“Hai.”

“Hai.”

POV – 1

Of all the coffee shops in town, why here?
Wait.
Of all the towns and cities in the country and the world, why here?

“Apa kabar?”

“Baik. Apa kabar?”

“Baik juga.”

Awkward silence. Something we, no, I used to avoid. It always signals something wrong. But it was then. This is now. Quick, brain! Think of something!

“Eh, iya. Maaf lahir batin, ya.”

“Oh, iya. Maaf lahir batin juga.”

“Kapan sampai?”

“Kemarin. Erm, udah lama mudik?”

That brief pause when you don’t know what to address me? Really? I thought we’re past this.

“Dua hari sebelum Lebaran sudah di sini. Kok tumben ke sini?”

“Mau lanjut road trip besok pagi, hiking, terus keliling-keliling. Jadi mampir dulu.”

“Oh ya? Wah, keren. Iya sih, harus berangkat pagi-pagi banget kalau mau dapet pemandangan bagus. Sendiri?”

Somehow I have a feeling I will regret asking that question.

“Enggak, sih. Erm, berdua. Dia juga Lebaran di sini.”

There you go.

“Oh, oke.”

Wait, what? Why am I just okay? Where’s the flaming rage? Where’s the emotional outburst? I’m supposed to break all the tables in this cafe into pieces, but why do I remain calm? What is happening? Who takes over my body?

“Jadi ya nyusul. Mumpung masih ada liburan.”

Alright, say no more, maybe?

“Enjoy the holiday kalo gitu.”

“Thanks.”

“Kayaknya gue duluan ya.”

“Buru-buru banget.”

Wait, what is that supposed to mean?

“Ini juga duduk cuma buat nungguin makanan dibungkus, sekalian beli beans buat persediaan di rumah.”

“Oh, oke.”

“Duluan ya. Salam buat …”

Dang! The name! The name! What’s the name? Stupid brain, what’s the name?

“Hehehe, oke, nanti disalamin.”

Major crisis averted! Phew!

“Hehehe. Sorry. Oke, thanks ya. Duluan. Bye! Nice to see you again.”

Why am I being miss, I mean, mister congeniality here?

“Bye. Nice to see you juga.”

I feel nothing. At last.

POV – 2

Uh oh. This is what I dreaded the most. This is what I’m so very afraid of.
Now it’s happening.
S**t.

“Apa kabar?”

“Baik. Apa kabar?”

“Baik juga.”

Okay. This is awkward. The other party stays silent. What should I do?

“Eh, iya. Maaf lahir batin, ya.”

Finally.

“Oh, iya. Maaf lahir batin juga.”

“Kapan sampai?”

No, no. Don’t start asking these questions.

“Kemarin. Erm, udah lama mudik?”

“Dua hari sebelum Lebaran sudah di sini. Kok tumben ke sini?”

You have anticipated and prepared this kind of questions, dear self. Time to open the file. Come on, say the lies, I mean, the prepared answers.

“Mau lanjut road trip besok pagi, hiking, terus keliling-keliling. Jadi mampir dulu.”

Nice. Very smooth. Good start.

“Oh ya? Wah, keren. Iya sih, harus berangkat pagi-pagi banget kalau mau dapet pemandangan bagus. Sendiri?”

Yeah, you’re not a good liar. You don’t prepare this far. You dumb self!

“Enggak, sih. Erm, berdua. Dia juga Lebaran di sini.”

“Oh, oke.”

Wait, what? Did I hear that right? “Oh, okay”? “Oh, okay”? Seriously? How can you be this cordial and fine? You’re supposed to break all the tables in this cafe into pieces, but why do you remain calm? What is happening? Who are you, really? Are you over me already?

“Jadi ya nyusul. Mumpung masih ada liburan.”

See how your calm response making me saying stupid things like that.

“Enjoy the holiday kalo gitu.”

“Thanks.”

“Kayaknya gue duluan ya.”

“Buru-buru banget.”

No, no, no. I did not just blurt that out. No, no, no. Where did that come from?

“Ini juga duduk cuma buat nungguin makanan dibungkus, sekalian beli beans buat persediaan di rumah.”

Thank you for your smile that saved the awkwardness. Thank you. I’m sorry I can’t say it out loud.

“Oh, oke.”

“Duluan ya. Salam buat …”

Uh oh. Now you’re being awkward. Ha! Gotcha!

“Hehehe, oke, nanti disalamin.”

“Hehehe. Sorry. Oke, thanks ya. Duluan. Bye! Nice to see you again.”

“Bye. Nice to see you juga.”

I will remember this. Of all the places in the world, I’m glad to see you here.