8:02 a.m.
Kirana’s car slowly pulled out through the gate, the engine going vroom vroom softly so it wouldn’t make too much noise. Kirana was wearing a neat white shirt, a skirt above the knees, and a black work bag with a laptop inside. The scent of her Dior perfume lingered around her.
Kirana was ready for work at the office. Her office was in London, in an air-conditioned building that was always cold, and she had to clock in by 9:30 a.m. She worked as an assistant at the company.
Before stepping on the gas, Kirana turned her head toward the house, looking at Kyla’s bedroom door, which was still tightly closed. There was no light coming from inside.
Deep down, Kirana thought, I hope she eats the porridge. I hope Kyla doesn’t cry anymore.
Kirana drove away, the tires of her car leaving marks on the muddy ground in front of the house.
On the dining table, the chicken porridge was still covered by a yellow food cover. A yellow sticky note that said, “Eat first.” was still stuck on top.
The house was empty. Quiet. The only sound was the ticking of the wall clock.
Tick tock, tick tock.
✿✿✿
At the internet café in London, Nata was working too.
His day shift was from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. He got paid $3 per shift. Nata couldn’t skip work anymore. Yesterday, after skipping his morning shift, his pay had been deducted.
So today, Nata had to stay at the internet café, watching over five computers. The place smelled like cigarette smoke, the fan went creak-creak-creak, and he was still wearing his black shirt with blue screen-print ink stains and his broken Swallow sandals.
Nata’s phone was charging on the cashier’s desk with a cable covered in black electrical tape.
Nata texted Kyla at 7:15 a.m.
Nata: Kay, I’m working the day shift today until tonight, so I can’t come to your house this morning. Sorry, okay? Later tonight, if you want to talk, I’ll listen.
The message showed two check marks, but Kyla hadn’t read it because her phone had been dead at 0% all night.
Ara wasn’t available either. She had an 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. class, Literary Theory, and she couldn’t skip it.
So today, truly, Kyla was all alone at home.
✿✿✿
11:12 a.m.
Kyla finally woke up.
The AC in her room was still set to 16 degrees Celsius. It was freezing, cold enough that her blanket had fallen onto the floor. All the glow-in-the-dark star stickers on the ceiling had already gone dark.
Kyla woke up because her stomach made an extremely loud—
“GRRRRRRKKKKK!”
—sound, combined with the glare of sunlight slipping through the gap in the curtains.
Her eyes were swollen, her lips were dry and cracked, her hair was a mess, and her ponytail was crooked. The baby-blue blouse she had been wearing since around 9:30 a.m. yesterday at the library was still clinging to her body.
It was completely wrinkled, smelling faintly of coffee, rain, sweat, and a whole night of crying.
Kyla sat on the floor in the exact same position she had been in at 2 a.m., her back resting against the bed. Her phone, dead at 0%, lay beside her. Her laptop screensaver showed little fish swimming across the screen.
Kyla stared blankly into space for five minutes, trying to gather her strength. Then her stomach growled again.
Kyla stood up. Her legs were numb, so she limped slightly while holding onto the bed before opening her bedroom door. The living room was quiet. The TV was still on mute from last night, showing a soap opera where people were fighting in a living room—ironically similar to what had happened in Kyla’s own house yesterday.
Kirana’s bedroom door was wide open.
Empty. The bed was neatly made. There was no one inside, and Kirana’s usual work heels were gone. The house was truly empty.
“Sis??”
There was no answer. Only the echo of Kyla’s own voice.
Kyla limped toward the kitchen, intending to get some water, but then she noticed the yellow food cover on the dining table.
A yellow sticky note was sitting on top.
“Eat first.”
Kyla lifted the cover.
A little steam was still rising from the porridge. Even though it had been four hours since seven in the morning, it was still slightly warm because the food cover had kept it sealed.
Inside the bowl was chicken porridge, shredded chicken cut into tiny pieces about the size of fingernails, plenty of green onions, two square shrimp crackers that had gone a little soft but were still edible, and half a teaspoon of chili sauce.
Kyla sat down and immediately started eating. No drama. She was way too hungry. The first bite. The second. The third.
Kyla ate quickly, like someone who hadn’t eaten in two days. It wasn’t until the fourth bite that she slowed down and actually tasted the porridge.
Savory. Chicken broth. Green onions. Tears slipped from Kyla’s eyes again.
One.
Two.
Three drops fell into the bowl.
Not because she was devastated anymore. but because she was lonely. Because she was eating chicken porridge alone at the dining table at eleven in the morning.
Usually, Kirana would be there, complaining,
“Kyla, slow down when you eat!”
But today, there was no one.
Kyla picked up her dead phone and plugged it into the charger near the dining table. She waited for two minutes. The phone turned on. 2%.
Notifications immediately flooded in. 47 messages.
Kyla read them one by one while continuing to eat her porridge.
From Kirana, at 9:15 a.m.
Kirana: Kyla, Sis is already at the office. I have to clock in at 9:30. Did you eat the porridge on the table yet? I’m sorry about yesterday. I went too far. Eat plenty, okay? Don’t keep crying. I’ll bring you chocolate ice cream when I get home at 6. Stay home today, okay? Don’t go anywhere. Rest. You can take a day off from your thesis.
From Nata, at 7:15 a.m.
Nata: Kay, I’m working the day shift today until 8 p.m. I can’t come to your house this morning. Sorry, the internet café boss won’t let me skip work again. My pay got deducted by $3 yesterday. Later tonight, if you want to talk, just chat with me, okay? I’ll be at the internet café. Eat first, okay?
From Ara, at 9:12 a.m.
Ara: Key, I have Literary Theory today. The lecturer is terrifying. I can’t come to your house this morning. Just stay home, okay? Don’t go to class yet, I already marked you as absent. You can borrow my notes later. Don’t go to the library yet. Rest. Your eyes must be swollen. I’ll come over around 2, okay?
Kyla read all of the messages while eating her porridge.
Everyone was working. Everyone was studying. Everyone was busy. Only Kyla was home alone.
Kyla replied to Kirana first.
Kyla: Sis, the porridge is good. I’ve already eaten half. The chicken is cut into tiny pieces, just the way I like it. Thank you, Sis. I’m staying home today. I’m not going to the library or campus. I’m tired.
Then she replied to Nata.
Kyla: Ta, it’s okay. Just work. I’m staying home today and eating the porridge Sis Kirana made. Let’s just chat tonight, okay?
Then she replied to Ara.
Kyla: Thanks, Ra. You don’t have to come here. I’m staying home and resting. I’m not going to the library today.
After replying to the messages, Kyla continued eating her porridge.
The bowl was almost empty.
Only half remained.
11:45 a.m.
The porridge was gone. The bowl was empty, except for two strands of green onion and a few crumbs of shrimp cracker. The sticky note that said “Eat first.” was damp from the steam and Kyla’s tears. The ink had started to smudge.
Kyla carried the bowl to the sink and washed it. The dish soap smelled like lemon. She slowly cleaned the bowl. After washing the dishes, Kyla took a shower and cleaned the house. The house was incredibly quiet. Usually, when things were this quiet, Kyla would go to the library with Ara or go to the café at 4 p.m. with Nata.
But today, she wasn’t going anywhere. She was staying home. Kyla walked into the living room, picked up the TV remote, and turned up the volume of the TV that had been muted since last night.
A daytime soap opera was playing. Its title was “Older Sister, Younger Sister.”
It was almost too fitting for Kyla’s life. The story was about an older sister scolding her younger sister for dating a poor guy.
Kyla sat on the brown sofa, wearing a cropped short-sleeved shirt and shorts. Her legs were stretched out across the sofa, her hair was already neat, and her still-swollen eyes had been covered with cushion foundation. Her stomach was full from the porridge.
Kyla watched the soap opera alone. On the show, the younger sister was crying in her bedroom while the older sister made her porridge. Then they made up. Kyla watched while talking to herself.
“That's literally me and Sis Kirana.”
12:30 p.m.
Kyla fell asleep on the brown sofa. The TV was still playing the soap opera. The volume was loud. Her mouth was slightly open. She was snoring softly. She was exhausted from crying all night, staying awake until 2 a.m., waking up at 11, and then eating until she was completely full from the porridge. On that sofa, Kyla slept alone. The house was quiet.
There was no Kirana complaining,
“Kyla, you’re always sleeping!”
There was no Nata texting,
“Kay, are you still going to the café?”
There was no Ara banging on the door.
There was only Kyla. The brown sofa. The daytime soap opera still playing on the TV. And the bowl that had already been washed and placed on the dish rack.
The sticky note that said “Eat first.” was now stuck on the refrigerator, where Kyla had placed it so it wouldn’t get lost.
That day, Kyla really did stay home. She didn’t go to the library. She didn’t go to the café at 4 p.m. She simply ate chicken porridge alone while watching a soap opera, then fell asleep on the sofa.
✿✿✿
12:45 p.m., at the office in London.
Kirana was eating lunch in the office pantry. She opened her phone and saw the photo Kyla had sent at 12:10. It was a picture of the empty porridge bowl with the sticky note that said “Eat first.” stuck on the refrigerator.
The caption from Kyla read:
“Sis, I finished the porridge. It was good. Thank you.”
Kirana looked at the photo. A small smile appeared on her face. Her eyes became teary again as she sat there in the pantry with her coworkers, who were also eating lunch.
✿✿✿
At the London internet café, also at 12:45 p.m., Nata was fixing two computers that had stopped working. His phone vibrated. He checked it and saw Kyla’s WhatsApp status from 12:15 p.m. It was a photo of the daytime soap opera playing on the TV.
The caption read:
“Just staying home today. Not going to the library. I’m tired.”
Nata looked at it. A small smile appeared on his face. He felt relieved seeing that Kyla seemed to be doing a little better.
✿✿✿
That day, Kyla was alone at home.
But two people in two different workplaces—Kirana at the office and Nata at the internet café—were both looking at their phones.
Both of them felt relieved because Kyla had eaten her chicken porridge and was resting at home.
✿⁠✿✿✿✿✿
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