TWILIGHT IN SABANG STREET

Ah, there’s a certain sentimental every time I passed this place, which used to be known as Sabang by teen of my generation, where rebellion to an-old-way-of-thought shown by stubbornness and way of life of showing off with luxurious car or motorcycle racing. 

But now it all buried deep behind row of shops and street vendors as commercial taking place with such cruelness, especially after young people lost their desire to hang out at an open space and moved away to those who had roof above their head like mall.

I took my self here because I do need the atmosphere changing after having this week full of curses and insults as I thought nostalgic romanticism of my good-and-glorious-old-days with heal the severe pain of one called cooling time…yup, it’s sure is kill your mood instantly, right? Just when you thought you had the right person, in my case right girl, and suddenly she asked me to back off little bit… 

Cooling time…jeezzz, I really don’t know what that does sound other than stopping the act right before you almost reach the orgasm…and that’s the only right words to say about that!!!

Cooling time…that means pausing the romance time…for one more time, after the one before, and the last one before this…

Gooosh, my friends would laugh at me if they knew about my situation and that’s really obvious considering most of them already getting along in relationship, having a family...baby...kids, in fact I just realized now almost all of my old friends have changed status to a duo in these game of life, and within ages the confusion increasing, not because of question about where to find the perfect soul-mate or why no girl had their interested in me but rather why my relationship never stays long with girls I ever dating.

And that was what happened to me once again, with my latest girlfriend names Moniq. I’m not Casanova-kind-of-type who like changing girl like clothes, you may never think of this but it really exhausted me whenever I had to introduced all things about my life way back from the start, over and over again like an old records repeating the song you'd like, and that’s the fact every time I got into new relationship.

I drifted the sidewalk from the corner of street where Pondok Satay of Mr. Mustache stays there till now, but it was the only one remains. Other had already gone like Happy Days that used to be across the street, thought it couldn't withstand the cruel of capitalism, they who couldn’t make enough profit to pay the spot rent on Sabang will be displaced with ease, it curses everyone without exception – even for place full of history that acquainted steak to Jakarta’s people – and that’s pity because I’m one of example of it.

Yes! Me!

The village boy who became urbaner to this big city, I moved here to get in to college and I was tacky and stupid when looking for a spoon, instead the knife beside the plate that supposed to be used to slice the meat up.

And that’s because of that old bastard, Oding, my old buddy who treat me there, he's inviting me just to be laughingstock of friends in Civil class-A. He really mocked me off badly but from that incident Oding and I have really intimate companionship. 

Even it’s only me, and me alone, he shared story about his first laid, something that supposed to be secret for most of us right? But he’s really done that. He told me everything in detailed, including the music that accompanies the moment…something that Oding called as “A real-man game”

Kneel down Inhale my odor
Come kiss my hand angel
dare to explode my higher ground
stike ti desearve me
Ma chrie

And my winds surpass perfum
I'm a carismatic and fool boom
I'm a genuine man

Yes I am, I am a perfect gentleman
Yes I am, I am a perfect gentleman

Sometimes I don’t believe what he said because I know he likes to brag, and it includes that matter, after all, what kind of girl who liked to have sex in such noisy music as Halloween band? 

But I know, if I had doubt about it, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. And I have the confirmation from Oding himself when he was bragging about his girlfriend Melanie just few months after he told me about his confession. This time he's not talking about how he fabricated the story was but how he could get the girl, which almost impossible for him to do.

"It's because of this ring," he raised his middle finger that entwined with yellow-eyed silver ring.

"What the heck is that?" I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"It could make girl crushed on you in an instant."

"How does it work?"

"I'll show it to you if you liked to know."

And after proving how easily Oding make the girl we’ve just met on bus giving him her phone number I understand why Melanie could hooked up tightly with that bastard, I just stunned like stupid cow hearing Oding’s stories, one more time, about the sensation over Melanie that accompanied by the cries of "I want out ..." thing that came along with Kai Mahsen’s guitar melodies.

Have been busy with memories, I didn’t take notice when someone finally hit me from the side. The person yelped softly because of bag fell, at the same time we bent - I want to help get her bag as an apology – and I was surprised to find a woman in front of me. Perhaps the shock was not as great as felt by that woman, that's for sure, because there she was…my former biology teacher on Senior High in Yogyakarta.

Her named Miss Erna. The name’s remained well in my memory because she was the youngest and prettiest teacher in our school. I stared at her, astonished by her sexy looks, and I can’t avoid it because as I remembered I never saw her like that. Miss Erna always dressed in old-fashioned base on her shy character and we often poke her for that.

Unlike another female teacher, Miss Erna was not a coward jerk though she's a very shy person. She’s the only one who never reported to Mr. Har, the ferocious Headmaster who like to gave detention to students in ease – most of us also thought it was for showing off and playing a late-post knight to get female teacher's attention, about what we did to her. 

I thought she afraid once but on second thought I found out, somehow, she merely looked enjoying our naughtiness on her. She seemed like a school seleb indeed…

In fact she made me heart broken when she’s ignoring my love letter, something that I gave her one day when I had this balls, and she returned it into my essay task that gets E, I still remember her comments; “If you fill out this test as you did with your letter then you deserve an A. Too bad, you didn’t…”

"Miss Erna?"

I was nervous, confused to call her by Ma’am just like I used to do back then when I was a college boy or simply because surprised of her looks. Though she was the younger teacher but she’s actually much older than me, definitely, but there’s nothing has changed from this woman. No wrinkles or slightest of aging adorned her face. She’s perfect as she was when I knew her on my youth.  

Although I’ve been fascinated, my male instincts could not hide mischievous nature when my gaze swept the black kilt skirt that went two inches above her knee, a brown satin tank top that sneaking her stomach up, and Magli’s black boots. Like the face, there’s nothing changed over her body as well, she stays slim and perfect as an Italian sculpture…

She was blush on her cheek, surely aware of my mischievous eyes that couldn’t be concealed this close, I could felt the shyness of her still on its place. Only this time she was not bothered by the naughty looks but she smiled and touched my arm that filled with muscle, "Ferry? You've grown up..."

"Sure did! And should I call you Mrs. Erna, now?”

“Don't have to. I’m not married yet,” she gave me that smile.

“Oow! That’s cool! Hey, what’re you doing here?" I asked awkwardly.

"Just waiting for a friend," she replied stiffly.

Her answered lit the dirty thought inside my mind, it was crazy indeed but the fact that she stood in dress like that on the corner of this street...well, I really couldn’t resist that, and that was kind of answered that often used by all prostitutes when caught up by one of relatives when they’ve been waiting for customer. Was that what this woman had did in this kind of place? But how I could think such nasty thing to the woman who’s ever taught me once?

"How about you? Are you alone?" the woman asked me with a question which I felt a way to avoid her odd circumstance.

I shook my head, "Don’t have girlfriend yet...I guess I am," and this answer was truly lie considering I was in a cold war with Moniq.

"Oh ..." Miss Erna nodded and she tried so hard to avoid my gaze that implies alleged in my brain once again. The woman pulled her cell phone as a sign to break the niceties and exchanged numbers before we split up with manners, advised each other to contact as soon as possible.

A hot woman in sexy dressed left her phone number for me, a clink rang in my head, ascending lots of possibilities which leads to what so called “A real-man game” by Oding. But inside my heart whispering smooth voice of some lyrics of Poison’s track, "You can look but you can’t touch..."

So here I stood, looking at her ass as she’s doing the catwalk thing that reminds me of Naomi Watts as she walked down the catwalk at Fashion TV. I don’t know whether she gave her number because she knew me from the past or because the ability of yellow-eyed silver ring on my middle finger that was given by Oding, six months before my old friend died on...

My God, I realized that I should not linger on these sidewalks, not because of many people milling around but this is the place…the post where Oding was killed in car race just before the camera store at the intersection of this road ahead.

The loud screech of brakes was still clear as yesterday. Car that drove by Oding couldn’t be controlled because of brake failure and my best friend was thrown out through the shattered front window of the car. My journal noted everything very well, it know how I feel when the blood of Oding was flushed at one edges of this road.

To bury the uncomfortable feeling I walked into Voice Ambassador, a record store that longed to be my second home. I often spending my time in here with guys of Mortal, the name of my old band that playing Hard Punk, after school time and wandering around the records and tapes of lots of band. The place was like an ocean to explore and when we found the record we’ve been searching for it felt like finding a hidden treasure.    

It arranged very well now, the records were assort at display shelf in alphabetic from A to Z to help buyer easier to find one they’ve been looking for, just named it;  A for Aerosmith or AC/DC, B's for Blink or Breaking Benjamin, C's for Cranberries or Cold Play, to Z for ZZ Top or Zoolander. They also had a special section to listen the promo tapes so buyers just simply pick up headphones to hear it, it prevent visitor from taking the records from the display shelf and wrapped it off just to take a listen to it.

I rather like the friendliness of the atmosphere in the past, on that days we could have a day when one able to hang out, opening the cassette covers, listening to nearly half the contents of the tapes through a player that provided freely for anyone who wants to try the tape before buying it, and returned it haphazardly without even have to feel the guilt or forced to buy, the best of all was shopkeepers never had problem of that.

Everything looks so formal, I felt a fierce looks from the staff as I flip through cassettes and CDs at the end of the shelf to another. One more thing that concerned to be fading from this place was its soul! 

Yeap, years ago I could have the right record and its title just by saying the lyrics or humming the tones I've heard from radio but I'm not sure the same ability have had by all those staff…just look at the stupid stares of them...even when I asked where’s the location of records I had seek they have to went back to the store owner and asked where it was, even though the alphabetic system was built to helped them as well.

Ah, the soul is really important for this life indeed....

But…Damn! What the hell she’s been doing here? And, who’s that was standing next to her?

I stared at black-haired and flawless brown skin of Java’s girl who’s standing in front of the rack albums homage to pop. It was her favorite, especially David Foster or Josh Groban, and we often argued about it because she insists me to listen more of Hard to Say I’m Sorry rather than Smell Of Teen Spirits.

A stocky man in uniform with Lieutenant’s rank on his shoulder stood beside her, circling his arms around her waist. The stiff on his face showing of how he often get involved in difficult situations such as mass demonstrations or attempts treason insurgency at border region. But just now I know Moniq, the name of the girl who once decided my love last week, had bad taste…

Army? Really? She asked me for a cooling time just to have dates with army guy?

I confronted her right away with saying just a simple Hi and she shocked to see me there…well, shocked may be at the lowest level of what she felt at that time...Panic! There’s more like it!

The panic and guilt churned in her emotions, there was some awkwardness plagued from her as she found out that she was caught by me, especially it was her request that we’ve done this cooling time thing, it was her who suggested that we don’t need to contact each other up for while – not because we were going to end it but because we needs space for cooling down, to make sure ourselves that our relationship was something we want for each of us, and not because of necessity or other love.

Moniq looked embarrassed a bit and tried to put the Lieutenant’s arms away from her waist when she introduced me to her so called best friend, best friend that never mentioned to her boyfriend I presumed, I acted normally when I shake his hand and announced myself politely as Moniq’s friend but she aware of my stare that saying it was over for both of us and it was me who called the decision…I’m breaking her off.    

But it was her unwanted-to-lose ego that make her questioning me with sarcasm then, "Long time no see and you’re still alone?"

That bitch! I want to put my hand over her neck…

From the corner of my eye I saw a woman came to the floor where we were, I could not believe it because we were parted in the middle of the road minutes ago, but the figure was clearly Miss Erna. 

Perhaps the angel sent her to me, or she’s been following me, or this might also an effect of Oding’s ring that he lent me...whatever that is, it allowed me to answer the question of Moniq with a head held high.

I came to her and grabbed her from behind, as gentle as I could, with lots of pray that she wouldn’t slapped my face in front of public. I had enough shamed for tonight because of Moniq and I don’t need another one from this woman who could be the second embarrassment after my love letter incident. 

Miss Erna surprised a bit but quickly mastered herself when she found the man who hugged her was me. With craziness that barely dare to consider at normal situation, I kiss her on the cheek…

Miraculously, she didn’t get angry! I gave waved and smiling victory to couples that were standing there still, amused seeing Moniq's sullen gaze while the Lieutenant throwing his nasty glance, same as other man had done when looking at smooth porcelain…that lustful stared…

"What was that?" asked Miss Erna in astonishment.

"What happened to your friend? He didn’t come?"

"I think not."

"Can I accompany you, ma’am?"

"As long as you call me Erna..."

I smiled and nodded, we walk down from that second floor with our hand holding each other. On the last stairs we had time to kissing like lovers longing for a long time no see. And I heard a faint chant of familiar lyrics that company my kisses on her lips that convinced me of my existence…

Yes I am (perfect)
Yes I am (perfect)
Oh I am (perferct)
Oh lord I am (perfect)

Yes I am, I am a perfect gentleman
Yes I am, I am a perfect gentleman
Yes I am, I am a perfect gentleman
Yes I am, I am a perfect gentleman

I guess it’s just only a matter of time until I shrill that phrase out, "I want out - to live my life and to be free..."

I was immersed in euphoria of embarrassing Moniq and her new boyfriend, so I didn’t realized when Erna led me into an alley, where it may be filled with food vendors and office employees  having lunch during the day but at present time it’s absolutely an empty shell with no living being around, except for the carts that were deliberately put there by food vendors to be used on the next day.

"Who’s the girl at the store?" Erna asked.

"Only a girl I known with her boyfriend," I replied.

"Isn’t she your girlfriend whose name Moniq?"

I was stunned to hear that, "Who told you that?"

"I’m right, am I not? That was your girlfriend, so why you lied to me saying you don’t have girlfriend?” asked Erna with whining tone.

"We were not engaged right now…I mean literally…because we were in cooling down time."

"Oh, I see? I hope that was an honest answer from you," Erna said as she held my finger up and staring at the yellow-eyed ring. “And would you tell me the truth…did you catch her love by the charm of yourself or this thing?”

Suddenly I pulled my hand out of her grasp, it didn’t sound funny anymore, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Erna chuckled, "Because you are such a total failure if you think you can put a love spell on me with that ring."

I'm shocked! It was something I have thought an hour earlier when I met her on the main street of Sabang before I entered the record store Voice Ambassador, but how the hell she could read my mind?

"You see…the truth is it was me who catch you with love spell…”

"Really?" I frowned. "And why did you do that?"

"Because I need to eat tonight..."

Later, everything happened so fast when Erna’s face turned into bad monster, something like fangs were sticking out between her lips, next thing I knew those fangs were stuck behind my neck…

END