8

"Oh, crazy!" Tera sat in her chair as soon as she arrived in front of Ghina who was busy eating salad with chili sauce while they waited for the main meal and drinks to arrive at the table. "It's hard to make money, isn't it?"

Gina chuckled, she shook her head in concern. "Looking for money is hard, yeah." She nodded. "But, for you, looking for too much money makes it even more difficult."

Tera was only able to close her eyes to regulate her breathing to be more calm and relaxed.

Earlier, when she had just left the meeting room, she was called back into the interview room to help recruiters interview the superstar, Gionanjar, to join her office volleyball team. As a result, the break time, which was already very late, was even more delayed because Gio asked her this and that more.

Luckily it's a Friday, which means she works fewer hours than usual, which is lucky for her to be able to meet Ghina at a Sundanese restaurant located not far from her office. The little girl had deliberately contacted her right when Tera left the interview room, which also saved her from her small talk with Gio who asked her to eat with her other colleagues. Of course, Tera wanted to refuse, but, considering there was no accurate reason to refuse, she would say yes before Ghina called and said that she was waiting at her usual place.

Then, here she was, with Gina, at their favorite diner.

"How about Gio?" Ghina asked as the waitress brought the unsalted iced tea to her table.

"Got it," Tera sneered. "As if I was chasing him." She then drank her unsalted iced tea and felt the coolness pass through her throat. "Yes, it worked. If not, I'll just die. I'm tired of persuading him, so it have to succeed."

"Is he really cool playing volleyball?"

"If he's not good, he won't be recruited by Turkey, Ghina."

Gina laughed lightly. "That's because I don't understand how to play volleyball." Then she raised her eyebrows, teasingly. "I've seen on google how this Gio is. Insane, huh. Seriously handsome, his long hair can't stand it. Are you sure you're not tempted?"

Tera just glared and opened her cellphone which she put on the table. She started checking emails, one by one before she let out a long moan. There is no day without work for Tera, from Monday to Sunday she spends revising this and that, doing what she has to do. Ghina who already understood why Tera looked depressed even if only for a moment then returned to the unconcerned mode.

Tera put her phone back and raised her eyebrows when she saw Ghina who was looking at her tiredly.

"What?" Tera drank her fresh iced tea again.

"You're happy, aren't you?" Gina asked back.

Tera who was asked like that then raised her eyebrows high again. "Happy like ... what?"

"Yea something like," Gina tried to describe with her hands. "With everything you're doing now, aren't you happy?"

"Why are you suddenly asking like that?"

"You work almost every day. You don't have a day off, from Monday to Friday you work in the field, here and there, looking for people to play on your volleyball team. Sometimes you have to go out of town because there are technical problems in the field that make children. You can't clean your fruit, so you're the one who cleans it, it takes weeks or months. Then, after working here until Friday, you continue to fly to Singapore to finish your work that wasn't finished, until Sunday, then come back again Monday morning. With you doing all that, what are you actually doing?"

"Make my Mom Happy. What else?"

"Yes, I know. I understand why you are like this. But, by torturing yourself like this, are you happy or not? I still remember when you finally said you wanted to find your happiness if I'm not mistaken 7 or 6 years ago. Is this what you are looking for?"

"Ya," Tera answered firmly. "This is exactly what I was looking for. This torture makes me happy."

"Have you ever asked what makes your Mom happy?" Gina asked quietly. "Are you sure Wanda is happy with what you're doing?"

Tera felt her throat go dry for a moment. Gina's questions are never wrong, but, why can't Tera answer?

"Ter, it's time for you to open yourself up, and find your true happiness."

"What else should I look for? I've had enough of my happiness now. She is living a decent and comfortable life now, I don't have to think about anything else."

"She doesn't want you to be like this, for sure."

Tera rubbed her face gently. Gina had been talking about this every chance she had from a few years ago. It still feels the same, always makes Tera uncomfortable and depressed. Gina might understand how Tera felt, but she never seemed to end the conversation, no, before Ghina got the answer that Tera should have answered correctly.

"I want to pray first." And it always ends with Tera going to heal herself first, whether it's praying or going to the toilet. With Gina just nodding in resignation.

7 years ago Tera and her mother left the house leaving everything behind. Whether it's family or the problems that exist. Tera went to take her mother to see heaven after so long living in a hell made by her father. Tera took her mother to go to Singapore without telling her family, she ran away with her mother. Until this moment, no one knows where she and her mother are, except for Tera's friends. Be thankful for Tera who never introduced her family to any of her friends, as a result, she managed to escape without anyone looking for her. Tera left everything, leaving nothing in her former home. Then it was the decision that Ghina or Alessa and Dina also regretted, because of that, Tera became very closed both outside and in her heart. No one knows how Tera feels because that woman is very good with tongues.

Ghina had told Tera hundreds of times that what Tera was doing was too much. The guilt for having wasted her mother at that time was too obvious to see for anyone.

"Gina?"

Ghina saw Ivan and a woman who, if she remembered correctly, was his wife. Gina's eyes widened in shock.

"Ivan!" Ghina stood up and shook hands with Ivan and Namira, his wife. "Just arrived or do you want to go home?"

"I was going home until I've seen you," Ivan answered while looking at Gina's table and saw that the steaming food had not been touched, it seemed that it had just been delivered. "Are you alone?"

Gina glanced at her desk, then answered. "no. I'm with Tera, but she is praying."

"Tera?" Ivan raised his head in understanding. "I also met Tera this afternoon in front of her office, alone. Now I'm meeting you too, you two are indeed soul mates."

"Oh, you guys met?"

"Yup. She also met with the others, but she didn't have much time to talk, so she was immediately called by her office. She's really busy."

Gina laughed softly. "There's an event at her office, that's why she's busy. Where else are you guys going though? Are you living in Jakarta?"

"Just back home. We live in Depok. She craves Sundanese food because I had some business nearby, so I just invited her to this restaurant."

"Depok ... that's absolutely far." Gina raised her head slowly.

Ivan and Narima chuckled softly. "Yeah... That's why it's time to catch up, I have to go. Say sorry to Tera." Then they left after saying goodbye not long after, Tera came with a slightly refreshed face.

"My deep-fried squid hasn't arrived yet, has it?" Tera asked when she didn't see that the fried flour squid wasn't on her table just as she had just sat herself down on the chair.

Gina joined in looking. "yeah it seems like that." Ghina answered when she didn't see what Tera was looking for. "I met Ivan and his wife earlier. His wife was damn pretty."

"Ivan?" Tera narrowed her eyes as she scooped up her rice and put it on her plate. "He's here too? Where?"

"Was back home." Gina feeds the rice in her hand. "The lime is for me." Then without an answer from Tera, Ghina squeezed her lime and sprinkled it on her very spicy chili sauce.

"I thought he just arrived."

"Just right when you went to pray he came here, said hello for a while and then came back in a hurry."

Tera just raised her head. She started to spoon her rice and fried chicken into her mouth. She sometimes envies Ghina who can freely eat rice and chili with her own hands instead of a spoon like Tera. If Tera forgets to use a spoon, it must be her hands that she uses to eat Sundanese dishes which at least can't if she doesn't use chili sauce, her hands will be hot for a whole day or days. And it's annoying to make Tera chuckle as long as her hands are hot. Therefore, she will no longer eat with her hands if her food uses chilies.

"He said he also met you this afternoon."

Tera nodded. "Yeah, when I was going to the coffee shop next to the office."

"He and his wife?" Gina asked while chewing her food slowly.

Tera shook her head. "With his Friends."

Gina gave a long-oh. "Must be an office event."

Tera frowned. Trying to remember. "I don't think so. Because he's with Hasan and other's."

"Hasan?" Gina glared at her in shock. "Other's?"

Tera frowned even though she nodded too. Confused to see Gina who was too shocked in front of her. "Yeah, why?"

"Did you actually say that you met Hasan?"

Tera nodded slowly, her eyes narrowed suspiciously, for a moment Tera was silent to think about Ghina's question, then she chuckled. "Back at it again." Tera shook her head.

"Not like that." Ghina never thought that Tera would meet Hasan again. "Besides Hasan, who have you met?"

Tera looked up. "It seems ... there is Yoga, Bayu, and Adi."

"Oh ... Bayu."

Then Tera groaned loudly when she saw Ghina who was already raising her eyebrows teasingly.

Ghina continues to taunt Tera with her past with Hasan and Tera's secret ex-boyfriend, Bayu. The story is quite funny indeed. It started with Tera who secretly liked Bayu because of his good looks and kindness, according to Tera. Because according to Ghina, Bayu is not handsome, it's just that the man is very good at mixing and matching his clothes as well as possible, therefore Bayu is very pleasing to the eye. But, according to Tera, who was in love with Bayu, the man was super handsome and also kind. That's why Tera fell in love. Tera's feelings were reciprocated not long after Tera followed Bayu's social media account, the man turned out to like Tera secretly. However, because Tera doesn't like drama, and Bayu is Hasan's best friend, Tera proposes the idea of dating secretly. At first, things went well until they walked for a few months, everything seemed normal because according to Tera, Bayu is the perfect boyfriend, always understands Tera's condition, is always there for Tera, and gives Tera full attention, whatever Tera wants is always fulfilled by Bayu. But, it turns out that what Tera thinks is good, isn't necessarily like that all the time, Bayu turns out to be asking for more, which Tera can't give him, because Tera hates ownership. So, the first time Bayu wanted hwe, at that moment Tera decided to sever all ties with him mercilessly and would not give him a chance. Until this moment, no one knows the story other than Gina.

"Eh, that's the volleyball player, isn't it?" Ghina pointed to a dot behind Tera. A very tall man with a super handsome face like he was looking for an empty place.

Tera followed the direction of Gina's index finger. She turned her head, then narrowed her eyes when she saw Gio's tall body. She slowly nodded and quickly turned her head when she saw Gio's crooked smile returning her gaze.

"Uh, he's on his way here, you know."

Tera straightened her body. "Duh, how come my squid hasn't come yet?"

"Well, he really went to us, if you want to know." Ghina didn't seem to care about Tera's words.

"Tera."

Then the sound was like thunder to Tera's heart. Her eyes blinked, to calm her heart which suddenly fell to the ground. It's an unlucky day.

"Uh, Mr. Gio." Tera put on a broad yet casual smile. She stood, then bowed politely. "Just arrived or finished, sir?"

Gio laughed softly. "Just arrived." He answered and then his eyes caught Gina who was looking at him curiously. "I'm Gio." Gio held out his hand.

Ghina who was daydreaming seemed to wake up and hastily stood up from her seat. She was a little confused about which hand to welcome the outstretched hand with because her right hand was still dirty from eating earlier.

"Oh, sorry." Gio who understood then lowered his handshake. "My name is Gio."

"I'm Gina, Tera's friend."

Gio nodded. "May I join here? It's not fun to eat alone even though there are people who know the place to eat."

"Actually, we wanted to--"

"It's okay, we're also bored with just the two of us. Come and join us, it's okay." Ghina cut Tera's words quickly.

Gio laughed briefly. He then sat next to Tera, who looked like she was trying to be indifferent even though her face looked really annoyed. Gio seemed amused to see him.

"Do you work in the same office as Tera?" Gio asked after he ordered chicken penyet and mineral water.

"Wait a minute, I'll wash my hands first." Then Ghina left to wash her hands, leaving Gio and Tera alone.

"If I remember correctly, you said that you had eaten, when I just invited you to eat together with me." Gio raised an eyebrow at Tera.

Tera, who was sipping fresh iced tea, glanced at her from the side and saw Gio was looking at her curiously, there was no irritating look because Tera had been lied to.

"Uh," Tera's eyes glanced elsewhere, looking for an excuse. "Who is not tempted by Sundanese cuisine?" Reasonable reason.

Gio raised an eyebrow, questioning Tera's behavior, which seemed as if she didn't want to look him in the eye. Looks awkward. He doesn't know why.

"Anyways, why are you eating alone? Didn't you with Mr. Benny and the others?" Tera hastily changed her question.

"They eat in the canteen when I see the food looks boring. I'd rather eat alone." Gio looked at Tera. "And boo ya, turns out we met here. so I don't regret separating from others." 

Tera just nodded in understanding. She looked at Ghina who was walking towards her with a look that was difficult to interpret. Tera's feelings began to be anxious, Ghina's brain could never guess.

"Gio," Ghina called out after she sat down in her chair, she took a sip of her unsalted iced tea before continuing. "Besides playing volleyball, where do you work?"

"Bank Indonesia. How about you?" Gio feels that Ghina is super sociable than Tera, who is a bit clumsy. He seemed interested in comfortable chatting with Gina because of his friendly attitude.

"Wow, that's cool." Gina nodded. "I'm at Telkom, in the South Jakarta area."

Gio gave a long-oh. "You guys know from where? Because you guys are from different offices."

"I'm a friend from Tera's campus."

Tera could only sigh softly. She was waiting for her fried flour squid which never showed up. Looks like she has to wrap her fried squid and bring it home. She didn't want to linger here with Gio.