Jogja At A Time
16. Second Difficulty

Joe arrives as Seti prepares to go to the wartel to call Asri. Seeing his side-face, Seti delayed calling. Invite him into the room.

"Why Joe ? Your face is complicated." Seti sat down to look at Joe.

Not like Joe used to sit in his room.

"Mumet .. stall to be taken." Joe held his forehead. 

"Taken how ? Sale ?" 

"Ntar wait for Doni to come. His son peed in the back. Let him tell himself." Joe lit a cigarette.

This time Seti let her smoke in the room.

Not long after Doni came in. Like Joe, his face looks grim. Seti told Joe to make coffee. Then go out to the Mbah Jum stall to buy fried food leaving both.

"Sial Set." Doni opens the conversation after Seti returns. The tempeh fry that Seti brought took a piece.

"Sleeping away ?" Seti still does not understand about the misfortune of what Doni said. 

Sucking a cigarette deep finally Doni told me. " I lost the billiard Set .... Almost a million."

Seti was wide at hearing the word Doni. " A million ? How's the story ?" Then sit closer interested in the narration of Doni.

"My fault is also Set." Doni continued his story.

This time the conversation in the room at the end of the boarding house Samirono began to get serious.

Billiard is a fun game if only sports. Joe and Doni usually play in Billiard Nusa Indah Solo street on Sundays after the lapak.

Getting to know some people there introduced them to card billiard gambling. Many times small wins make Doni forget himself when one day the bet is raised.

And lose by a landslide...

Merchandise is running out, and it still owes what it has to pay next week.

"I was given a week. If not, take it." Complain Doni.

Making a stall in Malioboro is not easy. The sidewalk of one meter has been ruled by generations. In addition to having to know and familiar with who controls the place. The money to take over is not small either.

That stall has Doni's brother who has finished college. Order to continue and take care of it. Can not imagine the anger of his brother if the stall was uprooted let alone change hands.

"Gambling debt, right ?" Seti asked a little agitatedlythe glance of the watch in his hand, remembering to call Asri.

"Yes, anyway." Answer Doni short.

"Have copied first. I'll call you for a minute .... We'll find a way out." Seti rushed outside the room.

...----------------...

"Fetch me Wednesday at the stall." Pinta Asri on the other end of the phone.

"Good Purbaya ?"

"Yes." Yeah." Answer Asri.

"I'll pick you up at the As station." Seti thought of Malioboro.

I picked up Asri at the station. Seti is not happy, if Asri waits at the stall that turns out to be closed because of Doni's problem.

Joko is still in the hospital. As well as Silence who alternated with Asri accompanying Bening made Seti's mind go everywhere after hanging up the phone conversation with Asri.

Ride the Denok back to the Samirono boarding house. This time think about Malioboro. There is, however, a close attachment relationship with the stall.

Sunday night with Asri spent there. Not a little money he got from there. It won't be that easy that the stall is just released just because of Doni's stupidity.

Bersit to borrow from Seto if he had not already told Joko and Bening's situation to him through a letter he just sent yesterday. That intention was cancelled.                               

...----------------...

"We play billiards of seven cards four. I paired up with Doni. I thought playing regular. Not a big bet. Twenty thousand per game." Answer Joe. "It just so happens that there's a whole Dutch wallet." Keep Joe on.

"Can you lose nearly a million ?"

" I keep raising the stakes. Until the capital runs out and is in debt. We play from ten o'clock till morning." Doni glanced at Seti .... The cigarette smoke was blown upwards. 

"But the stall is still going, isn't it ?" Ask Seti. 

"It's still Sunday." Answer Doni again.

All three were silent for a moment. Thinking about a million dollars is not an easy thing to find.

"Well, just this week you sell everything. Later Saturday we see how much money." Seti gave a suggestion after that lapse.

"Make a walk and eat two this week how's Set ?" Doni still looks doubtful. "empty bener .... That's why we're here."

"Eat at Mbah Jum. Record first. I'll talk later. Wear the Denok to go home to the stall this week. Don't smoke for a while." Seti looked at the two. "How do I propose ?" Further.

Take a moment. Doni and Joe nodded. A little relieved to hear Seti said. There is at least a week left to recover the gambling debt.

"Have you eaten yet ?" Seti glanced at Doni and Joe who spent the fritters on the plate. Both shakes. "Let's eat at Mbah Jum." Continue again.               

...----------------...

Joe and Doni look ravenously spent vegetable rice and tempe at the Mbah Jum stall. It doesn't seem to eat all day from the way it eats. Accustomed to eating from the results of the stall. This time they are free-falling without even in the bag.

"I talked to Mbah Jum. Just eat no need to wonder starting tomorrow. All wrap for provisions in the stall"

"Thanks Sets. What did you say to Mbah Jum ?" ask Joe.

"You guys said pickpocketing in Sarkem after hiring a girl." Seti laughed loudly.

"Asuuuuu .." almost simultaneously Joe and Doni cursed. They laughed together. 

After the meal Joe and Doni cleaned and washed all the dishes and glasses. Mbah Jum chuckled at the stiffness of the two.

"Bah sugih sobo kitchen." Still chuckling Mbah Jum teases Joe and Doni.

"Payable debt." Seti who was collecting the rest of the rice also made fun of. Glanced at Joe and Doni who could only grimace.

...----------------...

"I'm Wednesday afternoon to pick Asri up at the station." Seti leaned back casually. Sit down with Joe and Seti in his room after eating.

"Kok Tumben Asri back on Wednesday. Usually Sunday ?" Joe interrupted wanting to know.

"I drove home last week. Look at Joko's sick man."

"What pain ?"

"Had forgotten to ask when I called Asri." replied Seti. "Joe went home too." Says Seti again.

"Well, I'll see you again with Set. More beautiful and slim when I met in Jakarta. I think if you meet him, he'll be fascinated." Joe teases. The letters Seti read.

"Ah you this. Asri pengin nagging like." Seti smiled a little.

"What are you doing Asri ?" Joe laughs. This time it was done by Seti.

"Phone" Seti laughed. Don't want to spread his affection with Asri.

The discussion continues about making money in the next week with all the consequences. 

Feeling quite looking for a way out of the field business, Joe and Doni went flat to the field. This time the two were a little relieved there was the Denok loaned by Seti to go back and forth Malioboro to the boarding until the business was completed.

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*Wartel: phone booth.

*Cah sugih sobo kitchen: rich kids play into the kitchen in Javanese.