything.
Sometimes, we have to dare to defy the situations that pamper us. So that we don’t fall asleep.
Morning is the perfect time to do something. When the air is still fresh, when the mind is clear, when all problems dissolve in the previous night’s sleep.
So, wake up, Pus.
Boim opens the window. Letting the cool air in. Letting the scent of wet soil waft in, listening to the chirping of birds chasing each other. “Pus, wake up. The guys are waiting outside. They said you wanted to work? They said you wanted to paint the school?”
“Yeah…, yeah. I’m up,” Lupus says as he slowly gets up. He stretches his arms forward. His eyes still closed. In a drowsy manner, he walks slowly to the bathroom.
When he reaches the bathroom, his goofiness kicks in again. He shouts loudly, “Lulu! Did you forget to water the bomb you planted?!”
Lulu, who is hanging out with her friends, gets embarrassed.
Damn it! It wasn’t me. It was Boim’s doing!”
Boim looks confused. Wait, why am I the one getting blamed?
Boim always ends up being the scapegoat. Not because Boim looks like a goat. Hey, don’t insult goats, okay? There’s no goat as black as Boim. But Boim always gets the short end of the stick. I don’t know why, maybe some people are destined to have bad luck their whole lives. But now, in this morning, Boim has done something noble. Waking up Lupus, leaving behind sleep in the early morning. Trying to defy the world that lulls us to sleep.
With cans of paint, brushes, and other tools in hand to paint the school, Boim, Gusur, Anto, Lupus, Meta, Ita, Fifi, and… oh, here’s what gets Boim excited. Turns out Nyit-Nyit, as big as a turmeric, is also joining the group of kids heading to school.
Snap-snap-snap-one-two-three! With high spirits, those sweet kids walk towards the school. Having fun playing pretend trains, with Gusur as the locomotive. Because his body anatomy really looks like a locomotive.
Actually, the school is on break. But the principal agreed to Anto’s suggestion that the kids repaint the school.
“Is it expensive?” the principal asked when approached.
“How much is it usually?” the kids asked.
“Well, if we hire someone, it would cost about four thousand per person per day.”
“Alright, then let’s charge ourselves eight thousand!”
“Wait, why is it more expensive?”
But even though it turns out the kids will do more work, and that means it will cost more, the principal finally agrees. It’s not about profit or loss here, but the principal is impressed by the noble intention of the kids. Which is to learn how to work. While other kids are enjoying their vacation, they are working.
“They definitely deserve to be rewarded,” the principal said during the teacher’s meeting.
Repainting SMA Merah Putih (Red and White High School) turns out to not be so difficult. Not as difficult as dyeing Boim’s curly hair pink. Because it only needs two colors. Red on top, white on the bottom. That’s why it’s called SMA Merah Putih. The students’ uniforms there were initially supposed to be red and white. But because the students complained that they were often mistaken for elementary school kids, it was changed to red tops and white bottoms. Boim strongly protested that too. Because his dark skin didn’t go well with the red shirt. Doesn’t fit each other. So, the principal gave up and changed the uniform to light gray.
Oh, by the way, the painting of the school starts from the principal’s office. The first two hours were marked by Gusur getting covered in paint. It happened because he was busy sneaking glances at Fifi Alone, who was wearing shorts. He didn’t realize that he bumped into the ladder Lupus was using to paint. As a result, the bucket Lupus was holding fell and landed on Gusur’s head.
Boim, busy scrubbing the walls to clean off the dirt and faded paint, burst into laughter.
The problem wasn’t with Gusur’s wandering eyes. It was with Fifi Alone, wearing Bali tourist-style shorts and a shirt that said “you can see my armpits.”
The next few hours were marked by the arrival of the Indonesian language teacher and the principal, who came to inspect the kids’ work. Luckily, things were looking somewhat tidy by then. At least, there were no more paint spills. The principal’s office was almost spotless. Shiny and clean. The principal even wondered if it was his office or Boim’s motorcycle workshop. Hihihi…
But no, the office was really clean now. The glass windows sparkled from the paint splatters. Boim, who usually had a hard time even taking a bath, suddenly became half-dead diligent. Meta and Ita couldn’t help but giggle at Boim’s change in attitude.
The other kids were the same. Who else could be the cause if not the sweet Nyit-Nyit? Boim must be trying to impress Nyit-Nyit. To be called diligent, right? To make Nyit-Nyit have a crush, right? Hihihi…
“Oops, sorry!” Nyit-Nyit smirked.
The kids were really mean. They never gave Boim a chance to make a move. Every time Boim got closer to Nyit-Nyit, the sneaky kids, who were secretly watching, would loudly imitate the sound of a bus conductor, “All aboard! All aboard! Depart!!”
Leaving Boim blushing with embarrassment.
But Nyit-Nyit didn’t care. They always avoided Boim. Boim felt sad. “Ah, forget it, Im. Consider that failure as not a success,” Lupus advised.
Boim pouted. Instead of helping, Lupus made fun of him.
Meanwhile, the other kids, who were mostly covered in paint, received praise from the principal.
“Let’s take a break. We’ll have lunch in the cafeteria next door,” the principal said.
“Hooray…, it’s on you, right, Sir?” the kids shouted.
The principal was taken aback. “Oh, don’t accuse me!”
As evening approached, two classrooms were already finished. The kids started getting ready to go home. Their bodies were completely unrecognizable. Covered in paint stains. Fifi regretted it so much because her tank top was bought in Singapore. It would be a shame if it got stained with paint.
“If you don’t like it, just give me your shirt, Fi. I’ll proudly display it in my room as a memento,” Gusur said.
Fifi glared. Then what would she wear home? Should she go naked?
Gusur smirked mischievously. His dirty mind never disappeared.
The kids laughed and giggled while they cleaned up the paint supplies for tomorrow. Everything was neatly stored in the warehouse.
While the cool but nagging Indonesian language teacher went back to inspect the finished classroom, everything looked clean, like a brand new building. There was a sense of pride in her heart. That those naughty kids could also behave sweetly. That her nagging all this time about cleanliness, manners, and diligence didn’t go to waste.
That… oh!
That’s how you should educate kids. Teach them how to work. Instill a love for work in them. Wake them up. Don’t let them get complacent in the current situation. Pamper them.
The teacher continued to smile to herself. Nodding her head as she walked around the classroom. There was a sense of fatigue that made her sit at the edge of a student’s desk. Just to rest. But… oh! What’s this sticky thing on her skirt? The teacher quickly stood up and checked her new skirt. Oh my goodness! Chewing gum!
“Lupus!!!” the teacher scolded loudly.
Lupus, who happened to be passing by the door on his way home, was startled. Even more startled when he found out that the Indonesian language teacher got her skirt stuck with chewing gum again.
“Oh, Teacher! It’s your fault! Why did you sit on the desk? The desk is not a seat. Next time, be careful, Teacher…”
The teacher glared.
Lupus slammed the door in frustration. Uh, what a tiring and annoying day! Because for the second time, the Indonesian language teacher got her skirt stuck with chewing gum. Lupus received a stern warning from the principal. No chewing gum allowed in the school premises! Uh, even though it was clear that it was the teacher’s fault. She knew that the desk is for writing, but she still sat on it. Clearly her own fault.
Lupus actually learned his lesson. Since being warned not to stick chewing gum residue on the desk, he never did it again. But he didn’t understand at all why he was reprimanded again.
“Pus, what’s wrong? Why do you look so grumpy?” Lulu asked.
Lupus didn’t respond. He casually opened the food cover, looking for something to eat. He was really hungry. “Where did the teacher go, Lu? Why is there no food at all?”
“The teacher left in the morning. I cooked. There’s spaghetti that I made specifically for you in the dining cabinet.”
“Spaghetti?” Lupus immediately rushed to open the cabinet. Looking for spaghetti. Oh, it’s just instant noodles. Angrily, he took the instant noodles made by Lulu. So hungry. Lulu just giggled on the couch while reading Lucky Luke.
A few moments later, he was startled by Lupus suddenly coughing. Cough-cough-cough! His face turned red, and he grabbed his neck with both hands.
“Pus! Pus! Dude, what’s up?” Lulu exclaimed in a panic. She tossed her Lucky Luke comic aside. “What’s wrong, Pus?”
Lupus didn’t answer. He was still busy coughing his lungs out.
Lulu quickly counted the spoons on the table. Oh no, she thought, what if Lupus swallowed a spoon? Oh man! It’s not like she was scared that Lupus would pass out and there would be no one at home to rush him to the hospital. The problem was, there were only three spoons left in the house. If Lupus swallowed one, there would be hardly any left… hehehe.
