That night stretched on endlessly, Dewi drifting into deep slumber as she wrapped her arms around Fitri's body, seeking warmth for herself. Fitri, however, lay wide awake, her face etched with confusion and fear a profound, bone-deep terror. She was desperately afraid of being separated from her beloved.
I don't want to be parted from Dewi, but I'm afraid they'll kill her. I can't bear to lose her.
She tightened her embrace around Dewi's warm hand as they lay facing the same direction. Then, Fitri turned her body around and gazed upon Dewi's face, peacefully lost in sleep. Fitri stared at her with a mingling of dread and adoration. She reached out, touching those cheeks and feeling the warmth radiating from them, then gave a gentle pinch.
Your face is so adorable when you're sleeping like this, hehe.
As Fitri continued playing with Dewi's chubby cheeks, Dewi stirred awake, discomfort prickling at her face. She became aware of someone toying with her cheeks. "Ugh, Fitri, it's late, why are you still messing around? I'm still sleepy," Dewi murmured in a drowsy tone, her eyes only half open.
Fitri paid no heed, persisting in playing with those cheeks until Dewi drifted back to sleep.
Truly so adorable, darling... I want to eat your cheeks, Fitri mused in her thoughts.
Morning began to break. At dawn, Dewi woke and saw Fitri sound asleep, her hand still resting on her cheek. Carefully, she moved it aside, then climbed down from the bed and headed to the kitchen to grab her bag for the early morning market, intending to buy fresh meat. She still had savings from her school scholarship, so she had enough money to survive for more than a month. She then set off for the market.
While she was gone, Fitri woke and stepped outside the house. The atmosphere was still cloaked in darkness, with a view of countless stars and the Milky Way galaxy visible to the naked eye. Dewi's house was situated in a forested area, so there were very few lights around. Fitri beheld the sight, anyone who saw it would feel their heart grow calmer. Fitri began to sing, or rather hum, a melody, "And stronger now... Do you hear the melody...Playing all the time, a symphony....
Close your eyes embrace be born anew....
Hear me now, Where is the miracle, Let the music flow, Listen"
Thirty minutes passed in singing and repeating that melody over and over when Dewi returned with her purchases.
"Hey, Fit, you're out here... Come inside, okay? It's cold outside. I've already bought the ingredients for later," Dewi urged, but Fitri was reluctant to go in.
"Go on ahead, babe. I want to stay here a bit longer and watch the sunrise come. It's been so long since I last saw a sunrise....."
What does she mean by that???
Dewi was puzzled, but she went inside anyway to cook the meal they would later share.
Outside, Fitri gazed at the divine light radiating beautifully from the sun. It felt as if she had only seen a sunrise yesterday, but in truth, it had been a very long time. She didn't even know if this feeling of happiness could be savored forever or if it would vanish in a short while. Feelings of fear and worry dwelled in her mind and in the core of her heart, yet watching the sunrise filtered through the surrounding trees brought her a small measure of comfort and a strange, unfamiliar feeling she had never experienced before. Truly, this new feeling had emerged in this house made of wood.
"The food is ready!!" Dewi shouted to signal that the cooking was done and it was time to eat.
Hearing that, Fitri went back inside and headed to the kitchen to enjoy the meal.
"What is it?" she asked.
Dewi just shook her head. "It's meat soup. Have you never eaten meat before?"
"I have, just never cooked, or eaten it raw."
Dewi was so shocked she dropped the ladle she was about to use for scooping the broth. "Hah, is that a normal thing?" she asked while cleaning the fallen ladle.
"I don't know, but my family eats it," Fitri answered as she tried the dish. "This is so delicious, really delicious," Fitri continued after tasting it; the flavor was wonderful.
Dewi felt a sense of unease. What a strange family, she thought.
After eating, Dewi invited Fitri to take a trip to the southern coast. She wanted to introduce her to the lush and beautiful natural scenery and landscapes of Cilacap, especially the southern beach. Because the location was quite far from Dewi's house, they took a bus, a journey that would take at least three hours.
During the ride, Fitri simply stared at the scenery passing by the window. Her expression displayed a sadness veiled with happiness. Dewi was no fool; she could read a person's character just from their facial expression....be it sadness, joy, pretense, purity, panic, deceit, lying, or anything else Dewi observed, she could discern in detail without exception. This was a skill Dewi possessed that no one else, not even her own friends, knew about.
Feeling pity and not knowing what her girlfriend was going through, she decided to offer a little comfort.
"Don't be sad. Later, when we get home, I'll give you your 'ration,'" Dewi whispered into Fitri's ear.
Fitri's face immediately lit up, radiant and cheerful, an instant smile blooming. "REALLY!!!??" she shouted, grabbing Dewi's shoulders. Dewi was taken aback by her girlfriend's reaction, her face looked utterly adorable. But that shout instantly turned them both into the center of attention on the bus.
"Can you not shout? You startled me!" an older woman snapped.
"Hey, idiots! Don't be so noisy, you'll wake my child up! Can't you just shut up?!" a shout came from the back.
"Hey, what's going on here? Why all this shouting?" the bus attendant, jolted awake from his sleep, demanded.
A whirlwind of drama erupted, ultimately resulting in Fitri and Dewi being kicked off and thrown out of the bus for disturbing the other passengers.
"Damn youngsters, just causing trouble. Get off here, because the other passengers, sir, want to get off if you two don't get off first."
After they got off, the bus attendant held out his hand, demanding payment from Fitri and Dewi. Swiftly, Dewi grabbed Fitri's hand and they fled from the scene.
"HEY, YOU HAVEN'T PAID YET! YOU DAMN BRATS ARE DOGS!!"
Hahahahahahahaha, Fitri and Dewi burst out laughing as they ran fast. It was a ridiculous thing to do, yet so thrilling they would want to do it a second time.
"Hahaha, oh my god. It's so much fun tricking them, hehe, so we didn't even have to pay," Dewi said when they finally stopped in an area far from the bus.
Fitri only laughed, catching her breath, unable to say anything more. Yet, what lingered in her memory was what Dewi had whispered to her on the bus.
They then walked at least five meters until they reached the area of Cilacap's southern coast.
"Wow, this is so beautiful. This is the first time I've ever seen such a beautiful beach."
Dewi was confused. "Really? I thought you had been to the beach back when we were in Jakarta."
"Huh, have I?" Fitri looked utterly perplexed. She wondered whether she had ever been to a beach or not.
Something is definitely wrong here.
They went to the beach and strolled around, played in the sand, basked in the sun, and splashed in the seawater.
"Hey babe, did you bring a change of clothes? I didn't bring anything."
"Don't worry, I brought a change of clothes for you. I also packed food for us to eat later when the sun is at its peak."
"Okaaayyy," Fitri replied, giving a peck of a kiss before returning to play in the water. They enjoyed themselves at the beach until 1:50 PM before finally making their way back home.