The sun rise up like what it use to do every morning, but it seems so dark for me. A dark situations, job, community, environment, a dark shade color and ambiance of my room, strange act of people. I use to live and deal with that, and that makes me feel safe, again.

A cup of a bitter coffee, a sound of an old music coming from the old radio, the tweet sounds of the birds that spreads their wings with freedom, flying up high as if the world is better to them, they feel so safe up there.

The wind that touches my skin, a noise coming outside from those kids who wanted to buy a bread from the vendors. An adults who leave their home going to their works with a bright smile on their lips.

A peaceful community, the unity of the people, the freedom of every living things. That’s what we all wanted to achieve for the world where we are living right now.

As i open the dooor, back from being awake. I’ll face the reality… the opposite world from our imagination, the world where people doesn’t have unity, a world full of judgements, fake news and increasing numbers of crimes being committed by those ordinary people.

Inhaling the polluted air instead of a fresh air, hearing the noise coming from the different vehicles. And as you look up, you wont be able to see a birds singing at the trees, flying freely nor see them feels their freedom, if you’ll see some of them, consider it as a blessing.

“Goodmorning, Teia.”

Leina greeted me without any active emotion coming from her voice, too different from what she always do in our neighborhood.

“Problem?” I ask her looking direct to her eyes.

A fake smile curved on her red lips.

“I’m fine. I just encountered a big, big problem this morning. You know, that’s how life works everyday.” she explain.

“I wonder what it is, but i hope you can surpass it.”

“I hope, too.” she said in a lonely voice.

“Wanna grab some coffee inside? I also have pancakes, your favorite.” I said and gives her a sweet smile.

“How could I say no?” she respond and laugh.

I prepared her a cup of coffee and her favorite pancake at my dining area, she knows my house, the entrances and exits and even the arrangements of my household things, that’s why she grabs a tissue paper from my cabinet before eating as if it’s her home. She even ate like a pig and her one legs up on the chair.

Leina is my neighbor, but i saw her as my younger sister. She’s been through a lot of traumatic experiences and problems. I can’t help but to smile while watching her to eat her pancakes, she’s licking her fingers to taste the sweet honey that sticks on it.

“I’ve beeen fired.” she stated while smirking.

“Anyway, thanks for the pancakes and-” she cutted her words that makes me curious.

“And? What?”

“And, thanks for the BITTER coffee that you prepared.”

She pinned the word ‘bitter’ while chuckling and says goodbye before she went out.

I watch her while walking back to her home, not until I heared my telephone ringing inside my room, but before entering my room, I saw an old woman from my door, crying in front of a lady that is wearing a formal suit outside my gate.

“Something wrong? What’s going on here?” I ask while walking towards them.

I saw the old lady kneeling down and begging in front of the lady in suit, I ask the lady the same question that I asked earlier, but she didn’t bother to look at me nor stares at me even just for a second, instead, she glares to the old woman and push her that cause me to run towards the old woman and help her to stand up. Before facing the lady, I close my eyes and breathe heavily.

“Mind your own business, idiot!”

The lady shouted and tried to push me but she cannot. I remain standing in front of the old woman. I smirk as I turn around to face her.

“What an immature attitude, lady.”

She was shock after hearing what I said, but she still manage to stand with a poist and face me with her one eyebrow up.

“Who the hell are you?!” she shouted.

I chuckled and then step forward, the old woman holds my hand from the back that cause me to turn around and face her.

As i look at her, she’s shaking her head that makes me curious.

I was about to face the lady but she’s already gone. The old woman started to cry moderately while saying ‘thank you’ to me.

“She’s our lawyer for the case of my son.” the woman said after seeing the curiosity in my eyes.

“Then why did she argue with you, madame? Is it because of a penny?”

“It’s a long story, Angel”

“My name is Aristeia, but you can call me Teia.” I said correcting the wrong name that she called me.

“Can I just call you Angel? you just saved my life.”

I smirked, thinking nor hearing the word ‘angel’ creaps me and i hate it, but this woman doesn’t feel good right now, so how can I tell her that, that name doesn’t suit me. I’m scared that i’ll be one of the reason of her lonely day.

Whatever the reasons of her unlucky and lonely day, her tears, her son that is in the jail, and the lawyer who pushes her earlier. I still don’t want to see a mother crying.

“A- Angel? It’s a nice name, huh” i said and gaves her a sweet smile, that’s my talent.

“Join me for a dinner later, Angel”

The woman gave me a piece of paper before she started to walks away from me. I open the paper that she gaves me and I saw an address written on it and a simple and short message that makes me feel uncomfortable.

‘I’ll cook a lot for my angel.’

This is the first time that a person invited me at their home aside from leina. Most of my nighbors are scared to talk to me nor approach me. Aside from having a long patience earlier, she’s a nice citizen, beacause she doesn’t want to make a scene with that young lawyer, most of all she’s a mother, a mother who loves her child so much… I miss my mom.

I just smirk and go back home.

The invitation of the old woman will be exactly seven at the evening. I don’t know what to wear, should I just go there with a normal t-shirt and a pants? Or I should wear a formal attire?

“Formal attire? No, she might remember the incident with that lawyer earlier, gosh.” I said to myself.

I open my closet to pick some clothes, but I only have those black t-shirts , leather jackets, a pants, and my dresses inside it.. At the bottom of my closet there’s my leather shoes and high heels.

“What should I wear? damn it!”

“Teia! Teia?!”

I heard Leina’s voice coming from the kitchen of my house. I think she sneaks at the back door again. There’s a smell of a fried chicken coming from my cuisine.

“What are you doing?”

Yes, it’s Leina. She’s cooking a fried chicken, she’s singing while cooking and dancing. She’s different from the leina that I saw earlier. She’s wearing an all in all red, starting from her ribbon on the top of her hair, red lips, red dress, red nail polish, and her red high heels. She looks like, she’s going to attend a party but she’s here at my cuisine.

“Preparing a food?” she sarcastically respond.

“Aside from cooking a food to eat, what are you doing here?”

She gaves me a sweet smile that creaps me. She ignores me and cotinued cooking.

“Hello? Im not going to eat here.” i said to interrupt her.

“Where are you going?”

My phone rings before I was about to respond to leina’s question, I excuse myself and then answers the call.

“Hello?”

“Another work for you sweety” the person in the call said before he turns off the call. What a wrong timing miracle.

“Who’s that?” Leina ask out of curiosity.

“Work.” I shortly respond.

“Be careful Teia, your work is too dangerous.”

“Oh, I think you forgot who I am Leina”

“I know that in this neighborhood, you’re the queen. And that this street belongs to your territory, everyone is scared at you, but-”

“My name is ARISTEIA, which means ‘the best’ there’s nothing to worry about, and it me feel creaps if someone acts like they do care for me, and that is because.., nevermind just please don’t mind me and find a job, a LEGAL job for yourself and for your family.” I said cutting her words.

“I already have one”

“Good, hope you’ll do better now, and don’t lose another job. Sillly girl”