I Don'T Want To Be Cinderella #1
45. Mood Booster

Mood Booster

“Hahaha.”

“Stop laughing, you really got me in trouble.”

“Hey, when else can I tease him like this, usually he who always makes me fire a beard,” said Candra while sipping espresso.

We are currently in one of the cafes located in the outdoor mall area.

“He made you fire a beard?”

“Iya.” He shook his head. “Ser often.”

“Hahaha.” Now it's my turn to laugh, make him cluck while again sipping espresso.

“So what do you think? Is there any chance of us breaking through the eastern area with E-Word?”

Now it's my turn to sip ice frappuccino. “Difficult,” I replied honestly. “Branding it has a very strong influence and Haryanto already has it. Names that have been built for years certainly have their own place in most customers. A new kid like us would be grateful if he could survive here.” Candra nodded in agreement. “But nothing is impossible right?”

Candra looked at me and smiled. “Therefore I entrust this to you. Do you know how strong Raka is holding you back until Big Boss finally has to give you a hand?”

“Raka know that you will pull me in E-Word?”

“Of course, do you think I would pull you out without her permission?”

“Waaaah!” I sipped a frappuccino and chewed the ice cubes roughly.

“Did I just leak a secret?”

“Yap.”

“Ups!”

I stared at Candra who seemed to have no regrets at all for leaking her brother's secret.

“Simply that day he gave me permission very easily, it turns out he already knew it from the beginning .. ckkk.”

Candra smiled at me who was upset. How not to get upset, considering how scared that day was when I was about to ask her permission.

“Why didn't he tell me, so I don't have to think how to tell him.”

Candra looked at me.

“Because he's afraid you'll think he's the one who set it all up. Though this was all pure my idea.” Candra was silent for a moment while looking at me. “From the first time I met you, I felt that we were one frequency in business. Normally I would be very hard to find a person who has the same thoughts as me.”

“Some times I thought to attract you, but considering that you seem to really enjoy working at the hotel I was hesitant until finally at dinner at Menteng's house, Mamah alluded to you rejecting the position of financial manager because you think that it is not your field. That's when I re-thought of pulling you here.”

Candra sipped her espresso before returning to say, “But Raka had refused for various reasons, one of which was because she was worried about your safety, that's why I offer he can join set whatever your needs here just to make him feel calm if you will be okay here.”

“By locking me up in this building.”

“Hahaha .. it's because he's very affectionate and afraid of something happening to you, what's more a long distance so he can't do anything if something happens to you. That will make him dissolve in regret as well as guilt.”

What Candra said was true that until something happened to me Caraka would feel guilty.

“What's more after yesterday's incident, so you have to understand that he became a little possessive when it comes to you.”

“You ... know about yesterday's incident?”

Candra. “You think with whom Raka destroyed that bastard's car?”

I widened my eyes.

“Aaah, the day was very pleasant.” Candra smiled slanted while leaning back and holding hands. “You should come and see what we did to the contents of the garage of that bastard.”

“We all?”

“Iya, in addition to me and Raka, some of his friends also took part in destroying Ferdi Izam's self-esteem. You know Gara and Abi? They are part of it too.”

I widened my eyes in disbelief when I heard that Sagara and Abiseka were in trouble yesterday.

I nodded in agreement.

“So is the opposite, women should appreciate and respect men, because their father is a man.”

“Hahaha .. essentially we should respect and respect each other.”

“Betul!”

“Hahaha .. agree.”

I just realized that Candra wasn't as quiet as I thought she was, she was fun enough to be a conversation partner. Its nature is almost the same as Caraka, but still a little more silent, I just a little difficult to invite him to chat at the beginning of the meeting. I tried to find chat material from gossip artists, the latest Korean drama to online games that are often played by Oka, but none of them succeeded.

The only thing that got us talking for the first time was about business. As we now talk about work again until someone calls him and says that the meeting with all stores and product managers of MHG retail Surabaya branch will begin soon. He invited me to join, but I gladly refused him. My head has been dizzy thinking about work lately, I want to go home early and go to bed, I want to go home early, but first I'll call home to ask how they are doing.

“Assalamualaikum, Mah.”

“Wa’alaikum greetings, Teteh still in the office? Don't go home at night, stay up, every weekday until night”

I laughed at Mamah's call, not used to it yet. When I asked ko’ to call Teteh? Mamah said, “Kan is now serious with Akang, so the call is replaced by Teteh so that matching.” Basic Bu Mega.

“Iya, Mah, this is again ready to go to the top.”

“Teh box! Eh This round tea is rich know not box.”

Oka the trouble maker followed the nongol on the phone screen makes me cluck.

“Some are missing nih.”

“Iiih, why do I miss the same lo, Kak.”

“Call Him Teteh!”

I laughed to see Oka grimacing because her arm was hit by Mamah.

“Iya-iya, Teteh.”

“Where, Tea, the work is smooth right?”

“Alhamdulillah smoothly, Mah.”

“Do not eat late, not a month already skinny so.”

“Kurus from where the hell, Mah? Round people are spelled out skinny.”

“Waaah, really ask for a monthly ration cut nih.”

“Aduuuh, Tea, eat the right dong, Tea, it see until his cheeks are tapered.”

“Hahaha .. late!”

Talking to Mamah and Oka always managed to restore my mood, they were both my mood busters when I felt tired even when I was about to give up, I remembered them. Although great without a father, but Mamah always tried her hardest so that we do not lack affection as well as material, that's why I and Oka can grow as they are now.

Mamah who had previously worked slamming bones alone for the sake of the three of us is now not as young as before, her body is not as strong as it used to be. And now it's time for me to replace Mamah in charge of making a living for the three of us, trying our hardest so that they don't lack anything, like Mamah who has tried her hardest so that I and Oka do not lack anything even though we live in simplicity.

And now my reason for moving forward, not giving up one more is the person who has also been my mood buster lately, also the one who at all times made sure I was okay even though the distance separated us, the one who every night said that he misses and loves me, the one who has broken my principles about a relationship.

To be honest, there is still one secret that until now I have not told him. A secret that I have deeply hidden, a secret that belongs to me. I don't know if it's important, but it's definitely just my past. The past that makes me realistic in finding a partner, the past that makes me dislike princes, the past that makes me think the story of Cinderella only exists in fairyland.

And the past is now standing before me, looking at me with a look of disbelief.so do I, after many years of not seeing each other, we are reunited in a city that is foreign to both of us.

“Nana?”

I usually like it when Caraka calls me that, but when that name comes out of the man's mouth I still stare unblinkingly. I feel sick.

“How are you?” He asked with a still incredulous look.

“Good,” I answered briefly, trying to look mediocre. “Excuse.” I quickly left him, who was still staring at me.

If you think I did it because I still like it. Not because I liked him, but because of the pain of humiliation received from him and his family again burst to the surface after trying to bury me tightly all this time.

*****