When Night Comes

As usual, when night comes, Doddy is never at home, especially this weekend night, riding a ninja motorbike, he and his friends wander here and there. Surprisingly, he's not like other young people. When he goes out of the house, especially on a Saturday night, he goes with the beloved. It's not that he doesn't respect the opposite sex, but to date there hasn't been a girl who has truly been able to make him fall in love.

Most of the women he had met were just friends to chat with, he even made two of them his assistants to take care of records of incoming and outgoing money as well as daily needs for workers on the oil palm plantation he owned. Women who have known Doddy will feel sympathetic, because Doddy is a very fun person for them.

Even though he lives well, his appearance remains simple, Doddy is even known as a friendly and humorous figure. His bad habits include wandering around late at night and even until dawn, playing online gambling games and drinking alcohol, these are all due to the negative influence of his friends who like to do the same thing.

******

That Sunday evening, Doddy, Sony and Andra, sat in a cafe in the middle of Regency City. The cafe was quite spacious because it was not focused on a closed room, but instead the chairs and tables for the visitors were made as neatly as possible outside the room in the yard. open, so that the atmosphere and views can be seen in all directions, especially during the pandemic, the cafe seems to have really implemented health protocols.

"Doddy, I'm surprised that from the past until now I've never seen you hanging out with a girl." said Andra, opening the conversation when the three of them sat in a place where there were only four chairs available around a round table.

"It's there, you've never seen it. I often accompany my sister when there is a friend's wedding party and sometimes I also like to take my mother to the market. Hey..! He..!" Doddy's joke made Sony almost spit out the drink he had just sipped in his mouth.

"I didn't mean that, I've never seen you dating." Andra explained.

"Really, it's fun dating, isn't it?" Doddy asked back.

"Yes, it's fun, bro, we feel cared for and the days feel more alive." Doddy was seen smiling when he heard his friend's words.

"If it's just to get attention from a woman, currently nothing beats my mother's attention. What do you mean by days that feel alive? You think that if we go this way, you'll die, right?! Ha..! Ha..! Ha..!" Doddy and Sony laughed loudly, until several pairs of eyes in the large courtyard of the cafe turned towards them.

Andra didn't continue what he was saying, he thought it was useless to explain to Doddy that he would always be a laughing stock. Exactly at 12 o'clock at night they left the cafe, because soon the cafe they were visiting would close, the three of them were seen heading towards the beach which was approximately 5 KM from the heart of the Regency City.

Sunday afternoon Anisa welcomed her best friend to visit her house, her best friend, Fauzana, is two years older than her, Fauzana is also a civil servant in a local government agency, as a senior Fauzana often helps and teaches Anisa in completing tasks in the office, because one office and often helped, Fauzana became familiar and became Anisa's close friend.

In the fairly spacious living room lined with soft and beautiful sofas, two girls were seen chatting with each other, occasionally smiling and laughing a little. Like Anisa, Fauzana is a girl who always dresses modestly and wears a hijab covering her head wherever and whenever she is.

"Sis Fauzana is now 23 years old, right? When do you plan to get married?" Anisa asked starting the conversation.

"Marry? I don't even have a guy." Fauzana answered while smiling.

"Is it true that someone as beautiful as your sister doesn't have a boyfriend yet?" Anisa asked again.

"That's the reality, Anisa, until now my sister is still focused on her work and hasn't thought about it at all." Fauzana smiled again.

"Hmmm, I also know that you are the belle of the village in this village, and even at the office, quite a few male friends ask whether you have a boyfriend or not. Maybe you haven't found the man you want, huh?" Anisa asked again.

"Yes, that's about it, I'm a person who doesn't like spending time on useless things. Maybe most of my friends at the office and in this village think that I'm stupid, but let it be a principle and I feel comfortable with the principles of life that I'm currently living." said Fauzana with a sweet smile.

"If I may, what kind of man is the criteria for being good and what you want?" Anisa asked while taking a piece of dry cake, which was in a jar on the table in front of them.

"Hmmm, I think it's simple. A good man is a man who is good at being grateful for the blessings that Allah has bestowed on him, always performs the five daily prayers and other acts of worship. "Just like fasting, in a week, we as Muslims will enter the holy month of Ramadan." said Fauzana making Anisa nod.

"Is that all? What are your views on aspects of a man's education and work? Because a man also has to be responsible if he becomes a priest in the family, right?" Fauzana smiled again at Anisa's question.

"For me, rank and position are not a guarantee, a responsible man is a man who likes to work hard and is good at being grateful." answered Fauzana.

While they were engrossed in conversation, Doddy, who had woken up and taken a shower, accidentally passed by the living room, intending to meet his mother on the front terrace of the house who was watering several flower pots.

"Eh, there are guests apparently?" said Doddy, who stopped in his tracks as he crossed the living room. Fauzana and Anisa looked surprised because they didn't realize that Doddy was passing through the room.

"Sis Doddy..?! Just make you surprised! Oh yes sis, let me introduce you to my friend!" said Anisa, Doddy stretched out her hand, Fauzana then stood up and took the outstretched hand, after introducing each other's names, Fauzana sat back down next to Anisa.

"Please continue chatting! I want to go to the front to see Mother." said Doddy, who stepped out of the room and headed to the terrace of the house, while Fauzana and Anisa, after smiling, continued their conversation.

"How come it's already midday like this, ma'am?" Once again Doddy surprised him, this time his mother didn't realize that her son was standing behind her and was busy watering the flowers.

"Astafirulloh Alazim! Just surprise Mom! Mother watered these flowers this morning, but because it was so hot today, Mother watered them again. What's wrong, son?" asked Mrs. Hasnah.