GOOD NEIGHBORS

This afternoon, Nikita plans to go out to the bookstore to buy the latest novel.

Relaxing while singing softly, Nikita stepped out onto the highway. Nikita went out alone, because this week Hana returned to her parents' house.

Nikita looked at both sides of the road and looked neatly lined up by luxurious houses, this is the first time Nikita notices it.

"Too bad I don't know my right-left neighbor at all. Is it because I haven't been paying attention to it all this time? or those who rarely leave the house? maybe because we were both busy." Nikita said to herself.

"BRAAKK"

Spontaneously, Nikita turned to the side of her house, shocked to hear the sound of falling objects.

Nikita saw a beautiful woman the same age as her mother picking up some of her groceries which were scattered on the sidewalk.

Nikita ran over to her.

"Let me help Madame." said Nikita while squatting, while also putting some of her belongings into the woman's paperbag. The woman smiled softly at Nikita.

"Thank you dear, sorry to be a bother." said the woman with a smile.

"It is not at all troublesome, Madame, it is fitting that we have to help people who need help." Nikita answered sincerely.

"Where is your house, dear?" the woman asked, standing up fixing some of her paperbags.

"Let me bring you Madam." Nikita said, without the woman's consent. We immediately took all the groceries.

"My house next to the madam's house ... it's my house!!" said Nikita while showing Hana's house, which was big, although not as big as other neighbors' houses.

"It's a fortune for me, to be your neighbor dear ... introduce my name, Elina." said Elina shaking hands with Nikita.

Nikita shifted the paparbag in her right hand to her left, immediately Nikita took Elina's hand.

"My name is Nikita, madam, hemm ... sorry in advance madam, can you bring the groceries in, madam? because I was in a hurry to go to the bookstore." Nikita said a little hesitantly because of the awkwardness.

He was afraid as if she wanted to end the conversation, but how else, it was already evening.

"Yes dear, come with me, sorry to trouble you Nikita." said Elina bringing Nikita into her house.

"Wooowww, it's really beautiful in this house, all the pastel colored wall colors are very elegant." Nikita said to herself.

"Where is it, Madame?" asked Nikita, confused to put it down, afraid that it would be wrong.

"Just here Nikita." Elina replied, taking the paperbag from Nikita's hand, and placing it on the living room table.

"Um... Mrs. Elina I will take my leave first." said Nikita as she grabbed Elina's hand and greeted her, Nikita was about to leave the house.

"Nikita, be careful on your way. If there is time to play to my house." said Elina hopefully.

"I will try Madame, excuse me." said Nikita out of Elina's page.

Elina waved her hand with a smiling face.

***

The next day, in the afternoon ...

It has become Nikita's habit, if in the afternoon she wateres ornamental plants behind the house or in front of the house.

Many of the various plants that Nikita has planted, especially jasmine flowers, are more visible than other flowers.

With Nikita's focus on watering the blooming flowers, they smelled very good.

"Good afternoon." greeted someone standing at the gate, when Nikita was about to clean up the water hose after finishing flushing.

"good afternoon too." Nikita replied, turning towards the gate, she hurried over to the guest she had just met.

"Mrs. Elina? this really surprised me, what's wrong madam to come here?" asked Nikita with a look of shock and joy.

"This is Nikita, this afternoon I made a cake, and accidentally remembered you, so I brought it here as well as I wanted to chat, you want it right?" said Elina hopefully, handing over her cake.

"Of course I want Madame, please come in." said Nikita, holding Elina's arm while receiving Elina's cake.

"Come Madame, please sit down. I will make a drink first, Madame." said Nikita about to go to the kitchen, but Elina prevented.

"No need, Nikita, I just wanted to chat for a while." said Elina, pulling Nikita's hand to sit beside her.

Still holding Nikita's hand, Elina looked sadly at Nikita's face.

"Nikita ... may I think of you as my daughter?" Elina asked with a sad face.

Nikita's face shot up, met Elina's gaze, tried to find lies there, but only honesty and sadness could be seen.

Nikita smiled gently, stroked the back of Elina's hand, lifted her and kissed her.

"Thank you if you think of me as your daughter. this is a very extraordinary happiness for me." said Nikita still with a surprised face

"Madam ... but may I ask?" said Nikita as she moved from her seat closer to Elina.

"Why did you suddenly think of me as your daughter? even though we only met once?" asked Nikita in surprise.

With a soft smile Elina answered.

"There was something I felt when I first met you Nikita, like there was a closeness that I felt. Don't you feel it Nikita? answer honestly dear?" Elina asked staring into Nikita's eyes.

Nikita was silent for a few seconds, Nikita confirmed what Elina said, she did feel that closeness.

"Yes Madame, I feel that way too." replied Nikita finally.

"Did you not have a daughter, Madame?" asked Nikita trying to know more about Elina's life.

"I don't have a daughter, but my mother has two sons. The first is named Yoga, he is married and lives in Jakarta. And the second, Bagas, is not married and still lives with me. Actually, Bagas wanted to get married one year ago, but because of some things, the marriage was canceled." Elina replied, telling her everything at length, there was a line of sadness when she told her second child.

Nikita felt the sadness too. Nikita gripped Elina's hand tightly.

"Be patient Madame, hopefully Bagas will soon find a good mate." said Nikita comforting Elina.

"Madam, if I may know how old Bagas is, Madame? I am happy if I can be friends with him." said Nikita earnestly.

"Thirty years dear ... how old you are Nikita?" Elina asked instead.

"I am twenty-eight madam." said Nikita, answering embarrassedly, because at her adult age she was still not married.

Who knows when she can fulfill her dream of getting married to her boyfriend Raka.