Driver and the Miss: Get Closer to Me

Chapter 7 - Anxious

Ajeng was surprised when she received some food containers from Yuda.

"It's from Miss Yuki. She said, 'It's for Aunty at home'," said Yuda.

"What is this, Honey?"

"Just open it, Dear, I'll take a shower first."

"Yes, Honey," answered Ajeng.

With great curiosity, Ajeng opened the containers.

There were fried chicken, spicy fried chili and chicken liver, and rendang beef.

"Thank God," Ajeng murmured, thanking him for the sustenance that Allah had given her today.

Yuda had finished taking a shower and had finished the Asr prayer.

"We will not be able to eat it all, Dear. Give it some to our neighbor next door, for Muammar and Maya. They must be happy to be given the fried chicken. Just split everything. Half for us, half for Mrs. Mita and her two children."

"Yes, Honey." Ajeng nodded her head, then took two plates. One was filled with fried chicken and capcay. The other one was filled with spicy fried chili & chicken liver and rendang beef.

When Ajeng delivered food to the two orphans, the voices of their joyous cries reached Yuda's ears. Yuda was reminded of his two nephews who had also been orphaned. Ridho and Raina, names of his nephews.

Ajeng had returned from next door, with an empty plate in her hand.

"They said thank you very much, Mas. Tell it to Miss Yuki too."

"Yes, Dear."

"Do you want to eat now?"

"Yes, so after Isha, I can go to sleep right away."

Ajeng and Yuda sat down to eat together.

"Do you feel comfortable being Miss Yuki’s driver?"

"Well, it's my job, even though sometimes it is not comfortable, I have to get through it, Dear."

"How come your answer like that, Honey?"

"Miss Yuki is really hard to guess. Sometimes she is good, sometimes bitchy, I'm a little worried if I wrongly talk to her. Mrs. Rah, who works in the kitchen, said to me that Miss Yuki can go mad at any time if her wishes are not obeyed. Her tantrums sometimes involve committing suicide or take the car at high speed. Anyway, Mrs. Rah said when Miss Yuki is angry, no one can handle her, except her own grandfather."

"Oh my God, how can that be? Where are Miss Yuki's parents? Why did she with her grandfather?"

"I also don't know about that, Dear, I don't dare ask too far."

"You have to be careful when you talk to her. You must obey all her wishes as much as possible. Don't let something happen to Miss Yuki later, because you spoke wrongly, or didn't do what she ordered."

"I know, Dear, I hope there are no strange requests from her later," said Yuda.

"How strange?"

"Well, I mean, who knows that Miss Yuki will ask to fly a glider from above the Monas, how can I do that?" Yuda said. Ajeng laughed at Yuda's words.

"Honey, this is nonsense. How come Miss Yuki ask you to do that kind of thing?"

"Well, who knows, Miss Yuki is a strange person."

"Yes, but that's not the case, Honey."

"Yeah, I hope she doesn't ask for something weird."

"Aameen," said Ajeng.

****

As usual, Yuda waited for Yuki until her school was over.

As soon as Yuki approached him, Yuda immediately opened the front door for her. Yuki sat down and put on her safety belt.

There was no conversation between the two of them. At the red light, there were three street musicians who were usually there. They could be heard singing the song Mother’s Abundance Love.

Yuda reached out his hands, asking them to come closer to him. Yuda was afraid that the kiss incident would happen again if he stretched out his hand to give them money.

The three children approached Yuda. Yuda gave each of them two thousand rupiahs.

The three of them said thanks to Yuda.

Yuki didn't say anything when she saw what Yuda was doing.

Yuda started his car again.

"Do Uncle's parents still around?"

"My father had passed away. But thank God, my mother was still alive."

"Does Uncle's mother love you?"

"There is no mother who does not love her child," said Yuda. Glancing at Yuki, Yuda could see a cynical smile on her tiny lips.

"People who feel their mother's love will definitely say that Uncle."

"What does Miss Yuki mean?"

"It's easy for them to say things like that because they never felt neglected by their own mother," Yuki said, her voice sounding sad as well as pent-up anger.

Yuda turned his head, but Yuki looked out of the window. So that Yuda could not see her face.

"I am sorry, if I may know, where are Miss Yuki's parents?" asked Yuda courageously.

"I told you, I don't want to talk about myself or about my parents, Uncle! Keep that in your mind!" Yuki almost screamed with her words. Yuda was startled with shock.

"Forgive my indiscretion, Miss, I promise I will not ask about that again," said Yuda quickly. He was afraid that Yuki might go mad. How would he handle it?

'O Allah, I beg you not to make me a misstep or wrong speech, which could make me lose this job, aameen'

Yuda glanced at Yuki who was sitting quietly, her gaze out the window.

Yuda didn't dare to speak anymore, afraid that his young lady might piss off again.

****

This afternoon Yuda took Yuki for tutoring. When they came back from the tutoring, Yuda asked politely as usual.

"Are we going straight home, Miss?"

"Accompany me to watch a movie," Yuki replied in a bossy tone.

In his heart Yuda wanted to refuse, but how come he dare to refuse in his mouth.

"You call Aunty first, say if you will come home late. I don't want her to worry and waiting for you," said Yuki.

"I am sorry, Miss, if there is a prayer room, can you allow me to pray Asr for a while?"

"Hmmm." Yuki just muttered in reply.

When they met the prayer room, Yuda got out of the car.

"Do you not want to pray Asr as well?" asked Yuda doubtfully. Yuki stared at him with displeasure.

"I am sorry, Miss, ehmm... I pray Asr first." Yuda immediately left Yuki. He stroked his chest, remembering Yuki's displeased gaze over his prayer invitation. Yuda thought, if Mr. Yamata was a Moslem, so Yuki was probably a Moslemtoo. That's why he had the courage to invite Yuki to join the Asr prayer as well.

****

It turned out that the words 'accompany me to watch' were uttered by Yuki, which meant that Yuda had to accompany her to go inside the theater to accompany her to watch. Not waiting outside like before.

They watched Indonesian films, it's suitable for teenagers at Yuki's age. Yuda who sat next to Yuki often glanced at the girl next to him. Yuda wanted to see Yuki's expression when he saw a scene about the relationship between a child and her mother. But of course, it's hard for him to see Yuki's expression in a dark place.

Yuda's curiosity about Yuki's parents grew. He remembered what Yuki said back in the car earlier. Yuda guessed, maybe Yuki was a child who didn’t receive the love of her parents.

Yuda was thinking of his mother, who was sick in the village. If he had more money, Yuda wanted to rent a house, no longer a tenement. So that his entire family in the village could be brought in by him to live here with him. But sadly, until now he could not afford it.

The movie was over, they came out of the theater.

Yuda still followed Yuki's steps behind him.

Yuki's steps stopped because someone was blocking her path.

Yuda stayed where he was, he did not dare to act without the permission of his young lady.

The person who blocks Yuki's steps was recognized by Yuda as the male student who was slapped by Yuki the other day.

"You are stupid Yuki, you choose to watch a movie with your driver who dressed like crap, instead of me? You stupid girl!"

"It's none of your business who I go with. If I refusing to go out with you is foolishness, that's fine. I just feel relieved, because I was never attracted to you, Luke, a boy who likes to insult a girl. You are not worthy of being liked by girls. Hopefully, the girls who chasing you, immediately realized that you are not worthy of being pursued or contested!" Yuki pushed Luke's chest with both hands.

"Come on, let's go!" Yuki exclaimed to Yuda. Yuda returned to follow Yuki's steps. Suddenly Yuki stopped and turned her body, Yuda who was surprised to hit Yuki's body. Yuki almost fell on her back because Yuda's body collided with her body. But Yuda's strong arms hugged her body swiftly.

Yuki looked up, just as Yuda lowered his head. Their gazes met, Yuda immediately let go of his embrace, then took three steps back from in front of Yuki.

"I am sorry, Miss. I didn't mean it, really!"

Yuki's eyes swept Yuda's body from feet to head. Yuda's heart was pounding, he was afraid that Yuki would be angry. Because of the crash and hug incident that happened just now.