Sebastian felt utterly powerless, a statue frozen in place when Dewi questioned him. Dewi sensed something off.... why wasn't he answering? His vision was still hazy, caught in that fragile space between consciousness and oblivion. A moment later, her gaze dropped to his hand, and confusion knitted her brow. Why was he holding her phone?
"Bas, are you holding my phone? Did someone call?" she asked, her voice free of interrogation. Dewi knew him too well, Sebastian would never snoop through her data or peek at her screen without a reason.
Sebastian couldn't think straight. He couldn't possibly reveal what he'd just overheard, yet deep down, he knew Dewi deserved the truth. Wordlessly, he handed the phone back and activated the recorder, queuing up the earlier phone conversation.
In that instant, the cool room turned suffocating, its aura sharp and menacing. Dewi's slightly puzzled expression collapsed into a storm of anger, exasperation, panic, and fear all fused into one. She had absolutely no idea what to do. Seeing her like this, Sebastian pulled her into his arms, soothing her gently. "It's going to be okay… I'm sure Fitri can pull through."
Once calm had settled back over her, they moved to the front room. Sebastian wanted to hear everything that had happened during the holiday. And so, Dewi poured out the whole story, letting her heart find a sliver of peace.
—
It began the day the school announced the holiday, precisely on the 30th of November 2024, when the headmaster declared there would be an important event. It wasn't exactly a public secret, most people were aware....but a holiday was a holiday, and the students adored the thought of escaping the mountain of assignments. That day, Dewi, Sebastian, Fitri, and the others parted ways and returned home because the school was closing, no one was allowed to stay overnight on campus. Dewi, who had no desire to go back, still had to return to a house where no one waited for her. She went back alone. But after arriving, she didn't realize that Fitri had followed her all the way home.
"Fitri, why did you follow me? Don't you have a home?" Dewi asked, a strange feeling creeping over her.
Fitri answered with a face tinged with sadness and a slight pout. "No, I don't have a home." She stepped into Dewi's house without any ceremony. Dewi followed inside.
"Whoa, your house is so simple, made of wood. Won't it be swept away by the wind?" Fitri's tone carried a note of theatrical fright.
Dewi's reply was firm and proud. "No. I've lived here with my grandmother since I was little, so I'm sure it's perfectly safe."
"Ohh…" Fitri wandered around, peeking into rooms. Her eyes landed on a photograph of a very young Dewi, impossibly cute, and she moved to slip it into her bag, but Dewi caught her in the act.
"Hey… Don't take that away, it's my only childhood photo…" Dewi's lips jutted in a small pout.
Fitri pinched those delightfully chubby cheeks and said, "Darling, you're my girlfriend. I'll keep it safe, okay? Don't worry, tomorrow morning I'll run to the nearest photocopy shop and make a copy, all right?"
Dewi didn't answer, she simply headed straight for the kitchen area. She grabbed a shopping bag. "I need to go to the market for a while. Wait here, okay? AND don't forget… don't you open anything." She pointed her index finger at Fitri like a playful threat.
Fitri just nodded along, a string of yeah, yeah.
Heh. Fool. You think I'm not curious? BRUAKAKA.
The moment Dewi was out of sight, Fitri began rifling through everything in reach. She found piles of traditional Javanese batik cloth, scarves, old worn clothes, and even filthy items still lying about. How could someone be this much of a spoiled brat and not even clean her own house?
After what felt like an eternity, Dewi came back carrying groceries. She felt grateful that the market still had supplies left; usually by late afternoon like this, fresh ingredients were sold out and only the expensive ones remained. Glancing at the market clock, it showed 4:50 PM. she hurried home, worried that Fitri might be starving.
When she arrived, Dewi found Fitri fast asleep on the sofa, which had been cleaned spotless. She was certain of it because earlier, upon their first entry, the sofa had been covered in dust and she hadn't cleaned it. Looking around, she saw the entire room was now pristine, even the floors. Dewi smiled softly, pressed a kiss to Fitri's cheek, then rushed to the kitchen to prepare the groceries she'd bought.
She cooked a dish of tongkol fish in a seasoned broth, a traditional recipe her grandmother used to love making when she was small. The flavor she created was a little different, yet the taste remained wonderfully comforting.
She set the dish on the table right in front of Fitri, who was still deep in slumber. The mere aroma wafting from the bowl made Fitri's nose twitch, dragging her abruptly out of her dreams.
Fitri blinked. "Did you make this? It smells incredible and looks so delicious."
Dewi merely smiled and fetched a plate, rice, and the tongkol dish. "Here, I hope you like it."
"Enjoy your meal." Fitri took a small bite, and it was as if she had stepped into a world of pure bliss....a cool, shady place where every mouthful was divine.
"My girlfriend really knows how to cook," she praised.
Dewi's heart swelled with quiet delight. She joined the meal too, equally famished from the time-consuming journey out of Jakarta.
After they had eaten heartily, they prepared for bed, as night had already wrapped itself around the house.
"Can we do it here? I think it's been so long since we last did," Fitri asked as she entered the bedroom.
"Do what?" Dewi feigned innocence, though she knew exactly what Fitri meant.
Huff. Fitri let out a sigh, sulked, and turned her back, facing the wall instead of Dewi lying beside her. Dewi, still teasing, wrapped her arms around her and whispered, "Aren't you tired?" her voice a subtle seduction that filled the quiet space.