Our Story: The Sudden Chancellery
8. Ice Cream

“So... Where are we going?” gemma asked as Gala began to drive her car along the highway.

“Today, you're free right?”

“Free. Father ‘kan is still in Kalimantan until next week,” replied Gemma while looking straight ahead. “But afternoon tar we go home yes.. I just don't feel good, if the neighbors report a variety to Daddy.”

“OK, Gem..”

Gala then turned her car, entering a pink mall in the Grogol area.

“Gue would like to take you for ice cream. He said, chocolate the same ice cream can make our minds calm. Come..” Gala directly pulled Gemma's hand into the mall.

“Gala... My hand must be grasped?” asked Gemma who finally opened her voice when the man did not even take off his hand even though the palms of the two began to sweat.

Gala stared at the grasp of their hands, and only smiled faintly without any sign of letting go. Meanwhile, Gemma who began to misbehave, trying to behave as normal as possible, although her body also feels more moist.

They arrived at a fast food outlet with a large M logo. Then queue for a while discussing what food they want to consume.

“Sit down first, Gem. Let me take our food.”

Gemma sat sweetly at the very end of the table. He felt a little calm in this crowd. Before long, Gala came, carrying a tray containing their lunch. They also eat well. Gemma was surprised to see Gala's appetite is so big, despite her good posture.

“Why Gem?” ask Gala after the whole meal is over. Glare gala with a visible belly bulging. “Kok worried about me like that?”

“Lo eat a lot, but your body is not fat,” said Gemma with a flat face.

“Oh, I often sport.”

“What sport?”

“Renang.. Often Febri goods with Niko. If you like sports what?”

“Gue..” Gemma is silent for a moment. Then said with a little embarrassment, “Gue rarely sports. Bestseller, jogging.”

“Times anyway?” Gala scanned Gemma from head to toe. This girl is skinny, her face is thin, but not frail. Pretty fit like that.

“Truly.”

“Typical lo like that..” those words suddenly popped out of Gala's mouth.

"meaning?"

"Yes... You're pretty, so generally don't focus on sports."

The stereotypical praise is not what makes Gemma happy. His eyebrows swooped, his lips pursed forward and his forehead wrinkled. “Typical bego if sport mean lo?”

The sulking Gemma immediately stood up leaving the Gala. But the guy hurriedly pulled his hand, not wanting to let Gemma go.

“Don't sulk, Gem.”

“Gue is not crammed!”

“Certain, what is it? Lo manyun's lips.”

Gemma who could not hide her frustration then realized her childish attitude. For some reason, when he was with Gala, he suddenly always became unstable like this.

“Sori, Gala. I'm overreacting.” Gemma's face instantly relaxed.

Gala smiled gently. “Gue the sorry, Gem... Suppose you offend or do not like, you immediately say aja. I am also an ordinary man. Sometimes my judgment of you can miss. And if it bothers you, you have the right to be angry. But don't be angry for long... huh?

"Sit again yuk, we haven't eaten ice cream.”

Gala leaves from the presence of Gemma. Shortly thereafter, he returned with two vanilla ice cream cones.

Amidst the excitement of them eating ice cream until brain freeze, Gala's phone rang and she immediately received the phone in front of Gemma.

“Halo, Mr Halim? Yes... run out of this. soon... later I SMS…. Bye..”

Gala put her phone in her pants pocket. Then I went back to ice cream with Gemma.

“Gue seneng accompanied eat ice cream lo same, Gem. I love the ice cream here. I rarely get to come here.”

“O yes? Lo ‘kan can when to buy this ice cream, not expensive also ‘kan?”

“Iya, but the sensation if the same person who means to make our lives and nice to chat with, it's different.”

“Means lo?”

“Gue used to come here same Papa. But he can't accompany me anymore.”

“Why?”

Gala who had now reached her wafer cone had stopped chewing. There are elusive curates that are difficult to read Gemma. But it didn't last long. Gala went back to devouring everything until the cone was gone.

“Gala? How's diem?”

“He's sick. Cancer, the final stage. Now lying in the hospital. But he was still workaholic, and yesterday even maxain himself work even interview prospective direct manager."

“Oh...” right then and there, Gemma regretted not playing has asked. “I'm sorry I've, Gala..”.

“For what? It’s okay, don't feel bad. Papa was sick for a long time after Mama died five years ago. I was in 2nd grade at the time. Because of being too stressed at that time, my brother, Brother Mona, almost committed suicide. And I didn't go to class.”

Gemma doesn't know what to say now. Gala seemed so relaxed about her personal problems. There is no sadness, shame, or distress.

“But lo is perfect in my eyes—“ Gemma directly covered her mouth with her right palm, her little finger flicked due to the finger splint that is still attached.

Gala raised her head immediately. His eyes were round and his mouth opened. Gemma, the cold and stiff girl of this one turns out to be able to easily utter an absolute admiration without being made up.

Gemma's face is now red. He cursed himself and cursed. Why do I have to fall like this? Shame, swear!

“Ma-I mean, lo perfect. Handsome, rich, good at playing guitar, and quite good at sports. I'm sorry, you're pinter too. Everyone thinks you're perfect.The dream of all the girls in school."

“Lo forgot I never went to class.”

“Kan lo did not go up not because it is not pinter, Gala.. In the past, the time bonyok* I divorced, I also barely climbed. I value the ancur-destruction. And you know? At Junior High, I did not pass UAN* because my MTK value was below 3.

After that, I took the second exam. Just been declared a graduate. That's why I entered private High School, because public High School no one wants to admit students who never graduate.”

Gala was pensive, realizing that the secret was the role of the family in the educational life of a child, including himself and Gemma. Even a happy family like Gala's does not escape the flaws that can break the hearts of her children.

***

“Gue wants to die!” Mona cried when her mother died. Gala who was 14 years old at that time immediately pulled the knife that had been grasped by the brother.

“Stop, Brother!” Gala wrestles with Mona while the entire extended family looks at them with horror.

Arni, the late sister of Mama Gala, panics and screams at her husband to stop Mona. But no one dared to come closer. Fortunately, before long, Gala managed to remove the knife and throw it away. Taken by Joseph, Arni's husband and immediately hid the knife in the kitchen.

A few months after the incident, Mona's mental health has improved. But Gala's turn is deteriorating. He became a different person, lazy, likes speedy with his big motorbike. The school falls apart, until Gala is declared not to go to class.

“Bodo very,” Gala snapped at Mona as she showed the report card to Gala.

If there were no Niko and Febri, Gala would have gotten worse. They even ask their parents not to go to class to be able to accompany Gala until she graduates High School. Miraculously, their parents allowed it.

***

“Gala..”.

The so-called are still daydreaming.

“Gala...” call Gemma again while holding her hand.

Finally, Gala raised her head, looking at Gemma straight up. “Sori, I daydream.”

“Lo so remember the past huh? Mama lo must be very good..”.

“Not good anymore.. She was the best!” said Gala while giving her thumbs up. There was a gentle smile that Gemma showed for Gala. Gala lowered her thumb and advanced her face. “At first the ice cube is now turned into ice cream.”.

“Aaan anyway?” Gemma clucked and patted Gala's elbow in a fit of anxiety.

“We go home now?”

“Ayo... It's time now.”

This time, they walked together. Slowly, Gala's fingers slipped into the sidelines of Gemma's fingers, tightly fusing their hands together. No protest from Gemma's mouth.

Today, that jutek, closed, and cold girl turned into a more open, gentle and sweet one. And Gala was very fond of the moment the change took place in front of her.

“Still Gem...”

Gemma looked at Gala. “For what?”

“Thank you because you have shared something that is part of you same me.”

Back, the face of ketus Gemma smiled as softly as that.

“Gue has a nickname for lo..”.

“What's tuh?”

“Ice cream..”

“Gue does not understand…. Equally cold,” said Gemma flat.

Now they arrive at the parking lot. From their current position, they had already seen Gala's metallic blue hatchback still parked neatly.

“Cold... But sweet.. like ice cream...” Continue Gala.

“Apaan anyway, Gala!” Gemma pinched Gala's stomach until the man stirred. “Do not tease!”

“Ih... Ge-er!” Ledek Gala then ran to his car.

Just as Gemma was about to open the side door to get into Gala's car, her body was suddenly pulled towards a black SUV parked right next to Gala's car.

“Gala, please!” Gemma screams when the person finally manages to sit Gemma in the car, right next to a curly-haired adult woman with dark green eyes who is now looking at her longingly.

Gemma's voice choked. His eyes widened and his body suddenly shook violently.

“Mo-Mom..?”

***

*bonnyok \= bokap nyokap

*UAN \= National Final Examination (In the 2003-2010s, the government set the lowest score for MTK, B.Ind and B.Ing maples. Under the standard it was immediately declared not to pass and had to be re-examined.) cmiiw