What a Beautiful Divorce
94. Lemon Ice Tea

Pinaka is ready. He went to the terrace. What Pinaka saw then made him shake his head. “Mas!” call him while shaking the shoulder of Prapto who was fast asleep while holding a book.

Prapto opened his eyes. He laughed while his shoulder was still shaken by Pinaka. “I'm awake, Pinaka. Come, depart.”

“Mas tired? If you are tired, I only bring a motor?” Pinaka sat next to her husband.

Prapto. “Just tired a little, really, I still have a strong motor. Come!” Prapto stood up and stepped onto the motor, followed by Pinaka whose hair was today pigtailed.

Pinaka knew how diligent and innovative Prapto was in gardening, so he was not surprised to see Prapto sleeping while sitting down.

Prapto is not just about gardening. He will continue to learn and try new innovations to improve the quality of his gardening. Then, if he gets a new finding, Prapto will tell Mr. Oscar to be conveyed by the village head of the Kejora to the head of another family in the village Kejora.

Prapto once told Pinaka, ‘I love gardening and I love doing it. I will pursue deep gardening in order to benefit the plantations in this much-loved Kejora village, Pinaka.’

It was one of the many things Pinaka liked and admired from her husband. He always wanted to be next to Prapto to support him, to encourage him, even though Pinaka knew that Prapto would remain vigorous and determined even without his support.

That is precisely what makes Pinaka so respectful and loving Prapto, besides Prapto's attitude to him that is loving but not more.

If Prapto is a whiny man and more on his woman as is found in most online novels and on television, how can Pinaka believe that her husband can be the place to lean? How could such a man lead a household.

“Until what time we are on the beach, Mas?” asked Pinaka when they had passed the gate of Kejora village.

“The distance is about an hour, Pinaka. Until six o'clock, all at sunset.” After saying so, Prapto turned the motor to cut off a cow-carrying truck. “You're hungry, Pinaka?” continued.

“Okay,” Pinaka replied. “Numbered, Mas.”

“Then, we have lunch on the beach alone while looking at the waves and blown by the sea breeze,” Prapto said laughing.

***

Stepen was wiping his motorbike when a sedan came in and stopped in his yard. The car looked old, with most of the paint already fading.

Stepen put down the evasive cloth. He called his wife to ask her to drink. “Lastri, Daddy came.”

Pastri who was watching TV looked outside. “Mas also want to drink?” tanyakanya.

“Iya, coffee, yes,” Stepen replied. He then greeted Mr. Oscar who had arrived on the terrace. “Daddy want to chat inside or on the terrace?”

“On the terrace only, Stepen, cooler,” replied Mr. Oscar. Then they sit down.

Lastri came to put two cups of hot coffee, greeted his father, and sat down.

“Where is it, Nak?” ask Mr. Oscar to Lastri. He then ignited the shell.

“Go fishing, Well, with Taro and Lennon.”

Mr. Oscar nodded. He then told Stepen to ask his son-in-law to paint the car. “Less one more color, I was looking in the store but it ran out. You got light green paint, Stepen?”

“Before a while, Well, I look first.” Stepen went inside to look at his collection of paints. After making sure there was no light green, he returned to the terrace. “Nothing, Well.”

“Then, I'm going to Keladi city now, so you can start painting it tomorrow, Stepen.” Mr. Oscar saw the clock on his phone.

“Wait, Dad. Nimo came here to talk. He said, Prapto and Pinaka went to the beach. I'm asking you to leave it to Prapto. He ‘kan go home through the city of Keladi,” said Stepen.

Mr. Oscar smiled. “Good idea. I'll call Prapto in a minute. Maybe they are still on their way. Oh yes, I will leave the car here, Stepen, later please take me home, yes.”

“Lastri, let's play chess? This time I definitely won again,” take Mr. Oscar to his daughter.

Lastri laughed. “Come, Dad! When did you win?” tanyakanya. Lastri immediately took the chessboard from the shelf on the terrace.

That's Mr. Oscar. Although Lastri was married and did not live with him anymore, but his closeness with his daughter was never tenuous.

***

Pinaka and Prapto enter the beach area that is not crowded with visitors. The atmosphere is calm and the surroundings are clean. They ordered two dishes of fried rice and two iced lemon tea and then went to a small pendopo on the beach.

Pinaka opened the package he brought and took out his homemade banana sponge cake that had been cut neatly. They ate the cake while waiting for the fried rice to come, while looking at the calm sea, which in the distance looked two fishing boats and a large ship.

“Like no end, yes, Mas,” Pinaka said. He was still looking out towards the sea.

“Iya, Pinaka. But come to think of it, the ocean ‘kan does not have an end, it cannot be said to be limited by islands. Even all the islands are in the middle of the sea.”

Pinaka nodded while chewing on the cake. “Iya, yes, Mas.”

Prapto. “Taste of this sponge like I'm eating a mixture of several types of bananas, Pinaka.”

“Iya Mas.” Pinaka laughs. “The banana we harvest ‘kan there are four types. What I cooked is a mixture of the four types of bananas. Delicious, right, Mas?”

Prapto. “The beans have been around since I bought the land. Mr. Rodi planted it.”

“Excuse.” The shop owners' mothers came with fried rice and lemon iced tea with trays. Pinaka offered the sponge to the mothers. He sat at the end of the pendopo and took a piece of sponge. “Lezat, Dic. The sister who made it?”

Pinaka nodded. After thanking her, the mothers returned to the store.

Pinaka brings fried rice and drinks to nearby Prapto. They began to eat and occasionally Pinaka fed Prapto with his fried rice.

“Mas phone is ringing,” Pinaka said after opening her bag. “From Mr. Oscar.”

“Please get Pinaka.”

“Halo, Nak Prapto,” greet Mr. Oscar from across the phone.

“Halo, Mr. Kades. What's wrong, sir?” ask Prapto. He put down his empty plate.

“I want to paint light green color. In the store building our village is empty.”

“Okay, Sir. In Keladi city there is, right, Mr Kades?”

“There, Nak Prapto. Thank you, yes.”

“Sama-sama, Sir.”

Prapto gave his phone back to Pinaka to put it in a bag. “Pak Kades paint light green color, Pinaka. He wants to paint his old car.”

“Iya, Mas. Bu Inari had a story when he visited our house with Bu Intan this morning.” Pinaka arranged an empty plate and sipped some lemon tea ice.

“Oh yes,” Prapto said after igniting cigarette. “There was something I wanted to talk about this morning, Pinaka, but I forgot.”

Pinaka who was sipping lemon iced tea glanced at Prapto.