What a Beautiful Divorce
51. Trouble

Prapto rests his back on the patio chair. He closed his eyes to listen more to the sound of the rain, then sighed.

"Beautiful, sweet, cheerful, intelligent, willing to learn to cook..but, is Pinaka now really not a feminist anymore?" Prapto straightened his seat and lit a cigarette.

On the terrace of Kejora village library, Pinaka eyeballs move following the steps of clouds that appear less clear behind the rain. He thought about the same thing as Prapto. "Well, smart, decisive, can make me laugh, handsome... Uh! How come Mas Prapto's so handsome now, huh?"

That is, and the rain that fell was not at all willing to respond to the question of the two people who were in love.

***

Nimo brings hot coffee to the patio table to accompany her father who is looking deep into the rain. They sit side by side.

"It's been raining really hard for a few nights, Nimo, while soon we'll have to sell our crops and processed food to the Kejora company. Then another half a month, Saima's cucumbers should have been harvested."

Nimo looked at her father. "Yes, Dad. Is there something you're worried about?"

"Your garden, son, are the waterways enough and perfect?"

Nimo thought for a moment. He sighed. "What's the perfect condition of the aqueduct, Dad?"

Mr. Dwipangga explained to his son about the perfect aqueduct system to be applied during the rainy season. "If not so, or less just a little, your garden can be flooded excessively and your plants will be threatened, Nimo."

Nimo stunned. Then he got up. "I'm going to the garden now, Dad."

"Wear a raincoat, son."

Nimo nodded then rushed into the house.

***

Prapto stepped one-on-one towards the door with his eyes half closed.

"Nimo?"

Nimo scrunched his forehead. "You're asleep, boss?"

Prapto. "No, Nimo, but almost."

"Why bring a blanket?"

Prapto. He then laughed. "I was not intentional" he said. He invited Nimo to sit in the middle room. "What's up, Nimo? You came in the rain and with a panicked face."

"Dad asked me about our garden's aqueduct, boss." Nimo then told her chat with her father.

Prapto jumped straight into his house as soon as Nimo finished explaining. And before long, he had returned in a gardening uniform. "Come, Nimo! We have to hurry or our business cooperation will fall apart."

"Shortly, Boss! I explained first how to make the right aqueduct as said by Father."

"Let's go in the garden. Come on!"

In the garden, Prapto listened to Nimo while continuing to repair and create additional waterways.

"This is the wrong direction, boss. Father said, it's better to go there. Then this one is to the back, so that the water will not stagnate and pool to the other end of the flow," Nimo said, pointing to which parts of the channel need to be repaired.

"Nimo, there's been a lot. Mampuslah us. These plants must have been submerged since." Prapto continued to hoe quickly.

"We'll do it first, boss, tomorrow morning we'll see the results. Ouch, Goddamn!"

Prapto turned his head towards Nimo whose headlight was now pointed towards the ground. He laughed. "Nights like this aren't good for rain, Nimo."

"Come, rise! Imagine Arini's smile!"

Prapto and Nimo continued to hoe amidst the earthy thunder.

***

Prapto opened his eyes as a ray of sunlight entered through the slit of the board. "What time is this?" He's looking for a cell phone.

Prapto turned to the door of the room, when he heard Nimo calling from outside. "Boss, wake! It's nine." It's nine o'clock."

"Yes, Nimo. Wait for me on the porch and you guys please add more coffee, yeah!"

"Okay, Boss."

After finishing, Prapto went first to the garden. He stopped his steps and shook his head. Prapto stared at his plants as well as the aqueduct he fixed with Nimo last night.

"Here, boss," Nimo said, putting two hot cups of coffee on the table near the kitchen.

Prapto is still looking at plants and waterways. Nimo approached, he stopped his steps right beside Prapto.

"Are we late, Nimo?"

Nimo breathed out his cigarette smoke. "Our harvest is three days away. Means our first supply to the Kejora company is five days away, because women need two days to make processed food. So, we have to solve this problem before three days, boss, or that black American truck will bring the wind to Jakarta."

"That's right, Nimo. The Kejora company has already made an appointment with Dawn's restaurant. If we fail the harvest, our cooperation with Mr. Gumiro and Dawn will fall apart. And also with Indah Green company," said Prapto.

Prapto then turned to Nimo. "But, if our harvest is only three days away, won't these plants still be able to be harvested even if they don't absorb nutrients for three days, Nimo?"

Nimo shook. "Although the harvest is only three days away, if the plants cannot absorb the necessary nutrients from the soil perfectly, then our crops will be reduced considerably in quality, Boss. The color of fruits and vegetables will not be bright and the surface will be wrinkled. Where can it be displayed in malls and supermarkets?"

"Come here, Nimo, Nak Prapto!" Mr. Dwipangga called his son and Prapto from the table in front of the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mr. Dwipangga," said Prapto as he pulled up his chair. "Garden of the Father how? Plants safe?"

Mr. Dwipangga lit his cigarette. "My garden is not inundated, son Prapto. But it rained so much last night that after taking care of the garden I had to repair the waterways and make some new channels."

Mr. Dwipangga then looked at the plants and waterways in the garden. "We need to find a way, Nimo, Nak Prapto. The Kejora company truck will be coming here in five days. We have counted it together with Mr. Oscar, if one garden failed to harvest, the amount of supply needed by Kejora company will not be fulfilled.

"Before I came here I visited some community gardens. From their story, coupled with your garden, there are five gardens that have the same problem and are threatened with crop failure."

Prapto and Nimo were stunned. They looked back at the plants and waterways. Their livestock cheered because they had not been released and fed.

Mr. Dwipangga stood up. "Let's meet four gardeners who have similar problems and then we invite them to discuss at Mr. Kades' house."

Prapto and Nimo lit a cigarette and stood up.

***

Mr. Dwipangga, Nimo, Prapto, and four fathers whose gardens were threatened with crop failure sat on the porch of Mr. Oscar's house. They were all waiting for the idea of the Kejora village leader.

Mr. Oscar sipped coffee. He looked at his guests for a moment. "Every attempt to fix it has been made. Until now, that's the only way we know. The natural structure of these five gardens is easily flooded. Unlike usual, where it only takes two days until the plants can be refreshed, in this rainy season the rain is very heavy.

"And the thing is, if those plants remain unchanged for two days, what great solutions can we find in just one day, before women turn it into food?"

Everyone is stunned. They dissolve into each other's minds.