my 1st night-trip to puncak

It was 11 p.m, and the weather was cold. Car’s light struck my eyes many times, while the windy rain struck my face. But we both kept rolling on our motorcycle, my friend Ucok, the security boy in my office, and I.

“See what I tell u? we should turn left on the latest counterpart we passed, but I'm not sure whether...” he mumbled.

The wind brought his dragon-like breathe to my nose. It was Anker. He took two gulps of it tonight, while waiting for the tyre of the motorcyles being repaired. He was brave that night to join a group of drunk Batak people in a bamboo hut accros the street, somewhere in rural-urban area of Bogor.

When he joined their group and singing Batak song in chorus, suddenly I remember a flock of wolf which cries out to the moon. There was desperate tune and hidden homesick beneath their smelly breathe.

“Don’t you think we lost? I said I don’t know the route to Puncak. I believe my step-father is cursing me now for taking u to Puncak. Will u pay me a girl, Bro? Puncak has many sexy bitch with a big boop and ass. When we...”

Ucok kept talking like a detuned radio.

But I didn’t respond him. All I wanted was kept moving to Cipanas, and got there as soon as possible.

We spent two hour already on the road. My body was tired and my head was spin, not because of his talk, or the disgusting road. It was the cancellation of Kang Agus’ participation to this holiday did annoy me.

Nevertheless, I had made a promise to Mas Andreas and Imam to come and join Pantau’s holiday. I had to keep it, or at least died while trying to realize my words. Any words I made.

And yes, it made me mad when Kang Agus shrink my dignity with his—in my opinion—blind attack (he, then, put this word to me, turning the situation) for contravening the deadline of Kraton Jogja translation’s editing process.

I detest most to this kind of act. And I didn’t give a damn shit, whoever did it! Someone who wanted everybody to follow and obey him, while he didn’t make the rule, the sign, unless a one-side-judge, got to have a lesson. They have to feel how bad is it to be treated that way!

And I’m darn good to do this, and succeeded.

Nevertheless, if Kang Agus was there, I just want him to tell me why he treated me that way. I hate to be treated this way, hurted, and needed to understand why, in order to forgive him.

And he didn’t presence in this activity. I hated it.

Around 2 o’clock in the morning, we arrived to Cipanas. It was cold calm place. We had jokes, dinner, taking pictures, breakfast, etc. in the villa.

But what I enjoyed most was not that. It was when Ucok and I raced to finish the burnt jagung, in a warung somewhere in the midlle of that midnight trip to Puncak. He won the race, and then we talked about our dreams, what we missed in life, and silently watched the Jakarta’s lamps miles away from that mountainous region.

At that moment, I remembered everything I had in life. Some are gone, but many other comes. But I shall not stop, cause a long trip out there is waiting to take. There’s no way back, just like the trip I was taking that night.

“Shall we go now, Bro?” Ucok asked when we’re about to leave the place.

“Yup!”

“And will you pay me for a bitch? Please...” he started to beg like a child asking for a doll.

“Damn U,” I said.

He laughed, and get to the motorcycle.

The next morning we arrived to Jakarta. In my boarding room I remembered the advise of my beautiful friend, responding my dispute against Kang Agus. What she wrote felt so right, so true, and so shady.

Therefore, when I collapsed on my bed of my exhaustion, I sent a message to Kang Agus, appologizing for having a “war” against him, for not behaving to him, and for being unprofessional.

All I knew at the very moment was that the translation project must be done. And I could imagine how painful it is to read and edit the writing of the man I hate. I didn’t want him to feel that kind of feeling so bad, that made the job ruined.

The job is much more important than our disagreement. We could “battle” another day, but the job couldn’t.

I realize that I was wrong to Kang Agus, and already appologize for that. But, however, I’m not appologizing for my argument. I do still keep my opinion and my attitude, which is against his view.

I’m keeping it as my truth since he couldn’t replace it with a better one, yet.