WHY LOVE
Smooth Way (2)

Nico's phone rang while he was putting clothes in his suitcase. He just had time to pack this morning because last night was in Malik's apartment until late.

"You must accompany me to Banda Aceh!" That was the core talk last night. Malik can only shrug his shoulders to receive the order, he will follow for the smooth mission of his best friend.

Nico grabs the phone that just keeps ringing;

"Hallo bro,-"

"Nico, I'm ready." Malik's voice said he was ready to go.

"OKAY. I'm going there now. You wait in the lobby !" Nico ended the call. He rushed down and held his suitcase. With Hendro's father's driver, Nico left for Malik's apartment and then headed to Soeta airport.

"It feels rare for men today to behave like you. I'm proud of you!"

Hendro's father's words were still ringing in Nico's ears when he was saying goodbye. Father patted his shoulder a sign of support, Mother also prayed for the smoothness of his affairs.

Nico closed his eyes after sitting in the plane seat, next to Malik. Flights to Banda Aceh will be taken three hours less 5 minutes. He can use the time to sleep because last night only sleep 4 hours.

At 10 on the plane landing at Sultan Iskandar Muda airport. With wide steps excitedly, the two black-spectacled cool men walked towards the pick-up area where an online taxi was already waiting for him.

"We're going straight to the address or to the hotel first?" ask Malik who does not know that Nico has booked a taxi through the application.

"We rest in the hotel to be fresh" said Nico.

****

Still with his spirit and energy, Suci greeted the friends of the marketing staff he passed. He was now used to the call 'Bu Secan' pinned on him and only replied with a sweet smile.

"Mas Nico's coffee,--" Saints were stunned as he opened the door to Nico's room. Nico indeed freed Saints to enter his room without having to knock on the door.

"Astagfirullah, I forgot that today Mas Nico didn't come in,-" Suci stepped on a chair like Nico's desk. The desk looked clean and some files were neatly arranged on the left side of the table.

Suci kept a coffee glass in the middle of the table, then took a picture of it. Agilely, both thumbs type a caption for a photo of a cup of coffee that he displayed in status.

"Headless coffee"

Only this first time, Suci freely circulated his gaze to the entire room of his boss. Blue and white alloy that hints at the theme of the spirit and productivity of the owner. Suci grabbed a small frame on the table, displaying a portrait of a family with two children who were teenagers around the age of Junior High. "This must be the parent, Mas Nico and his brother,-" Suci muttered to himself with a smile looking at the teenage Nico who had seen the seeds of good looks.

He then stepped towards the window, looking at the atmosphere of the capital that was dense with tall buildings. "Hm, why do I feel lost yes," said Suci while stunned.

Huft, Holy you must be spirit! Don't let Mas Nico be disappointed to see your performance." Sacred motivates himself, slowly Nico's door closes again. And the coffee brought back. He'll give it to Bayu.

****

It was not difficult to find a place to live Umi Afifah. Arriving at Syiah Kuala, asking only one person he met on the road, Nico directed the car he rented to a simple but sturdy house with its spacious courtyard without a fence.

"What a great view. I can stay here,--" Malik stretched his body as he got out of the car. Nico did the same. The expanse of green rice fields is indeed pampering as far as the eye can see.

"Wuihh there's roomy balls!" exclaim Nico seemed happy to see a green grass ball field next to the house of Umi Afifah, where children play if the afternoon is up.

Nico knocked on the door of the house that looked lonely. It's 2pm, maybe people are still working or taking a nap. But a lock was heard, and the door was half opened. A sweet woman stood glued to the doorway staring at the two strangers she had just seen.

"Hey mbak..hellow,--" Malik wagged his hand in front of Rahma's face still gawking.

"Eh yes-yeah,--" Rahma became excited after she realized. "I'm sorry, who do you want to see?" Rahma looked at Nico and Malik full of probing.

"We from Jakarta mbak, want to meet with Umi Afifah," said Nico politely.

"Hm, wait a minute, I'll tell Umi first." Without waiting for the guest to answer, Rahma closed the door and locked it again. After all they are foreign guests, Rahma felt herself to be vigilant because now many crime modes disguise guests.

Now, Nico and Malik are sitting in the living room. Umi let in after believing the two young men he saw were looking good. There was a bit of tension on Nico's face as he was stared at by the host, as if he was being tried. There was Umi, Mr. Badru who was introduced by Umi as his younger brother, also Rahma son of Mr. Badru and younger cousin of Suci.

Nico took a breath and threw out slowly before he spoke. "Mother Afifah, introduce me to Nico and this is my best friend Malik. We're from Jakarta,--" Nico paused by taking another breath.

"Call Umi, nak Nico, let's be more familiar,-" Umi said with a smile. He saw the tension on his guest's face. So Umi tried to make the atmosphere relax.

Nico just nodded politely. "I work in the same place as Candra and Suci. And I like Sucita, Umi's daughter. So, I mean to come here, I want to ask permission from Umi." Nico did not say he was a subsidiary of the company. He also wanted to test how his family would accept him if he was just a regular employee.

"Would you propose to the Saints?" umi's forehead wrinkled, feeling unclear with Nico's intentions.

Nico shook his head, "Not Umi, uh I mean not yet. Saints don't know that I like it. I want to get permission from his mother before I express my feelings to Saints."

Silent.

Nico who had spoken upright face to face, now lowered his head waiting for Umi's answer who was still silently looking at him.

"How old are you?"

"27 years, Umi."

"What can you give to make the Saints happy? Because she's a very dear daughter of Umi." Umi stared intently at Nico who looked a little surprised at her question.

"I have a steady job as well as savings, Umi. God willing, if you have asked me to buy him a house. I promise I will make Princess Umi happy!" Nico answered seriously.

Umi smiled faintly at the reassuring answer from her guest. "Umi did not ask how much of your wealth to make Umi's daughter happy. Umi wants the Saints to get a good priest, who wants to live in line with religious guidelines in order to achieve the happiness of the afterlife."

"Honestly, my religious knowledge is very shallow. But I will continue to learn, I will strive to be a good priest" Nico said with a serious look.

"Well, Nico, there are conditions that you must meet first. If you succeed, Umi will mourn you approaching Saints."

"What's Umi's condition?" Nico fused his eyebrows together, his chest started pounding heavily when it suddenly crossed his condition of being heavy.

"The signal, Umi wants to hear you teach!"

Glug

Nico swallowed his saliva. Suddenly his throat became dry and his body was cold hot. "Can the conditions be replaced by running around the ball field or another Umi,--?" but it was just an offer in his heart, not daring to be spoken.

Malik, who had only been a listener, was now staring at Nico. His hand touched the shoulder of Nico who was sitting by his side. Malik nodded his head and his hand clasped Nico's shoulder as a sign he was encouraging that you could.