Chapter 2 Poor Girl

The school bell rang, all students immediately packed their books and got ready to go home. The class halls were immediately filled with the frenzied sounds of students who couldn't wait to get out of school. Rindi is seen walking alone while carrying several books for him to return to the library. Suddenly a hand tapped his shoulder from behind which made him jump in surprise.

"Rin, where are you going?" asked Cintya surprising Rindi.

"Gosh Ta, if you come tell me first why the heck? It just surprised people, luckily I don't have heart disease," said Rindi.

“Hehehe… Yes, sorry, I'm still walking while daydreaming. Eh, you haven't answered my question, where are you going?” asked Cintya.

"I want to return the book to the library first before going home," said Rindi.

Cintya finally follows Rindi to the library to return the books. As we were leaving the library, it suddenly started to rain heavily again. Cintya offers to drive Rindi home in his pickup truck. Cintya feels sorry for Rindi if she has to go home in the rain on public transportation with her hands and feet injured, moreover she doesn't have an umbrella with her. At first, Rindi refused and wanted to go home by public transportation because he didn't want to bother Cintya.

"Rin, today you just go home with me okay. Instead of waiting for public transportation for a long time, where is the rain really heavy again," Cintya offered.

"No need Ta, thanks I'll just take public transportation, I don't want to bother you," said Rindi politely refusing.

"Don't bother really, come on Rin, do you want it? Once in a while I play at Lo's place," Cintya said, trying to persuade Rindi.

Because Cintya kept insisting, finally Rindi accepted Cintya's offer to take her home. The two of them ran towards the school gate through the raindrops. Apparently Cintya's personal driver was waiting for him at the front and immediately approached them to give them an umbrella. Pak Wardi is a personal driver entrusted by his father to take Cintya wherever he goes.

"We're going straight home, right? asked Mr. Wardi.

"Erm... Pak Rindi will take you home first, because his house is quite far from school, I'm sorry," said Cintya.

"What's the address, Non? Pak Wardi asked Rindi. "In the Ciwidey area, sir," said Rindi.

Pak Wardi complied with Cintya's request to accompany Rindi to the outskirts of Bandung, which is quite far from the city center. During the trip, they were engrossed in chatting while enjoying the view of the expanse of tea gardens covered in a thin mist. This is the first time for Cintya to visit Rindi's house.

"Rin, Lo's home area is nice too huh. Where's the cold, it's still really beautiful again, I think I'll feel at home if I live here," said Cintya.

“Hahaha ... Really, will you feel at home? It's far from the city, you know, it'll be hard for you to go to the mall later," said Rindi jokingly.

"I'm tired of going to the mall, instead I want to spend time in the countryside like this," answered Cintya.

After a long journey, the car that brought them had stopped in front of a simple house with peeling wall paint. Cintya looks around Rindi's house which is flanked by the residents' gardens. Cintya opens her car door and takes Rindi to the house.

"Assalamualaikum," Rindi said when he opened the door of his house.

“Waalaikumsalam. Oh, who do you miss going home with?” said his mother out of the living room.

"Hello Aunt, I Cintya Rindi's school friend," Cintya said, introducing herself while kissing Ambar's hand, Rindi's mother.

Ambar smiles kindly welcoming Cintya's arrival, but is immediately shocked when he sees Rindi being brought home in a state of bandages on his hands and feet due to injuries. Ambar, who was immediately worried, immediately ordered Rindi and Cintya to come in because it was cold outside because the rain was accompanied by strong winds. Ambar's face suddenly looks worried and asks why Rindi's hands and feet can get hurt like this.

"Son, why do you get your hands and feet full of wounds like this?" asked Mrs. Amber.

"Emm... It's okay, ma'am, this morning I went to school in the rain and was in a hurry because I was afraid to be late, now Miss is walking, don't be careful and keep slipping," said Rindi again lying, not wanting to tell the truth.

"Gosh, next time you have to be careful, at this rate I'll be worried about you," said Mrs. Ambar.

"Hehehe... Yes, Mom, Rindi will be careful," said Rindi.

Rindi nodded smiling at his mother's words. Cintya just stood silent staring at the sight in front of him. He understands why Rindi lied about his injury because he doesn't want his mother to be sad to hear that Rindi was a victim of bullying at school. Somehow he felt jealous to see Rindi's mother's Cintya for him.

Cintya then bowed her head down because she had no mother who could give her warmth. All of that happened because his father divorced his mother who was caught having an affair with a colleaguethe business. But now it's not only jealousy that Cintya is feeling, on the one hand she is also amazed by Rindi's hard life because the condition of her house is actually no longer fit for habitation. When it rains heavily like this there are lots of puddles in the corners of the room because the roof leaks everywhere, it looks dilapidated and apprehensive.

"Ta, why don't you just shut up?" asked Rindi to awaken Cintya from his reverie.

"What? Eh... I'm okay," Cintya said nervously.

"Son Cintya, wait here for a while, let Aunt make hot tea," said Mrs. Ambar kindly.

"Don't bother Aunt," replied Cintya.

"It doesn't bother you, it's just water," said Mrs. Ambar with a chuckle.

While waiting to make hot tea for Cintya, Ambar told Rindi to change clothes and then have lunch. He also offered Cintya to join him for lunch here. Rindi then invites Cintya to an old dining table in the living room. Cintya darted her eyes around this room, her condition was far more apprehensive than the front room.

"Ta, you come and eat together aja here. But please understand, yes, you can only eat sober, "said Rindi.

"Yes ..." Instantly, Cintya's throat constricted when she saw the food under the old serving hood.

At first, Cintya is not happy if she refuses Mrs. Ambar's offer, but immediately she wants to discourage her from eating at Rindi's house because she sees only a small amount of rice in the basket and the side dishes are thinly fried tempeh with vegetable soup, which has more gravy than the vegetables. Cintya was silent for a moment frozen wanting to refuse. but he was looking for the right excuse not to offend Rindi and his mother.

"Rin, I just had lunch at home, it just so happened that Papa asked me to have lunch together. It's okay right?" said Cintya lied to find a reason.

"Oh, that's it, it's okay, it's okay. You want to go home now? The rain is still really heavy, it's also dangerous even if you bring a car. It's better to wait a while until it subsides a bit," said Rindi.

"Emm, okay, I told Papa to wait until the rain subsided a bit," said Cintya.

I don't know why Cintya, who usually talks a lot and even likes to joke, suddenly stays quiet at Rindi's house more often. He feels concerned and compassionate with the life that Rindi and his mother live. Suddenly he remembered all the bad things that the Cruvella Gang had done to Rindi, they shouldn't have treated Rindi that badly. Cintya can't imagine how hard it is to be Rindi, she has to endure the burden of bullying at school and when she is at home she has to help her mother.

When Cintya and Rindi were chatting in the living room, they saw Mrs. Ambar carrying a large plastic bag filled with lots of dirty clothes. Rindi immediately helps his mother carry the customer's bag of dirty clothes to the back. Cintya just found out that Mrs. Ambar actually works as a laborer washing clothes for people in a residential complex not far from where they live. Every day after school, Rindi always helps his mother, starting from picking up dirty clothes, washing them, to delivering the laundry to customer homes.

"Here Ma'am, let Rindi help bring it back. After this, I'll just rest in my room later so that Rindi can wash the customers' clothes," said Rindi while carrying the bags.

"No need son, just let mom do everything. Besides, there is Cintya here, don't you want to live alone, "said Mrs. Ambar.

"You can do it this afternoon, right, ma'am. Anyway, mom, just calm down, today's work will definitely be done," Rindi said.

Now Cintya understands why Rindi always rushes home when the school bell rings, apparently she has to help her mother do all this. Because Cintya felt bad about hindering Rindi's work, she finally said goodbye to go home because it happened that the rain had stopped.

"Thank you, Ta, for taking me home," Rindi said.

"Yes, you're welcome Rin. Auntie, I'm saying goodbye to you," Cintya said, kissing Mrs. Ambar's hand.

The sound of cars roaring away from Rindi's yard, through the thin fog after the heavy rain. A few moments later, Cintya arrived at her magnificent house and was greeted by Bi Inah, their house maid. Cintya threw the bag and threw her body on the sofa in the living room with a long sigh.

"Eh Non Cintya is already home, eat first Non. Auntie has prepared Non's favorite lunch," said Bi Inah who emerged from the kitchen.

"Yes Bi," Cintya said then got up from the sofa.

When he reached the dining room, he looked around him, invisible bridge of his father's nose. Again Cintya feels alone and lonely. Even though the food on the dining table at this time was far more luxurious than the food offered by Mrs. Ambar at Rindi's house earlier, the food at Rindi's house felt more warm than the food at this house. Cintya also refused to eat and asked her father.

"Mom, where's Papa?" asked Cintya.

"Oh, Mr. Hardi just got home but it's gonethey left again, he said there was an appointment," said Bi Inah.

"Ah! It's always like that, office matters are always number one, there's never time for their children," Cintya muttered indignantly.

"Non, don't want to eat first?" asked Bi Inah.

"No! I'm not in lust," Cintya said then took her bag and went up to the room.

Cintya who is annoyed with her father then enters the room. He didn't understand why his father was so workaholic and never spared even a bit of time to accompany him. They can only meet on weekends, and even then if their father doesn't get an impromptu call from work. Cintya silently stood looking at the gray sky, today's weather seemed to represent her mood. He felt his chest so tight, all the sadness, anger and disappointment collided into one within him. Cintya then glanced at the corner of her bed and looked at an old photo that was plastered on the table. He then took a photo of his mother in the desk drawer, slowly tears dripping down his cheeks.

"Mama, why did you have the heart to betray Papa and leave Cintya for another man? Cintya feels alone here, I'm jealous to see that my other friends can spend time with their mother, have friends to tell stories to, while me? I'm lonely here, I feel like I don't have anyone," Cintya said while crying, she felt her chest was so tight.

Cintya cried until he felt his eyes so heavy. Exhausted from crying, Cintya felt her vision blurry, she was unconscious and fell asleep until evening. The wall clock showed 17.00 pm, from outside the sound of a car parked in the yard came from outside. Today it so happened that Papa Cintya came home early. He immediately went into the house and looked for Cintya because usually at this time Cintya was watching her favorite television series in the living room.

"Bi, where Cintya how come it's not visible?" asked Hardy.

“Oh Non Cintya is in her room sir. He hasn't eaten since he came home from school," said Bi Inah.

"Why is that so? Bi Inah didn't tell him to eat?” asked Hardy. "Yes sir, I told Non Cintya to eat, but she didn't want to and instead went into her room," said Bi Inah.

Hardi took a deep breath, then went upstairs to Cintya's room. He repeatedly knocked on Cintya's room but there was no answer. Hardi was suddenly worried, so he finally decided to enter and found Cintya sleeping soundly while hugging a photo of her mother.

Knock … Knock … Knock …

"Ta, open the door dear, this is Papa," said Hardi.

Hardi sat down beside Cintya's bed, looking at her daughter's puffy face. Hardi rubbed Cintya's head and he felt sad to see his beCintyad daughter have to feel all this. Instantly Hardi was overcome with guilt because he couldn't be a good father to Cintya.

"Forgive Papa, Cintya," whispered Hardi then kissed Cintya's forehead.

He then got out of Cintya's bed and went out to tell Bi Inah to wake Cintya because he could not bear to wake Cintya directly. Hardi sat waiting at the dining table with a frantic heart and mind.

"Bi, please wake up Cintya, tell me that her father has come home and asked her to eat together," said Hardi.

"Okay, sir," said Bi Inah then went up to Cintya's room.