The Third Day

"The snakehead fish is really delicious, Ma'am." Fauzana continued happily and ate with great gusto, while her parents just smiled looking at their daughter.

"Tomorrow afternoon it will be our turn to give it to them, what do you think we can make with it, Ma'am?"

"Tomorrow I plan to make pumpkin compote, coincidentally there is a ripe pumpkin behind the house." Mrs. Fitria replied.

"Wow, I agree, Ma'am. You are indeed good at making compote, especially pumpkin compote, I'm sure they will like it." Fauzana was happy with the plan to send food to break the fast for Doddy and his family tomorrow afternoon, because she had found the right menu.

******

The third day of fasting, like yesterday afternoon after Asr prayers, Doddy left for his plantation to fish in the ditch while waiting for the time to break the fast. Before heading to the ditch, Doddy took the time to stop by the barracks which were located not far from the ditch where he fished yesterday afternoon.

Barracks are rows of plank houses built in the middle of the plantation block, each barrack of Doddy's plantation is inhabited by five heads of families, where the barracks are indeed intended for plantation workers. Doddy's plantation, which is indeed large, consists of various blocks and barracks, each block usually covers tens of hectares.

The plantation consists of five blocks, starting from block A to block E. Likewise, the barracks are adjusted to the names of the existing blocks, Doddy stopped at block A where Mr. Hamid and his family were.

"Hey, there's Juragan. Come in, bro!" greeted and offered Mr. Hamid when he saw Doddy in front of the barrack door.

"Thank you, sir."

"Do you want to go fishing again, bro?" asked Mr. Hamid who was sitting with Doddy in the barracks he lived in.

"Yes sir, but later after the drizzle stops." said Doddy who apparently had not started fishing because when he arrived at the location, it suddenly started drizzling.

"Yes, bro, I'll also take a break later, when the drizzle stops, I'll go back to harvesting."

"Don't push yourself too hard, Mr. Hamid, it's the fasting month, just relax, don't work too hard, or you won't be able to fast." said Doddy.

"Yes, bro, I also take a break during this fast. Once my energy is restored, I'll harvest again." Doddy nodded his head.

Because he was so engrossed in chatting that Doddy fell asleep in the barracks, the day was getting late, when Doddy woke up, he immediately said goodbye to Mr. Hamid and rushed to the ditch to fish.

"Wow, it's too late! There's only a little time left for fishing, I hope I can catch something." Doddy muttered as he threw his fishing rod into the ditch.

*****

As planned that afternoon, Fauzana, after coming home from her office, would go to Doddy's house to deliver her mother's pumpkin kolak. Riding her automatic motorbike, Fauzana set off, it only took about five minutes for her to arrive at her intended house.

"Wow, there's Sis Fauzana!" exclaimed Anisa, who was on the terrace of her house at that time.

"Yes, I brought mother's pumpkin compote." said Fauzana while handing over the basket she was carrying to Anisa.

"Come on, let's go in first sis!"

"No need, I'll just be a moment. I'll just sit here." said Fauzana then sat on a chair on the terrace of the house.

"Okay then, Sis Fauzana, wait a moment, okay? I put this compote inside first." After Fauzana nodded, Anisa immediately went into the house.

Not long after, Anisa returned to the terrace of the house to meet Fauzana who was sitting on a chair.

"The fried snakehead fish you delivered yesterday afternoon was so delicious Anisa, I even ate it again after I got home from tarawih." Fauzana said when Anisa had sat back down on the terrace chair.

"Yes Sis, yesterday Sis Doddy was fishing in the plantation ditch and caught five big ones. Suddenly I remembered that Sis Fauzana really likes snakehead fish, that's why yesterday Sis Doddy and I delivered the fried snakehead fish to your house."

"Yes, I really like it and thank you, okay? Sorry I was a bit late coming home from the office so I didn't have time to meet you guys."

"Yes, it's okay Sis." Anisa smiled.

Not long after, Doddy came home from fishing in his plantation ditch, in his hand he was only carrying a very large snakehead fish.

"Look, Sis Doddy just came home from fishing in the plantation ditch again!" Anisa exclaimed, Fauzana, whose position was facing away, immediately turned to the direction Anisa was pointing.

Instantly Doddy's blood was racing, his heart was beating fast. He didn't realize that his sister's friend sitting on the terrace was Fauzana, because Fauzana's sitting position was facing away from the direction he was heading towards the house. With a pounding heart, he tried to walk towards the terrace.

 "Eh, there's Fauzana. It's been a long time coming, hasn't it?" said Doddy, feeling uncertain.

 "Just now Sis, Sis Doddy came home from fishing, right?" replied and Fauzana asked back while smiling.

 "Yes, I only got one. "I was fishing for a while because I fell asleep in the barracks."

 "Wow, what a big snakehead fish!" Fauzana was amazed to see the snakehead fish that Doddy was carrying, it was twice the size of the fish she ate yesterday while Doddy just smiled and didn't know that Fauzana really liked the fish in her hand.

 "Sis Fauzana really likes snakehead fish, she already finished eating the fried snakehead fish we delivered yesterday." Anisa said, hoping that Doddy would be more aggressive in winning Fauzana's heart because at that time she knew that her brother's attitude seemed nervous when meeting Fauzana.

"Ah, really? Then this snakehead fish is for you, here." said Doddy handing the snakehead fish he was carrying to Fauzana.

Fauzana felt embarrassed, even though she really liked the fish.

"Come on, just take it!" because Doddy had offered it twice, she finally accepted the fish.

"Thank you, sis?" she said with a smile that made Doddy's chest tremble even more.

"Because it's almost Maghrib and breaking the fast, I'll take my leave to go home first, Anisa, Brother Doddy." continued Fauzana while standing up from her seat.

"Yes, sis, be careful on the road." said Anisa.

"Oh yes Fauzana, if there are no events tomorrow afternoon at the office, Anisa and I would like to invite you to break the fast together here. Tomorrow after Asr I will go fishing again, hopefully I can catch a lot. Well, we can grill the snakehead fish here while waiting for the time to break the fast, how about it?" Doddy offered bravely.

"Wow, tomorrow afternoon I happen to have nothing to do at the office. But I don't feel like bothering Doddy."

"How about bothering? I would be happy if Fauzana could break the fast with us tomorrow afternoon while grilling the fish, I'm sure we'll get some more tomorrow." said Doddy who was still standing deliberately at a distance from Fauzana and Anisa, because he realized that he had just come home from the garden, of course besides his body being dirty, the fishy smell of snakehead fish still lingered on his body.