What a Beautiful Divorce
48. Fishing Fish

"So that the distribution of Japanese vegetable seeds to the residents is quickly completed, we ask Lapen, Taro, and Lennon to help distribute the seeds," Nimo said.

"yes too. Alright. We can also go to the river faster.”

A sudden wind blew. The trees and plants in their gardens move like they dance. Prapto and Nimo noticed the dances of the trees and plants with smiling faces and closed their eyes.

"So this is it, Uncle ... "

Prapto and Nimo who were closing their eyes were suddenly startled to hear Lapen's voice.

"Geez, Lapen!" exclaim Nimo. He and Prapto also saw the presence of Taro and Lennon, each standing beside Lapen.

Prapto laughs. "So, what, Lapen? You want to continue the explanation about the new fish on the phone? Sit first. Sit down, Lennon, Taro."

Lapen, Taro, and Lennon sat down. Lapen then continued his explanation of some fish that reportedly migrated to the Kejora village river.

"So, we want to try some new feeds, Uncle,” Lapen continued. "Hopefully the news is true and the fish is delicious."

Prapto and Nimo nodded.

"Oh yeah, Lapen, Taro, Lennon" Nimo said. "You help us, yeah. Vegetable seeds from Japan have arrived. The five of us split up and distributed it to the village house. You guys brought bikes, right? After that we went to the river. Just chill! We'll bring tea and boiled cassava later."

Lepen and his two best friends smiled. "Good, Uncle. It seemed like it was an interesting offer," Lapen replied.

Nimo got up from his seat and divided the seed packs into plastic bags. Meanwhile, Prapto explained to Lapen and his two friends about the division of the road they would go through each.

"Well, this. After all the seedlings are finished being distributed, we regroup here," Nimo said.

The five of them then took each other's bikes and began to split towards the direction that had been determined by Prapto.

***

At half-time four in the afternoon, Prapto, Nimo, Lapen, and Taro had regrouped on the terrace of the Prapto house. Lennon was the last to arrive. He smiled when he saw fishing supplies were ready on the table. Without getting off his bike, Lennon said, "Come, Uncle!"

"Down first, Lennon," said Nimo. "You tell anyone's house you delivered the seeds, so we know if there's a house that's been missed."

Lennon wagged his Beatles-cut hair and then came down from his chair toward Nimo. Nimo nodded whenever Lennon said the names of the citizens he gave Japanese vegetable seedlings.

"All right," said Nimo. "Come, go!"

***

River fish appear to jump occasionally over the murky surface of the water due to the rainy season.

Under the overcast sky, Prapto, Nimo, Lapen, Taro, and Lennon walked along the riverbed carrying their respective fishing rods and fishing supplies.

"Why did you bring a bucket, Nimo?" asked Prapto, who had been astonished to see his best friend carrying a blue bucket.

"For the fish, Boss. The fish later we will eat, but of course we must not torture it before they are slaughtered," replied Nimo.

Prapto nodded in understanding. "That's right, Nimo. I often feel sad to see the fish die out of breath before they are slaughtered."

"Sad sad but still Uncle let them die out of breath" said Lapen, who now stopped his steps.

"Yes, Lapen, I will not torture any more fish before they are slaughtered" Prapto said apologetically. "Why did you stop?"

"Here seems like a good place to throw a hook, Uncle," replied Lapen. He looked at Taro. "Come, Taro, get the bait out!"

Taro then opened the small bag he was carrying and took out some kind of bait made from fruits mixed with leaves.

"We tried this one first, Uncle," said Lennon. He then gave their artificial bait to Prapto and Nimo. "May the new fish like it."

"What's this bait made of, Lennon?" nimo asked, watching the bait he had just placed on a wide leaf.

"Milled sweet corn boiled half-cooked and long bean leaves, Uncle," replied Lennon.

"Yes, Uncle." Lapen answered. Some river fish prefer half-cooked corn instead. There's another fish that likes fried cassava flour, Uncle. There are many kinds of bait for fishing in the river."

Prapto looked at Nimo, who was smiling, looking at him.

"True, right what did I say, boss? They are the science of fishing in the river is high," said Nimo.

The five of them then threw a hook. While waiting for the fish, Prapto and Nimo lit their cigarettes. While Lapaen and his two friends ate boiled cassava.

While smoking, Prapto looked around the river with a smiling face.

"I assure you" said Taro in a soft voice to his two best friends. "In the city where he used to live, Uncle Prapto would have never felt such a cool cloudy wind."

Lennon gestured by sticking an index finger on his lips. "There is such a wind in the city. You see, right, on television? Winds in big cities are mixed with vehicle fumes and factory fumes. Must be hot, too."

Lapen did not join nimbrung with his best friend. He was focused on finding the right time to lift the fishing rod, because the bait felt being eaten by fish.

"Can!" exciting Lapen. He then moved his fishing rod so that the fish he had just got could be taken.

Prapto and Nimo turned towards Lapen.

"New right, Lapen?" ask Nimo.

"Yes, Uncle. Somewhat similar to the fish we usually get. But when noticed, the scales are more yellowish," Lapen replied.

Prapto looked in awe at Lapen who was very knowledgeable about fishing and about river fish. Prapto then turned to look at his hook which was also bitten by a fish. "How do I lift the fishing rod so that the fish does not escape, Lapen?" prapto cheer.

"Pull a little first, Uncle, and then pick up immediately. Don't be too fast, and don't be too slow like Uncle who hasn't proposed to Aunt Pinaka yet" said Lapen.

Taro and Lennon chuckled, while Nimo did not hold back his laughter, he laughed out loud.

"Yeah, got!" exciting Prapto. He looked at Lapen. "Too slow as you said, Lapen? Continued your words are not clearly heard because I'm focused on pulling this fish."

"Ooh ... That, Uncle ... I said earlier, pull it not too slow, the fish can escape," Lapen replied with a smile to his two friends and at Nimo who was shaking his head.

***

By five o'clock in the afternoon, each of them had caught a fish. The most common fish are Lapen and Lennon. Taro can be many fish as well, but less than three tail when compared to the fish obtained by Lennon and Lapen.

Nimo got ten fish. While Prapto, he seemed to be smoothing the fishing line with his moody because he only got one fish.

"Don't be sad, Uncle," said Lennon consolingly. "When we catch up again. After all, there will be a fishing festival. We'll definitely eat a lot of fish later. My mother said, the Kejora village women will bring cooking utensils to the festival."

He smiled at Lennon. "Thank you, Lennon. We're going straight home?" tanyakanya.

"It's five o'clock, Boss, "Nimo said. "We burn the fish first. Taro said he had knives and spices."

Taro walked over to Nimo. "This, Uncle," he said, holding out a box of herbs and knives.

Skillfully, Nimo slaughtered the fish and grated it. Lapen and his two friends went to the Kejora village forest door in search of dry twigs and three stones to be used as furnaces.

Soon, the fish burner was completed in a place where many trees so that the furnace fire was not extinguished in the wind. Each of them smeared spices and then burned fish.

"How many new fish do we get, Lapen?" ask Nimo.

"Three, Uncle," Lapen replied. "The fish that I got first, kept the fish that Uncle Prapto got, and then the one that Taro got."

"There's still a possibility of another new type of fish, Lapen?" ask Prapto who seems interested.

"Still, Uncle. Later when the fishing festival will be clear how much all the new fish, because almost all parts of the village river will be used for fishing."

"It's ripe!" exclaim Lennon.

They're all smiling. After blowing for a while, the fish that have matured was then eaten ....