I grabbed my hat and buried my whole head until this strange hair was out of sight. Then I packed up all the used goods that I had neatly sorted for resale and put them on the bike.
It's been noisy outside since earlier, hawkers have been seen selling various kinds of goods in their boxes. Then dozens of scavengers were ready to scavenge the mountain of garbage that towered less than ten meters from my house. The smell of garbage has become our daily companion, even the dirty air that is hated by the high-ranking officials of this country is our life supply so far.
Aras is a slum and also a landfill on the outskirts of the city. A gathering place for homeless people, scavengers, and other homeless people. It's not even devoid of drunks and juvenile delinquents. Because of the difficulty of living here, it often leads to a life of crime.
I stepped my feet outside. Then suddenly a strange wave rang out that made me cover my ears. For a moment, the atmosphere suddenly changed. It was dark. But only for about ten seconds.
"Hey Kazo, your father is waiting at the stall," someone shouted from the front.
"What was that?" I muttered still with my hands covering my ears. "What was that noise, why do people look so ordinary?"
I stared at the passers-by of Aras who were busy with their respective activities. But what I had just seen and felt didn't seem to be felt by them. Even though the sound was quite strong and quite ear-piercing. Was it just my feelings and hallucinations? Then the dark atmosphere that I had seen earlier has now disappeared.
"Kazo!" the voice and the hand on my shoulder startled me. I almost cursed if I didn't see who was coming.
"Grandpa Kyu! What are you doing? You startled me!" I exclaimed. The old man seemed to chuckle.
"Brat, what good do you have ears for? I called out earlier, but how dare you ignore me. Where are your manners?" he snapped angrily, pointing his pipe at me.
Grandpa Kyu was a homeless man who moved around a lot. He was quite old, probably in his nineties or so. But that man somehow loved to travel without complaining at all. He could even disappear for a year and then return to Aras. Just like now.
"Sorry Grandpa, I didn't hear you. But when did you return?" The man seemed to clear his throat for a moment, then sat down on one of the rickety chairs in front of my house.
"I've been here for two days, but I didn't come here right away. So are you going to the stall now?" the old man asked, patting his beret hat that had holes in it. I nodded slowly.
"You want to see Dad?"
Kyu's father and grandfather have been friends for a long time. They often talked about many things when they met. Even Grandpa Kyu was like family to us, but somehow the old man still chose his way of life and refused when Father asked him to live in our house. Granted, our house wasn't what you'd call decent. But at least he didn't have to travel in the heat and rain at his age. But that's what's special about herm, he doesn't get tired.
I got on the only worn-out bicycle we had after I finished tying the luggage on the back. I looked at Kyu's grandfather who closed his eyes while continuing to smoke his pipe. I didn't say anything else and left Kyu's grandfather to rest.
Father's stall was near the market not far from the Aras settlement. It only took five minutes by bicycle. The residential streets in Aras were always filled with hawkers, street vendors, homeless people, and scavengers.
The dirty area was never traversed by cars or other luxury vehicles because of the stench of garbage that wafted for tens of kilometers. But because the market is close to the Ara's settlement, the surrounding residents inevitably have to pass that way. And that's what makes the residents of Aras feel lucky because they can sell their goods to pedestrians who pass by there.
And just like that day the streets were crowded as usual. But somehow I felt a strange air and atmosphere that felt like following me. Even the atmosphere also seemed dark even though there wasn't a single cloud above.
Dad's stall looked quite crowded. Because the used goods we sell are still quite good and the price is also very affordable. I parked the bike and immediately unloaded the luggage on the boncengan. And in no time the crowd of buyers had started to arrive and made me dissolve in busyness. I'd almost forgotten about Grandpa Kyu if Father hadn't asked me something at that moment.
"Dad, Grandpa Kyu is waiting for you at home. He just got back," I shouted in a pretty loud tone because it was so noisy. Dad looked stunned for a moment as he shook his head. My father was already in his fifties but he still looked so young and very similar to Arga.
"Then I'll go home first. Can you take care of the stall by yourself? I won't be long," he called out as he packed up.
"Leave it to me!"
After my father left, more and more customers arrived. Although it was quite overwhelming, I was grateful because it meant good luck for us. I was busy serving the customers for almost ten minutes until finally there was not a single buyer left and I only had a few items left.
I wiped my sweat with a happy feeling. Just then, a young girl dressed eccentrically like a punk entered the stall by herself. I invited her to look around and she went straight to the pile of merchandise in front of me which contained household items such as water pots, plates, food containers, and also plastic buckets that were still good.
I observed the girl who seemed to me to look strange and too eccentric. Punk kids were not a new thing in the neighborhood. They came and went every day, busking along the market and city buses. But which punk had clear skin and beautiful black hair that could be said to be so well-groomed? Isshee in disguise or a celebrity who is shooting to be a punk? I don't know.
The girl picked up a knife that was sold at Dad's stall. She observed it intensely as if it was her first time seeing a knife.
"What's the name of this thing?" she asked with an innocent face that of course immediately made me gape, whether she was joking or asking.
"Of course, it's a knife, why are you still asking?" I said with a strange feeling. The girl seemed to nod.
"In my place, it's called a Dagger. But the shape is different, a little bigger and more pointed at the end. The handle also has rather intricate carvings," she explained while still observing the knife with her narrow eyes. I still didn't understand what he was explaining, and his gesture was enough to make me think the wrong thing about him.
"Where are you from? I just found out there's a knife called the Dagger, is it outside this island?" I asked.
The girl smirked." Do you want to know where I'm from? My hometown is called Agni and it's in Porta Loka. Isn't that also your home, Kazo?"
The girl grinned again and stared with her sharp dark eyes. I widened my eyes in surprise. She just mentioned my name, and more surprisingly she just mentioned the place that was inside the fairy tale book in my pants pocket.
PORTA LOKA.
continue...