That evening, Rojali relaxed and relieved his fatigue by watching his favorite TV quiz show, which focused on basic and general knowledge. Rojali kept muttering in frustration as he watched one contestant he had high hopes for struggle to answer what he considered an easy question.
Rohimah, his wife, arrived and brought a steaming cup of tea and a plate of healthy biscuits. She gently placed them on the table in front of her husband.
"Hey, what's this? Where's my fried snacks and fritters?" Rojali asked, holding one of the pale, flat biscuits. Slowly, he took a bite and chewed it with an odd expression.
"What's the matter?" Rojali asked in confusion. "These are healthy biscuits. Remember, you're not supposed to eat too many carbs at night. The doctor advised you to watch your diet," Rohimah reminded him.
"Oh, come on, it's so troublesome!" Rojali complained. He picked up his tea glass and sipped it carefully. Just a second later, he spat out the tea he had just drunk. "Imah!! What's this? It's so bitter!"
"You keep complaining! Just drink it and stop commenting. It's green tea! It's good for your weight and high cholesterol!" Rohimah scolded her husband with an annoyed look.
"Why don't you just give me some traditional herbal medicine while you're at it?" Rojali replied, even more irritated.
"Would you even drink herbal medicine? Stick with the tea, Rojali. You're getting old; take care of your health. Imeh doesn't want to become a widow too soon!"
"Yeah, yeah, fine. Don't exaggerate," Rojali reluctantly drank his tea, although he had to grimace to tolerate the bitterness.
The sound of the front door opening interrupted their conversation. Arvita appeared behind the door, greeting her parents. Her face looked tired and worn.
"Vita, do you want to eat? I've prepared something delicious. There's your favorite chicken stew," Rohimah asked. Arvita reached for her parents' hands, kissing them gently.
"No, Mom. Vita already ate earlier and still feels full. I just want to rest," Arvita replied wearily.
After a while, Arvita left her parents in the living room, and Rohimah looked at her daughter with concern.
"Honey...!" Rohimah called out her husband,
"Hmm..." her husband replied, still glued to the TV.
"Do you see it? Our daughter seems so exhausted lately. It's been a week, and she looks really tired," Rohimah said, looking toward their daughter's closed bedroom door.
"Well, It's normal to feel tired. If you don't want to be tired, just sleep," Rojali replied casually, slightly annoyed by his wife's continuous interference.
"You!" Rohimah scolded him. "Just watch TV! Hh I want to go to bed."
***
Morning came.
Arvita's face looked slightly brighter, indicating she had rested enough the night before. Arvita began to spread chocolate spread on a piece of bread she was holding. Only Rohimah, her mother, was present at the dining table, watching her daughter with concern.
"Where's Dad?" she asked.
"Early in the morning, he went to his martial arts training place. He said there's an extra instructor who will help him at the dojo," Rohimah explained.
"Oh, I see."
"Mom..?" Arvita called out, gazing at her mother with sparkling eyes. Rohimah looked suspicious of her daughter's demeanor.
"Mom... it seems like, I wants to move out and rent a place. One of my friends offered her a room at a reasonable price."
Rohimah, who was drinking her water, choked suddenly.
"Huk...huk... What did you say, Vita? Moving out? No, absolutely not."
"Mom, I'm serious. Jakarta is crowded and congested. Going back and forth from here takes up a lot of time," Arvita insisted. Rohimah stared reluctantly and covered her ears with both hands.
"No, absolutely not! I won't hear any of it!"
"Mom, you can't be like this. Please, listen to what I have to say. Don't you know, Armand is a perfectionist boss. If I live there, I can save time," Arvita explained.
"At least, please, Mom, listen to me. Give your permission, please..." Arvita approached her mother, "What does that perfect... perfect...?' mean?" her mother asked but still kept her ears covered.
"Perfectionist means everything has to be perfect, Mom. If I live there, I can more save time," Arvita clarified.
"Anyway, Mom! Agree or not, you have to agree!" Arvita replied, more irritated.
It's like a warrior who doesn't fear fighting against invaders to achieve independence. Regardless of the obstacles that come their way, they continue to fight until the bitter end. That's what Arvita was doing now.
After three days of struggling with her parents, Arvita finally managed to get their approval.
On that Sunday, she and her parents packed her things. Her parents made sure the boarding house environment was decent, safe, and suitable for their daughter.
"Hai..! Uncle, Auntie," Lidia greeted, opening the house gate. Rojali looked up at Lidia, who was much taller than him.
They all entered the house. Rohimah was amazed by the two-story house she saw at first sight, thinking it was too good to be called a boarding house.
"Vita! Is this really a boarding house? It looks so nice," Rohimah and the others were in the spacious living room, and a large brown L-shaped sofa was placed in one corner of the room.
"Hey, Vita, is it expensive to rent here?" Rojali, whose behavior was not much different from his wife's, was still admiring the house in amazement.
"Oh, no, Uncle. Actually, this house is an inheritance from my parents. Since there are three empty rooms, I thought I'd rent them out. And I won't just rent them to anyone, Uncle," Rosa explained.
"Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry, Lidia. I didn't know you were an orphan," Rohimah felt guilty.
"It's okay, Auntie, besides, my parents died when I was very young. I grew up with my uncle in Yogyakarta. When I started working, I looked for a job close to home, and it worked out well," Rosa said, looking embarrassed.
"Let's go, Vita, I'll show you where your room is," Lidia helped carry some of her friend's belongings, and Arvita followed her.
Rosa continued to engage in conversation with Arvita's parents, a tactic that worked well to gain their approval and reassure them that their daughter was mature enough to live on her own.
At least, it helped alleviate Rojali and Rohimah's worries, as they had previously warned Arvita that if her boarding house