"Bring the fish in, let me see first," said Lilis from inside the stall.
Arya, after getting approval from Mrs. Lilis, immediately entered the shop. However, he was shocked to death to see that Mrs. Lilis was only wearing a thin negligee that stuck to her body, showing the curves of her body very clearly. Arya's blood suddenly started flowing violently, her eyes seemed frozen and she couldn't blink.
"What are you looking at, ar?" whispered Mrs. Lilis while smiling meaningfully, looking intently into Arya's eyes which were starting to darken.
Lilis was used to seeing the young men and gentlemen in the village looking at her with sparkling eyes like that. For him, it didn't matter as long as they didn't overdo it. She has to protect her good name, but who can resist the turmoil when her husband migrates to Malaysia and only comes back once every two years?
Actually, Lilis felt very lonely. Longing for touch, longing for affection, and lack of inner sustenance made his chest tight. Moreover, he was still thirty-seven years old, an age where his blood was still boiling and his passion was still burning like an unquenchable fire.
"No, ma'am, I didn't see anything. This is the fish, ma'am," said Arya haltingly, her voice sounding hoarse while her face turned bright red, her smile looked very awkward and stiff.
"It's really big, ar!" Lilis screamed involuntarily, her eyes widened at the contents of the bucket, but her tone sounded so seductive.
Arya chuckled, trying to cover her nervousness. "Maybe I'm lucky, ma'am," he said casually, completely unaware of the double meaning behind what Mrs. Lilis had just said.
Arya was actually quite surprised when she saw the fish she got. He was sure that the fish he caught earlier were not as big or as numerous as those in the bucket now. After pondering for a long time, he finally realized. All of this must have something to do with the magic ring around her finger! His enthusiasm immediately burned. He is increasingly convinced that with the power of this ring left by his grandmother, his life will definitely change drastically for the better in the future.
"You just weigh it first, ar. Separate the snakehead fish and mujaer, OK? I'll make the coffee you ordered first," said Mrs. Lilis with her face now completely red, her eyes never leaving Arya's sturdy body.
"That's it, ma'am! Don't forget the bitter coffee, OK?" replied Arya enthusiastically, trying to divert her thoughts.
Arya, who was used to helping Mrs. Lilis at her shop, immediately moved quickly. His hands were agile in separating and weighing the fish. It didn't take long for him to finish his job.
"The tilapia fish is five kilos, ma'am. The snakehead fish is two kilos and a half," said Arya proudly.
"Ar, I'll pay as usual, okay?" said Mrs. Lilis, handing over a hundred thousand note, plus other small denominations.
Without much protest, Arya accepted the payment. He felt very grateful, even though he only paid thirty thousand per kilo for his fish. According to him, the price given by Mrs. Lilis was very high and really helped him.
While the two were busy chatting, the warm atmosphere suddenly broke. Aida came out of breath, her face full of panic.
"Ar, let's go home... hurry up!" Aida exclaimed in a trembling voice.
"Why, sis... Why are you so panicked?" Arya asked, her forehead furrowed deeply, her heart seemed to stop beating for a moment when she saw her sister's panicked face.
"You are waiting for the village head and the RT at home!" Aida said quickly, her eyes wide with anxiety.
Instantly, bitterness filled Arya's heart. His chest felt tight, as if the air was running out. Never once in his life did an important person like the Village Head look for him at home. Bad thoughts immediately hit him, he remembered the embarrassing incident with Juleha some time ago. Do they know?
"Sir Lurah...? What's wrong, sis, why are you looking for me?" Arya asked again, her voice sounding weak and full of fear.
"Let's just go home first... we'll talk at home later!" Aida answered briefly, pulling Arya's hand forcing her to move.
"Ma'am, I'll go home first, okay?" Arya said to Mrs. Lilis, her voice sounding incoherent.
"Yes... be careful," answered Lilis, who was now feeling worried seeing the change in the young man's face.
All the way home, Arya's mind was in a mess. Cold sweat drenched his temples. His heart was restless, imagining the bad things that might happen to him.
"Sis, what is actually going on? Don't make me curious!" Arya asked again, her voice pleading, but again the answer was only silence and a worried look from her sister.
When he arrived home, Arya's guess was correct. On the terrace of the rickety house, there were three people who he respected very much and who now made him tremble. Apart from Mr. Lurah and Mr. RT, there was also Juragan Untang, a very rich figure who rarely appeared in front of small people like him.
"Assalamualaikum," said Arya quietly, her voice sounding hoarse.
"Waalaikumsalam, sorry to disturb your time Ar," said the RT with a flat face.
"Yes, it's okay sir, what's going on sir?" Arya asked without further ado, she wanted to immediately know what her fate was.
"So, Ar, the purpose of our coming here is to discuss the issue of widening the road and building a factory in our village. The current road is too narrow," said Mr. RT slowly but firmly.
"If you are willing, we want to use this land and house as a driveway and storage warehouse. But don't worry, we will replace it with land that has a good location and has more area," said the Village Head quickly.
Hearing that, Arya's body immediately went limp. His legs felt like they couldn't support his weight. Even though he had previously heard rumors about widening the road, hearing directly that this land and house—the house where he lived—were going to be taken, made the world seem to collapse in front of him.
"You know... you said Mr. Tono's garden is the one you want to use as a road, sir?" Arya asked, her voice rising slightly, trying to find hope.
"At first it was like that, but Pak Tono changed his mind. Unfortunately he said that all the coconut trees had to be cut down," answered the village head casually, as if he didn't know what he had just said.
"Hmmm... how about it sir..." Arya was silent for a long time, her voice caught in her throat. His eyes started to fill with tears, staring at the walls of the house whose paint was peeling off.
"This... this is the only thing Grandma left for me and Aunt Aida, sir," said Arya, her voice shaking violently, her emotions exploding. The tears he had been holding back for so long finally fell down his cheeks.
"This house is simple, but this is where I grew up. This is where the last memories of my parents are kept. If this is taken away... what else will be left for me, sir?"
His chest was tight, he felt like he wanted to scream as loud as possible. Why does fate always play tricks on him? Just as he felt lucky to get a magic ring, now he has to lose everything.