Basque : Liberation
Chapter 5; Taxes.

[Happiness.]

Ms. Dina filled the whiteboard with a word. After writing, his eyes stared at the entire class one by one warmly. He teaches psychology today.

"Many perceptions about the meaning of happiness." Said starting. "In this case, I have a personal perception of the references I have learned, and you may disagree."

[Happiness is a state of mind or feeling characterized by sufficiency to intense pleasure, love, contentment, enjoyment, or excitement.]

He was silent for a moment, giving a pause.

"Of course, the real meaning is more complex than the explanation. So I tried to tell you a little."

The students present agreed.

[There was a small fish asking the older fish.

"I'm looking for a place called the ocean." Said.

Old fish with attention answered. "You're in it, son."

"No!" The little fish interrupted. "It's water. I want the ocean!"]

"Do you understand the meaning of the story?" Ask Dina ma'am.

"That fish got lost in the ocean mom." Answer a student.

Bu Dina chuckled. Then break the silent classroom atmosphere.

"I suspect the chat happened over the dam, ma'am. Not at sea." Another saut makes things even more boisterous.

After giving her time to laugh, Ms. Dina asked again. "Is there anything else?"

Lala raised her hand. "If the sea is analogous to happiness.. "

Ms. Dina nodded, asking to continue.

"There is a difference in perception of the sea between small fish and old fish."

"Fright!"

Lala smiled after answering satisfiedly.

"Sometimes happiness is near. However, some people are not grateful for the circumstances of his life, to realize that happiness."

Melody's mind floated upon hearing that statement. He disagreed, because he had never experienced it in his entire life.

'What is the cave of less gratitude?' Tanya asked in her mind.

[If I may give you advice. Learn to appreciate the little things in order to feel the love of others. And most importantly find the 'purpose of life'.]

He stopped giving time.

[The fact is interesting, in fact humans who have a purpose in their lives will be stronger to survive, if hit by a problem.]

[Because, the greatest asset that man has is freedom of choice. Surely you yourself choose to feel sad or happy in a condition.]

DEGGS!!

Melody's heart seemed to stop for a moment because Bu Dina's statement was out of bounds. Shake up his beliefs about something, then dismantle the thoughts that have been arranged sober.

A KNOCK-KNOCK!

The knocking of the door broke the seagrass.

Keni and his friends show up with notes and a banknote in his hand.

After Ms. Dina's invitation, this afternoon, Keni withdrew the tax as Pras said during the opening ceremony. Some pay for it because they don't want to get into trouble. And those who refuse to pay. Slowly they began to understand what the situation of this school was like. Melody was one of the students who refused to pay her.

But Keni passed through without forcing. Her footsteps halted behind Lala and began to whisper. "Your photo is still in the cave's hape."

Lala was stunned, and did not understand what to answer. He didn't want anyone else to notice his photo.

"I hope this class doesn't have any problems." And then again whispering.

Lala understood the circumstances that had befallen her. The fact that Keni is blackmailing him. He is cornered, and forced to obey Keni's will, because he does not want anything worse to happen because of the photo.

Then, Keni thanked for the taxes that had been paid. His style of saying it didn't quite match up with that annoying girly of himself. He said he would try to keep the school safe.

Which of course is bullshit, from the mouth of a bully.

Unbeknownst to Melody, outside of class Lala meets Keni to pay unpaid taxes to her classmates including Melody. He felt a little angry, but could not do anything.

Of course, because he can't be honest with Melody, or not follow Alvin's advice is the whereabouts of the photo.

Although Lala realized one thing was certain, sooner or later something worse was going to happen. What he is doing now is delaying the catastrophe.

***

Golden Eagle Headquarters, Jakarta.

Hansel is flipping the barbeque.

After collecting taxes, of course the organization can organize a small party. With a claw, he put the raw meat back on the grill. After a while, the blackened meat wrapped in blackpapper seasoning was served on the plate.

"High has it all, Boss." Said one of his members. "Let the cave be finished."

"Don't disturb the cave if it's cooking!" Answer Han ketus.

Hearing this, the members left.

Han doesn't like to do half things. At least, in terms of cooking that he really likes. If his cooking was problematic, he would be disappointed. Therefore, Han wanted to solve it himself. Shortly after, Han approached his friends who had gathered at the rooftop.

Abandoned buildings quite a lot in Jakarta, now they are in one of them.

Han sat on a wooden pallet that had been done until it could be occupied. Next to Fara.

"Lu's late Han." Voice from the end. He sat down while leaning. Only a silhouette was visible behind the shadows.

[Chairman of organization.]

"Yes, the cave has to finish the job downstairs first, boss." Firmly Han explained the situation.

He sighed. "All the data?"

"Alex can't be connected, Boss. I don't know where, he hasn't looked at this malem." Answer Fara.

"Just been raised by the higher-ups has been arbitrarily up the boy." Keni said grumbling.

"We have to start without him." Celtuk Pras.

"Cave chips want to hear what happened to you last afternoon." Tell the chairman to start the meeting.

The Golden Eagle's higher-ups gathered tonight, circling the burning bonfire inside a canned drum. At the very least, only Alex was confirmed absent.

"Last noon the cave lurked the Manggarai Station area. We're spreading out in every corner of the place." Han started to explain. "Continue the clay cave, Red Murai students again harassed other school students there. After the cave photos, the cave approached them to break up."

"Why do you interfere?" Sela Keni's. "You know what, your actions could trigger another war?"

Silent.

"Before that cave has met, Gigih. One of the cave acquaintances. He's a Red Murai official. That way, he knew the cave again investigated something. And also, Gigih did not mind if there is evidence of Red Murai screwing other schools including Golden Eagle."

Keni pondered in annoyance.

"Next that station, Han." Pinta Pras's.

"The power's getting clearer, boss. That the killer was a student of the Red Murai." Tukas Fara commented. "Gua is also horrified, they often bully other schools."

"Oknum schoolgirl." Respiratory Chairman. "Don't all be equal."

Fara nodded in agreement. "Yes, boss, I mean that cave."

"It's becoming clear, we have to either expose the killer, or he could trigger a bigger war."

Rengga looked at it for a moment. He was also one of the people who knew the severity of the war. In his eyes, war was one of the many bad things that had ever happened in his life. His hands clenched violently as if he wanted to beat up someone.

***

4 months ago.

"Udah said you have to go to a private school of papa's choice!"

"I want to enter the Golden Eagle, pah." Alvin's Refutation.

Alvin's father was a big business owner. He educated his son to continue the business he had been working for so far. Working for someone else is a form of unfreedom and a symbol of someone far from success. For him, working after what he likes is a stupid act.

"You've been horrified once in a while, Alvin. Same with parents." Her mother said soothingly. "All for your future."

"When have I ever refused Papa-Mama's will? I studied morning, afternoon, and afternoon to get good grades to satisfy your ego, right?"

Alvin was a child with parents who had high expectations. Because maintaining dignity is harder than pursuing it. By providing him in the best private school, of course his parents are calmer than the gossip of neighbors and relatives.

"Now you dare to fight!" Snapped his father furious.

"Alvin can't say that to his parents."

"I've been small all this time until now have followed Papa-Mama's will, so I beg you to price my choice for now."

That horrified Alvin's father couldn't accept. In his eyes this child had grown into a rebel. "Do you want to go to school there? You're gonna mix up the villagers who're gonna poison your brain for the worse."

"Don't underestimate my basketball!"

"You want it, don't go back to this house!"

"Fuck!" My mother tried to calm me down. "Alvin mama please obey your father."

"Cum, mah. For now I want to make my own life choice." Say it with certainty. "I'll go if that's what you want."

"Get out! Be a bum who scavenges rice and works for someone else!"

"You may choose me not to be born of parents like you!"

Silent.

"Alvin wouldn't go back home no matter what. Inget it." Further.

Alvin went to the room. Door slamming. Tidying up everything he needed, then going after freedom.

***

Nowow.

A white shirt pushed a trolley containing food on the top shelf and drinks on the bottom shelf. A white napkin hung beside him.

At night, the city of Jakarta is busy with their respective interests, as well as Alvin. Because the taxes levied at the school require him to seek additional income, also look for his own living expenses because his parents will not bear it anymore.

He pushed the bell button. Then attach an access card to deliver food dishes to one of the rooms.

Not much interaction, because sometimes visitors prefer that. Alvin chose not to bother him.

He simply put the dishes on the dinner table, then hurried away. Pushing the trolley back downstairs.

Open elevator.

In front of him was already a visitor who had just arrived, as well as a senior who was both wearing white shirts.

"Alvin, coincidence." Senior Alvin. "Towards this father upwards. Show me where the room is."

The father greeted me with a smile. "Please help.."

Alvin sighed. Obviously, his senior did not want to get tired of delivering this father. Hierarchy at work forces him to obey senior orders. He realized that working for others was difficult, but he was determined to have chosen this path.

"Go here sir please." He pointed into the elevator.

His senior gave the visitors luggage in the form of a very heavy suitcase, exchanging with Alvin who gave food trolleys.

"Later the cave back to the kitchen. Thanks to ya."

Closed elevator. Alvin confirmed the room number on the access card. Then push the floor button where the room is located.

Alvin chose to be cast out of heaven for freedom, grateful for all the pain that continues to hit him on earth. Doing what he thought was impossible to change.

Destinies.

***

Basakara almost finished his part-time job, he worked only a few days a week, there were times when he was also off. As a coffee shop barista the most annoying thing is the closing activity at night. Because He had to wash all the tools, make sure they were kept safe, and calculate the stock and income of the day.

Although it's actually nice to do this job. You can interact with many people in one day.

It doesn't change the fact that routines are boring.

He had to take care of the intricacies of this store, due to the departure of his uncle for a few weeks.

"Fill this vanilla syrup out of the malem. Orders two days ago time has not been sampe."

He raved while calculating the remaining stock of materials. His eyes turned quickly towards the warehouse making sure the stock of materials for tomorrow were available safely.

"What is tomorrow buy to the store directly yes. Vanilla taste good enough to do with it."

Baskara was already tired of wanting to end the day's work. Sometimes tired approaching when bored, and spirit can come when the body has reached its limit.

Sat set sat set.

It's time to go home, he checks the phone before he leaves. Make sure nothing is missed. But what he found was something else.

[Unanswered call from Wijaya.]

[Wijaya shares current location.]

Baskara realized the location of Wijaya is still near here.

It was on his hape screen.

The clock is 21:46

He was astonished for a while. Usually Wijaya only chat through chat missed how important it is. This time Wijaya called. He knew exactly what his friend was like.

Worried something happened to his friend. He immediately rushed.

Luckily his job was done. Baskara wore a hodie jacket, then grabbed her sling bag along with the helmet.

After the tavern lights were turned off. He turned on his classic motorbike. Reveal it once.

BRUMMM

The motor splits the night road.