Chapter 4 - I am the Housekeeper.
1666 Words
"It means that we have to go to the market. Shopping." Said Ilker.
"Alright," said Ylang.
"By the way, you study in Turkey, right?" asked Ilker." your Turkish must be good. why you always speak English with me?"
"Hmm... I miss my English, and in Turkey, only a few can speak English. So from the start, when I speak English, and you reply to me with English, so I practice my English.
"Yeah that's because I thought you could not speak Turkish, but now I should speak my language with you. that's I think it's better for you too."
Since that time, Ilker spoke Turkish to Ylang.
(Speaking Turkish)
"Tamam, Soto'yu pişireceğim. en kolay soto bandung, " (I will cook Soto. the easiest one is Soto Bandung.)
"Maybe we just go to the supermarket, because this is already afternoon," said Ilker. (Speaking Turkish)
They stopped by to supermarket, to buy some ingredients.
‘The odd tingling on my body really bothering me as I am walking with this 6,2 feet handsome man with his hair is cut short like an army. I had just known this man a few days ago, and now I am shopping with him in a supermarket as his date, it is really awkward for me.”
Ylang's body trembled beside this Turkish man. 'I don't know for how long I can endure my faith as I am with him.’
“Do you have rice at home, Ilker?"
"Yeah, but not much. Are we going to eat rice ?"
"Yes. Indonesian cuisines almost always use rice. so definitely I will cook some rice."
Ylang continued, "What else you have at home? Ginger? Lemongrass? Lemon leaves, soybean seeds?
"No, I do not have it all."
"Okay, then we are going to but all those ingredients, plus we have to buy meats."
Ylang sounded like a good cook.
'Is she really can cook ?'Ilker asked in his heart.
Ylang tried to keep focus when shopping with that handsome man. Several times she trembled when their shoulders touched when they looked for the ingredients
Luckily Ylang and Ilker got all the ingredients.
“By the way, after you cook, please clean the mess, will you? Because I cannot stand the mess. I really cannot stand it.”
“Actually I am not that a neat person. But I promise I will clean it and make it as before.”
Ilker glared his eyes. "that's good, sure you'll do clean it after cook." while he was gently touching Ylang's chin.
Ylang was a little stunned but then said, "yes sure, but please ... don't touch." Her face turned red from the touch.
“Why you face turned red, Ylang?”
“Please.. don’t make me more embarrassed.”
Suddenly Ilker a make a fast movement, he kissed Ylang’s cheek. “I got you!”
“Ohh Noooo…” Ylang shouted loudly. “Are you crazy?”
“Well, you’ve promised me, and I haven’t got it in the right way. Now we are equal.”
Ylang pouted.
“don't frown, you are more beautiful, and I can kiss you again”.
Ylang’s feelings were mixed, she didn’t know what to react, it was between annoyance, pleasure, but anyway, this man did bring her joy.
Soon as they arrived at Ilker apartment, they put all the ingredient in the kitchen.
Ylang started with the meat, she washed it and then boiling it with lemongrass stalks, lemon leaves and ginger pieces.
While the meat was boiled, she cooked the rice by boiling it until the water ran out, and then she steamed it.
When the meat had been cooked, he took the flesh out of the stew and cut it into chunks.
She peeled the garlic and chopped it into small pieces and then sautéed it.
She replaced the meat with fresh water, and put it in the broth, and added the lemongrass stalks, ginger pieces, bay leaves, orange leaves and sautéed garlic. Then she put some salt, sugar and pepper
After it boiled once again finally, she put in pieces of white r****h. Then she tasted it. 'I think it's enough, I can taste the salt, and it already feels tasty.'
Suddenly Ilker entered the kitchen, he had changed his clothes with boxer and white T-shirt and said, "Hmmm... the smell is very tempting my stomach, do you need my help?"
"You are late dear; I am almost done."
"I'm sorry I didn't help you earlier because I was busy adjusting my flight schedule. Anyway, you look great in the kitchen."
"Yeah... I try my best. and I can handle this cook myself, don't worry; I used to cook in my apartment."
She smiled at Ilker then continued, "Anyway, since I don't know where you put your plates are, maybe you can help me prepare the dinner table."
"Okay, beautiful." and he winked.
They both were sitting in the dinner table, Ylang put some rice to Ilker's plate. Ylang had prepared Soto Bandung in two bowls, one for herself and another for Ilker.
"Ylang this is smell delicious. You really can cook."
"Thank you." Said Ylang.
"I think you feel hot after cooking, why don't you take off your hijab?" Said Ilker, he smiled.
"No Ilker, no need, I can handle the heat," said Ylang with her sullen face.
"Hahaha... just teasing you beautiful."
"How do you eat it?" asked Ilker.
"You scoop the rice, then dip the rice into a bowl of soup, take the meat and gravy, then eat," Ylang answered.
And he tried it.
"This is delicious Ylang."
"Thank you." Ylang smiled.
After they both finished eating dinner, Ylang cleaned the table and then she did the dishes, while Ilker was watching television.
After Ylang finished all, washed the dishes and then clean the kitchen, made it as before, then find Ilker in the living room, "Ilker, I need to take a shower and change my clothes, will you excuse me?"
"Sure, I'll be waiting here, until you finished, then we can watch a movie together here."
Thirty minutes later, Ylang came out in a long blue shirt, long-sleeved, wearing a pink hijab. And then he sat next to Ilker but a little far apart.
"Hey come sit close to me, why you have to be that far?"
"No Ilker, I will keep the distance. I respect you; that's why I keep the distance."
"No you are not, you are disrespecting me by sitting far away from me. I want you to be close to me."
"C, mon Ilker you promise me..."
"Yeah, yeah, I promise, I'm not going to touch, I just want to sit close to you."
Because Ylang didn't want to move, Ilker moved, "Well never mind I will come to near you" He grinned. he sat so close to each other that their shoulders almost touched. 'He is a real danger, what I have done with this silly agreement, looks like I'm going to go in crocodile's mouth.'said Ylang in her heart. "What are we going to watch," Ylang tried to distract Ilker.
"Have you watched Pretty Woman?" while he was holding the remote control.
"Not yet. It's an old movie." Said Ylang.
"Yeah.. we are going to watch it now."
Ilker then pressed the remote control.
Ylang moved a little bit, so she had a distance between them. But then Ilker moved again near to her. "No, Ilker, please no!"
"I won't touch you, I just sit near you, that's all" But she couldn't do anything except sit still, frozen, while Ilker could not stand the urge to hold the girl's hand. Then he moved again to Ylang, make her locked in the corner of the sofa.
The movie began.
Ylang tried to concentrate on the film, but she felt uncomfortable because Ilker kept looking at her.
'Oh shit.. she could be that cold, didn't she feel the vibrations at all, but why did she want to do the crazy agreement that I deliberately trapped her.'
Suddenly, Ilker kissed Ylang on her cheek and said, "You smell so good beautiful." Ylang was so shocked.
But then the doorbell rang. Ylang felt it just like a save by the bell. "Let me open it." She stood up and walked to the door. Ilker had no time to hold her in anymore.
Ylang opened the door, and in front of her, there was a beautiful, blond woman with greenish eyes, little higher than Ylang. The woman smiled briefly, but her expression quickly turned to wonder. "Who are you?" (speak Turkish.) the woman asked Ylang. She immediately barged in.
"I am the Housekeeper," Ylang answered carelessly, while that woman walked through her. That what suddenly pop up in her mind, what Ylang hope after telling it, she can go to her room, sleep and avoid Ilker's mischievous intentions.
"What? Housekeeper? in the night like this? what is this Ilker?"
Ylang took the opportunity to return to her room. 'I don't know who that girl is, most likely she is very close to Ilker, looks like his lover.'Ylang's heart said.
There is a little feeling of sadness in her heart, knowing that Ilker had a girlfriend. 'I thought I am his date, his date during the agreement period.'
While she was in her room, she sat on her bed, pensive. 'What should I do? My heart is sore, I better go back to my apartment. Also if I stayed here Ilker would go for to touch me, maybe he will do more worse than touching, maybe I cannot control myself either. He is going crazy even he dares to kiss my cheek.' then she took her sling bag, grab her handphone and came out from her room.
She heard Ilker said to the girl, "Emel, What are you doing here? Haven't we broken up? You left me, you refused all my phone calls, and you told me through w******p, we broke up. And you have been avoiding me for 3 months, and now you come back ruining my life?"
Ylang was relieved. 'They've broken up. And why she come here? Hmm, I don't want to know, better I go home otherwise I will be eaten by a tiger.'
"Excuse me, sir, because my work has finished her, I'd better go home. I will come back tomorrow. Thank you, sir." Ilker glared at Ylang's words. Without waiting for Ilker's answer, Ylang immediately drove out of the apartment. While the Turkish woman just stood watching Ylang pass by.
"Hey, hey Ylang, where you going?" Ilker shouted.
but Ylang won't come back, maybe pretending not to hear Ilker's scream. "s**t, she's gone!"
"Let her go, she is only the housekeeper” why do you have to hold her in?"
- Writer
