"Uh, sorry, ma'am. It's like this, ma'am. I'll talk to my uncle first because there's no way I'm moving here without telling him first," I replied.
"Hmm, Ryan. Whenever you move here is fine, but here you have the key. I'm going to take my leave and go home," Mrs. Eva said, handing me the room key.
"Oh, Mrs. Eva doesn't live in this area?" I asked, surprised.
"No, Ryan. I only rent out rental houses or tenements here, and my place is quite far from here. I came here to pick up the rent money for the tenants who have arrived to pay," Mrs. Eva explained. I nodded, understanding.
"I don't have any money with me right now. How am I going to pay for this room Mrs. Eva mentioned earlier? If I may ask, where is Mrs. Eva's house, so that when I move here, I can meet her first and pay the rent," I said.
"You can just move in for now. You'll pay the rent for when I come here. The only thing you have to pay at the end of each month is the electricity in this room," Mrs. Eva replied.
"Oh, I see. Okay, ma'am. Thank you again, Mrs. Eva," I said.
"Yes, Ryan. I'll take my leave, okay?" she said. I nodded and smiled.
That evening, after dinner, I, who usually went upstairs to study or do my assignments when the teacher gave me homework, immediately approached Uncle Ramlan, who happened to be sitting alone on the porch.
"Good evening, Uncle," I greeted.
"Hey, Ryan. You usually go straight upstairs to study and do your homework," said Uncle Ramlan, who already knew my habits by heart.
"Yes, Uncle, but I have something important to tell you, that's why I found you here. Can I sit here?" I said, asking permission to sit there.
"Oh, of course, please!" Uncle Ramlan invited me in, and I nodded with a friendly smile, then sat down in the chair next to his.
"What's this important thing you want to tell me, Ryan?" Uncle Ramlan continued.
"Well, Uncle, but first I apologize if what I want to say makes you uncomfortable," I said, feeling hesitant and a little afraid to say it.
"Just tell me, what's wrong?" Uncle Ramlan asked. Although his expression looked relaxed, I was still hesitant.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay in your boarding house..."
"What? You want to stay in a boarding house?!" Uncle Ramlan interrupted, his voice a little harsh with surprise. I was also surprised and even more worried that Uncle Ramlan would be angry.
"No... No. You can't stay in a boarding house! Your father left you here to continue your studies in this city," Uncle Ramlan continued, causing me to lower my head and not dare look at him.
"Uncle..."
"What made you think about boarding?" Uncle Ramlan interrupted me again as I was about to speak.
"Look, Uncle, there's nothing that motivates my desire to board other than to live independently like my friends at school who also come from other villages and cities. They tell me about the fun of living in boarding houses. Even though they have to do everything themselves, they learn about independence, and that's a very positive thing, one of which is eliminating spoiledness and laziness." I explained, actually making up a story.
"What do you mean? What positive things can eliminate spoiledness and laziness?" Uncle Ramlan asked. I saw his brow furrow.
"Look, Uncle, most of my friends who board, especially those from other cities, are quite well-off. When they're at home, they're used to being spoiled and always getting what they want without any effort. Once they board here, they're used to doing everything themselves, and that's what makes me want to be like them," I explained, hoping Uncle Ramlan would understand.
"You're strange. You're comfortable living here, and yet you want to go through the trouble of boarding. Are you not comfortable and at ease in this house, are you?" asked Uncle Ramlan, his eyes probing my reason for asking for permission to board.
"It's not about comfort or comfort, Uncle. I just want to learn to be independent, especially since my life in the village isn't like my other friends, who are relatively well-off. They can learn to be independent, so why can't I? That's why I told you about my wish, so that I can get used to living independently after I graduate from school or go on to college," I replied, catching a glimpse of Uncle Ramlan nodding his head.
"Yes, I understand now why you want to board. After all, you're a man, independence should be instilled from an early age. I agree with your wish, but the question is, will your father in the village approve if I tell him you want to board in the city?" said Uncle Ramlan.
"If possible, Uncle, don't tell Dad. I'm afraid he won't agree because he won't understand even if I explain the reason," I pleaded.
"But how will your Dad find out one day? He'll definitely get mad at me," it was Uncle Ramlan's turn to worry.
"You don't need to worry, Dad. I'll tell you when I'm on my next school break. If I explain it to you in person while I'm in the village, Dad will definitely understand and won't blame you for wanting to rent a room in the city," I said. Uncle Ramlan nodded again.
"Where do you want to rent a room?" Uncle Ramlan asked.
"It's not far from here, Uncle, about a kilometer away. I was just looking for a boarding house after school, but I didn't find one," I replied.
"How much is the monthly rent? I'll pay for you later," Uncle Ramlan asked. I peeked back into the house to see if Aunt Dewi was sitting in the front room near the porch where we were sitting and chatting.
I did this to ensure our conversation, especially regarding Uncle Ramlan's desire to pay my monthly rent, was accurate.
"Monthly rent..."