As the newest tenant, Hira still didn't know who truly lived in the boarding house, who were simply renting, and who belonged to Mrs. Yulia's family next door.
At first, she didn't care. She preferred to focus on her work, usually done in the shared living room where the space felt more open.
But she soon began to notice—one man frequently passed in front of her, heading through the connecting door to the main house. And each time, before disappearing inside, he left her with a fleeting glance that lingered longer than it should.
☯☯☯
It was the beginning of quarantine, when all employees were ordered to work from home.
For Hira, stranded in this new place, WFH meant sitting on the boarding house sofa, laptop on her lap, watching the world from behind the wooden partition that separated the living room from the motorbike parking area. Plastic vines and bright orange flowers decorated the divider, matching the sofa's tones—warm, pleasant, and strangely comforting. It made Hira feel at home.
She hadn't been long at her new job, a brokerage firm in the Asia Afrika area. The work itself was familiar: managing clients' funds to trade in the international futures market, specifically in 24K gold. It wasn't the physical gold that was exchanged, but its value, rising and falling with the global price. Clients profited from price fluctuations, while brokers earned a commission split with the firm.
Normally, Hira would visit potential clients at their offices or homes, giving presentations and offering financial education. But since the government enforced PSBB*)—Large-Scale Social Restrictions—doors closed to all visitors.
So here she was, adapting. Socially distanced on a boarding house sofa, tracking gold prices online.
"Excuse me... Package!!!"
The call came from outside the gate. Hira set aside her laptop and went to meet the courier.
As she opened the gate, her eyes instinctively turned toward the street. At that very moment, a car was backing out of the main house driveway. Through its half-lowered window, a pair of eyes met hers—sharp, unwavering, impossible to avoid.
Her breath caught. She quickly looked away, accepted her package, and hurried back inside.
On the sofa, she sat in silence, her heart still echoing with the memory of that gaze. Without realizing it, she began to hum a tune that surfaced from deep within:
Di wajahmu kulihat bulan
Yang mengintai disudut kerlingan
On your face, I see the moon,
Peeking softly through a glance.
Do you know, sir, that someone watches,
Thirsty for a touch of warmth?
The melody carried her inward. Only then did she realize—the grand house next door was not a separate property at all, but the main residence. Two equally large buildings, side by side, divided only by a high wall and that connecting door across from her room.
She had thought they belonged to different owners. But no—the mystery man lived right there, on the other side of that door.
Her thoughts were interrupted by two little kittens climbing onto her laptop keyboard. Research says cats love keyboards because they crave attention.
"Caught you—just looking for cuddles, aren't you?" Hira teased, scooping them into her lap.
She laughed and played with them, but the song in her heart continued, stubborn and sweet:
Di wajahmu kulihat bulan
Menerangi hati gelap rawan
Biarlah daku mencari naungan
Di wajah damai rupawan
On your face, I see the moon,
Shining softly behind a smile.
Don't leave me lonely,
For I wait—faithfully—for you.
☯☯☯
*)PSBB, Stands for Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar, in short, Social Distancing. One of the Government's strategies in suppressing the spread of Covid-19 is to establish a large scale social restriction policy.