"Ben, if I'm full, my stomach will be cramped. I'll throw up if I play again." I protested as Ben crammed rice and curry in my mouth.It's not just about being full, but it's curry, full of oil. What if my belly sags and then it's no longer pleasant to look at? The boys want to see me, hold me, because of this precious asset."Do you want to be made to come out again?" Ben chuckled. He placed the plate of food from his hand onto the table, right beside his laptop."You're no different from Satya," I complained, combing the view from Ben's thin mattress up here.There was no longer a bookshelf, but large books were neatly arranged on the table attached to the wall. Not dusty either. Either because he likes to read or because he likes to clean."Same in terms of things?" Ben moved the curtains that blocked the light from outside. The window design almost filled the wall like in the pantry."The game is rough." I adjusted the position of Ben's T-shirt that covered my body. It's oversized,
I thought I could rest after a long and very exciting hot session. Two hours, three hours, who knows how long I slept afterward. Only Ben's shaking of my shoulder woke me up in the early hours of the morning, when the sun had yet to make an appearance despite several blinks."I'm leaving. Do you still want to sleep here or come back?" The smell of soap combined with the freshness of toothpaste hit my nostrils when I heard that sentence."Where to?" I asked nasally. I rolled over, onto my stomach as I stretched my body, which was crumbling. My muscles seemed to be slipping out of their support."Exercise," Ben said.Ah? Where was he going?I saw Ben wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and shorts that people usually wear when they're going to exercise. What did Ben do for exercise? I wondered what made his body so athletic and well-proportioned with a slice of bread."Wait." I forced myself to stand up, but the top of my head hit the ceiling of the room. "Ben, I'm changing my clothes first."I
"Go home?" Karin approached me and Ben who were already in the parking lot of the house after we said goodbye. Ben's sister was ready with the keys in hand indicating the whereabouts of her car.Rich people. Enviable. The rows of cars in the parking lot were not the usual brands I saw on the streets."Take Rena first," Ben said, then maybe he realized I was behind him, and took a step back so we could stand side by side.Being stared at makes me look wrong, you know. The strands of hair that fall down my face until I combing it behind my ears.If before coming here I would try not to get carried away because I thought Ben still had a legal wife, I guess now I don't need to worry anymore.Dera is already dead. This means that Ben is single, there is no one who demands loyalty from him. Well, although there is still some curiosity about the girl who met Ben several times in the apartment.That girl also seems to have caused a ruckus in the early hours of the morning, causing a guy like B
I let out a long sigh after entering the elevator to my apartment. After half a day in Ben's family, there were many surprising things about him. Being a widower at a young age is surprising. Being the only one with different beliefs from the family was also surprising. Even more surprising was that he still had time to steal a peek at me every time he had a break. Either in the stock room or even the bathroom.I think it was wrong of me to break down Ben's defenses. Ah, just thinking about it makes my cheeks burn. It's a shame Ben only took me to the basement. His excuse was that he still needed to go out.The elevator doors slide open, right on the floor of my existence. The steps of Ben's shoes are already moving toward the barrier, but a push from the front forces me back inside. The next sound I heard showed the elevator doors closing again and moving up."Where have you been, Rei?" Satya? His sclera were so red as they glared at me. His grip on my shoulder was strong and painful
Shaka Bentala.Shaka for grace, gratitude, or open-mindedness.Bentala for the land, to be unlike the sky of high money and remain humble to the earth.That's what my mother says every time she reminds me of my name. I stroked the lettering that made up the letters of my name in the editorial arrangement on the first page of the book.The book in my hands had just come from the publisher's delivery as proof of my three-monthly labor as a copy editor. Once again, the books just filled the shelf without me reading them again.Actually, I'm less interested in something that has been discussed since the beginning. It's a different story if I buy a book because I'm curious about its contents based on the glimpse on the back cover.It turns out that the cell phone in my pants pocket vibrated and when I took it out, it revealed the arrangement of letters forming the word 'Dad in-law'.Dera was already gone, but Uncle Dean - Dera's father - still regarded me as his son. The old man asked me to
My parents' house is still the same as the last time I stayed with Dera. The Scandinavian design that Papa likes tends to prioritize natural lighting from outside the house.The dominance of glass walls that can be shifted if you need air circulation from outside because honestly, glass-dominant houses tend to be hot.It's not big, but the design always prioritizes function. Like the kitchen table that is just taken out of the folds in the wall when you have to receive guests.I'm always in charge of washing dishes whenever Mama has to cook a lot. Like this time too.Finished, I took a backless chair and propped my arms on the pantry table while listening to the parents interrogate Rena.Every now and then I'd open my phone's display screen, playing with this new thing that seemed to be so much fun that I couldn't help but laugh."Where do you know this Mama's boy?" asked Mama Kea as she pushed more meat onto Rena's plate. The smile on Mama's face always seemed friendly. Maybe that was
It's true what Rena said about the adrenaline rush that's more stimulating when you shoot it amongst the fear of being seen by people. Even fully clothed, I could still press deeply into her, behind the wall that was the blind spot of vision from inside the house to the basketball court behind.The beads of sweat had turned into a heavy stream that had probably soaked most of the T-shirts on my body. Rena in the confines of my lips kept sighing low, covered by the suction I kept on her wet tongue.My legs bend slightly, compensating for her standing position to go deeper as Rena's left leg wraps around my waist. Faster and faster, I suppressed the mounting turmoil. My squeeze on the density behind Rena's body tightens.One... two... I don't know how many shots I fired in there as hard as I could.It was like an opiate that gave the effect of flight, releasing a layer of skin between the sticky sweat that covered it.I released the kiss on her lips and brought our foreheads together. E
I hugged Mama before saying, "Ben's going home, Ma," along with a long compliment about her cooking in today's meal."So fast? Didn't stay overnight?" It's Papa's turn to give me a hug after I let go of Mama."Next time you come here again, yes?" Mama shook Rena's hand and kissed her cheek like most women do when saying goodbye."Ya—yes, Mam." It must have been really awkward. Rena looked down more when she smiled.We can't stay here too long if the family is all together. They might misunderstand Rena's presence.I mean, it's not certain what kind of relationship we're in. Friends no. Girlfriends aren't. Not even sex in the contract like I had with Maureen-my coworker who often stopped by the unit-was."Ben!" Karin seemed to half run over, then she pulled me into the courtyard outside the kitchen. She pointed an index finger at me as she said, "Later tonight! Watch out! I'll report you-""Report what?" I was the one who was confused. This kid has a habit of making threats.She seemed