Uti moved slowly closer to her cell phone, opening it and scrolling through the screen to find her class group messages. Despite her reluctance, she had to contact Novan. This was for the common good, the good of both of them. Uti didn't have the boy's number, so she had to open the class group chat, look at the group members, and search for Novan's name, then contact the boy as she had originally intended.
But unfortunately, what Uti was looking for was nowhere to be found, making the girl finally chuckle with annoyance.
"Isn't that boy in the class group?" Uti mumbled, her thumbs still scrolling, trying to focus on searching, she must have missed it. Uti did not keep many of her classmates' numbers. She only kept the cell phone numbers of a handful of friends.
Uti's efforts seemed to end here, she gave up. It was better to just ask Weeby. Surely that girl would know. Uti nodded briefly, Weeby was something she could rely on.
"If it's not important, I really don't want to find the boy's contact this hard, it's troublesome." Uti was still grumbling. Right now, her goal is to find Weeby's cell phone number. Of course, she found it right away because Uti saved it. Even she and Weeby often exchanged messages, only discussing random and obscure things. But strangely, it was very exciting and made Uti happy.
Returning to the original topic, Uti immediately typed a message to Weeby, asking if her best friend kept Novan's number. There was great hope there. Uti was one hundred percent sure that Weeby had the boy's number.
The message was sent immediately, with two gray ticks. After Uti checked, it turned out Weeby was online. That's great, she'll be quick to reply to her message.
Uti just waited, and then there were two blue ticks, that was the sign that Weeby was reading her message. A few seconds later, Weeby was seen typing a reply message, which Uti carefully awaited.
And a few seconds later, a new notification just arrived on her cellphone. Which Uti hurriedly checked and read immediately.
Weeby: Novan seems to have changed Ti's cell phone number, and he's also left the group. Try asking Marcell or Erza. They'll know.
Uti sighed weakly, her shoulders slumping. No wonder she searched the group and couldn't find the boy's contact name. Apparently, Novan had left the group, for good reason. That's the reason!
Ask Marcell? Uti shook her head slowly. It seemed like it would be better if Weeby contacted Marcell, after all, the two of them were in a typical teenage romance. Besides, Uti rarely chatted with Marcell or Erza. And it was a little awkward when Uti wanted to send a message to one of them.
Uti then typed a reply message.
Uti: I'm asking you a favor. By. You're dating Marcell, ask him. Do you want to? Pls.
Not to forget, behind the message, Uti added a pleading emoticon with teary eyes.
Weeby: Okay, wait a minute. Ti, Marcell must have Novan's new number. You know they're really close.
Uti : Okay By, ready. I'll wait.
Only then did Uti wait impatiently. She was still sitting on the edge of her bed. She checked several times to see if Weeby had sent another message.
And that was the end, of course Marcell had saved Novan's new cell phone number. Weeby got it and immediately gave it to Uti. Uti was happy, so she thanked Weeby via text message. Thanks to her best friend, Uti now had Marcell's number.
Then, Uti prepared herself to call Novan. But before that, the door to her room was suddenly knocked from outside. Uti's movements were finally interrupted.
The girl stared at the doorway, then called out softly, "Who?"
"It's me," replied a voice from behind the door.
Uti groaned softly. It was obvious that she recognized that voice.
"Just come in, Mar, the door isn't locked," Uti replied, and after the door was pushed open, that's when Omar, Uti's younger brother, appeared. Uti didn't know why her brother had shown up in her room. There must be something to discuss.
For a moment, Uti ignored her own need to contact Novan. She stared at her brother, who was standing in the doorway, not yet approaching.
Uti furrowed her brow, one eyebrow pulled up. Her brother was so strange, Uti had no idea what Omar was doing at the moment.
"What's wrong with you, Mar?" asked Uti, curious. Omar returned his sister's gaze, his eyes blinked, but he never said anything.
"Do you need to talk to your sister? Do you have something to say?" Uti asked again, and her brother nodded his head slowly.
"Well, just say the word, what is it? No need to hesitate, hurry up and tell me." Annoyed that Omar was still keeping his lips sealed, Uti urged him a little. After all, she also had something to do after this. She needed to discuss something with Novan, something very important, of course.
Omar nodded, and at the same time he approached Uti, standing in front of her.
"Well, what is it now? Tell me quickly."
"That's, mom said-"
"Mom said, or do you have your own intentions?" Uti snatched her brother's unfinished sentence.
Omar sighed heavily. "Look, I want you to take me."
"Where are you going?" Uti asked immediately, her gaze focused on Omar.
"Tomorrow there's a coloring competition at school, and the teacher said that everyone must bring their own coloring tools, no borrowing from friends."
Uti closed her eyes as Omar explained.
"Mom already gave me the money, and she said it's better for me to take my sister to buy it because it's late," Omar said, continuing what he hadn't finished saying.
"Why didn't you say that earlier this afternoon? Why did it have to be now?"
"I forgot. I'm sorry."
"Don't you know what time it is?"
"I know," Omar replied quietly.
Uti pointed to the wall clock in her room. "Tell me what time it is."
Omar followed the direction of Uti's index finger, staring at the cat-shaped clock on the wall. "Half past ten at night."
"Isn't it? Why are you talking now, Omar? Why is it so impromptu? You should have talked to mom when you got home from school, and then told me in the afternoon when I got home from school."
"I forgot, I just remembered now."
Uti looked at her brother's sad face. Of course she couldn't bear it. Although he often nags and scolds her brother, Uti actually loves Omar very much. After all, Omar was her brother, her own little brother.
"How about it? Do you want to take me?" Omar asked again. The boy looked anxiously at his sister's face, needing an answer.
Uti gave a long sigh, then nodded. "I'll take you, but you'd better wear a jacket, it'll be cold because it's getting late."
"Now?"
"No, wait until you're thirty, then we'll buy those colored pencils." Uti chimed in, and Omar looked puzzled at his sister's face. Omar blinked his eyes.
Annoyed that her brother was not connecting with her words, Uti then said firmly, "Why are you silent? What are you waiting for? Now Omar!"
Only when Uti's words came out, Omar immediately ran away from his sister's room. Uti had to massage her own head. Suddenly, she was attacked by a dizzying feeling. Uti even closed her eyes suddenly.
"Uti." A knock on the door diverted Uti's attention.
"Uh, yes? What's wrong, mom?" Uti hurriedly raised her head, looking at her mother, who was now standing in the doorway of her room.
"Be careful on the road, okay? Don't speed on the bike, it's late."
Uti knew that, she understood. Smiling warmly, Uti replied softly, "Yes mom, I know. I'm sure you'll be careful, after all, you're also bringing Omar."
"Yes, I trust you."
Uti then stood up from her seat, she took off her jacket too, of course. The cold night air would definitely make her shiver and make her hair stand on end.
As Uti opened the wardrobe, Susan's words drifted back into Uti's ears. "I know that you must be angry because you're out at night, you must be tired and want to rest, not to mention you have school tomorrow."
Uti closed the closet once the jacket she wanted was in hand. She then stepped closer to her mother, before finally speaking softly. "I'm not angry, Mom," she said, shaking her head. "I'm just—whatever, but why did Omar tell me now?"
"I know how you feel, I feel it. But it can't be helped, can it? Omar forgot about it too."
"Yes, Mom."
Omar then appeared, and the boy came back into the room with his body already covered by a thick jacket. "I'm ready."
"Good, you wait for me for a moment; I'll get the motorcycle keys first." Uti stepped hurriedly, grabbing the motorcycle keys that she placed on the small table beside her bed.
"You two have to be careful. Remember mom's message, okay?" Susan gave another warning to her two beloved children.
"Sure, mom, you don't have to worry," Uti replied, calming her mother with a warm smile.
"Okay."
Uti looked at Omar, then suddenly something just popped into her head. "You don't have to come, Mar? Let me go alone, you stay at home. You'd better get some sleep, it's getting late."
Omar looked at Mom and Uti in turn.
"I don't think that's a bad idea. Kids shouldn't go out too late at night. The wind must be cold."
"But mom." Omar immediately protested, the boy pulling at the negligee his mother was wearing.
"Why Mar?"
"Do you know which colored pencils I want?"
"Oh my gosh, Omar, i know. I not that stupid. You know what colored pencils are, and there are different types of crayons. You talk like that as if i don't know what they are." Uti clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"That's not what I mean!" Omar insisted.
"So what?"
"I want to choose myself, I don't want to be chosen by you. I just want to go along."
"It's up to you." Uti didn't think, didn't argue. She looked at Susan again after that and asked, "What do you think?"
"Just go, you two, it's too late. After buying, will you go straight home?"
"Yes mom." Omar exclaimed loudly and enthusiastically. "Come on, I'll wait outside."
Omar slipped away first, followed by Uti a few seconds later. After that, in a short time, Uti and Omar were already on the motorcycle, Uti rode the motorcycle at a moderate speed, not slow because it was too late, not high because she was afraid of unpleasant events.
After a long silence, Omar suddenly asked a question. "Where do we want to buy colored pencils?"
"There, you don't need to ask too many questions. Just trust me, you just sit quietly. The colored pencils you want will definitely be brought home later."
Omar nodded slowly, even though Uti couldn't see him. The boy bowed his head, following what his sister said.
The place Uti was currently heading to was still some distance away. And she just felt that it was not good to have silence like this. It was better to engage her brother in conversation, so that time would fly by and he would suddenly arrive.
"Omar."
"Yes, hy?"
"I have a question."
"You said I was told to be quiet."
Uti moved her head, shaking it quickly. "Not anymore."
"What do you want to ask?"
"What day is tomorrow? Why is there a coloring contest?"
"I don't know, the teacher just said there was a competition and we were told to bring our own coloring tools."
"Why can't you borrow a friend's?"
"I don't know either, I just obeyed what the teacher said. Maybe those who can't use their own colored pencils can't participate in the competition." Omar replied calmly.
"Then you don't have to participate, there's no way you'll win."
"That's fine! I want to participate too. How did you know that I wouldn't win?"
Uti smiled slightly. "I'm sure of it, you're bad at coloring. I'm sure you won't win, it's a waste to enter the competition."
"You are annoying, just look later, I'm sure I'll win."
"Okay, I'll wait for the results. What do you get if you win? What are the prizes? Maybe there are no prizes anymore, the competition is just for fun."
"There is a prize. Earlier in class, a friend asked the teacher if there was a prize or not."
"And the teacher said there was a prize?" asked Uti.
"Yes, she said so."
"What was the prize?"
"I don't know, am I the judge?"
Her brother's statement was true. Uti sighed softly. "Is this a school-wide competition or between classes?"
"The teacher said everyone participated. From grade one to grade six."
"Well, it's not fair then."
"But it's judged by class. In groups according to class. That means grades one to six will all win."
Uti, who immediately understood Omar's explanation, nodded her head. "Oh, that's good. Well, let's prove it later. If you win, I'll give you a prize too."
Omar, who heard his sister's words, immediately smiled enthusiastically, his face beaming and glowing. "Ah, really? You don't lie, okay?"
"I'm not lying. I promise, whether you win first, second, or third place, I will give you a prize. The point is that you have to win. Do you understand?"
"I understand, I promise. Just watch out if you lie. It's a sin if you lie, promises must also be kept."
"You can keep what I say, just relax. The important thing is that you must win first. If you lose, your prize will be forfeited."
"Okay, I understand. I have to win then. What's the prize?"
"It's a secret!" Uti answered so confidently that she actually didn't know what gift she wanted to give to Omar. The idea just popped into her head. After all, Omar wouldn't necessarily win, right? She just wanted Omar to be more enthusiastic.
"You have to be enthusiastic and draw good pictures later, so that the judges will be impressed and you will be the champion."
"Ready, you pray for me too?"
"I will."
Next, there was silence again, before Omar finally asked a question so suddenly.
"Why isn't dad coming home?"
Uti was thinking the same thing. Focusing on the road ahead, Uti replied quietly, "Yes, he's been gone for a week, he said he was going to work."
"What do you do?"
"I don't know either, Mar. Already, you better not think about that problem. We'll be there soon."
Uti herself didn't even want to bother. All Uti knew was one thing, her father didn't have a steady job, he could say he did odd jobs. And a week ago, her father said goodbye to the family and went to see a friend, he said he needed a job. And until now, he hasn't come home.
After that, Uti's motorcycle finally stopped because it had arrived. Uti looked back, "I've arrived, get off Mar."
Omar stared at the large building in front of him. The boy then looked back at Uti. "Why are we going to a bookstore anyway? I don't need books, I need colored pencils!" Omar immediately panicked.
"It's a bookstore, but they sell colored pencils inside too. You just follow me, and everything will be fine. I know better than you." Uti took a deep breath before saying, "Let's go inside." Uti waved her hand at Omar, urging him to come closer to her.