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Before reading this story, as the author, I want to inform you that the setting of the story is in Indonesia. Thank you.

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A man in a neatly pressed long-sleeved shirt with a well-tied tie, slicked-back hair, thin-framed square glasses, perfectly ironed black cotton pants, and shiny dress shoes wrapped his tall and well-built frame. He made sure to showcase his sharp appearance every day; it was a must for every employee in the Senayan branch.

Polite and neat.

For him, a polished appearance was not only polite but also had added value when serving customers, whether they came with complaints or pockets full of cash. Especially for the front liners and customer service, there was an additional requirement they had to adhere to: clear smile. If that was missing, get ready to be scolded by the man who was now looking at his subordinates one by one for almost the entire day.

Monday briefings were something the man never missed. Thomas Adam, the man's name, was as sturdy as a brand-new plywood sheet bought at a hardware store. He continued to implement all the procedures desired by the head office to this day. It was no surprise that Thomas often received awards as the most disciplined Branch Manager throughout Senayan.

His career could be considered smooth; his career progression had been somewhat stalled at the supervisor level for a while. But when a big promotion came along, not to mention a significant one, Thomas's name was at the top of the list to serve as the Branch Manager of the SAVEFUND bank branch in the Central Business District (CBD).

"Mrs. Marta," he called out to the deputy branch manager, a fairly attractive woman. His call made the owner of the name turn her head.

"Yes, sir?"

"Extra points for this morning's briefing from me, please pay more attention to the front liners. Serve customers with sincerity as per our slogan."

"Of course, sir," Marta replied with a faint smile. Her lips, painted in a soft red shade, added to her allure. "Is there anything else?" She also dared to look at the handsome and gallant man standing beside her. The light blue color of the shirt he was wearing that morning added to Thomas's handsome and gallant demeanor.

"That's all."

After Marta concluded this briefing, Thomas promptly returned to his office. Sometimes, Marta wondered, why did she have to lead the briefing when it was Thomas who talked the most about the reports read by all the employees? Why wasn't it her turn? If there was something wrong with her delivery, Thomas would protest, but he wouldn't say a word himself.

Annoying, right?

That was one of the many irritating things about Thomas. It was not uncommon for him to be the center of attention among the employees. Unfortunately, his handsome and charismatic appearance often came to his rescue.

The fossil on his left wrist pointed to eight in the morning. From the CCTV screen directly connected to his office, he could see that there were already several customers queuing around the counters, whether at the teller or heading towards customer service. Everything seemed to be under control. Thomas felt a little relieved. He could now focus on his other tasks, especially the issue of increasing the soft loan target that the CBD branch had to meet for customers applying for loans.

"The target is rising, but approvals are really tough," Thomas muttered quietly. He picked up one of the loan applications to review after it had passed the analyst's desk. For loan applications, Thomas had more responsibilities because he couldn't just approve them casually. He was pressured from two sides: the target and the outstanding customer arrears that were stuck.

He couldn't allow these two factors to shatter the image he had built. That's why he needed to concentrate on analyzing customer data more and consider whether it was worth granting a loan or not. Some he set aside to request additional information, while for some files, he only looked at the names. Typically, customers who received the green light from SAVEFUND had a good and smooth payment history.

His phone rang loudly, breaking his concentration slightly. His mother's name appeared on the screen, prompting him to sigh. He was pretty sure about what she was going to talk about. But if he didn't answer soon, he was afraid he'd be cursed as one of the disobedient children.

"Good afternoon, Mom," he greeted warmly. He loosened his tie a bit to relieve the sudden tightness he felt, and he leaned back in his big chair.

"You haven't even said hello yet," she scolded.

Thomas grinned. "If I don't respond to your greeting, you'll complain later."

"You're something else," his mother, Kalina, said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Where's your future son-in-law?"

"When will you ask about my well-being before asking about your future son-in-law?"

"As long as you answer the phone without groaning like you've been punched; I know you're in good health."

This time, Thomas sighed. "Your future son-in-law hasn't been born yet."

"Can't you answer a question without being so cheeky?"

"Can't you ask without making Thomas feel intimidated?"

There, Kalina successfully chuckled. "Do you consider your mother your boss?"

Nevertheless, Thomas still smiled faintly. He couldn't even count how many times his mother had asked about the prospective son-in-law he had yet to introduce to her. If he could count, it would probably be in the thousands. But Thomas still hadn't brought anyone with urgency. It was better to give a casual answer every time his mother asked than to let his heart ache from a love that had been broken.

"Don't stay single for too long, Thomas. Your mother is tired of being teased by the neighbors every day."

"Neighbors are like online CCTV, Mom. To avoid CCTV, it's better for you to stay at home. Besides, the government is recommending it, right?" Thomas quipped while suppressing a laugh.

"Do you think I've got COVID? Praying for me to be taken away by the Covid officers?" Kalina retorted with irritation.

"Mom, can you please not be so hasty with your words?" Thomas wasn't entirely comfortable with it, but because his mother often complained about this, he went along. "Neighbors won't be satisfied until they have their eyes on everyone else. Besides, it's Thomas who wants to get married, not the neighbors. Even if Thomas's wife isn't good, it will still be a topic of conversation. Does Mom want an unfit daughter-in-law?"

Kalina sighed softly. "Granting my wishes is so difficult."

"I've granted them before, but God and the universe didn't approve."

"Talking to you is hopeless," Kalina grumbled on the other end. "Never mind. When are you coming home? It's been a month since you last visited."

"As long as I'm not asked about a prospective son-in-law."

Thomas's ears weren't deaf to his mother's exasperated tone. She grumbled because her biggest wish couldn't be fulfilled by her son. What else could he do? Thomas was traumatized. The pain still lingered to this day. Until the phone call was disconnected, Thomas remembered events from the past.

Events that had changed his life, making him much more closed off than before. It had also hardened his heart, as if he had been washed up on the shores of the Bogor.