Sam
Workabout

...***...

Tone grumbled as his phone rang, with the name "Sour" filling the screen.

Not just once or twice the call rings. It has been counted five times since Nada was inputting the value of his protege into an Excel file that is still on even though it was 9 p.m.

Tone glanced at the popup on his front screen. There is a message with various names of the sender's contacts there. There is no intention to open it one by one because there are still some sheets that he has not input.

While across there Sam was pacing because his message and call were ignored by Nada.

"Ngambeg sure, Nada, nih," grumbled Sam while sitting on the porch. Glancing at one cup of kolak waluh, one packet of chicken rica and one small plastic containing bakwan and tempe mendoan.

It's the first day of the month of fasting. Sam accidentally came home early from the workshop. Therefore, when he began to enter the alley of his house many hawker market traders along the entrance, he also bought several options.

It's been a week since Sam sold the motorbike, to finish the construction of his workshop. Stay painting and tidying the remnants of building materials that are still not stored in place.

During that time, if Sam sends a message, only occasionally reply by Nada.

"I shouldn't have promised to go to Nada's house. In the end, I can't afford it. It must be him. That's why no one's reciprocated with him."

Sam got up from the terrace while bringing snacks inside. He saw the wall clock. There is still enough time to boil the water.

When the whistled teapot was already hissing, the water mark was boiling, the sound of the motor stopped in front.

"Assynolt,"

The sound of greetings made Sam turn his head and put down the thermos of tea that he just finished washing.

From the living room, there was Revi with Siti coming carrying a white rustle.

"Bulik?" greet Sam.

"Wong wes in the yen candani back Ning Ivory, kok, even behind Kerten, to Mas!" People have been told that if you go back to Ivory, really, go back to Kerten, Mas.

Siti's words made Sam grimace. While Siti continues to nag with the same theme. Protesting his return home. While his hands deftly put one by one the luggage.

"Yes, Bulik. I'll open it once in a while in Ivory." Sam mentioned the area where Paklik Kusno lived. Which is none other than the residence of Siti, Reva and Revi.

Sam glanced at Revi who was plucking the tempe mendoan inside his plastic.

"Don't fast you" said Sam softly.

"I'm a hitch, really," said Revi casually while looking for something in the hanging cabinet.

"Loh, buy this side dish, Mas?" asked Siti when she realized Sam had bought a variety of foods to break the fast.

"On the front entrance, Bulik," replied Sam when Siti was now approaching the new mejicom sounding shallow. The rice sign is ripe.

"So, this is also cooking rice."

Sam grimaced back when Siti was seen lowering her shoulders.

"Ng– like this, Bulik. Njenegan¹ do not bother to bring food here. I'm alone, I can eat anything. I can cook, really. Around here are also many impromptu merchants." What Sam means is an impromptu trader who only appears during fasting. Definition of looking for a business gap in the middle of a blessing month, is not it.

Seeing Siti had to come all the way, in order to deliver food for her, made Sam feel bad. Must be so troublesome, he thought.

"Why go home. We can have a rame-rame in Ivory. Open and sahur alone where good." Siti was still grumbling while looking for some bowls. For later, he poured his homemade soto vegetables.

"Makanya, wedding. Let someone take care of it," ledek Revi while pouring boiled water that is still hanging on the stove. Then he put it in the teapot.

Sam just sneered. The reason is prefer at home of course because there is Ilham –suami Reva. He doesn't want to stay there. Yeah, lighten the burden a little, he thought.

Siti and Reva are not long at Sam's house. Because it is staying soon adzan magrib.

Finally, Sam opened up alone. Only the LED tv stuck neatly on the wall, as his friend. His left hand was fiddling with the phone while his right hand was busy scooping food.

"Tone, here. Every snack is still rich little children," he murmured. He was fully aware this week he rarely held HP. Busy in the workshop is also busy helping the finishing of his own workshop. Back and forth Soba-Sukoharjo, making him tired so he did not have time to check his phone.

Of course that's the reason Nada is acting indifferent with him. More precisely, just ignore it. In fact, getting a message from Sam made him meet a little.

[What's the same, huh?"]

[I open the same sweet one. But still less sweet the same read this.] This message is equipped with a bowl of kolak waluh and a chinese girlfriend.

It made Nada meet. The nose is slightly inflated with thinning lips.

"Eat first, the real one, Na." Marni reminds the child who is smiling to himself.

"Wrongly, his HP will go into the bowl, Nduk." Hardi chimed in.

Make Tone put his phone down and eat it right.

"The PTS is done?" ask Marni between her meals.

"Now, Buk. Tone has started input value only."

"Is the little music in the leptop until it's heard in mom's room?" ask Nada. Because as he remembered when he was still struggling with grades and leptops, he played music slowly.

"It's not the music, but the sound of your tech fan is what it sounds like, Tone." Yes, the worn out fan that is still good enough to reduce the sultry was originally willing to be scraped by Hardi. However, Nada was still too dear.

"Mbok habit of using night-night fans, in ilangin, Nduk. Nek got in the wind." Hardi reminded.

Make the tone grimace only. The change of seasons makes, the weather so sultry.

When you're done breaking, Nada washes all the dirty dishes. While Marni and Hardi pray magrib congregate in the room.

After drying his hands, Nada immediately grabbed his phone again. He smiled again when two messages from Sam had re-entered.

[He said, the fasting month keep the heart watch the mouth keep the eyes. Keep the anger too. Time' yes dozens of my messages no one you reply?]

[Aja, Na. Reply dong, let me smile.] Complete with begging emogies.

Making the most of Tone for him.

^^^[Gaje really, you, Mas. There is a genie trapped in your body!] ^^^

This time Nada also added laughing emoticons. Makes Sam across there happy not to play.

...***...

"No tarawih, Sam?" yelled the man outside the fence.

That's the village boy, one of Sam's friends while hanging out in the hik end of the alley.

Sam who is on the terrace certainly looks from outside the fence of the house.

"Yo'i" Sam replied as he pocketed his phone and started closing the door.

Yes, at least the second day of fasting he is still orderly to participate in tarawih prayers around the complex. For the nights that followed, I don't know. However, if Sam was at home, he always tried to go to the mosque.

Whahuh?

That habit has changed since he went to college in Manado. It's different from Sam in his teens, isn't it. All of that is certainly because of the hard upbringing of papa. At first, they had to get used to it.

...*...

After two days off, the workshop began to operate again. Rows of stalls around it also began to open as usual. Only difference, restaurants, stalls, shops and offices, will only open after two hours.

Of course not everything. In the city of Solo, there are still many nonis or even some percent of the Muslim population even though there are also those who do not fast. Partly it is because of heavy workers, for example pedicab, construction workers, or other manual labor.

Let, however, the obligation to fast only for those who believe. Compulsory for those who can. The dispensation is not obligatory to fast as well as it is stated in the Qur'an.

"Mas, the demand for canvas comes again from the workshop at the pay tomb. While our stock is fairly responsible. No love, huh?" ask Pipin to Sam who seems to be fiddling with something in the book. More precisely, matching something with the phone screen in his left hand.

Sam looked over and then returned to his phone. "Stay, Pin. I'm important, this."

Pipin nodded. Then he checked the email from the supplier and some of Sam's other associates.

"Where try?" ask Sam after a while. He told Pippin to get out of his seat. Then he sat down in Pipin's chair.

"You please check the monthly recap, yes, Pin. It will match the same on the server. Mr. Wahid will come by."

Pipin immediately did what Sam had just asked for.

"Hello, Rud." Sam quietly listened to his interlocutor on the phone.

"Stokku's doing great, Rud. Sorry, yeah."

"..."

"I ordered not long ago actually. But the demand during fasting is just a lot."

"..."

That's how busy Sam was in the workshop. Sometimes he also helps in the service department. When the three techniques are in check.

Helping is just helping. Sam's left-hand performance is limited.

During that time also his relationship with Nada is still fairly fivety-fivety.

Until a few days later. One message that goes into his chat room makes it a crime.

[How are you, huh?]

[For a long time, you didn't have any movement. Then I can go on, right?]

...***...