Chapter 4: NEW RESIDENT

"Hello, Assalamualaikum, Mom!" said Brian.

'Wa'alaikumsalam, Brian, have you arrived at your apartment, son?'

"It's been a while, Mom. It's already been sorted out. I also just finished bathing!" Brian replied again.

'Yes, well, just take a break, okay! I'm still at the practice, there are many patients. I will hang up the phone first, honey, Assalamualaikum!'

"Yes, Mom… Wa'alaikumsalam!" answered Brian who seemed to be breathing freely. Giving the news to the mother is the main task that has now been completed.

Brian tossed his cell phone slowly and then moved slowly tossing his body on the same bed.

"Ah! It's so comfortable, it makes me sleepy!" mumbled Brian happy because it was so comfortable.

Looking up at the ceiling, Brian's eyes slowly waved and then closed with certainty.

A few moments closed, Brian's comfortable sleep began to be disturbed. He felt a slightly disturbing movement that made him awake. But Brian's eyes can't open yet as if they still want to glue the taste.

The end of the towel that was tightly wrapped around his waist seemed to move and began to rub as if it wanted to loosen the hook of the end of the towel that was tucked in earlier. And sure enough, the link was loosened.

The cold air of the fan in the room felt colder on Brian's lower body.

'What the hell, this? How come my little thing feels so cool?' muttered Brian in his heart and was surprised.

Brian felt the wind on his lower body getting colder along with the towel that seemed to be moving more freely.

'Something's not right, huh?' he thought suspiciously, 'Oh my gosh, I haven't worn underwear yet, have I?' continued Brian in surprise and suddenly opened his eyes instantly.

"Arghhh!!!" Abhimanyu spontaneously shouted in surprise when he saw the towel wrapped around his waist had been opened and showed his love-bird which stood upright, typical of a man waking up.

Brian quickly covered his proud object while making sure that no one was in his room except himself.

"Who opened my towel earlier?!" Brian shouted to no one because there was only himself in the room.

The aura of the room turned strange. Goosebumps came over Brian and made the fine hairs on his body start to stand up.

"There's no one, right? So, who opened the towel earlier?" muttered Brian talking alone. And soon, he returned to remember the message his mother always told him.

'Brian, don't sleep in the afternoon, okay? Never forget, Son!'

"I'm so stupid, huh? Mommy has told me so many times, though!" Brian grumbled annoyed to himself, "I'll just go straight to the mosque, okay! It's already sunset too!" he continued muttering to himself.

After preparing neatly, Brian's feet stepped down the road that had been passed when he headed to his apartment room. Brian tried to remember again, which way is right. He walked slowly, looking left and right, making sure that the direction was indeed correct.

Brian's smile widened when he saw the security post he had visited this afternoon.

"Bro Ferry!" Brian greeted Fery, the security guard who had brought him upstairs.

"Bro Brian! Do you want to go to the mosque?" Fery asked in a friendly manner and immediately thought that Brian was going to the mosque, seeing the appearance of Brian who was already wearing a sarong and a cap on his head.

"Just call Brian, please, Bro! I don't like being called 'Brother' too!" Brian grumbled and immediately agreed by Fery while laughing casually, "Bro, which way to the mosque? I haven't had time to go around before, hehe…"

"Oh, that's easy! From here to the right there is a path, right? Just keep going and if there is a four-way intersection, take the left. That's the road to the parking lot behind the mosque, Brian. If you pass by the front, it will be very far!" explained Fery to Brian.

"Yes. Thank you, Bro! I'll go first!" Brian replied and started walking.

Brian followed the directions given by Fery. On the road to the mosque, Brian walked leisurely when he arrived at the parking lot behind the mosque.

Maghrib prayer time arrived. Brian was lined up in neatly arranged rows, along with men of varying ages. While behind him formed a row of children who were bustling with all their stories.

"Allahu Akbar," Brian said Takbir, acknowledging the greatness of Allah, the Greatest. Brian worshiped solemnly until the end and shook hands with the other congregants.

Brian saw there the children were sitting in a circle with the Qur'an in front of them.

It was so beautiful that every chant of the holy verses was heard to the point that it made Brian lazy to move from there.

"Just wait for Isya's time, okay! It's a responsibility to go back home," he muttered with a smile as he watched the children recite the Al-Quran together.

Time passes quickly. The children who were reciting the Al-Quran dispersed their ranks when the sound of the Isya call to prayer resounded.

Brian returned to pray until it was finished. Brian felt a sense of relief and peace when he fulfilled his obligations as a Muslim.

Brian stepped out of the mosque and returned to the road earlier.

Before arriving at the area where he lived, he saw a Cilok seller who lived on the side of the road.

"Hmm, there's Cilok seller! Make me hungry, huh! I brought small money or not, huh?" mumbled Brian as he reached into his trouser pocket and found ten thousand rupiahs in there, "If I get caught eating any kind of snacks like this, I'll be scolded by mom, right! Hahaha!" Brian mumbled with a chuckle as he approached the cilok cart which had not yet come close, but he could already smell its distinctive aroma.

"Bro, the cilok is ten thousand, okay?" asked Brian while looking at the source of the aroma that made his stomach growl.

"Yes, you can, Bro! Wait a minute, I made your order first!" replied cilok seller who looked young.

"Which person yourself, Bro? How come I just saw today?" asked cilok seller.

"I just came from Jakarta, Bro. Now stay there!" Brian pointed at the building not far from them at this time.

"Oh, there, it's really good then, Bro. From up there, you can see the beautiful scenery around it, you know!" Cilok seller praised, he seems happy, "What floor room do you have? The higher the better the view, you know! People say, anyway… If I never, hahaha!" he continued laughing.

"Fourth floor, Bro. Number 42," said Brian without hesitation.

"Oh, great!" replied Cilok seller for a moment, nodding. But after that, "What! Bro?!" Cilok seller was immediately shocked and stopped his activities in wrapping Brian's cilok and instead turned to him.

Cilok seller's expression was the same as what Brian got from the building security and the administration madam this afternoon.

'What's going on? I'm so curious!' muttered Brian surprised in his heart.

"Why, Bro? Something's wrong, huh?" asked Brian directly.

"Uh, no why! Nothing! Your cilok it's done, Bro!" replied Cilok seller who was starting to look a little pale.

Brian handed over the ten thousand rupiahs to exchange for a pack of cilok.

"Thank you, Bro! Come by here often, okay. So we can meet and talk often!" said Cilok seller to Brian.

"You welcome, Bro. I will often have snacks with you later, okay! I'm going home first." Brian says goodbye is friendly to Cilok seller.

"Hmm, finally in my room..." Brian's words hung for a moment, "I can say this room is comfortable, but somehow I feel something strange here. But what, huh?" Brian continued his mumbling as he closed the door to his apartment.

"It's really good. Mmm, yummy!" Brian complimented the packet of cilok in his hand when he just tasted the food made of flour, "It's really good when I watch tv!" he continued while watching television on the comfortable sofa there.

While munching on delicious snacks, Brian occasionally laughs when famous comedians and their gangs churn Brian's stomach with their jokes.

Brian's laughter echoed throughout the room. His laughter was so loose that Brian ignored the uncomfortable air around him at the moment.

Even though he feels that way, Brian prefers to be indifferent so that his mind doesn't focus on mystical things that he has already felt.

Clank

And sure enough, the sound of the melamine cup that Brian had just worn fell without him touching it, and it made Brian stop laughing out loud earlier.

"Okay, one time!" said Brian who was already convinced by the uncomfortable air that he had worked hard to get rid of and didn't want to think about.

Trying not to care about this, Brian looked back at the broadcast that made him laugh earlier. What for? Of course to take his mind off the sound of the cup falling and ruining her fun earlier.

"Buahahaha!" Brian burst out laughing again while continuing to chew his snacks and again making the room echo with his voice.

Clank!

He heard the sound of a cup being thrown again, even though he had not picked up the cup that had fallen earlier.

"Twice!" Brian closed his eyes as he muttered in a loud voice. And again, no response whatsoever.

'What do you want, anyway? I already feel bad because of the strange weather here, but since I can't see you guys, I choose to pretend I don't know!'

'But now, that's how you play, huh? Starting to be nosy when I'm starting comfortably here. Are you ghosts or teaser?'

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Knisa

Sarong is a cloth that is often worn by Muslim men and women for prayer, which covers the waist until it hangs down/legs.

Al-Quran is the holy book of Muslims.

Cilok is a typical Sundanese food shaped like meatballs made from tapioca with additional complementary spices such as peanut sauce and chili sauce. They are round in shape and sometimes filled with stuffing such as meat or egg pieces inside

comment 2 comment

Vote

SEND GIFT

Load failed, please RETRY