A Ballad About Coffee Lovers
Ridwan looked at the starless night sky from his office on the 3rd floor of Daarna Cafe, he was still thinking about the conversation with his brother Muhammad Hamzah, since earlier he had been feeling disturbed by his brother's words. "Ridwan, how long are you going to be like this? It's already semester 13 and you haven't graduated yet, is the cafe that important to you that you forget about your studies?" Hamzah was furious to see his brother who was busy pioneering his late grandfather's cafe business again.
Although on the other hand he was proud because he had succeeded in rebuilding what his grandfather had pioneered so far from a small coffee shop to a cafe, even though it had been on hiatus during the economic crisis in 1998. Little Ridwan and his grandfather pioneered the coffee business that had faded, transforming a 3-story shophouse that he bought with the proceeds from the sale of 3 hectares of land in Massepe, Pinrang Regency. Since elementary school to high school, Ridwan has always been involved with coffee beans, unlike his father and brother who preferred to work in the coal mining sector.
“You know yourself.. before Grandpa died he told me to develop the business he pioneered since the Japanese occupation, Dad was not interested in the coffee business, you also prefer to develop Dad's company, this is not what I want, I just want to keep the will of the late Grandpa," Ridwan snapped at Hamzah, Hamzah just sighed getting attacked by his younger brother who was very similar to his grandfather, stubborn but ambitious.
“But Ridwan.. education is also important, Dad and I want to see you wearing a toga this year, don't delay your thesis studies anymore," Ridwan ignored his brother's statement, but his heart could not be lied to -I
Ridwan lay down in room 03 in Apartment 11, trying to release all the burdens on his shoulders, the burden of his work routine as CEO of Daarna Cafe, and the burden of his father and brother's request to graduate and become a Bachelor. Ridwan momentarily buried his eyes, the sky was getting darker, slowly the sound of raindrops sounded melodious, wetting the windows of apartment 11, the sound of guitar strumming could be heard faintly amidst the splashing rain. Ridwan decided to get up from his bed and head to his balcony, he saw a man playing a guitar across from his apartment sitting on the balcony looking at the raindrops.
For you who have just graduated..
Congratulations on going through a time where books are no longer by your side..
All your friends smile happily looking at you
As if you are floating on a cloud of happiness
One step towards the next dream
I always pray for you
Conquer your beautiful dreams hoo..
Sela..Mat.. Wearing a toga and certificate
Sela..Mat.. Both parents smile proudly
Sela..Mat.. Today I call you a graduate..
Ridwan drifted away in the lull of the guitar strumming and the man's melodious voice, the deep lyrics seemed to allude to Ridwan who was not yet a graduate. "Good evening Mr. Ashari," replied Ridwan after the last strum of Mr. Ashari's acoustic guitar, a young Doctor of History.
"Oh, good evening Mr. Ridwan," replied Ashari with a friendly smile as usual.
"Mr. Ashari, your voice is melodious, if I may ask, whose song is that?" asked Ridwan.
“This is one of the songs from the album Bersenjagurau, Ba.
Ya Ashari is one of the smart men living in apartment 11, at the age of 17 he graduated from high school, earned a Bachelor's degree at the age of 20, completed his Master's degree in 2 years, and now at the age of 26 he has earned a Doctorate. "Excuse me, Mr. Ridwan, I'll take my leave first, my wife has been waiting for me since earlier," said Ashari then entered his apartment. The rain was getting heavier, the cold air began to pierce Ridwan's heart, he decided to re-enter his room and lay back down on the bed, before he had time to close his eyes he heard the sound of the bell and a knock on the door. "Who's visiting in the middle of the night like this?!"
"Excuse me, good evening, is this Mr. Ridwan's apartment?" asked a man in front of Ridwan who was wearing an orange vest. "Are you from the post office? What's up, sir, you want to see me at night?"
“Excuse me sir, there is a package for you,” said the courier while giving a large cardboard box that said For Mr. Ridwan from Mr. Kamaruddin.
“Oh yeah, I just remembered, a few weeks ago I ordered coffee beans from Tanah Toraja, it turns out it has arrived,” said Ridwan who then signed the receipt from the postal officer and brought the box into his apartment room.
That afternoon at Daarna Cafe there was a commotion, a young man in casual clothes stepped forward with his long legs, dozens of pairs of high school girls' eyes stared at him, "Who is it? An artist, huh?" whispered one of the cafe visitors. "I don't know, what's important is his face is crazy handsome," replied another girl. The man approached the Barista table who was busy making coffee.
"Excuse me Miss Barista, where is the owner of this cafe?" asked the man, the Barista girl stared at the man's face, unblinkingly fascinated by his handsomeness.
"Miss," replied the man.
"Eh Boss is on the third floor.. Sir.. Sir.. eeeh," replied the Barista Girl nervously.
"Brother, what are you doing here?" asked Ridwan who was going down the stairs.
"Hey Ridwan, how are you?" asked Muhamamd Hamzah who had not moved from his place.
“I’m fine, brother, come with me to the third floor, brother, let’s talk upstairs,” Hamzah left the first floor of the cafe, several girls visiting the cafe were a little disappointed because they had to miss the fresh view.
—
Hamzah was now in Ridwan’s office, a fairly large room with walls made of 25 mm thick glass connected by steel frames so that the room looked like an aquarium. “Ridwan, father always asks about you, especially about the news that you failed again,” replied Hamzah who then gave a piece of letter to Ridwan. “What is this?” asked Ridwan.
“Just open it, it’s from father,” Ridwan read the letter from his father carefully.. his eyes widened.
“What the hell is this, why is father so authoritarian?!” Ridwan was furious, throwing the letter on the table right in front of Hamzah.
“Why are you threatening me all this time, Dad? I know this building is still under Dad’s supervision as stated in the will of my late grandfather, but not like this, threatening to close this cafe if I don’t graduate,” Ridwan sat down and took a deep breath. “Ridwan… I know Ridwan, how great your enthusiasm is to develop this cafe business, but… if you are still indifferent to your final studies, you will hurt yourself, and your employees who depend on this cafe for their livelihood… what will happen if Dad closes this cafe by force,” Hamzah advised his younger brother, Ridwan just sat down with his head down, thinking about his brother’s words. “Well, I am only carrying out Dad’s mandate, now it’s up to you… Ridwan,”
The starless night sky, Ridwan looked at the dark sky from the balcony of his apartment, the moon was still reluctant to show itself, Ridwan sipped a cup of coffee trying to relieve fatigue, yes coffee is a powerful medicine to cure a troubled heart.
"Mr. Ridwan, the aroma of your coffee is great," said Ashari from the balcony across from his apartment.
"Oh Mr. Ashari, good evening," greeted Ridwan.
"What kind of coffee is that, Mr. Ridwan?" asked Ashari.
"This is Toraja Coffee," said Ridwan while sipping coffee from his cup.
"Can I taste it?" asked Ashari.
"Wow, okay, I'll make it but how can I bring it across there," said Ridwan.
"Well, I think I can, I'll ask my wife to come to your apartment to get a coffee concoction from a great Barista in Makassar," praised Ashari to Ridwan.
They both sipped coffee from their respective apartment balconies, trying to release the burden of life like the steam of coffee rising from a black cup.
"It seems like Mr. Ridwan is feeling down? Maybe you can share it with me," Ashari replied.
"I don't know, Mr. Ashari,"
"Well, it's better not to keep the burden to yourself, sometimes we have to share, come on, what is making you miserable, work problems? Or love problems? Come on, tell me, our ages are not that different, we are only 3 years apart," Even though Ashari is a Doctor and Ridwan is still a prospective Bachelor, the ages of these two men are not that different, that's why Ashari prefers to call Ridwan Sir, even though Ridwan sometimes feels strange getting that call.
“Well, my father threatened me, my cafe will be closed if I don’t graduate this year,” Ridwan replied flatly.
“That means your father is worried about you, it’s just that his way of conveying his worry is different, Ridwan, graduating sooner or later is a choice, just like becoming an adult is also a choice, but sometimes that choice must be intervened by others when the individual is still unsure about the choice to be made,” Ridwan listened to Ashari’s explanation carefully. “Mr. Ridwan, if I may ask, what made it difficult for you to complete your studies? Did your grades drop or did you have to retake many courses?” Ashari asked.
“No, some of the courses that I had reprogrammed are now finished, the grades are out, now all that’s left is the thesis, but there’s something that confuses me,” Ridwan paused for a moment, looking at the silhouette of the night, “in my brain I haven’t found the right title to make a thesis research later,”
“Mr. Ridwan, if I may ask, what major did you study again, how come I forgot?” Ashari asked.
“Mr. Ashari, we’ve been neighbors for so long, how can you still forget what major I took in college? Well, I took History and Cultural Studies,” Ridwan replied.
“Oh, is that so, I can give you some good advice, your passion is in the world of coffee, right?” Ashari asked.
“Yes, I really like coffee beans and everything related to coffee,” Ridwan replied firmly.
“Why don’t you just research coffee, there are already many students who research coffee, you just need to find the right niche, what hasn’t been studied about the coffee commodity,” Ashari took a sip of the coffee mixed by Ridwan, he stared at the cup of coffee, suddenly his facial expression changed, “Is that so,” Ashari replied.
“Mr. Ridwan, I think I have an idea that will help solve your problem?!”
“Really, Mr. Ashari?!” Ashari nodded.
“Seeing this cup of coffee, a sexy thesis title crossed my mind – Wrestling in Cups of Coffee from Street Vendors to Cafe Floors: A Historical Study of the Phenomenon of Coffee Lovers in Makassar City – cool, right?!” Ashari replied to Ridwan, Ridwan’s expression reflected his agreement with Ashari’s suggestion, the two of them passed the night, the moon began to show itself, from a cup of coffee and warm chat, Ridwan would start a new adventure, an adventure that would risk his late grandfather’s will, the employees of Daarna Cafe, and of course his Bachelor’s degree.