"How was the flower order today, Ma'am?" Lia asked while washing the dishes after the little family finished their breakfast.
"A few have come in. But, don't worry ... Mr. Nilam is already healthy. So, he can already ask for help with the flower delivery as usual."
"Oh, yes, thank goodness for that."
"So what? Do you want to deliver that flowers?" asked Sekar the mother with a smile.
"Hehe, yes, if Mr. Nilam hasn't recovered yet, Mom. After that, Lia will ask for permission after college to meet a friend first."
"Oh, class ends today, huh?"
Lia nodded, taking off her apron after finishing her dishwashing task.
"Yes, dear. It's okay. Please, tell Mom later, okay?"
---
Lia was still a little hesitant when she accepted the invitation to meet from Angga. But because of her nature that is always never comfortable to disappoint someone, she tried to get rid of the thought that maybe just her feelings.
Lia is waiting for an online motorcycle that she has ordered. Today, she did not bring a motorbike because it was being used by Ares. Even though it's not impossible if Lia's family wants to buy another motorbike so that they don't have to take turns in using it, Lia doesn't want to be offered to choose a new unit to buy again. Suggesting that the money would be better off if it were used as additional capital for their flower garden.
While she was busy waiting while listening to music through her cellphone, her eyes met a girl who had been successfully defeated by her last night. Yes, who else if not Ana? Immediately the girl continued to stare at Lia sharply as if implying a challenge to fight. Meanwhile, Lia, who is a brave girl, also returned Ana's sharp gaze.
If only the driver's online brother hadn't come, maybe Lia would even approach Ana to just give a short sermon to the girl so that she would be more careful about her attitude. But if you think about it, what for? After all, the father has also ordered not to fight with Ana anymore. Because surely it would be useless and a waste of energy to fight someone who does have such a nature. Except, if she has crossed the line that must be punished.
---
"Mell!" The sound of the call instantly made Lia turn her head.
"I don't want to, uh. Lia, not Mell," protested the girl as she took off her helmet, then handed it to Abang Ojol. "Thank you, Sir."
Before the driver answered, Lia's arm was immediately pulled by her classmate, Amanda.
"Duh ... Manda, don't be pulled. Take my hand off later," Lia protested which instantly made her friend chuckle.
"Are you so mad? Just kidding too, lol."
"You're kidding, how come you play physically? Ask for it to be ground up, kid!"
Instead of apologizing, Amanda burst out laughing as if that was what she had been waiting for; an annoying chirp from Lia, who is known to be careless.
"Happy? happy? One more thing, don't call me 'Mel' but Lia. L-I-A."
"Lohh, it's still part of your name, Mel. Camell… Camellia, hihihi."
"Mandaaaaaaa. Camel camel, is it a camel, what?" said Lia a little fiercely.
"Yes ... oh my goodness, Ndoro Putri is the most beautiful," said Manda while gently embracing Lia's shoulders.
After joking around a bit by pinching and tickling each other's friends, the two walked together towards their class. Then unexpectedly, two other friends followed and joined in.
Arriving at class, Riyan immediately asked Lia about what happened to her last night. The young man only said if he got the news from his mother. However, Ryan also confirmed that the news had not spread to the residents in his village.
Amanda and Bobby, who live in different areas, can only stare and urge Lia and Riyan to tell the chronology of what happened. To be honest, Lia didn't want to talk about the incident, but because her gang had already known about it, in the end, Lia coherently told her so that her friends wouldn't be curious.
"Wow... crazy! It's called violence. Must find her!" with a passion, Bobby responded by pounding his seat and immediately shocked the whole class. Meanwhile, Riyan reflexively patted Bobby's shoulder who immediately smirked in pain.
"We are at peace. Besides, I wasn't seriously injured. However, I don't like it when she insults my father. Forgiving sure, but that doesn't mean I forget her nature. Because this is not just once or twice," explained Lia.
"Fix if she is jealous of you. What's more, isn't it?" said Ryan.
"Look, let's just talk about this. After a while, I can get nauseous. This morning, when we left, we just met, now we're talking about her," said Lia, while hinting to her friends to return to their seats. And sure enough, because not long ago the lecturer who was teaching that morning came.
When the situation started to settle down, the vibrating on the cellphone that was set to silent by Lia had momentarily broken her concentration. The message came from Angga who reminded her not to forget the appointment they had agreed on. Lia wanted to reply, but she couldn't do it because the lecturer had already noticed her actions which were considered suspicious.
---
Meanwhile ...
"No, I don't want to! I don't want to wear this dress. Old school you know!" Ana protested to Sari the Mama.
"Oh my gosh, who was that nagging at that time asking to be bought?" said Sari, glancing at the child.
"Just don't want to! I want to wear new clothes, Mom. All of these, none of which fit me. I want to be different because this is a golden opportunity for me." With a still passionate tone, Ana continued to answer curtly.
"No clothes from where? What do these three big cupboards contain? Bag?"
"Uhhh, Mommy! Please help me. When else will you be able to meet a rich, twisted person like Evan?" Still a little emotional, Ana replied. Then she sat down on her bed; among the piles of clothes that she said didn't suit her.
"Yeah, you know. So, what's next? Want to buy now? Where is the time, Ana. Didn't you have an appointment at one o'clock? What time is it now?" Sari bombarded her sentences in hopes of making her daughter realize her mistake, who had been busy rummaging through the cupboards until she had time to take a shower in the morning.
"I knew I wanted to meet up, but it wasn't prepared since last night. This is how it will be," continued Sari, adding a scolding to show her annoyance.
"Ihhhh… Mommy why are you even blaming me! Let's hurry up and help. This golden opportunity is not only to get a rich son-in-law, Mom. But also repay what Lia has done to me." Ana's tone is fiery, even the look in her eyes shows how eager the girl is to avenge her defeat against Lia.
"Yes, I know. You already told me. Listen, Mommy. Choose clothes that are simple, simple so that Evan will be stunned by you. Don't be extravagant, you know?" said Sari to which only Ana nodded.
In the next second, both mother and daughter were busy taking care of their appearance to welcome what was said to be a good day. It can be seen clearly how Sari spoils her only child. Not only that, it seems that Ana's cunning nature is inherited from her mother.
After everything was enough, Ana looked at herself in the large mirror in her room. She looked proudly at the body reflected in the mirror. Her skin is tan, her wavy black hair is left loose. All of that was combined with a knee-length cream dress and matching colored ballet shoes that made her look even more adorable.
"Well, this way ... believe me, if he will fall in love with you, Ana," said Sari the mother, which made Ana's heart even more excited and made her impatient to meet Evan.
---
"Let's eat Mie Ayam at Mr. Gundul," said Bobby when the afternoon lecture was over.
"You treat, Bob," said Ryan who immediately got a hit on the shoulder.
"Come on, let's go there. I'm so hungry, here. Lia, come on! We eat chicken noodles at Mr. Gundul." This time, Amanda spoke up.
"So sorry, Guys. I already have an appointment, so… tomorrow, okay?"
It seems, what Lia said, seemed to make her three friends dumbfounded as if they couldn't believe what they had just heard.
"Promise with who?" Ryan, who had returned to the real world first, also asked a question.
"Just like a new friend. It's not far, at Seteras Cafe," said Lia casually while tidying up her luggage.
"Girl or boy?" said Bobby quickly.
"Guy."
"Wow, a Camellia… at last… can finally make an appointment with a boy too. Dating huh, Beb? Isn't? I'm sorry," urged Bobby, who seemed to be the most enthusiastic of the four of them.
Not without reason if one of her friends said so. Lia, a cheeky but kind-hearted girl, is someone who has never once been in love or seen close to guys on campus or out there. So never, they almost think of Lia as a deviant girl.
The insistence that kept coming from friends finally made Lia say the real reason. Namely, about why she was never seen close to a man. The reason is so cliché; Nothing is fit yet. If it's limited to falling in dear, maybe Lia has often felt it. But if you fall in love, it feels ... still not.
For Lia, falling in dear and falling in love is different. Fall in dear, more to the feeling of admiration, adoration, and affection for a reason that can be said clearly. For example, she fell in dear with Feisal, her neighbor's son who was five years old but very fluent in reading the Al-Qur'an. Or fall in dear with her father and mother who cared for her with all their love, and the younger brother Ares was no exception.
Then, what is the definition of falling in love with Lia? There is no 'because' as an underlying reason when that moment comes. There is sensation that is difficult to describe but very clearly can be felt.
When her heartbeat became unusual even if she only looked or remembered, that's where Lia believed that love was present in her heart. Maybe this sounds exaggerated or even made up because Lia has never been in love with the opposite sex before.
However, this thought was obtained from what Lia had felt when she remembered the Creator. She fell in love with the Essence who had always bestowed all favors; whether healthy or sick, happy or sad. The vibrations flowed through her body and led to her heart beating faster.
Even so, love for God and humans of course cannot be equalized because God is the Highest Essence. What Lia uses as a measure of falling in love is the heartbeat that becomes unusual, when she remembers or looks at it. Approximately So.
Initially, her friends were a bit confused by Lia's concept. But gradually they become understanding and can conclude. That in the future, someone who falls in love with Lia must try hard so that the girl can also fall in love with him. Of course with a sincere heart, not in a fraudulent way.
Camellia Mettadevi has a soft heart, so anyone who wants to have a place in her heart as a special man must fight hard. And what needs to be underlined, is Lia is not picky but she just follows her heart.
---
The five of them had arrived at the campus parking lot. Bobby started to fuss because he suddenly canceled his ability to hang out. With the excuse, he had to go home soon because his mother sent a message.
Meanwhile, Lia is busy replying to Angga's message, who recently contacted him. The young man said he would arrive at Lia's campus in a few seconds. As soon as Lia could reply, she said that Angga didn't need to pick her up. However, it seems that the message was not read by Angga.
A few moments later, a new Audi car arrived, which stopped right in front of the campus gate, which of course attracted the attention of all the college students there, including Lia.
When the driver's side window was lowered, Lia immediately knew who was behind the action which made everyone gawk at almost the same time.
"Hey, Lia! Let's go!"
***