"Afya, get up quickly! You're going to be late for school!" Mom yelled from the kitchen.

    "Yes, Mom!" I exclaimed. Actually, I've woken up while ago. I'm just lazy to get out of my room. I rushed into my school uniform, then left the room. Down the stairs, towards the dining table. There, Dad had sat quietly at the table, waiting for the breakfast Mom was making.

    "Morning, Dad." I greet Dad.

    "Morning,"

    "Why are you so long, Afya? I've been calling you from before. " Mom grunted. Still cooking breakfast.

    "I was looking for my necklace before I put on my uniform, Mom." I poured orange juice into my glass and Dad's.

"Necklace? Feelings, Mom and Dad never give you a necklace." Mom and Dad immediately turned to me.

    "Eh, not a necklace, Mom. I was just looking for my book."I slipped off to say the necklace. For some reason, Mom and Dad never realized that I always wear the gold necklace for 8 years. Maybe from the moment my parents start to be more alert to me, they do not pay much attention around.

    "Oh yeah, Mom. I want to go to the new bookstore that's open in the center of town. There's a novel I want to buy," I say, still chewing on the rice.

    "Again? Don't you have a lot of novels?"

    Mom's right. Because I love to read, all the novel books I've bought are always finished. In fact, the thickest novel I have today is five hundred pages in one week. In fact, the average person who reads the same novel takes about half a month to complete the novel.

    "Do you want to buy another novel?" Papa asked.

    "I want to buy the thickest novel in town, Dad. Many people say that the thickest novel was written for a year by a prominent writer. "I explained the novel I wanted. "I might break the record for the world's fastest readers."

    Mom and Dad chuckled.

    "How tick is the novel?" Papa asked as he ate fried rice.

    "Six hundred pages, Dad."

    Dad almost choked at my answer.

    "Six hundred pages? It's impossible to read six hundred pages in a short time!" Dad was shocked, and immediately poured the air into his glass, drink it in one gulp. The orange juice is gone before the fried rice comes. "I can be able to read the novel until it runs out in no more than two weeks." I assured Papa.

    "Mom don't believe it, Afya. You will not finish the novel within two weeks." Mom's not trusting, just like Papa.

    I'm annoyed because my parents are not sure of me. Finally, I made a bet with them.

    "How about we make a bet? If I finish reading the novel within two weeks, then Mom and Dad must eat ten green chili seeds a week with every meal that Mom makes"

    "But if Mom and Dad win, then you should tell all your secrets and do the chores at home for a week after reading the novel. So? " Mom doesn't want to lose.

    Inherent, this down from Mama.

    "We have a deal!" I grabbed Mom's hand. The three of us were happy after that.

    "All right, we'll go to the bookshop later downtown. And you will start reading it, tonight."

    "Yes, Mom." I answered shortly. The longer, that thick novel became trending topic at the dinner table.

    After breakfast, I immediately took my bag on the living room sofa, along with Dad who also took the bag and car keys. I kissed Mom's hand who was standing at the door.

    "We're off now, Mom!" Dad and I excused Mom, in unison.

    Mom smiled warmly.

    "Be careful on the road!" Mom called from the door. Dad and I responded by waving from the car. In less than a minute, my house is gone from the eyes. Look no further.

                                                                ***

Not five minutes yet, we've met the first red light of the three red lights we'll be passing through.

    "How's school, Afya?" Dad finally spoke-after seeing the crowded streets.

    "All right, Dad." I said shortly. I just want to look outside. The sun shine from the beautiful eastern horizon. The clear, cloudless sky, made me want to continue to see things outside.

    "Do you have any friends?" Dad asked again, hitting the horn so that the overtaking vehicle immediately dodged.

    "Yes, Dad. They are all nice to me." This time I answered while looking at him. I feel bad when I answer Dad's first question while staring at the window.

    Two minutes later, we met a second red light.

    "Want to hear a joke?" Dad asked again, looking back. Traffic is pretty solid in the morning.

    I nodded. "What kind of joke, Dad?"

    "What's the meaning of 'rahasia' in English?" He asked. And I said, "Secret, Dad."

    "Why is the meaning of it a secret? What's the meaning of 'rahasia' in English?" He asked again. Ouch, why did Dad choose a cute joke a.k.a not funny? However, this makes the atmosphere so relaxing.

    "It means secret in English, Dad," I replied.

    "Why do not you want to tell me the meaning of secret, anyway? You do not like English lessons? "

    I couldn't take it anymore and finally laughed at Dad's mocky face. Dad who saw me laughing too.

    Dad can always make people laugh.

    About twenty seconds more my car will arrive at school. I was holding my bag, carrying it on my back. Twenty seconds passed, my car was right in front of the school fence. I kissed Dad's hand, opened the door, went downstairs.

    "Bye, Dad!" I said goodbye to Dad.

    "Bye!"

    After I got out of the car and closed the door, I waved to Dad who opened his window, and immediately dashed away from school. I really do not know, in a few hours, someone knows my big secret. There will be a great war on Earth. I'm not joking.

***

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-PoccoLoco.