"Where did you come from, son?" asked a middle-aged man wearing a security uniform with the logo of the name of the building where Brian is currently going.
"I'm from Jakarta, sir! I moved here today," said Brian kindly.
"Oh yes. No wonder…" the security responded with a strange expression.
"Why, sir? Something's wrong, huh?" Brian asked again.
"Hmm, it's okay, Son!" the man awkwardly replied, "Here is the room key. I hope you feel comfortable living here, Son! Just follow this man later, he will take you upstairs!" he continued after handing over Brian's room key.
Brian nodded with a smile in response to the security man's words. There is a strange feeling that can be seen from the expression of the security man earlier. Meanwhile, the younger security guard looked a little shaky and clumsy as he escorted Brian to the top floor.
"Bro, how long have you worked in this building? Do you think the environment is safe here, isn't it?" Brian began to familiarize himself with the security officer with the name Fery on his chest.
"Just call me Fery, Bro!" Fery replied kindly, "I've only worked here for one year, and Alhamdulillah as long as the environment is safe here. The people who rent rooms in this building are also friendly and kind, like you. Oh, yeah… what's your name, Bro? Let's have a good chat, hehe!"
"I'm Brian, Bro Fery. Just call Brian, you don't have to use 'brother' at all!" Brian replied, happy because Fery was very friendly and comfortable to talk to.
"Thank God, Bro. It means that my sustenance can live comfortably here. I hope I feel at home here, yes! Because I was hesitant to make a choice to rent an apartment room in this building,"
Brian tells the story to make Fery silent, even his leisurely pace slowed down.
"Why, Bro? Why is it so slow? We're close to my room, aren't we?" Brian asked confused.
"Oh no! We haven't arrived yet. Haven't been in the elevator yet, have we?" Fery awkwardly answered instantly.
"So why is it going so slowly, Mas? I'm curious about my room later. Because the price is cheap, you want to see if the room is livable or not," said Brian, "You knows about how's the room?" continued Brian again.
"Hmm… I don't understand if the room is on the fourth floor, Bro. Usually, Mr. Rusli is the one on the third and fourth floors. My job is to go around on the first and second floors, Bro!" Fery replied while allowing Brian to enter the elevator.
Ting!
The elevator doors open on the 4th floor at the front. It was seen by Brian that Fery was more doubtful than before. Between Fery's hesitant steps, Brian saw beads of sweat piled up on Fery's forehead.
'What is wrong with him? Why is he so weird?' Brian thought to himself when Fery's answer had not satisfied his curiosity.
The two of them slowed down and stopped in front of the room numbered 42 above that's the door.
Not to mention Brian opened the door to his room, the security already looked worried and wanted to just leave.
"We are arrived, yes! I'll go back to the first post! Hope you feel comfortable here, yes, Bro!" said Fery very briefly. And not to mention that Brian answered him, with a little jog Fery quickly left Brian.
"Geez, what the hell?" Brian grumbled noticing the strange behavior of Fery who had disappeared back into the elevator.
Brian put the key into the door handle hole. When he heard a sound indicating the door's lock was open, Brian pushed the door inside and greeted.
"Allahumma innii as-aluka khairal mawlaji wa khairal makhraji bismillahi wa lajnaa wa bismillahi kharajnaa wa 'alaallahi rabbanaa tawakkalnaa."
Wow!
A gust of wind hit Brian's body with a force enough to make him sway and slightly back off.
"What's the wind, huh?" Brian responded for a moment while shaking his head. Not only a strange wind that suddenly came out of the room. However, the situation in the room made Brian shake his head even more in surprise.
What Brian had initially imagined about the place he would live in was a space, where there would only be walls as far as the eye could see.
But it's not. The rooms that Brian rented were already full of complete facilities which were sufficient for himself.
There is a mattress that looks soft, complete with a blanket. Next to the bed was a small table with a minimalist night lamp sitting on it.
In front of Brian, there is also a medium-sized flat-screen television, in front of which there is also a sofa for relaxing.
"It's really weird, isn't it? Rent for a good room full of facilities like this is only valued that much? Make it weird. But…" Brian's mumbling hangs as his eyes dart around the room and its corners.
Brian walked slowly while touching objects nearby. And when approaching the large sofa that looks soft, Brian did not escape to try it too.
"Hhhh, the sofa is comfortable! Sitting here watching football will make you not want to get up again, hahaha! Great position!" said Brian happily.
But Brian's pleasure was not fully felt when his mind returned to the hanging sentence he had said earlier.
Brian returned his gaze.
"There doesn't seem to be anything like 'that' here, does it? If there is, how can the air be so comfortable like this?" he mumbled to convince himself to believe that there were no creatures in the quotes that he was worried about, "even though the atmosphere is already very feminine, but oh well. The important thing is that it's comfortable to leave it for worship! Start with Bismillah, okay!"
The strange comfort that Brian began to ignore made him sleepy. But the drowsiness was suppressed by him after remembering that Brian had not finished his luggage.
Knock Knock Knock
There was a knock on Brian's door. The tidying up movement stopped and immediately opened the door for his first greeting in his new home.
A middle-aged mother, with a fairly bulky posture, looked at Brian with a smile.
"Good afternoon, Son! I am the administrative officer in this building. We forgot to inform you that the first rent must be paid when the tenant has entered and occupied the room, hehe!" said the admin madam to Brian with a smile that seemed to be forced on a worried look on her face.
"Oh, yes, Madam. I was also surprised yesterday when the deal wanted to rent this room. The marketing person didn't ask for a down payment first. And I also haven't had time to ask security how to pay the rent for the room, hehe. It's so comfortable inside that I forgot to ask. I'm sorry,..." Brian apologized, "How much will it cost, Madam?" he continued.
"The rent for a room is three hundred and fifty thousand rupiahs one month, including electricity and water. And the cleaning fee is fifty thousand rupiahs because the cleanliness of the room is the responsibility of each tenant. Later the garbage will be picked up every two days, right!" replied the admin madam to Brian.
"Are you sure that's the rental price, Madam? With room facilities like this? It's cheap, Madam!" Brian still doesn't believe it, even though the price for the apartment rental advertisement is listed plus the admin's explanation, "I think it's up to six or seven hundred thousand rupiahs per month. Just a moment, Madam. I'll take the money inside!" Brian replied.
Brian can see when Mrs. admin is watching the whole room from outside the door. I don't know what he saw until he didn't even hear Brian's call.
"Madam? Here's the money. Let's count it first!" said Brian after successfully resuscitating the admin madam from her daydream.
"Ah, yes, Son. You don't have to count, I believe! Yes, I hope you feel at home, Son! Thank you, goodbye! Assalamualaikum..." said the building admin in a hurry as if afraid of being chased by something
"What a rush, huh? It's the same as Bro Fery earlier!" said Brian confusedly while scratching his head that didn't itch, "Actually, what's wrong with them? It's like seeing the ghost! Even though there's nothing inside. Hmmm, nothing at all!" he continued muttering.
Brian returned to his room and continued his boring work. Yes, tidying things up and clothes, which he had never even done alone before. All his needs are taken care of by the household assistant and also the mother.
But this is a standalone move that is just getting started. Organizing things and clothes is a small step to being independent of yourself.
If usually, Brian was tired from playing games and so on, this time he had to be bored and tired because of women's work like that.
"Oh my gosh, why did Mommy put so many clothes in my backpack? This is called moving the contents of the cupboard!" Brian grumbled tiredly, "Oh my God, Mom… what do you think I will not go home, huh? Can a girl's closet like this fit my clothes like this?" he continued confused.
Like so many full moons have passed, the drama of arranging clothes into the closet is finally over. All of Brian's belongings have been tidied up into the available places.