BalQisku episod 15(i)

Sweet Hard Hand By Hadiah

“98 degrees.

Aku rasa otak aku dah macam pisang kena goreng,” komen Jasmin. Peluh di dahi dikesat. “Next?”

Balqis yang masih meneliti peta di tangan tidak menjawab. Dia membandingkan skala dengan jarak di atas peta. “Beira. 200 miles,” jawabnya pendek. “Then kita meet up dengan Clara.”

Jasmin mengangguk-angguk. Botol Spritzer dicapai dan air diteguk perlahan. “Zohor kat mana?”

“On the way datang kelmarin aku nampak masjid kecik kat kampung sebelah tu. Wanna try that?”

“Jom. You drive.”

“Ok, but after that, ko,” balas Balqis, tersengih.

Mata Jasmin membuntar. “Apa kes??” Gaya Nasha Aziz.

Balqis ketawa. “Hey, I drove for 400 freaking miles from Tete kelmarin. Teleng tau kepala aku cover landmines poles tuh.”

Jasmin buat muka seposen. “Ala Qis, ko kan bau-bau bacang Hakkinen… Mana larat nak watch over poles tu. Kalau takde tar lagi gelabah apam aku beb.”

“Hakkinen konon…” balas Balqis, mencebik. “Come on, Jas. Aku buat stocks. How’s that?” Mereka berkompromi. Balqis juling mata mengira stok vaksin, Jasmin pula teleng leher mengawasi tiang-tiang periuk api.

Jasmin mengeluh. “Gila… Kalau mak aku tau aku dok jalan sebelah dengan periuk api, hampeh dia nak kasi aku pegi mana dah lepas ni…”

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” tutur Balqis, mengenyit mata.

Jasmin mencebik. “Ko memang. Kalau nanti aku ada anak macam ko, tau la aku, mesti terkenan ngan ko nih.”

“She must grow up to be a real smart lady, huh?”

Ketawa.

“Jom, jom. Sampai Maputo aku nak tido seminggu,” gumam Balqis.

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“Qis! Mangkuk betul… Oi, jangan laa tido! Busok punya co-pilot.”

Balqis menenyeh mata, mengantuk. “Kan paved road nih… Nak navigate kemendenyer…”

Jasmin mengerling Balqis di tempat duduk penumpang. Jeep Cherokee lancar bergerak di jalan, yang dikelilingi oasis dan baobab yang merendang. “Teman la aku bersembang…”

“Sehari semalam aku dok ngadap muka ko… Ko tak boring ke bersembang dengan aku…”

Jasmin tergelak. “Ayat-ayat orang mengantuk. Ala Qis, please? Kalau Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan okay la jugak aku nak drive sensorang.”

“Okay, okay. Ko nak sembang apa?”

“What would you do when you first touch home grounds?”

Giliran Balqis pula ketawa. “Jas, we’ve been here for only 10 days! Two weeks, tops. Dah piker balek ke, minah? Anak manja!”

“Sheesh. Two weeks? Sure as hell felt like two years,” gumam Jasmin, tersengih. “Aku nak tengok The Apprentice!!”

Balqis menggeleng-gelengkan kepala, tersenyum. “AF ko tuh ko tak rindu ke?”

“Heh, tolong sikit. AF tu Maira je layan,” tukas Jasmin. “Agaknya kalau kita add satellite TV dalam next basecamp quotation, melampau tak?”

“Okay gak tuh. Final Champs League beb,” tambah Balqis. “Champs League..” Dia terdiam.

Jasmin yang memerhati perubahan mood Balqis turut terdiam.

“You wanna know something?” soal Jasmin, matanya terarah ke atas jalan di hadapan. Sebuah minivan melimpasi dari arah bertentangan dan menekan hon. Pemandunya melambai-lambai. Jasmin ketawa sambil membalas lambaian. Tradisi.

Balqis mencuri pandangan ke arah Jasmin. “What?”

“Kenapa aku tak mention pun pasal Danial for the last ten days?”

Balqis terdiam. Dia menarik senyum segaris. “Kinda. Thank you, Jas. I really appreciate it…”

“I’m sorry it turned out that way, babe. Cepat sangat Danial melatah. Was too much into you, couldn’t face the fact you are admired by another.”

Diam.

“Qis, six months bukan jangkamasa yang pendek. Hell, I even betted against him, remember? Gantung tak bertali bukan persoalan. The question is, whether his love for you is real, or not.”

“Sepuluh hari, Balqis. He didn’t even show up at the airport. I feel bad for talking crap about my best friend’s life partner like this, but he deserves it, you know?”

“Not even so much of a phone call…” tutur Balqis. Dia tunduk memandang lantai Cherokee.

“Yes, not even a phone call,” angguk Jasmin. “Tho Farrah is being so sweet to call and check on you.” Dia mengerling ke arah Balqis lagi. “Spill, dear. Tell me what you feel.”

Balqis menarik nafas. “Tak taulah…”

“Ko sayangkan dia kan?”

Balqis terdiam. Dia menghala pandangan ke luar tingkap.

“I knew it,” ujar Jasmin, turut mengeluh.

“Somewhere along the way, amidst all the banterings, I fell…”

Jasmin terdiam. Cuma tangan kirinya meninggalkan stereng untuk meraih tangan Balqis.

“When I lost my Richard Gere, I didn’t mind having a Darth Vader as the substitute…”

“Akmal pergi dah lama… Lepas dia pergi aku tak rasa nak sayang orang lain.”

“Bila papa buat matchmaking kedai kopi dia, aku cuba jadi optimis, ready to negotiate.”

“Jas… I think I’ve missed my turn…”

“You can’t help who you fall in love with, sayang…”

Diam lagi. Tangan Jasmin masih erat menggenggam tangannya.

“He’s not a bad guy, Jas.”

“Aku tau. He loves you. Semua orang tahu. Mungkin sekarang he’s kicking himself for treating you the way that he did.”

Balqis tersenyum tawar.

“Keep on praying, Qis…”

“I will … I love him enough to keep on praying for us.”