Manfred  

"Never mind, I don't care. Everything has been happened from the start. Let Yoel hit me. I really don't wanna care," said Yuana. She wiped her wet eyes.

"I just found out your situation is very difficult. So far, I know your family is not harmonious. But I can't imagine it you feel that bad," said Manfred.

Yuana did not respond to those words. Indeed, Yuana did not want and need to tell other people what had happened in her house. What were the benefits for her? Would it change anything? Just because it was too painful, that day she took it all out in front of Manfred.

"You come with me after school, okay?" Manfred continued.

"Me?" Yuana was confused by Manfred's words.

"We're going to my house. You have to get your hair done. Our friends will ask a lot of questions later by seeing how you look. You have every right to be angry, but don't hurt yourself," said Manfred.

Yuana looked at Manfred. "Don't say anything to Bobby, Fred."

Manfred smiled. "Yu, do you like Bobby?"

Yuan nodded.

"Do you love him?" Manfred wanted to be sure but was a little afraid that Yuana would be offended or dishonest.

"I love you and Bobby." Yuan smiled faintly.

"We're friends. Of course." Manfred smiled.

Manfred knew that Yuana's love for him and Bobby was distinctly different.

*****

"Well, here we are. This is where we live. It's not a big house. But it's comfortable enough. Come on in," said Manfred. They entered the modest house at the end of the road. It was simple, but clean.

"Sit down." Manfred smiled. "I'm going inside for a minute, I want to change my clothes."

Yuana didn't sit down, she walked around the living room and looked at some of the pictures hanging on the wall. On the right wall is a family photo. On the opposite wall was a beautiful natural landscape painting. Also attached was a rather large wall clock with a calendar under it, a picture of two flying doves, beautiful.

"Good afternoon." A woman came out of the inner room. Her smile grew friendly.

Yuan turned around. "Good afternoon." Yuana smiled and greeted her.

"I'm Manfred's mother. What's your name?" The woman asked Yuana to sit down.

"I'm Yuana, Ma'am," Yuana answered.

"I am Manolita. Nice to meet you, Yuana," she said kindly.

"Nice to neet you too, Ma'am." Yuan nodded.

"Are you Manfred's classmate?" Manolita asked.

Having conversation, Manolita made Yuana immediately felt comfortable in that simple house. Manolita did not expect Yuana to be Manfred's friend since middle school but this was the first time she had come to her house.Yuana smiled. How could she go to her friend's house? There was a fierce lion ready to pounce in the house, Yuana thought.

Manfred appeared, already changed into house clothes. "Wow, you already met with mom."

"Take some food, Fred. You must be hungry, and thirsty, and tired. Aren't you?" Manolita looked at Yuana.

She saw that there was something about this beautiful girl. Her eyes showed sadness. Her face clearly had bruises on her cheeks. But Manolita didn't ask anything.

"You're absolutely right, Mom. Come on, Yu, let's eat." Manfred, who was still standing, stepped into the dining room. Manolita and Yuana followed him.

The food served was simple, home-cooked, but delicious too. Yuana felt a warm home atmosphere that she had never experienced so far.

While eating Manfred told his family. Marvin, Manfred's older brother, Marieta his younger sister. His father's name was Marcus.

"You must have seen my family photo. I'm different from them," said Manfred. Yuana nodded. All of Manfred's family were very Indonesian, there were no foreigners.

"The first time people see me, they'll say I'm Caucasian. Or a mixture of that. But the rest of my family doesn't look like Caucasians at all. Actually, I'm an adopted child in this house, Yu," Manfred continued.

Yuana was surprised by that statement. Manfred continued his story. Previously, Manfred's mother and father lived in Yogyakarta. Manolita worked in an orphanage. One day a foreign woman left her child in the orphanage. The woman seemed to be under stress. She left the baby crying and angry.

Manolita was attracted to the baby because her name matched the name of her son, Marvin. The baby was Manfred. Moreover, the baby was very cute with blue eyes and thin and silky reddish-brown hair. So Manolita told Marcus she wanted to take care of the baby. Marcus didn't mind.

Yuana stared at Manfred unblinkingly. So It was Manfred's story. After almost three years of being friends, Yuana just found out about this.

"A few months after Mom took me, my family moved into this town. Marvin was five, I was almost three, and Marieta was born a year later." Manfred continued. "I still remember a little bit about my real mother. But I know it's almost impossible for me to see her again."

"Even so, your family loves you," said Yuana.

"Yes, we are very close. It never occurred to me that I was a stranger. To them, I was their child, part of this family." Manfred nodded.

After eating, Manfred took Yuana to the side of the house, to fix the girl's hair. At first, Yuana was confused, how. The need to go to the barber haircut. It turned out that Manfred himself did it. Actually, Yuana wasn't sure, hesitatingly sat down and let Manfred held her head and hair, playing with scissors and comb there.

"I'm used to being cut into pieces, Yu, don't worry," Manfred reassured his friend.

"Yes, I think you usually cut fish and chicken. But this is a haircut. It's different, Fred." said Yuana, laughing.

"Trust me. I guarantee you will be more beautiful," said Manfred.

Yuana couldn't reject. She let Manfred did what he wanted to do. After he finished, Yuana smiled broadly. her hair looked nice. It was short, just below the neck, but it didn't look like a man's hairstyle. Manfred was right, she also beautiful with short hair.

"Nice to be your friend. There's a lot I didn't expect from you." Yuan smiled.

Manfred just smiled broadly. Then they went back to talking about Bobby.

"Yu, you know that Bobby likes you," said Manfred. "Why don't you accept Bobby?"

"I don't know. I am not sure." Yuana tried to find an answer in her heart.

"Bobby won't play with you. You must have a reason you can't accept him." Manfred again persuaded Yuana to open up with Bobby.

"I'll think about it," Yuana's thin lips smiled again.

Manfred looked at Yuana. His heart was mixed seeing the girl.

*****

Yuana just got off the public transportation, when Bobby greeted her in front of the school.

"Yuan? Your hair? What are you doing?" Bobby looked at Yuana in shock.

"I ust wanna be different. I am boring of long hair. Isn't good?" Yuana saw Bobby's flabbergasted face.

"It is good. Beautiful," said Bobby. Yuan smiled.

They walked into the school. While walking, Bobby saw Manfred.

"Fred!" call Bobby. Manfred approached.

"Look at our friend. She cut her hair this style. I think something is wrong," said Bobby.

"Indeed ... something is ..." Manfred did not continue his words. He saw Yuana glaring at him. She forbade Manfred to tell Bobby.

"Why?" Bobby was curious Manfred didn't continue his sentence.

"Oh, my God ..." Manfred looked in the distance near the parking lot. Bobby and Yuana looked in the same direction. "Your mortal enemy, Yu."

A tall, skinny girl, a little tall, got down from the luxury car there.

"Niar?" Bobby was flabbergasted. "She goes to school, here? How can that be?"

They looked at each other in disbelief. Especially Yuan. Correct! Niar would always be between her and Bobby.

"I'd better go. I don't want her to see me." Bobby quickly left from there down the hall to his class.

"Yuan, thank Bobby. If you and Bobby have a date, Niar won't bother Bobby anymore," said Manfred. Again, Manfred pretended to be a matchmaker for his two best friends.

"I'm not sure she will stop. I don't think Niar cares even if I date Bobby," said Yuana.

"Yu, this is between you and Bobby. You two deserve to be happy together. It has nothing to do with Niar. Why are you worrying?" Manfred said.

"Okay." Yuan smiled faintly. They split up in front of Yuana's class. Manfred continued on to his own class.

During the lesson that day Yuana was not enthusiastic. She still resented why Niar could attend a favorite school where not just any students could enter. They had to take a test, there were standards that they needed to pass to be accepted at this school. And of course, Niar was not up to that standard. It was also been almost a week of school going, she just showed up.

"Moreover ... it must be because of money. Why does money seem to be all-powerful anyway, in this country?" Yuan grumbled. "And what happened in this school? Which is considered one of the most qualified schools ... It also happens."

Then Yuana turned to think about Bobby. "So, being Bobby's girl? Really? Ah, shouldn't it have been a long time ago? Manfred was right. Why should I think about other people? Bobby and I like each other, we can be happy together. Wait, Bob, I'm ready now," Yuana thought.