The body odor of the fat man I'd been with in the elevator was truly like a piece of cheese that's been sitting around for years. The rancid odor was so disturbing, I even stopped in my tracks to catch my breath a few times.
"Abadi Pustaka," the series of acrylic letters embedded in the plasterboard wall were easily legible when I reached the reception desk. Before I could even begin to greet him, the young woman with thick, bright red lipstick greeted me with a friendly smile.
"Good morning, beautiful lady! Wow, that crystal pendant is really nice! Oh, I knew it, you must want to meet Mr. Ben, right?"
"Thank you for the compliment! Okay, let me go straight to his office," I recalled, not having visited him in over a year. But she still recognized me.
"Wait, ma'am! Mr. Ben is in an important meeting. You know, ma'am... I met a new author whose book hasn't even been published for a month and is already a bestseller. Oh, what's the author's name? I've forgotten again!" I interrupted her,
"Oh, Mr. Ben has a guest? Then I'd better wait."
"Let me show you to the waiting room..." We arrived shortly thereafter. "Just a moment, let me turn on the lights. Please! While you wait, I'll let you know when you're here." The receptionist hurried away from me.
It didn't take long for me to curse the new author who had caused such a stir. "It's impossible! Less than a month after publication, the novel is number one among readers? How can all this happen so quickly! Of course, it's all just a strategy to increase sales. They're making a big deal out of it, pretending everyone loves the book. Don't worry, your story this time will definitely be better than that!"
Before I could vent my emotions, Beni Gusnandar, or Pak Ben for short, came and reprimanded me, without me realizing it. This bearded, tall man, over forty, was the key to the acceptance or rejection of every manuscript before it went to press.
"Kristal!! I thought you'd returned to your family!" he exclaimed thunderously.
"I thought so at first. But here I am!" We broke the hug.
"What can I do for you?"
"According to yesterday's email, I've finished revising everything. It's now a pure love story plot, without any infidelity or murder scenes," I then handed him the flash drive containing my revised story.
"Okay. I'll accept it and study it first," Mr. Ben paused for a moment, took a breath, and then quickly continued, "Look, yesterday I had a meeting with the board of directors. The results decided to stop publishing the novel for the next few months. I think that's a reasonable thing to do.
Especially since our sales have consistently been lagging behind those of other publishers. Sorry to say, but don't worry. I have a special job for you. That is, if you don't mind," he said lightly, running his fingers through his thick beard.
I responded by crossing my arms, demonstrating my firm resolve. Then I emphasized my statement, "Mr. Ben, I guarantee that the story will increase sales!"
"All decisions are in the hands of the directors. I can't resist their wishes just because I helped publish your story!"
"They also can't just return dozens, if not hundreds, of manuscripts that have already been submitted! So I'm sure Mr. Ben and even the directors will agree to republish the novel! Besides, aren't they currently profiting greatly from that new author?"
"Come on! Understand the situation I'm in. Forget all the novel-writing stuff. You have to think outside the box! Just think of it as a temporary vacation from your routine."
"No, yesterday, Mr. Ben emailed me that he was interested in publishing the story I was writing, but I needed to make some revisions. Now where does all that go? I didn't sacrifice my family for failure!" My voice grew louder.
"Crystalia! I never asked you to stop writing. I just wanted to offer you this opportunity. But if you don't mind, I'd rather give it to another writer. Come on, try to follow my instructions. Once everything is in order, I'll try to publish your novel," Mr. Ben said, raising his eyebrows, as if cornering me into accepting his offer.
"Following his orders would weaken my position. In the future, it would be easier for him to ignore my writing. If I refuse his offer, I'm not guaranteed to meet an editorial manager like Mr. Ben again," I pondered.
"Crystal, are you there?" His knuckles fanned across my face, snapping me out of it.
"Fine, I accept the offer. But promise, once everything is done well, the story will be published immediately?" It was Mr. Ben's turn to pause for a moment.
"Agree! But on the condition that you go through the usual procedures. So, please listen carefully to my explanation. During my board meeting, they introduced me to someone named Gatot Purba. He's around sixty years old. We know that almost everyone knows Gatot Purba, even idolizes him. How come you don't know him?"
"Straight to the point, Mr. Ben!"
"Long story short, he's currently running for regent in his hometown. He asked us to write a short biography of his life. After much thought, I decided to identify a competent writer for this task, and I chose you. I know your writing is always detailed and has a clearly structured storyline."
"Excuse me, Mr. Ben was talking about regional elections in his hometown? You know, Mr. Ben, I'm very weak in regional languages. Is it possible for me to complete that assignment?"
"I've thought about it carefully. I've also explained any obstacles that might arise. He finally said that everything must be written in proper Indonesian. One thing that's no less important is that the writing must be completed within three months.
After that, we'll publish it in the fourth month. So, you must send me a rough draft in the second month. And for any supporting data you need, I'm always ready to help you 24/7. Don't worry, the article won't be more than one hundred pages long."
"Okay! I'll finish it in less than three months," Mr. Ben nodded in agreement, opening a folder he'd been carrying.
"Now, here's the writing contract I've prepared. Please read it first and then sign it."
"Can I have this too?"
"Of course! There are two copies you have to sign. One for me, and one for you."
I glanced at the contents of the agreement. "Done! I've signed all of this."
"Don't worry, I'm always ready to help. I've scheduled a meeting, and you can meet him around three in the afternoon. Please contact the person directly for the exact time and place," Mr. Ben took out a business card and handed it to me.
"Here, I'll give you his card. I think everything is very clear. If there's nothing else we need to discuss, I have to get back to work."
"Tomorrow? Three in the afternoon?"
"Yes, don't forget!" Mr. Ben and I both stood up. "Ah, I almost forgot. May I fix your watch? How can you wear it upside down like that?" He quickly grabbed my wrist and shifted it from the opposite direction to my line of sight. Finished, he quickly left the room.
"Oh my God, how can such a small thing happen?" I thought to myself, "Today is truly an incredibly frustrating day! After all this time writing, it's only a matter of minutes before it means nothing."
It wasn't actually the writing that annoyed me, but the need to chase down sources, which was what I wanted to avoid.