Ahhhh...
The stretch made a loud cracking sound. All my muscles felt sore after sitting in front of the laptop for almost eight hours, from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. There were many client requests I had to complete. I didn't want my weekend to be disturbed by them. My vacation to the Island of the Gods had to be free from the stress of daily life.
Even though my job is stressful, I enjoy it. Looking at numbers from various currencies, anomalies in financial reports, unusual cash flows, preparing IPOs for rising companies, and so on. The payment? It varies. Paintings, gold bars, diamondsâsometimes big payments, sometimes small. Small payments because the companies were in heavy debtâselling off their assets to cover it, and I'd end up being paid with just a cup of coffee, an apology, and a thank you. But I don't mind. Some things I do pro bono. There's a hint of disappointment, but it fades when I see how happy and satisfied they are after I help them. On the other hand, I can't force them; they don't have much to give.
This afternoon, I want to go to the city park while reading National Geographic magazine. Expanding my knowledge about other cultures. Hmmm... maybe I should take Sherly with me. She's a Tabby cat owned by my neighbor, left in my care for the past week. Her owner, Mrs. Tini, went to Malang to visit her husband's grave. Sherly is a good, smart, and cute cat. If you've ever seen funny cat videos on Instagram, Sherly behaves just like that. Sometimes, when I'm napping on the sofa, she'll lie on my chestâher purring vibrations are very noticeable. When I'm working, she'll walk over my laptop, sit on the screen, and mess up my typing. Annoying? Yes. Luckily, I can't be harsh to animals. I move her under the table, and she comes back again. Okay, seems like she wants attention. I place her on my lap, petting her for about three minutes before she finally leaves. Once, when I was feeling stressed about work, she suddenly jumped on my head and kneaded me with her paws. I got a little massage.
I glance at Sherly. She's enjoying herself watching TV, intently focused on the 42-inch screen. "Sherly, you wait there. I'm going to eat, shower, and get ready. We'll go for a walk."
I head to the City Park on my bicycle, carrying a transparent backpack with three air holes filled with my magazine and, of course, Sherly. She sits calmly, being the 'passenger' of Wisnu Ride. It doesn't take long to reach the destinationâonly fifteen minutes from my apartment.
The park is beautiful and fairly spacious. There's a fountain in the middle, surrounded by green grass. Its location is on an alternative road, not a main street. So, you don't hear the noise of traffic, and there's no smell of carbon monoxide. The number of people here can be counted by fingers: a man walking leisurely with his two children, an elderly man sitting cross-legged with his cane across from me by the fountain, a pair of teenagers on a date, children running around, and a woman reading, sitting on the same row of benches as me..
***
I place my bag next to me and take out my magazine and Sherly. I let the cat roam freely while I relax and read the international magazine. While reading the lines of text, I occasionally glance at Sherly to make sure she doesn't wander too far. She seems to be happily interacting with elementary school kids. And i hear the chirping of sparrows , which makes me shift my gazeâthey are being teased by Sherly.
Forty-five minutes pass. I have only a few pages left of the magazine. Sherly sits beside me, exhausted from playing with the park's visitors. Suddenly, she meows, directing her meows toward the woman on the bench next to mine.
"What's wrong, Sherly?"
Then, she runs off. I refocus on my reading.
Seventeen minutes later, I close the magazine. Then, a woman approaches, carrying my cat and holding a single rose wrapped in plastic.
"Excuse me,"
She greets me kindly.
"Yes?"
"Sorry, is this your cat?"
"Oh yes, was she being naughty?"
I take Sherly from her arms.
"No, not at all. She was actually very sweet. She gave me this flower."
"Really? You're not joking, right?"
I was surprised. Could a cat really do something like that? If so, she's one smart cat. But where did she get a rose like that?
"Really. At first, she came over and meowed, then left. She came back holding this flower in her mouth and placed it in front of my feet."
"Wow, you're quite the romantic, aren't you? And you're a girl too!"
I nuzzled Sherly's nose. Just then, an elderly man wearing a worn-out straw hat approached, carrying a basket full of roses.
"Excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but the flower is twenty thousand rupiah. I need to ask for the payment."
His thick Javanese accent was unmistakable.
"Oh, she took it from you?"
"Yes. She suddenly meowed. I thought she wanted food, but it turns out she wanted a flower."
"Sorry about that, sir. Just a moment."
I reach into my pocket and pulled out a fifty-thousand-rupiah bill.
"Here you go, sir. Keep the change."
"Wow, thank you. I pray your fortune continues to grow."
"Yes, thank you"
"That flower is for your girlfriend, right? She's very beautiful."
"Oh no, she's not my girlfriend, sir."
I quickly reply, afraid of any misunderstandings and that the woman might feel uncomfortable.
"Oh, I thought she was. You two look great together. One handsome, the other beautiful. Well, I'll be on my way now. Take care."
Haahh... that was something.
"Sorry about that earlier."
"It's okay. It's just a misunderstanding. By the way, what's your cat's name?"
"My name is Sherly."
I'm the one speaking, not the cat.
"Can I hold her one more time?"
"Sure."
"You're so cute, aren't you? And so chubby too."
The woman kisses Sherly fondly.
"Here you go, thanks. I'll head off now."
"Sure, no problem."
"Bye, Sherly. Thank you for the flower."
"Yes, you're welcome. Be safe on your way home. Bye-bye."
I move Sherly's paw to mimic waving goodbye. Sherly just meowed.
Sherly and I watch as the woman walks away. Sherly keeps meowing as if sensing something is about to go wrong. And then, the woman is bumped into by a man wearing a cap and dark sunglasses.
"THIEF!!! HELP!!!"