I Tamed My Boss (For a While)

"Hi! Mum..."

"Um, Sandra, what's wrong?"

"Mum, what is that tone? You sound not too happy to hear me calling."

"I'm happy, Sandra, I'm just confused. You rarely call me, and if I called you, you are always busy too. So, what happened?"

"It's nothing, I just miss you, Mum. How are you, and dad, are you all healthy? Bastian, how is his lecture going?"

"I and your Dad are healthy, your brother is also well. That's all! I was just annoyed when I saw your brother playing games all the time. Can you call him sometimes? Tell him, don't play games too much, study properly, take a little responsibility. Tell him, that his tuition fees didn't come from the Sky!"

"Yes, ok Mum. I will call Bastian later."

"Sandra!" Mum called my name suddenly.

"Yes, What Mum?" I answered patiently. I know who's my Mum is. Same as other mothers her age, if her pitch starts to go higher, it means she has something important to talk about.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm ok, Mum!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

"You're not stressed, aren't you? Is your boss grumpy? Did he make you work so hard? Or... Are your friends doing bad things? They did not bully you, right? Eh, could it be... Sandra, you weren't fired, right? If your boss fire you, just stay in Bandung. You can help out at aor restaurant while looking for a new job. You're worrying me! Little girl, alone in a big city."

"No, Mum, Sandra wasn't fired... yet!" Of course, I must whisper when I said 'yet! I don't want my Mum to hear that word. "Sandra ok. My friends are also fine, they're good people, nothing's wrong with my work. I called because I miss you. Don't scold me, ok?"

"Don't forget to eat. Don't stay up too late, sleep regularly. Don't forget your vitamins. Later, I will send you more frozen food from the restaurant, what do you want? Buttered chicken? Grilled chicken? Mushroom Chicken?"

"You don't have to, Mum. All the food you sent me last week, still a lot in my fridge."

"Oh my gosh Sandra, you eat right. Don't go on diets, you're tired from work, a diet too, you'll get sick."

"No diet, Mum, just..." I quickly held back my words. I wanted to say that I'm busy and sometimes forget to eat, but I quickly hold my mouth off. Saying things like that in front of your mother will get me lectured for 3 hours. So, to avoid any chatty argument, I'd better watch my mouth carefully.

"Just what, Sandra?" asked Mum who was impatient to hear my words.

"I just eat in the restaurant sometimes. Mum, you know, sometimes I meet clients at restaurants or cafes. Besides, you also send me too much-frozen food that one fridge is full."

"Yeah, it's okay, San. So you don't eat out a lot. Don't spend all of your salaries just on food. Don't forget to save it, ok?"

"Yes, mum, don't worry. If you go eat with a client, they always pay the bill. Yesterday, Sandra ate with a famous artist. His name is Mr. X, he is a good person."

"Oh, thank goodness then. Remember, San, don't forget to eat."

"Yes."

"Keep well!"

"Yes."

"Um, our restaurant is full, I need to work, so Mum will call you later."

"Ok, Mum. Say Hi, to Dad for me and... bye," I say as I hang up the phone.

"Are you sure you don't want to be the cashier of a Chinese food restaurant?" said Steven who seemed to be eavesdropping on my conversation with My Mum.

I immediately looked at him in annoyance. How many times do I have to tell him I want to be an architect. Is he forget what I was said? Or, because of a fever, his brain began to have short-term memory loss? Is he can't remember my answer that night?

"No," I answered firmly.

"Well, sorry, didn't mean to offend you. But... I still don't understand. If your parents' restaurant seems quite successful. Why do you need to start some career that is not certain, if you have a more promising family business?" said Steven while sipping the porridge I ordered via an application.

That's right, Mr. Steven. Now he becomes tamer after listening to my nagging. I never think, My Mum's moves were quite successful in making this annoying wolf calmer. And, that's why I called my mum this afternoon, I want to say thank you to my Mum, for teaching me to nag properly. But, I can't literally say it to her, without a lot of back questions from her. I guarantee, my mum's question, will give me a headache. So, I decided to thank her in my heart. I hope our hearts are connected, and Mum knows how much I thank her.

"Hey, newbie!" call Steven because I didn't answer his question.

"My parents' restaurant was promising, but I still wanted to be an architect!"

"You are stubborn, aren't you? Please, don't blame me if you get hurt later."

"Yeah, thanks for the advice, sir. Don't worry, I will never blame you for the decision I've made."

"Good!" Steven said flatly while sipping his porridge slowly.

"So, what's wrong with you? Do you have a hereditary disease? Heart? Diabetes?"

Diabetes? Seriously? I regret asking Steven if he has diabetes. A typical grumpy boss's blood seemed to contain more tears of misery and bitterness. There's no way his blood would contain sweet sugar. Hahaha, I'm 100% sure he can't possibly have diabetes.

"Not enough rest!" he answered with a little grumble.

I started to pay more attention to his face again. Looks like he's not lying, his eye bags are thicker and already black like a panda. Yup, panda eyes = no sleep all night. It's not a secret anymore.

"Lack of rest is not a disease," I protest. "You should go to the doctor, check your blood to the lab. Fever can be caused by many things. Bacteria, viruses. There are many types of bacteria, especially viruses. It can be dengue fever, typhoid, or even ..."

"Shh...! Don't be fussy!" cut Steven in annoyance.

"Yeah, I won't be fussy, if you want to go to the doctor, and let the doctor be fussy."

"Yes, if I still have the fever in another 3 days, I will go to the doctor. Satisfied?" he said like a child annoyed at answering too many questions from his mother.

"Yes! So finish the porridge, after that, you take your medicine and rest," I say while watching Steven spoon the chicken porridge I bought him. And luckily he obeyed me well, he didn't argue with my words, he didn't even refute my request. Until the porridge was almost empty, and Steven looked full. Or maybe he was a little nauseous. Well, instead of him throwing up and I have to buy some more porridge, I let him leave some of his food in the bowl.

"Ok, now you need to rest," I say after seeing Steven take the paracetamol pill.

"I can't," he replied with his stare eyes. "Please get my laptop on the table, I have to finalize the design of the new showroom."

"Sir..." I said trying to nag him again, but this time his glare overpowered mine. I admit, for the staring contest, I seem to lose badly. My gaze was like a cat's glance against the sharpness of a tiger's eyes. And, because I was lost, I couldn't help but get his laptop on the table and give it to him. Although my heart still hopes, that the paracetamol pills, that he has just taken can make him drowsy and fall asleep.

Hi, readers, I know what you're all thinking. You must want to tease me, right? You think I'm starting to care about Steven, don't you? Oh, no, I just wanted to get home as soon as possible. It's late, and if Steven sleeps, that means I can go back to the boarding house. But, I'm not denying, if I'm worried enough to leave him alone in the house. What if he has a high fever again? Should I accompany him tonight?

"Sir, can you rest a while? I know you are very, very workaholic, but..." Shit, I can't continue my words. How could I possibly continue those words? But, you're sick! Oh, that sounds so unprofessional.

"But...?" asked Steven for me to continue.

"But, Mrs. Anna is out of the country, so maybe you can relax a bit." Huff, luckily. I praise myself for my ability to avoid my true meaning, twist my words before I get into trouble.

"I have to finalize the design right now. There's no time anymore. Ma'am. Anna will arrive in Jakarta tonight, and tomorrow, we have a meeting with her. Of course, I want to take your advice, to sleep and rest, but If Ma'am. Anna ask why I had not finished the design yet, I will blame you because I do what you want! Do you agree?" he says in such an annoying tone.

I took a deep breath. I know I'm not a perfect human, I know I have mistakes that sometimes turn into regret. And please... God... I wish I'll never regret that I helped him someday.

"Sir, that's much you want to fire me?" I asked. I want to see if I was wrong for helping an ungrateful human like him.

"No, I'm just saying the truth. You told me to rest, didn't you? So if tomorrow Mrs. Anna asks why this work isn't finished, then the reason is... that my assistant told me to rest."

Do you know? How annoying was Steven's face when he said that? The grin on his lips made me want to punch his perfect face right away. Until finally I just clenched my fists, trying to hold back my emotions. Hope my anger doesn't explode and destroy my future. I don't want to go to jail because of punching my boss. I guess you guys have the same thought, right?

"Hey, newbie!" called Steven who had noticed my face was starting to turn red. I didn't answer him. I'm afraid he'll say something even more annoying and I will end up in prison for real.

"Since you are already here, what do you think of this design?" said Steven, showing a picture on his laptop.

Damn, this man in front of me knows how to melt my heart. He knows I like to see designs that are unique, well-proportioned, and good. And Steven's design does fit all three criteria. Without further ado, I started to sit on his bed and watched the design he was working on.

"Showrooms, right?" I asked curiously.

"Car showroom. European car named Audi, you know?"

"I know, sir," I say, looking at the designs on Steven's computer.

I've never designed a car showroom before, I'm not familiar with the space requirement. I am incompetent to express my opinion on this building plan. I need some time to research before I speak something. The only thing I can comment on is the shape of the building.

"I don't like the shape of it," I replied. Well, maybe you guys think I'm sassy. You may think I'm being a bitch, but isn't Steven asking for my opinion? And I think he also wants an honest opinion.

"Why?" he asked, frowning.

"I think it's too . . . futuristic."

"Oh thanks, they did want a futuristic design."

"But, sir, it's like a glass egg in the middle of a grass field. A big oval, with glass walls all over the building's facade?"

"Then what kind of design do you want? Concrete eggs? Or concrete boxes like Uncle Scrooge's money bin? This is a Showroom, where people can show off their cars so everyone can see them from a distance."

"I understand, sir. But why does it have to be round? The room won't be as effective. You know, a square will be more efficient."

"Oh, c'mon! Don't teach me Vitruvius principles!"

That's exactly what I'm going to use as an excuse to argue with Steven. Vitruvius principles. 3 Architectural principles rooted in beauty, strength, and utility. I know, to some people's think, this design is beautiful and strong, but the shape it's not efficient. I'm sure there would be a lot of wasted space if the shape were round like this. I realize I do like designs that may be old and outdated, but didn't Steven just ask for my opinion.

"I don't know, sir, I still agree with Mies Van Der Rohe, Less is more!"

"But, you work at Ruanna, and Anna Gunadi agrees more with Robert Venturi. So, from now on, you also have to learn a new principle, Less Is Bore!"