What a Beautiful Divorce
22. It's Beautiful, Miss

"Hello! With Mr Prapto?" A woman's voice came from across the phone.

"His "prapto was right, but his father was wrong. I am not a father" answered Prapto.

The woman across the phone was silent for a moment. And he said, "I'm sorry. Is this right with Mas Prapto?"

"Well, like that. Is correct. What's the matter, Ma'am?"

"I Pinaka who yesterday was researching the crops and livestock Mas Prapto and Mas another one that was emotional at that time" Pinaka replied.

"My friend's name is Nimo. I was emotional at the time, Mom. Continues to?"

"Sorry, Mas. Can we meet, Mas?" ask Pinaka again.

Prapto frowned. He knows people, but, Prapto wants to delve deeper into the relationship between their refusal of plantation outcomes and Silvi and Tristan. He was also a little interested and wanted to know more about Pinaka, because Prapto could see something he could not express with words from the girl's eyes.

"Can. Tomorrow, yes, at the restaurant closest to your shop, Pinaka."

Pinaka was silent for a moment. So far if he invites a man to meet discussing business related matters, no one has ever arranged a meeting place. Or if there was, Pinaka would disagree. But Prapto's tone of voice and Pinaka's impression of him made the girl not want to argue.

"Well, Mas Prapto. Good night."

Pinaka did not hear his words. He waited a moment. After five minutes of no reply, Pinaka turned off the phone with a thought of wondering.

Pinaka did not know that Prapto who was very tired after the trip from Jakarta, coupled with pushing Pak Oscar's car was asleep.

***

That morning, Prapto and Nimo were feeding their cattle. The sky seemed bright with its blue that was as if it was limitless. The animals looked cheerful as usual and they made a sound while occasionally looking towards Prapto and Nimo.

"A few more days it's going to rain, Boss," Nimo said, "the grasses are going to be high fast and the intake from the soil for our crops is going to be divided with those grasses. That'll make us a little late for the harvest."

"You're like a shaman, Nimo, you can tell it's going to rain" Prapto laughed as he closed the door of the chicken house.

Nimo smiled and then shook her head. He said, "That's not a prophecy, boss. I've seen the sign in the sky last night and the sign of the animal. Boss knows, right, that the animal can see the natural tendency based on the movement of nature itself? The animals don't predict, boss, but they read the signs of nature."

Prapto. "Yes, Nimo. The animals I think are better than BMKG at reading the signs of nature. I knew that it was not their instinct, but it was intelligence in observing nature. We can be as smart as they are in this, but we don't want to learn.

"People used to read the constellations to see the coming weather. Both for the sake of planting and for sailing. They do not need BMKG. Well, what are those two signs you saw?"

Nimo just finished lighting his cigarette. "Last night the crescent moon appeared, boss. When the crescent moon appears, it is a sign that in the near future it will rain. One more thing, I saw ants more diligent in gathering food than usual.

"That means the ants have read the signs that in the near future it will rain. So, they collect food so that when it rains later they do not need to starve because they can not find food outside the nest."

Prapto. "I just found out about it, Nimo. So, we're gonna be whistling a lot of grass, huh later? But how come your father's garden doesn't have much grass?"

"Fathers grow ornamental plants, Boss, which make the grasses die because they are covered from the sun by the ornamental plants. He has always loved ornamental plants.

"No, Boss," Nimo replied, "because I think it's just because she likes it."

"You notice no, Nimo, that our crops are not as heavy as your father's?"

"There, Boss. I was astonished too."

"After you said your father planted the ornamental plant, I thought maybe it had something to do with it. Come on, let's ask your dad! I also miss talking to him."

"Okay, Boss."

Prapto then lit his cigarette. "Oh yes, Nimo, I'll meet Pinaka in Keladi. I borrowed your bike, huh?"

"Wear, Boss. But what did the boss meet him for? Boss wants to uppercut that woman?"

Prapto laughs. "No, Nimo. He called me last night to meet, I don't know what. Then I invited him to meet at a restaurant close to his shop. Because I think it's good too, later I can explore what's behind the rejection of our garden results. I'm also a little interested in him, Nimo" he replied.

Nimo smile. "I'm also curious about the reason for our refusal, Boss. I hope Pinaka is interested in you, boss so you're not alone anymore. I'm sometimes sad to see you live alone, boss. Don't let me get married to Arini, already have children, but you're still alone."

"Fuck you, Nimo!"

Nimo laughs. "Continue. What's he say again, boss?"

"Keep I overslept" answered Prapto, laughing.

***

Pinaka waits for Prapto at the shop table where he becomes an abal-abal food researcher. Sometimes he sat down, sometimes he stood to look in the street. Pinaka has dressed up to meet Prapto. Pinaka deliberately turned around since morning because last night he forgot to ask Prapto about meeting the clock.

Pinaka then stood in front of the glass of the store cabinet to see his appearance. "For so long he. Is Prapto really coming? Ah, what do I care anyway. Why do I think about the village man so often? If he doesn't come 'l stay I'll just tell Mr. Tristan he's not coming, '" Pinaka said slowly to himself.

"It's beautiful, Miss Pinaka."

Pinaka turned towards the shop door. "Eh! Welcome, Mr ... Uh, Mas Prapto," he said.

Prapto quickly noticed Pinaka's draped back hair, his gentle eyes, and his smile that looked very cool. Prapto still saw clearly in both Pinacas that there was something the girl had to tell him. Words can lie, but the eyes always emit honesty.

Prapto. "Come on! I can't stay long because I need to be around noon" Prapto said.

Pinaka approached Prapto to both walk to the eating place they had agreed to. Pinaka did not understand, or rather he was lazy to think about it, but what was clear to him was that Prapto was different from other men.

All this time Pinaka easily refused if a man invited him to speed up the meeting like Prapto earlier, what else he had waited long enough. Even more often no one dared to behave like Prapto's attitude to him.

The men were so subdued by Pinaka's beauty, they were so afraid of not getting Pinaka's attention when they denied. Types of men in films and romance novels are widely circulated in the market. Men who treat their girlfriends or wives as queens, which they unknowingly treat as servants.

They had been sitting in a dining place that was not luxurious but the table was neat and clean. After ordering two servings of tofu peppers and two glasses of iced tea, they started a conversation.