Joy: A Hope's
Chapter 6: About the Idea-Cita Joy
It's dinner time. Joy and her parents were sitting around the table. On the table there is rice one place, a plate of sambal tempe, and vegetables mashed cassava leaves. It may be a very simple meal for people who are. However, it is inversely proportional to the Joy family. Tempe sambal as a side dish is quite luxurious for them.
Silence is created during eating. Only the sound of the twang of the spoon clashed with the plate. Eros seemed to be enjoying his dinner. Seen from the gelagatnya that several times close the eyes every time spooning food into the mouth. He chews pretty well. In contrast to Santi and Joy who looked relaxed. They looked at each other several times and spoke through their eyes. I don't know what they're discussing or maybe arguing about.
Got a nod from Santi—as the woman supported Joy to speak up—Joy shifted attention to Eros who was sitting at the end of the table as the head of the family. For a moment just watching the man with a hammer. Until Eros realized this, he looked back at Joy who now seemed excited because she was caught staring at him unusual.
“Why?” asked Eros, realizing what Joy's hesitating gaze meant.
“Ah, no, Sir. Joy—” Mouth Joy muttering unclear. He was nervous to the point of saying what.
“Joy said he wanted to say something important to you Mr.” said Santi interjected, greget himself saw Joy.
Waiting for Joy to finish talking is not the right choice. After all, Santi is the type of person who doesn't like to wait long. Not much different from Eros who is always to the point.
A curious look was drawn on Eros' face. A puzzled frown appeared on the forehead which started to wrinkle it. Eros who had just finished eating, grabbed a glass of water and downed it in one gulp. Then, look at Joy full of questions that seem more demanding.
Joy grimaced softly in heart. Through the tail his eyes glanced at Santi's sinister. Duh, because of Mamak, here!
“Ummm, yes Pak—Joy ...” Joy confused to explain where to start.
“Joy passed the selection at SMA Harapan Bangsa majoring in Bahasa Indonesia, Sir,” said Joy in the end.
He pursed his lips tightly after speaking. Moreover, Joy did not immediately get a response from Eros. The man remained silent for a long time until he opened his voice.
“SMA?” parrot Eros with kernyit in nose dislike sign. “So, would you like to continue in SMA? Major in Languages pula.”
The man laughed heartily. Joy doesn't know where the funny thing is. Clearly, Eros was laughing at him.
“What do you want to do if you continue in SMA, Joy? Think carefully about your future. Think about your parents' daily work. Not necessarily we have money to school you at a high level. What is the point of entering SMA if you end up unemployed?” babble Eros at length. Speak in a relaxed tone, but still sound assertive.
“At least, if you enter SMK, you still have skills that you can practice. Can open a small business when it is finished later.”
Joy's screaming heart doesn't like to hear that. He was eager to oppose the remark, but whatever power Joy did not have that much guts. Embolden yourself, Joy spoke up.
“But right, Sir. Joy wants to be a writer. Joy wants to focus on literary things,” denies Joy, trying to open the mind of Eros who only focuses on the future plot of her own Joy.
Eros shakes. Forbids hard. “No! Father disagree.”
“What is the author. There is nothing you can expect from there. Open your mind wide, Joy. There are a lot of jobs out there that have great opportunities and salaries that are not playful. And, you will only devote yourself to being a writer whose salary is not much? Where's your brain! Why don't you use it well, huh?!”
Joy looked down at the scene. This time, he did not dare to argue twice.
“Bapak knows all this time you have a hobby of writing and making up. In fact, your writing book quickly runs out because so many stories that you write. You understand your hobby and you will never forbid you to do that. But, I do not like that you will focus more on it than thinking about what can make your future bright in the future,” said Eros gave advice. A slight smile at the end of the sentence.
Joy who could no longer bear to endure all the turmoil in her heart moved from the dining table. He went into the room and locked the room. Drowning his face in the pillow and spilling his grief as hard as he could.
It hurts when our own family breaks our dreams. Okay, Joy understands that Eros' words aren't entirely wrong. But, can't the man allow him to achieve his own dreams and determine his own life direction? It doesn't feel good to be a walking robot whose steps are set forever by someone.
****
“Why cry?” ari asked so attentively. The young man's face was immediately plastered on Joy's phone screen as Ari raised her video call.
Long enough to guess in the mind, until Ari realized something. Then, Ari asked again, “So how?”
The teenage boy who was lying on the bed hugging the bolster pillow from the side shook his head weakly. Joy.
“Ba-bapak .. don't agree, Bang,” the answer faltered.
The crying broke again. Eyes begin to swell. Been crying too long. After escaping from the dining table, Joy immediately contacted her brother and complained to the young man.
Ari takes a rough breath after hearing Joy's story. Father disagreed. He had guessed. Without Joy even answering, she knew. Even long before Joy was about to tell that to Eros-days where Ari gave her advice, honestly Ari was hesitant about Eros response later. Ari deliberately advises Joy so that the teenager is not disappointed too deeply later. Now Joy has thrashed like an elementary school boy who was not given pocket money.
“Ceng. Stop crying, already! You're 15 years old, already big. Don't keep on being a kid. You should be able to think more mature.” Instead of comforting or offering a look of pity, Ari even mocked. Clucking doesn't like.
Joy stopped her crying, leaving behind a small sigh. He glanced cynically at the cell phone layer. Irritated. Joy puckered her lips a few inches forward.
“His grandfather was again sad too,” quipped, making Ari snort.
“Lebay.” Ari sneers. It felt sick of being amused whenever I saw Joy make such a sulky face. Back when Joy was a child like to fuss, Ari would calm her by carrying her until Joy was sound asleep. But now the situation is different. They both have grown up. Joy's not a kid anymore.
“Better follow what Father said. After all, he is also not forbidden you to write,” Ari's advice again after being silent for a while.
“You can still be a writer without having to enter that department.”
“Abang same as Mr!” Joy's mood dropped even more hearing that. Regardless of Ari, Joy immediately disconnects the video call. Joy's back wailing was unclear. He shed all his sorrow on that dark night.
****
“This is the coffee, sir,” Santi said as he moved the black coffee from the tray in his hand grip onto the table in the living room.
The puff of smoke was still clearly visible, venturing into the air. Naturally, Santi just returned from the kitchen to brew it. After eating the tomb, Eros told Santi to make him bitter coffee. Just a little mumble he got from Eros.
Then, the red-daster woman sat on a rattan chair beside her husband with a tray placed over her thighs. She glanced to the side watching Eros, her husband.
The man who was wearing a sarong was intentionally wrapped around the waist, looking engrossed with the puff of cigarette smoke. Occasionally sip, then switch to grab the bitter coffee canticle and sip it so that it makes a special sound. Eros seemed to enjoy his leisure activities after working in the garden all day. Simply smoking while drinking coffee in the middle of the night like this that can eliminate the fatigue.
The man looked straight ahead. I don't know what he's thinking or what's weighing on his mind. There have been a lot of problems with his family over the past few years. Their economic life is falling. Though soon their youngest son will enter the upper middle level which of course the cost of his school is not playing games. Plus his communication relationship with his two sons dwindled until the interaction was lost. Maybe those two things are bothering her mind.
“Don't be too bridled kids, sir. Poor Joy. Give him a little leeway, give him time to determine his own future,” said Santi, very careful in giving advice because he did not want to offend the husband.
Eros looked over in protest. The cigarette he wanted to smoke hung in front of his lips. At first glance, as he quickly shifted his gaze back. “No need to teach me, Santi. I know which one is best for our son,” Eros said not to be denied.
Santi. “I'm just reminding, sir,”.
“Introduction, Sir.” Saying so, Santi got up from the chair and went into the room after putting the tray into the kitchen, to where it was. Leave Eros who still smokes with gripping silence.
Eros remembered his eldest son. Usually the child will accompany Eros smoking while drinking coffee. If they do not play cards, then Ari will play the game all night until late waking up the next morning. Somehow is the kid in the village? Since his departure, maybe only once Ari called twice. It seemed, Eros would contact him first sometime.
****