Behind The Lies
Friends From Surabaya

Ashilla brought the phone to her ear. “Yes, Sweety. Are you not sleeping?”

“As a nightmare, Ma,” reports the boy on the phone.

“Yeah, what do you dream of?”

“As scared.”

“Ssshhhh .. Which mother?”

“Go. Not home yet.”

Asa's cry and whining made Ashilla feel guilty for having left her for such a long time.

“I want to follow you, Mom.”

“Ya already here Asa, ask the same Mother to inter-Asa to Indonesia. Mama wait here.”

“Why did Mama go so long? Will my mom come home again?”

“We've already talked about this, Asa.”

“Why didn't Mama invite Asa?”

“You school.”

“School there only.”

“Iya-iya.”

“If Mommy has gone home, you said what Mama said to you, later Mama called Mommy.”

“Iya.”

“Now Asa sleeps. This is Mama again working.”

“In Indonesia night?”

“No, here in the morning.”

“Hm. Asa sleeps again, Mam.”

“Okay, Honey. Have a nice dream.”

After closing the call, Ashilla turned around and found Naya behind her. “You eavesdropped?” accusation sure.

“Sorry,” says Naya. “You're married?”

Ashilla wet her throat. “Already.”

“Hah?” Both of Naya's eyes were breaking. “So?”

Ashilla quickly pulled out a business card from inside the bag. “Happy to meet you, Naya. Next time we can eat together,” he said while giving his business card to Naya.

Naya stared at the card with the name Ashilla Wijaya, not Aruna Anastasya. Ashilla left the bookstore. His mind said that he was wrong, while his little heart said, not at all. That woman is Aruna. The pitch of his body and voice was indeed very similar to Aruna's. It's just that Ashilla is a little formal and not so friendly, it's natural that Ashilla has just met Naya.

Ashilla was driving to the office. On the way he kept thinking about his conversation with Naya. He was getting curious about Aruna. Even their goals can be the same? Lecturer Literature. If Aruna died ten years ago, that means Aruna never realized her goals.

***

In the afternoon Naya stood in front of Iyash's house. The brown woman has been trying hard to find out the whereabouts of Iyash's home address in Jakarta. Finally the Lord led him to an all-white dwelling corresponding to the address he got from Iqbal.

Naya repeatedly knocked on the door, but there was no sign the door would open. Naya could not go home anymore because for him he had gone too far to the place, it felt useless if he went home empty-handed and got no explanation. This morning Ashilla had made him curious. If she wasn't Aruna why not say it in the first place and let her talk instead.

Until Maghrib ahead of Isya Naya still standing in front of Iyash's house. That big house doesn't even have a maid? Think Naya. At the end of his regret finally came a middle-aged woman carrying groceries, two servants walking behind him with luggage that was not less.

“Sri, open the door,” Ira says.

“Good, Bu.” Sri quickly put the luggage and opened the door for the master.

“Excuse me,” says Naya approaching. “I Naya, Mom, her friend Iyash from Surabaya.”

Ira looked at the woman dressed in the t-shirt and jeans. “Naya?”

“Iya. I want to meet Iyash.”

“You're coming again tomorrow. Iyash is away.”

“But, I'm here from four.”

Mom Ira sighed. “Sri, help Mbok Yu bring his groceries into.”

“Good, Bu.”

Ira immediately made a call to her youngest son. “Whose name were you?” ask him to Naya.

“Naya. Bu.”

Ira nodded while waiting for Iyash to answer his phone. He looked at the woman in front of him. Her feelings said that the woman was a close friend of Aruna. “What's up here?”

“You meet Iyash.”

“Yes, I know. What's the matter?”

Naya's wetting her throat. Unlike Iyash who is friendly and kind, his mother instead looks judes. “It's been ten years and I want to meet.”

“Ten years?” Ira's forehead frowned.

Naya nodded.

The connection was connected and Iyash answered his mother's call. The man was going to find a house for Sister Rika and Lily to rent, it was all so that Ashilla would more freely come to visit.

“Why, Ma?” ask Iyash on the phone.

“Where are you? At home no one, already got his house?”

“Already.”

“When to go home? Here is your friend from Surabaya.”

“Naya.”

“Self?”

“Iya.”

“In the meantime Iyash is home. Ask Naya to wait, Ma.”

Ira nodded. Then closing the call, he then looked at Naya. “Log in. Wait inside, Iyash again on the road.”

“Good, Mom, thank you.” Naya came in and sat down.

“I stay into.” Ira then went to the kitchen. “Sri, make a drink for his friend Iyash.”

“Iya, Mum.”

Naya turned the view on the house in shades of all white, clean and it seems that there is never any dust left to nest there for long.

Sri came to bring me a glass of tea and biscuits. “Please drink, Mbak.”

“Thank you. Oh yes, may I ask you something, Ma'am?”

Sri nodded.

“If Iyash is married yet?”

“Numbered, Mbak.”

Naya nodded. “Thank you.”

“I excuse me.” Sri also passed carrying a tray.

Until thirty minutes of waiting, finally the roar of the car engine was heard. Iyash got out of the car and immediately entered the house while saying hello. Naya stood up nervously.

“Naya?”

“Iyash, how are you?” Naya reached out her hand.

“Good. You?” Iyash welcomes the outstretched hand of the woman who once expressed her feelings before she and Aruna decided together. It's only natural that for this meeting Naya was a little nervous.

“From Surabaya?” ask Iyash while sitting down.

“From Malaysia last week.” Naya sat back down.

“Oh yes you work there, be at home?”

“Betah. Just curious if you have not conquered the capital itself.”

Iyash smiled and Naya realized one thing that she still felt the same. Shouldn't he tell me about Ashilla, because who knows Iyash doesn't know the woman, Naya thought. Although the original purpose of him coming here was to ask that.

“Come all the way from Malaysia. Already got a job?”

“Already, help a friend keep a book stand in the mall. If you have a job, maybe you can help me.”

Iyash wet his throat. “What yes.”

“The plan is two months here, if there is no work, maybe I will go back there.”

“So, those two months were to conquer the capital? That's grand. I give you a gift if you succeed,” challenge Iyash.

Naya laughs.

“What do you do there?”

“Help Bude in restaurant. Coincidentally my budeku's husband is a real person there and has a restaurant.”

“Working here help friend, working there help Bude. Great you work help people.”

“Help get a salary, time they let me starve.” Naya chuckled again.

“But there you while in college?”

“Lecture.”

“Take what?”

“Business economy.”

“Oh.”

“You're home, Yash?” ask Ira as she approaches.

“Mama. It's been a few minutes ago.”

“Eat first, invite your friends, pity waiting from four.”

Iyash stared at Naya. “Serious?”

Naya nodded.

“Thank you for coming then.”

“Sama-sama.”

“Ya let's go, eat,” invite Iyash. Of course Naya immediately got up and followed Iyash into the dining room. It's not good to refuse windfall any more since out of the mall he hasn't eaten.

“For where do you stay?” ask Iyash while sitting down.

“I live in kosan friend.”

“Oh, so come here all looking for experience?”

“Iya.” Naya stared at the crackling of food on the table. “I tasted yes, Bu.”

“Iya. Eat a lot,” said Ira. Although at first Naya saw that his mother seemed unfriendly, but it was not so bad. He didn't throw her out and invited her to dinner.