TINI SUKETI
9. Wailing Wreaths Smile

Tini is still standing in front of the aquarium room. His gaze was met with the Warni. He swallowed his mouth quickly. There were so many questions in his head. About Mr. Alie, about the Warni who looks to be leaving the place that left him.

Tini looked at the brown envelope in the hand of the Warni that looked very thick. What had the woman done all this time, to the point that a stranger would give her that much money?

“He must be alive, Ma'am.” Tini still looked at the brown envelope.

Warni chuckles. “Kayak liv si Alie already aja,” sahut Warni. “I'm going home, Tin. I don't think I'm coming back here anymore. Inget, you don't look like a new kid. You should be more assertive when you talk. Can?” ask Warni.

Of course, Warni, who had only met Tini twice, did not know about the habits of Tini who was used to talking loudly. Tini just keeps her behavior in front of new people. He was worried about mispronouncing again. But, if indeed that place required him to behave so, he sure could. It is hard to speak loudly and loudly to others. He just remains to be himself.

“Pak Alie still has family? Why play it to a place like gini?” ask Tini.

“Because if he plays to the playground, he worries about being mistaken for a boy. Yeah, why do you think? Mr. Alie, his wife is dead. His son was all rich and rarely looked at him at home. The woman, her assistant. Mr. Alie, the palm oil businessman. Oily anyway,” tukas Warni. “You pinter-pinter took her heart. He's not stingy. Hold the milk for a second, I'm worth a million. It's still him that's holding. If you are struggling plus one romantic song, you can get three million one night.”

“Wah, there is a bundling package also turned out.” Tini nodded.

“Ya, already. Look at that,” Warni pointed at Mr. Alie who is still visible in the hallway. “We've been chatting for a long time, he just sampe there.” Warni giggles amusedly.

“Shrink,” murmur Tini.

“Eat him, you gentilin. Don't be yelled at, later die of heart disease.” The color laughs back. “I'm back, Tin. Good luck. You'll be good at dancing. If there meet a man in a suit with a fat body, see his name badge. That's Mr. Binsar. Operations manager here. He was not flirtatious because he had seen a woman. Yeah, had. There!” exciting Warni. He then turned his body and waved at Tini.

It was the last time Tini met the Warni. The woman returned to her hometown, and never appeared again at the cost of the chicken coop. Messages from Warni became a reference for Tini in that place. And the woman's speech was evident when Tini practiced it.

The first night Tini worked at the karaoke, he went straight to the room where Mr. Alie disappeared. Tini was a little relieved to see the man's assistant did not come inside. He could not imagine how a woman could have the heart to see another woman selling services under his gaze. Tini felt like she would be very sad.

“Can sing?” ask Mr. Alie.

“Can, but dangdut song. What do you like?” ask Tini. He sat on the sofa half a meter away from Mr. Alie.

“Suka—suka, deket here. Don't go far.” Mr. Alie called out to Tini with a gesture of his hand like calling a boy.

Tini shifted her seat to get closer. He was just about to catch his breath, suddenly Mr. Alie's hand squeezed his chest left-right at a glance.

“Asli. Nice this,” said Mr. Alie. Like a plastic surgeon who has just successfully placed an implant in his patient's chest. Mr. Alie's rails look ordinary.

Tini froze, then looked down at her chest that had just been stained by an old man scented with hair oil. Remembering the words of Warni, he then took the remote lying on the table. Press all the buttons to learn all the functions.

A waiter came in to deliver the drinks and put them on the table. Tini still pretended to be busy. Meeting a young man in a dark room, while being with an old man, is not Tini's ideal. Moreover, the waiter who delivered the drink was of good stature and his face was quite handsome.

Finally, after pressing all the buttons of the remote towards the television, Tini found one song that she considered the most fitting for her mood that night. The music was playing, and Tini filled a tall, slim glass with a bottle there. Before pouring the drink into the glass, he was a little surprised by the mouth of the bottle stuffed with lime slices.

“How to do this,” said Mr. Alie suddenly. It turned out that the old man noticed Tini's confusion. “This is Corona Beer. It feels a bit hook so it's packed with oranges to squeeze. You sing,” said Mr. Alie who took an empty glass from Tini's hand. The man shook his hand, asking Tini to sing.

Then quickly, Tini again took the mic and pressed the play button on the remote. The music played and Tini put the mic close to his mouth. He moved his seat slightly towards the big television screen. From the tail of his eyes, he saw that Mr. Alie was leaning back to sip a beer and was staring at the television screen casually.

Tini started singing.

Kowe lunga to me ning kene

(You left me here)

Wis kebacut ambyar, ambyar kaya ngene

(It's been destroyed, destroyed like this)

(The sweetness of your promise turns out to be on the lips only)

Wis kebacut ambyar koyo ngene

(It's been destroyed, it's been destroyed like this)

Ning did kowe have to torture me rich ngene

(But can you torture me like this)

Sapa sing ra gela

(Who is not disappointed)

digawe kuciwa

(If disappointed)

Amberly

(Destroyed)

(Take – Didi Kempot)

If it's just about singing, make Tini is not too new. He is a diligent person who invests envelopes and a song at every neighboring reception, or his friends. Within a week, sometimes he can go to the reception in two places. With simple hopes, if one day he will hold his wedding reception, people will also ease the steps to come.

Tini can sing, but the provisions of the village are just dangdut songs. He is not familiar with pop songs and western songs that become mandatory songs while in the karaoke room.

His voice is not very good, but it is still safe to be heard by humans. Mr. Alie enjoyed the Tini song he sang from the deepest heart. Although with a carefree tone, the song came out from Tini's lips completely heart-wrenching. Unknowingly, her tears melted to her cheeks.

Tini felt like she was the saddest human being. Betrayed by his girlfriend and best friend, away from family, and worst of all, running out of money to end up at a karaoke place with an old grandfather.

Apparently Mr. Alie observed the gloom Tini brought to the room.

“Connect love?” ask the old man directly.

Tini just kept quiet, looking at Mr. Alie.

“Yang yesterday can not be changed again. The current affairs. Why are you sad? The people there don't necessarily regret hurting you. I'm rich, if I die maybe only remembered a week with the grandchildren. The rest of them live as usual. So, enjoy life for today. Once I get in the box, I can't drink beer.” Mr. Alie chuckled at the new thing he said.

Tini frowning. Feeling upset with parents who know with their feelings and hearts. But, he could not deny that all the things that the old man next to him said were true.

A little bit of pleasure because Mr. Alie did not mess around again after just squeezing his chest a glance, Tini took a bottle of mineral water and opened it. Mr. Alie was still sane, he thought. Not so crazy with the bawdry. However, his breathing had not yet finished in all of him. Mr. Alie suddenly inched closer to him and the man's hand fingered the zipper of his own pants.

“Hold-hold aja. Later I will give you capital to start living in the city. Inget, you know, you laper no one will eat.” The man lowered the front of his underwear. And immediately Tini turned to look at the thing that the man wanted to show off.

Mr. Alie's hand skin has been wrinkled and wrinkled. When he looked at the small pile of things that Tini judged to be more like a chicken henhouse, he looked at the old man with pity.

By getting rid of conscience and putting aside shame on yourself, Tini refrains from frowning in disgust. Slowly he began to touch the tiny object hanging like a keychain.

To Be Continued