That morning, Arya stepped into school with undying enthusiasm. The uphill and downhill path, which took half an hour, didn't seem difficult for him. Even though he didn't have a motorbike and had to rely on his own legs, the young man never once complained. For him, every step is proof of struggle.
At 07.00, Arya was sitting quietly in the still quiet class. There were only a few students who arrived early.
"It's really fitting for you to come this early in the morning, Ar. Are you still confused about your homework?" said Reva while laughing crisply, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"Hmmm... I haven't done it yet, Na," answered Rani in a desperate tone.
"Well, why is that...," complained Reva, her face immediately looked weak and overwhelmed.
"That's why you're studying, don't keep playing with your cell phone," reprimanded Arya gently but firmly, while taking out her notebook from a bag that looked shabby and worn.
"I've studied, Ar. But what can I do, my brain only has one giga of RAM, it's slow if I force it to think hard," joked Rani in an exaggerated style, making the atmosphere fluid.
"Just a reason," said Arya briefly, but her eyes were smiling.
Without wasting any time, Karin immediately grabbed Arya's book and started copying quickly.
"Eh, move it a bit! You can't see it!" Joni exclaimed as he pulled the book towards him roughly.
"What the heck! Come late but want to be at the front, queue up!" Karin protested irritably, the two of them almost became violent.
Drag!
Suddenly the book was forcibly pulled by Arya. "Don't fight over it! You'll tear my book and then buy it," said Arya in a slightly high tone, her face looking annoyed.
"Hehe... no, Ar. Borrow it again... Arya is a kind friend...," Karin cooed, her hands cupped in front of her chest with the pitiful face that she really relied on.
Arya took a deep breath, then put her book back on the table. "Okay, but don't fight anymore."
"Wow, it was already invaded early in the morning like ants finding sugar. Almost got eaten by you and your genderuwo, Ar," teased Joni, his seatmate who had just arrived with a bag that had been carried haphazardly.
"Shut up, you dirty devil!" Karin said without looking even a bit, her eyes remained focused on copying.
"There's homework, instead of doing it yourself at home, you're cheating... you're lazy," said Joni. However, these words were only met with sharp and glaring stares from his three friends who seemed ready to pounce.
Even though he received 'horrified' looks, Joni remained relaxed. He actually grabbed Arya's book and started copying too.
"You're the same, dirty devil!" Karin snapped while tapping Joni's head with the tip of a pen.
"Ouch! What the hell!" Joni protested while rubbing his forehead.
"You think you're the only one who's lazy? I do too. What's the point of having smart friends if we don't use them?" Joni said casually with a grin.
"I think I'm in the wrong company..." Arya muttered to herself, shaking her head at the ridiculous behavior of her friends. Even so, he loved them very much. They have been friends since entering high school, and Arya is the only one who has a smart brain among them.
"Eh, Mrs. Wida is here!" Arya whispered making the others panic and rush to clear the table.
Mrs. Wida is their Accounting teacher and homeroom teacher. This beautiful young teacher often makes Arya fail to focus. Especially when Mrs. Wida is writing on the blackboard. Her beautiful back and body shape often kept Arya's eyes glued longer than looking at the writing on the blackboard.
"Kids, your homework is due at the front," said Mrs. Wida in a soft voice that sounded very attractive, making the male students' hearts beat faster.
Finally the doorbell rang. Arya pedaled her old bicycle with a very different feeling. Throughout the journey, a big smile never left his lips. His heart blossomed. He felt very confident that starting today his life would change. Thanks to the good luck he got from the ring left by his ancestors, he believes his future will be bright.
Arya plans to reinstall the fishing rod and trap. He wants to catch fish and lobsters to sell. That was the beginning of a change in his fate.
When we got home, my tired body suddenly felt lighter. He had just closed his eyes on his thin mattress, when suddenly his cell phone vibrated. Arya frowned. Who calls in the middle of the night like this?
But when he saw the name 'Reva', he immediately picked it up.
"Hello, Rev? What's wrong? Why are you calling in the middle of the night?" asked Arya.
But the question died in his throat. His eyes bulged unblinking. On the cellphone screen, Reva is seen wearing only a bra and shorts, lying relaxed on the bed. The light from the room lights illuminated his friend's smooth white skin. Arya swallowed hard when she saw Reva's perfect and seductive body shape.
"Why are your eyes bulging like that, Ar? What's wrong with me calling in the middle of the night? I can't sleep, I'd better call you instead," Reva answered casually while playing with her long hair, as if she didn't realize how tempting her appearance was.
"No... it's okay, Rev. I was just... just surprised. It turns out... your 'watermelon' is super big, isn't it..." Arya stammered, trying her best to control herself and her fast-racing heartbeat.
"You damn bastard, Ar! It turns out your eyes bulged out because you saw that, huh!" Reva grumbled, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment but a happy smile was hidden there.
They chatted for quite a long time. Discussing school assignments, Guntur and the others' behavior, and vacation plans. Until finally Arya, who had to get up early, decided to end the conversation, even though she was really reluctant to take her eyes off the cellphone screen.
"Rev, that's all for now. Tomorrow I have to get up early to check the fishing rods and traps. We'll continue tomorrow," said Arya.
"Okay, Ar. Tomorrow I'll play at your house, okay? School holidays are so boring with nothing to do," said Reva with a sweet smile. Tomorrow is Sunday.
"Of course you can! I'm waiting for the Princess to come to my hut," answered Arya cheerfully.
After hanging up the phone, Arya took a deep breath. The image of Reva's body kept spinning in his head, making him feel warm and embarrassed. "Gosh... it turns out to be bigger and more beautiful than I imagined..." he muttered, then immediately closed his eyes so he could fall asleep quickly.
At five in the morning, Arya woke up. After washing his face, sipping hot coffee and a cigarette, his enthusiasm burned. He carried a large container towards the river.
Today he feels very confident. The twenty fishing rods and five traps he set yesterday will definitely bring blessings.
Arya's smile grew wider as she began to reel in her fishing rods one by one. Plok! The fish were jumping around excitedly. From twenty fishing rods, he managed to catch twelve tilapia fish and eight large catfish. Their bodies glistened freshly under the morning sunlight.
However, the magic is not over yet. As Arya lifted the traps one by one, her eyes lit up in disbelief.
Not only snakehead fish and tilapia, but it's full of Freshwater Lobster! The size is big and looks very expensive. The claws moved aggressively as if challenging.
Arya takes them all home. Surprisingly, even though he was carrying five full fish traps and lots of fish containers, he didn't feel heavy at all. As if there was an invisible force helping. It's just that the large size of the item makes it a bit of a hassle to cross the path.
When he got home, he immediately moved the abundant harvest to a holding tank behind the house, separating the fish and lobsters so they wouldn't attack each other.
"It looks like Mrs. Lilis couldn't possibly want to buy all of this this morning. She just bought it last night, and there was too much of it. Maybe I should offer it to seafood restaurants in town," thought Arya.
"Oh my!! Ar...!!"
The surprised exclamation made Arya turn her head. It was Aida, his own aunt.
"You got so many fish? There are even freshwater lobsters too?! Where did you get this many, Ar?" asked Aunt Aida with wide eyes in disbelief.
Aunt Aida is a very beautiful woman with a very alluring body. Many young men in the village made it their wildest fantasy, but none of them dared to tease or do anything wrong. Apart from Aida being secretive, everyone is also very reluctant and respects Grandma Imah, who has made a great contribution to the village.
"Yes, from the river, Bik. Where else do you want to come from, cooking from the forest?" Arya replied casually.
"Auntie knows that, Ar. But which river? Haven't you ever gotten even a lobster, let alone this many and big?" Aida asked curiously, her hand gently touching one of the large lobsters in the tub.
"Maybe you're lucky, Sis. That's why good fortune comes in succession," answered Arya, smiling mysteriously. "Auntie, do you want to cook something fresh? Let's have something delicious!" his offer was sincere.
"Ah, no need, Ar. It would be a shame if you eat it, it's expensive, you know! It's better if you just sell it," Aida refused gently, feeling uncomfortable taking advantage of the results of her nephew's hard work.
"It's okay, Sis. As long as we have more sustenance, we are also ordinary people who need good food. Besides, I'm also confused about where to sell it. I'm really reluctant to go to Mrs. Lilis, because last night I just sold a lot of fish to her," answered Arya honestly, her face looking a little confused but full of hope.