TWENTY TWO

There was the sound of a door opening and footsteps from behind. Riri already knew it was Kartika.

 "What did you give her?" Kartika asked with her eyes on the glass that Riri was holding.

Riri was silent and resigned to Kartika's question. Riri even looked at Kartika's hand which was holding a mini market plastic, inside it was full of groceries.

 "No need to give her formula! She already drinks breast milk!" Kartika screeched, her face red with boiled crab.

 "But, Ma'am, he's been crying all the time," said father. Maybe she's hungry. So Riri gave him formula milk. After all, you've been waiting for your father for so long. I'm sorry you're sick like that," Riri complained with a heart that was furious with her father's wife's behavior.

 "You are not Bening's mother! I know when it's time to breastfeed her!" wrath Kartika with a sharp look at Riri. Then afterward she put her groceries in the room. Then immediately picked up Bening.

 "Instead of thanking me for taking care of Bening, you get angry like that." Riri said annoyed in her heart. She looked sarcastically at Kartika who walked carrying Bening and entered the room. She drank the remaining milk in the glass quickly.

***

 "Zahra!" called Riri that morning when she saw Zahra coming out of the gate.

 Riri frowned in surprise. Zahra didn't turn her head to Riri at all, instead she walked at a fast pace.

 Riri immediately ran to Zahra.

 "Zah!" called Riri who was now beside the girl with glasses. They walked hand in hand in an alley.

 "Zah, what's wrong with you? I've been calling you!" Riri was a little annoyed by Zahra's behavior which seemed not to see Riri's existence at all.

 "Zah! By the way!" pleaded Riri by raising her voice. Because he was very furious at being ignored.

 "What the hell!" said Zahra with an annoying face. She accelerated her steps.

 "Are you angry with me?" asked Riri by scolding Zahra. Riri had no idea why her best friend was acting strangely like that.

 "I'm just upset!" Zahra replied with a flat face. She fixed the glasses perched on her nose.

 "Tell me about it! You don't have to ignore me like that, Zah."

 "Did you tell Akbar that I was going to the reatoran last night?" asked Zahra, who now stopped herself. She gazed into Riri's lithe eyes.

 "Yes, I told Akbar that you wanted to meet him and asked for his number," Riri explained casually. She was honest with her words. She thought Zahra would not be angry.

 "What are you pretending to be, you shouldn't have talked to Akbar, I want to go there. I wanted to know Akbar's expression when he saw me for the first time after not seeing him for a long time. Maybe you're telling Akbar that I like him," Zahra explained with an annoyed face. She looked away.

 "Yes-yeah sorry, I didn't know that you would get angry like this. I really didn't know that my actions would make you angry. I'm really sorry, Zah!" Riri put on her sad face. But in her heart she did not expect it at all. Zahra would get angry just because of love. She also did not expect herself to be called stupid by her own best friend. Love really made Zahra blind to her surroundings.

 Zahra who heard Riri's answer was silent.

 "I also didn't say that you like him," Riri explained firmly.

 "I forgive you. But I'm really disappointed with Akbar's attitude who is indifferent to me. Maybe if you keep quiet and don't tell him that I want to go to his workplace. Maybe he would be enthusiastic about chatting with me,"

 "Huh? Oh yes," Riri replied confused. She didn't understand Zahra's thoughts at all.

 Zahra crossed without saying goodbye to Riri. Riri's eyes only looked at her.

 "This is the first time Zahra is angry with me," Riri complained and entered the restaurant.

***

 Lunch time had arrived. The employees ate their food with gusto. Likewise, the boss who was in his seat.

 Riri looked around for a moment. Her mind recalled the atmosphere of eating at the refugee camp. Her eyes were now starting to water but she tried not to shed tears.

 There was gratitude in her heart because now she had a normal life again. Yes, she lives with her father and has a steady job. But she was still very hopeful that her mother could be found.

 "Attention!" the boss warned as he finished his lunch. The employees who had not finished their food were forced to pause and watch their boss speak.

"Tomorrow morning a television crew will be here. They will listen to your stories about how you live your lives after a disaster or during a natural disaster. Especially interviewing Riri," explained the boss until all eyes were fixed on the place where the hooded girl was sitting.

 "Huh?" said Riri with her eyebrows almost sticking together. She put down her spoon to stop eating.

 "According to the television crew. They wanted to bring up your story, because they saw a scattering of papers containing a missing person, namely your mother. Is that right, Ri? Your mother hasn't been found yet?" asked the boss making Riri look at the people who saw her curious about Riri's answer.

 "Yes, sir. My mother still hasn't been found." Riri answered as if something was stuck in her throat. Her heart was very sore remembering her mother. She did not expect that the papers she distributed would get her into the television station. She hoped that by doing so, her mother would be found.

 "Yasudah then tomorrow you must leave on time and dress neatly. You guys finish eating a lot!" The boss got up from his seat. He left the dining room.

 The employees started chatting about how their stories during the earthquake and stunami. Akbar, who was next to Riri, saw Riri's gloomy face.

 "Are you okay, Ri, if you have to retell about your mother who hasn't been found yet?" Akbar asked carefully.

 "Yes, it's okay!" replied Riri stoically, she continued her lunch again.

 ***

 The two feet that were shod with thin ballet-like shoes stepped lightly. She looked across the street. Perhaps she caught Zahra's whereabouts. She felt she had to apologize to Zahra again until her best friend smiled at her. She didn't want her friendship with Zahra to be ruined over Akbar.

 Luckily, she saw Zahra coming out of the hospital gate. But suddenly her eyes widened as Akbar approached Zahra. And they walked together. Both of them were about to cross. While Riri's body immediately turned around. Afraid that she would be seen by Zahra and Akbar. She also stepped quickly.

 "Oh my God, how much my heart hurts," Riri said softly. She pressed her palm against her chest. There was a sting that slipped into her heart.

 "How could they! Walking together like that, what are they doing?