5 | Red Books

CERTAJAVA and Wigan were divided by a 3-meter wide creek. Just like in other villages, a lot of garbage floated there. For example, food wrappers, sanitary napkins, and even helmets. Neighborhood children were also like to defecate at that creek. I lived just across the creek.

Then, I saw the children playing. Near them, there was a puddle that starts to recede at the edge of the river. With their snot dangling, they cheerfully played partially naked under the umbrella of the cherry tree. Indeed, the night before, the rain fell heavily. But then, it was the sun that does not want to lose to show off its power.

While running the shop, I distracted myself by playing the guitar. I chose the song 'When I See You Smile' by Bad English. Of course, while imagining how Aisha blushed, Kacey laughed, and Julia took a shower. How else, their smiles stick to my memory. 'When I see you smile, I can face the world'. Looks like I just got stuck by a charm?

"Hello," there was a child's voice.

Apparently, Bella. A four-year-old girl from a neighbor. The little girl came alone without his parents accompanying her. The children at Certajava have been taught to be independent since childhood. Two years from now, Bella would be able to earn her own money at the Certajava - Dharma Hoover intersection.

At first, Bella might be provided with a small piece of wood, with any bottle caps nailed down. And then, she would sing while pounding her small wood in front of the drivers. Great, right? With such simple tools, even small children could gain money by themselves.

"Hey, sweetheart?" I asked. "What do you need?"

"Wafer," she replied, handing over a thousand rupiahs coin.

"Where's your Mom?"

"Washing clothes."

I gave her two packs of crispy sticks and handed her two candies as a bonus. Bella grabbed it and immediately ran away. But unfortunately, she was caught.

“Hey! Hey! Say what, sweetie?” asked the catcher.

"Thank you," answered Bella.

The catcher of the little girl was none other than my only sister. She had just come out of the house. This meant change shifts to keep the shop open.

My sister was familiarly called Jenny or just Jen. As I said before, she just college at Clofus.

This one sister of mine was also rocked n roll in a figurative sense. As a girl, Jenny was not feminine. On the contrary, she was very active. If Jenny was in silent mode, it means that she is busy reading manga or watching anime.

In the afternoon, drinking coffee at Brother Laymich's coffee stall while imagining Julia doing fitness seemed to be fun. With only a sports bra and leggings, Julia was sweating from practicing push-ups. Just imagining it, I had already auto-exercise.

"If mom asks, I'm at Brother Laymich," I told my sister.

"Hai'!" she replied curtly in Japanese with a military salute.

Just when I walked out of the shop, the smell of pheromones was exposed in the air. The figure came by wearing a polka-dotted negligee. A hearing aid perched on her left ear. I immediately turned around, pretending to wipe the motorbike while watching the beauty of God's creation.

"It's already shiny. Why you still wipe it, anyway?" she said sarcastically by her sign language.

"I take care of my bike, moreover you," I teased her by my sign language.

"Hi, Jen," she said verbally, switched at my sister.

"Hi, J," replied my sister.

JJ was Julia's nickname in this Certajava. She then took a 3 kilos gas cylinder - in Indonesia, it was called a melon gas - and handed Jenny a twenty thousand rupiahs banknote or 2 USD.

Then Julia and my sister talked about the first day in college. Julia--verbally as best as she could--asked Jenny about the new crossbreed student. Jenny answered that the crossbreed girl's name was Kacey. She had just graduates from a private high school in Jakarta.

I also overheard how these girls conspired to discuss another girl. But why did Julia ask about Kacey anyway? Is she worried about being rivaled?

I also remembered my intention to interrogate my sister about Kacey. But I could not do it in front of Julia. After all, I had pocketed some information. After making small talk with my sister, Julia then asked for my help.

"Lang, would you replace my gallon of water?" she asked me for help by her sign language.

"Don't be spoiled. You're stocky. Replace it by yourself," I replied by my sign language pretend to refuse, but my heart was filled with flowers.

"Okey, you, Amelia ..." Julia verbally threaten me.

"Ready Ma'am," I gave up, "where's the gallon?"

My sister chuckled.

I knew Julia was about to say that she will spread the rumors about me and Amelia, who had a relationship. I knew Julia was only making fun of me. Was she?

Then, I brought the melon gas and followed Julia to her home, which was just five houses from mine. Her house was relatively small, like 6x12 meters that extends to the back. On the veranda, there was a plywood board that is written 'Sell Gado-Gado'. Gado-Gado itself was a Javanese traditional vegetarian food. It was Julia's mother, Maria, who peddled it. However, Maria seemed to be not at home.

"Where is your mother?" I asked by my gestures.

"Eating meatballs at Takim's," replied Julia by her gestures.

In the living room, I saw a pile and rows of old books. Books were not like academic books. Even if it was called a novel, it might be from the action-conspiracy-horror-thriller-mystery genre. Well, the title alone already made people goosebumps.

For example, 'The Hammer and Sickle in the Sugarcane Field'. Then 'The People at the Left Intersection of the Road'. Also 'The Resistance of the Peasants', 'Under the Red Lantern', and others like that. Uniquely, the books were predominantly red in color.

I knew all those books but never read them until finished. Of course, the books did not belong to Julia. Maybe it belonged to Sam or Paul.

Among the pile of books, my eyes fell on an old edition of the youth magazine that had its pages opened. There was a photo. That photo showed a model wearing a white ball gown with lace at the waist. I had not finished reading it yet, Julia grabs the magazine. Apparently, she did not want me to read it.

Julia then stepped towards the back of her tiny house while showing me where the gallon was. I also saw Julia take a cream-colored towel that matches her brown skin. Then, she stretched it out and shook it off. At that time, I knew the size of the towel was only one fathom. She then put it around her neck and remove her hearing aid. Apparently, Julia was about to take a shower. Just before she stepped into the bathroom, I pleaded to her.

"Wait, I come along," I said by my motion.

"In your dream!" Julia burst out verbally.

"Where do you wanna go anyway?" I asked by gestures.

"Work."

"At Haji Malloch?"

Julia nodded then entered the bathroom.

Haji Mark Malloch was a green beans trader. He was one of the wealthiest people in Certajava. Malloch was also a generous person. He employed his neighbors. People respect him. Malloch had two wives. Whatever.

Julia herself sometimes works washing and drying green beans at Malloch warehouse in the Poo Chang area to support her family economy. Besides, she worked as a maid at Mother Atty's catering when there was an event. This job could take up time. Celebrations such as wedding receptions could end late at night.

Then, there was a sound of the bathroom door screeching. Julia peeked through the door. Her hair looked wet.

"Melon gas too!" Julia told me by her verbally heavy then continued her shower.

I knew it. No wonder Julia came to my mother's shop without brought a melon gas to be exchanged. Was Julia on purpose, so that I would come to her house? Or maybe she was just forgetting. I started to replace the melon gas. The kitchen in this house was narrow and full of various pieces of furniture. The bathroom itself was directly adjacent to the kitchen.

I could hear the sound of water scrambling behind the rickety door. The light of the bathroom also penetrated the cracks in the weathered door. In fact, on the bottom hinge, there was a gap that an adult cat can freely enter and exit. Water splashed from there.

Just finished installing the melon gas, I heard the sound of the bathroom door being opened. Julia came out. Her body was wrapped by only a tight towel. Her cleavage struggled hard to break free. At the bottom, the towel only covered part of her thigh. With that cream-colored towel? Damn! I am petrified.

Actually, I had experienced this kind of scene several times. Even once, Julia had deliberately appeared naked in front of me. At that time, both of us were on vacation in Malang City. Malang was one of the coldest cities in Indonesia.

It happened when the cold day suddenly rained heavily. I forgot how it started, suddenly we both hugged each other for the sake of warmth in a hotel room.

Who knew what on Julia's mind? She suddenly asked me to join her in the bathroom. She started taking off all her clothes. I also do the same thing. Then, Julia opened the shower faucet. We bathe together. I recalled, there was a birthmark on her left buttock.

After a while, I heard people loudly shouting, followed by the sound of the door opening. I could felt the aura of mass rage from the footsteps leading to the bathroom. But Julia remains relaxed. Of course, she could not hear anything without her hearing aid. I was already naked in the bathroom, started to be panic that I could not escape.

Before us, two people were clearly shrouded in rage. Julia surprised. They started cursing us with various curses. Then, we started crying because we could not face them anymore.

At that time, we were six or seven years old. Mother Maria immediately bathed Julia while pinching her daughter's buttocks. Meanwhile, my mother tweaked my ear all the way back to the family room. If I am not mistaken, at that time, there was a neighborhood recreation agenda.

"If you want to play in the rain, ask permission first!" my mother burst out.

Later, I just learned that the resident recreation was sponsored by a candidate for Surabaya Regional House of Representative members from the Wigan-Certajava constituency.

And then ...

"Lang ... Hey!" Julia verbally blurts out. "Greyson Lang!"

I then gasped. What kind of shower was so fast.

"Not finished yet?" Julia said in sign language. "What are you doing?"

"It's done," I replied her gestures, while my groin hurt.

"Take me to the warehouse," she asked for help again.

"Walk on your own," I pretended to avoid, even though I was happy. "Don't be like a royal princess."

"Alright, I'll spread ..."

"Okay!"

I then went home to wash my face. When I came out, Julia was apparently already in front of my house while chatting with my mother. Julia was wearing a casual black T-shirt, jeans, and flip flops. Very simple. She only dressed as necessary.

Or maybe, Julia did not have enough money to buy all kinds of cosmetics and stuff. I thought I will buy her a set of contraceptives. Sorry, I meant a cosmetic set for her. Actually? No matter how she looks, Julia was always looking lovely in my eyes.

"Lang forced me. He insisted me to take me to work," said Julia to my mother with her heavy and broken verbal but understandable.

My mother and sister chuckled.

Who did the one ask for help with force? It was her, not me. In fact, I did not mind. Actually, she made my heart flourish. If possible, Julia could ask me for help more often to replace the gallons or installed the melon gas.

"That's why he washed his face," my mother teased me, "Be careful when escorting someone's daughter."

"Ha ha ha," I defended myself.

Then, Julia sat in my Honda ADV passenger seat. Up close, I could smell the deodorant. Julia deliberately kept her distance. Even so, her breasts still touched my back.

"Move back," I asked her verbally.

"Already," she answered.

Okay then.

Along the way, I was alerted to watch the road. If there were holes or bumps, I would be happy. Shortly, we arrived at the gate of Malloch's warehouse. I started to turn around. But before that, Julia asked me.

"Where you going?" asked Julia by her sign language.

"To Brother Laymisch," I replied by my motion, "Why?"

"Um ..." she mumbled. "... Nevermind." Julia shook her head.

"Missed me already?" I flirted her by my finger alphabet.

Julia did not respond. Quiet for a moment. Looks like she was about to say something, but she canceled it.

Then Julia removed her helmet, put on her hearing aid, turned, and headed towards Malloch's warehouse.

That afternoon, the glint of sunlight added to Julia's beauty. I did not want this moment to fade away. So, I watched her walking until she disappeared behind the warehouse gate.

Then, I prepared myself to face the most dangerous people throughout Surabaya. The Wigan-Certajava elders.