MYS 28
...
"You don't need to win, Ngi. The important thing is to finish as soon as possible." joked Ridho did not want to lose. Automatically gets hurt by other children. Advice that didn't help me at all.
"Okay, okay if we don't win don't be mad at me you know." I snorted annoyed. Our team's turn is insight.
Stepping foot on a rope bridge hanging at a height is not a problem, what makes me nervous is when the team's children both in front and behind me also step, suddenly making the bridge sway. Maintaining body balance is needed here and not necessarily other children can. That's what makes other teams fall or fail to reach the finish. Luckily, our team was successful, even with the assurance that my heart could fall out at any time if it fell.
Our team only got to the third position. A cash prize of thirty thousand rupiahs for each child. That's great.
The last race is a relay race to bring carrots which will be given to rabbits by the last runner. This time I'm on a team with Ebi, Ana, Budi, and Firman. And the one in charge of giving carrots is Budi who has experience raising rabbits.
The relay competition will be conducted in three rounds, just like the competition for making dishes from strawberries. But I'm not sure I can win because of my tired body condition, lack of enthusiasm, and added by Budi's unconvincing confession about rabbits.
"Ana, you're in the first place. Firman is in second. Anggi is in third. I'm fourth. And you, Budi, make sure you feed the rabbits until they run out. Okay?" Ebi's command, who is usually a follower today, took the initiative to become a leader.
"Okay," said Firman and Ana together.
"Ready. No problemo," said Budi pretentiously dramatic as usual.
"You don't have to run fast, do you, Bi?" My moans still have a chilling effect.
"You want to win don't you?" Ebi babbled using a high tone. This kid wants to win first place.
"No, I'm tired this time." I squeak weary. Which was agreed with a nod from another child.
"Just have to win. Period." Ebi's orders have been made. Can't be bothered.
Then, the five of us tried our best in the last competition. For the sake of lunch, for me and Budi.
Efforts to the last drop of sweat under the shivering mountain air accompanied by the mist that started to fall were never wrong. Finally, Ebi's biggest dream come true today. With compensation of one hundred thousand, each child is entitled to if they are in the number one position. Even Budi, who won first place for the first time, couldn't stop smiling while kissing the pink banknote in his black hand.
I smiled to myself too. Finally finished the competition and a box of super delicious lunch as a closing activity I got. After that...go home.
At first, that's what I thought before...
"Please pay attention, my dear children." Pak Pujo's voice echoed from the loudspeaker. "Our journey has not ended here. You all need to know, there is two two-hour for you and your friends to spend enjoying the beauty of the tourist valley here. Next, we will go to the cottage to stay overnight, as a form of effort to foster a sense of brotherhood of one generation that will not you guys forget all your life son." said Mr. Pujo cheerfully. I don't know what the contents of the rice box are, Mr. Pujo can use such rhetoric.
Some cheered because they were staying in a cottage as well as having a water park, but some were complaining because they were tired and missed their pillow at home. Me, not one of them.
For me, field trips are still field trips. The time we spend with the class outside in ups and downs. Staying in a cottage in crowded conditions only adds to the feeling of wanting to hug a bolster pillow in your room instead of hugging your roommate.
I can't remember the trip from agrotourism to the cottage for sure because I was tired and sleepy. I just sat on the bench that Stefie sat on this morning near the window. The next second I fell asleep in dreamland. I couldn't even hear Stefie's whimper that forced me to sit down.
I realized when I heard a boy's noise from behind. I woke up leaning on the shoulder of what I'm sure is not Stefie.
"Eh, you, Jon... duh, I'm sorry if I drool over your shoulder." My mouth respects uncontrollably, causing me to wipe the dry corners of my lips without a trace.
"It's okay, Anggi. Just relax..." Jono was indifferent. With headphones hooked up to an iPod on his head as earplugs, then there's a thin book of William Shakespeare's poems. This Caucasian guy has a different style of his own.
"You know what that means?" I squeaked confused myself and as long as I spoke to cover my embarrassment, I must have been snoring to make a noise until Jono had to cover his ears. But yes, those who were spoken to had a very relaxed attitude as if nothing had happened. It makes me feel even more embarrassed since Jono is a Caucasian, there's no doubt that his English is unquestionable even if he reads classic literature like the Romeo and Juliet writer.
"Just a little bit, Anggi. Want to read?" yes, even give me an offer.
"Thanks, Jon. Let it be my first bitter experience because of that Will." point me unconsciously to shudder to myself. Reading classic literary works like that will only remind you of what happened when you were in middle school.
"Surely first... you were asked to translate and couldn't?" Jono's guess was almost right.
"Yeah....not as bad as that time Jon." avoid I do not accept. "In the past, when I was in junior high school, I got an English assignment to translate poetry in English. Well, that's where the problem is when I went to the library, I just took English books. When I found out it was classical literature, I got out my inconsequential translation scores. The English teacher at that time was very angry with me. She said I had injured classical literature." piss me off in the end. Another secret of mine is out. This time it was Jono who was lucky to hear my confession. Even mom and dad don't know anything about this.
"Wow... your school is cool." Jono's comment was unexpected.
"Yeah..how about it. I've always been in private school, so it's easy to take care of administration if I have to move around."
"It's good to change schools every year, Anggi."
"It's delicious from Hong Kong. What I have is that I'm struggling to catch up. Each school is different...especially if there's local content. I know I'm dizzy."
"That's why your cellphone is so old school? So you can focus on pursuing lessons, right?"
"That's just my parents' trick, Jon." interrupts me. But there's some truth to that too. How come I never thought about it? I'm just loud in protest actions without trying to study.
"You think so?"
…
-TBC-
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