Not the First
Pindang Iga, Love Seasoning

This morning, Rey had been up since 4 a.m. Last night, he told Ms. Fat that he would make a special menu for Mr. Wibie and Devara. Pindang ribs as their breakfast menu today.

The entire house has not been built, including Ms. Fat. The woman was still asleep in her bed. Rey could see it, in addition to the location of his room next to the kitchen, the curtain hanging on the window of his room he left open a little.

"Just rest, Mom. Let me make breakfast" Rey exclaimed inwardly as she peeked at Ms. Fat from the bedroom window.

The beef ribs that have been removed from the prizer since last night have melted. It even returned to room temperature. After washing, it is boiled with medium heat.

Rey is very good at cooking. Some dishes are often processed by his mother, Rey has memorized the recipe and how to process it. So are practical cooking tips. Among them, if boiling something that takes a long time there is a formula, 5.30.7 so the science that Rey always remembers.

Boil the ribs in a closed pot for 5 minutes, turn off the stove and leave the pan tightly closed for the next 30 minutes. Then boil again for 7 minutes. The results are amazing. The beef ribs will be tender and easily separated from the bone.

While waiting for the decoction process, Rey prepares a shady seasoning consisting of various spices. All the spices in the slices are smooth by it.

"Cab is enough 2. Fear Devara pesesesan. Later make your own sambel if others like to spit," Rey told himself.

All he did deftly because since childhood he was used to wake up early and help his mother in the kitchen to prepare breakfast and clean up. All this before going to school.

Not to forget, Rey also cooks rice. He saw the majic com next to the stove was empty. The pot was washed clean by Ms. Fat.

Rey cooks like a mature woman who is already professionally handling kitchen affairs. Everything is done with Iklas. This time he will present something that might make his boss happy. Rey realized, she could not give anything for all her kindness to him.

One old saying goes, if you want to be happy for today then enjoy your favorite food (read pamper your stomach), if you want to be happy in a week then do a journey, then do it, and if you want to be happy throughout your age then love your work.

For now only the first point Rey can give. It's not necessarily a success either. If what he does meets the standards of Mr. Wibie's taste, he can be a little proud. But at least Rey tried.

While Rey was smoothing the chili using a cobek, she was startled with a voice that suddenly fit in her ear.

"The smell is from above. What are you cooking?" ask Mr. Wibie who's been standing behind Rey.

The man was still wearing his white shirt and shorts.

"That cow, sir. I made a shackle," Rey replied after she turned her face towards Mr. Wibie for a while and continued to mince the chili

not smooth.

"Suddenly my stomach is hungry" murmured Mr. Wibie again. He's still standing there.

This time leaning his body on the kitchen table integrated with the stove and sink, facing Rey.

"It's been so. Just wait a minute, yeah! The rice is not dead yet," Rey replied accompanied by a soft voice of laughter.

His gaze still fell on the small tear and with the hand it still stuck. He did not want to turn his face away because Mr. Wibie was standing so close to him. Rey was sure their views would meet given their such close distance.

"OKs. I went upstairs first. Not praying. The job you're working on! As soon as I go down, everything must be done" ordered Mr. Wibie in a fierce pretentious tone.

He left Rey, who was still finishing her work, to her room on the second floor.

"Beautiful, independent, and not spoiled. You're getting worried, Rey, "Whisper Wibie so slowly. Slowly, even those words did not want to be heard by his own ears. He stepped up with an expanding smile and an increasingly difficult feeling to understand.

*****

Breakfast is ready for dinner. Pindang ribs are still boiling, sambel ulek raw, and fried tempeh, tofu and sausage.

(Cow rib leaf seasoning love)

When Ms. Fat forbade Rey from cleaning the dishwasher, Rey was overjoyed. He likes to cook but the thing he hates most is when he has to clean kitchen utensils.

"Alhamdulillah. Thank you, Ms. Fat," Rey said cheerfully.

Ms. Fat also prepares milk and sweet tea as a complement to dishes at the table.

"Susu to Devara. Once awake he must be looking for milk. This is what I've made" Fat explained.

"It looks like he's awake. His voice was heard in the upper room" he continued.

"If tea is sweet for Mas Wibie. Warm tea is more precisely because the sugar is just a tip of a small spoon. She doesn't like sweet,"

Rey only listened to all the explanations of Ms. Fat while nodding her head.

One glass of white milk and one small teapot of warm tea were placed in a small tray and taken to the dining table.

"This morning we go to Devara's school. Measure her uniform,"

Wibie said after she sat down at the dinner table with Devara and Rey. Ms. Fat never ate breakfast because she was not used to being heavy in the morning.

The woman who was like her own family to Wibie and her family was cleaning the upper room.

Rey took the empty plate in front of her and filled it with one steaming rice pitcher.

"Enough," interrupted Mr. Wibie when Rey would add one more centong.

Then the plate was extended to Mr. Wibie. He took one piece of ribs to his plate. Do not forget to add a spoon of ulek sambel that was smoothed by Rey herself.

"Hemmmm," he said. When one mouthful had already managed to touch the tip of his tongue.

Rey just smiled, he took one more plate for Devara. The same portion as his father. As with Mr. Wibie, the boy took the ribs himself in the big bowl and added them to the plate that Rey had placed in front of him.

"After that I'll take you. Enrolling college. Have you decided where you're going to college?" ask Wibie again

"It has. But I'm not sure yet. There are two universities that open majors that I'm interested in" explained Rey as she scooped rice and poured shackles on her plate.

"Oh, yeah. What university? Yesterday I gave you 7 brochures. I deliberately chose a campus that is quite affordable from home so you are not tired on the road,"

Rey mentioned two universities that she already owns. When viewed from the brochure he read, the cost is quite expensive compared to the others.

"Later to check the TKP, you decide after seeing the location directly," bargained Wibie again.

"Pa, I want the meat but it's stuck in the bone. Gimaba, this?" shakily Devara with her spoiled voice. He looks so persistent removing rib meat from his bones.

Wibie and Rey laughed for a moment. Rey spryly helps before Wibie grabs the kid's plate.

"This is how, baby. Here look. Easy right?"

Rey gave an example of how to release meat that sticks to the bone so easily. By pressing the bone tip and pulling the meat with a fork. The boy was so happy when the meat he had wanted to eat was able to enter his tiny mouth.

They continued their breakfast without anyone to speak. It seems like this beef rib is enough to steal the appetite of Mr. Wibie, it looks like he took two more ribs following the sauce is still warm without the addition of rice. He ate the piece of meat with unceasing admiration for the chef.

Rey smiled proudly and at the same time happily. Cuisine that he serves with love concoction is able to archery the owner. His efforts to make his loved ones happy can succeed flawlessly.