HOW MUCH WOULD YOU LIKE TO PAY FOR A HAPPINESS?

To open this one I would like to say: being persistent is not easy.

[10/30] HOW MUCH WOULD YOU LIKE TO PAY FOR A HAPPINESS?

In recent days, I barely stay home. Never flash in my mind before that Berlin summer could be so harsh, even for me who is coming from a tropical island. Some days earlier, staying at the library the whole day was still convenient to do. Up until last two weeks perhaps. Then my mind form getting more unstable, my inner feeling becoming more inert, following the shortening list of (enjoyable) things to do here. At a glance, that list would look like: 1)unplanned early wake up each morning, 2)first contemplation of the day, 3)try-to-be-busy ritual at the kitchen, 4)second contemplation while cooking something, 5)riding the bus number 100 or 200 (because ringbahn would be so warm since 10 in the morning), 6)get lost while riding my bike in semi-dehydrated state, 7)napping under the tree at the side park of Schloss Charlottenburg, and 8)stepping on and off from one supermarket to another. For the last one, yes, I visit those supermarkets more frequently as they are so chiiiiiillll.....

Yesterday, I went to Edeka, the one supermarket close to where I live. That was kinda last minute shopping just because I forgot to buy Ovomaltine (yeah, my fav choco spread) even though I spent a lot of time to cool down myself at REWE and DM. While queuing at the cashier, there was only three customers left: a girl with a cropped top, an old lady with her walking stick, and me. Right in that order. Turned out, the cashier already closed the bookkeeping for the day made the three of us could only pay in exact change or with the card. So unfortunate for the girl with a cropped top, she didn't bring any cash but a 20 Euro bill and some coins. She had to let go of some of the stuff she meant to buy which are a bunch of scallions and a pack of tomatoes. I was thinking if she is one of the students living in the same student wohnung with me and was planning to offer to pay that for her. But before I could jump into the act, the junior helper slash part timer employee standing behind the cashier guy pulled out some coins from his trousers' pocket, counted, and handed some of those coins to the cashier guy. He then grabbed the scallion and tomatoes, put them in front of the girl with a cropped blouse and said, "es wird besser sein, wenn du damit kochst" or at least that was how I heard it. "That will taste better with them."

I promise you that this wouldn't be a speech about money or guidance on how to be an angel in real life. However, this guy did very well with his one euro 30 cents; he made people happy. One, of course, the girl with a cropped top. Two, me for witnessing the scene. Three, the cashier guy. Four, himself. I don't know how about the old lady with her walking stick and another employee who was doing some cleaning, but after all, those were enough happiness to wrap the day.

* * *

Persisten itu susah, cuy! Hahaha..

Beberapa hari belakangan, diam di kamar apartemen yang beralih menjadi sauna adalah tantangan yang berat. Bahkan bagi orang yang selalu mengaku sebagai anak pantai macam aku ini, musim panas ini sungguh keterlaluan. Sebelumnya, main seharian di perpus masih amat sangat menyenangkan. Setidaknya hingga dua minggu sebelum ini. Sampai pada mulai terjadi alterasi bentuk pikir yang kentara labilnya, segala indera yang semakin tidak responsif, mengikuti daftar kegiatan menyenangkan yang sama seperti malam di musim ini, semakin lama semakin pendek saja. Daftar tersebut kurang lebih: 1. Bangun kepagian, walaupun setengah mati ingin bangun lebih siang, 2. kontemplasi pertama, 3. sok-sok sibuk di dapur, 4. kontemplasi lagi sambil tetap sok sibuk di dapur, 5. Muter-muter naik bus nomor 100 atau 200 (karena muter naik kereta sudah tidak senyaman dulu lagi, pengap), 6. tersasar sambil naik sepeda sampai gosong, 7. tidur siang di bawah pohon depan Schloss Charlottenburg (ini museum bagus), dan 8. keluar masuk supermarket demi terkena tiupan pendingin ruangan.

Nah, kemarin kebetulan aku belanja di salah satu supermarket dekat tempat tinggalku, namanya Edeka. Sudah hampir tutup, aku adalah salah satu pembeli terakhir (demi Ovomaltine). Saat mengantre di kasir, tersisa tiga pelanggan saja, berturut-turut: seorang gadis berpakaian cropped top, seorang wanita tua dengan tongkat, dan aku. Ternyata, si mas kasir sudah menutup program pembukuan harian di komputernya sehingga box uang tidak bisa dibuka lagi (mungkin ia sangat ingin cepat pulang, aku bisa mnegerti). Maka pilihan kami hanyalah membayar dengan uang pas atau dengan kartu. Naasnya si gadis berpakaian cropped top ternyata tidak membawa pecahan uang pas, pun tidak menggunakan kartu. Hampir terjadi ia merelakan seikat daun bawang dan satu pak tomat untuk tidak jadi dibeli. Aku berniat membayarkan dua benda tersebut sambil mengingat-ingat mungkin kami tinggal di kompleks apartemen mahasiswa yang sama. Akan tetapi, sebelum aku sempat merealisasikan pikiranku, asisten kasir yang juga pekerja paruh waktu mengeluarkan beberapa koin dari saku celananya, menghitungnya, kemudian menyerahkannya kepada si mas kasir. Diambilnya kembali daun bawang dan tomat yang sempat dipinggirkan, ditaruhnya di hadapan gadis berpakaian cropped top sambil berkata, "Akan lebih enak kalau dimasak dengan ini." (dalam bahasa Jerman).

Ini bukan ceramah tentang keuangan atau pun panduan menjadi malaikat hidup. Hanya saja, lelaki tersebut menggunakan satu euro tiga puluh sennya dengan sangat baik; ia menciptakan kebahagiaan. Satu, bagi gadis berpakaian cropped top tentunya. Dua, bagiku yang menyaksikan adegan tersebut. Tiga, bagi mas kasir yang sempat kebingungan. Empat, bagi dirinya sendiri. Aku tidak yakin bagaimana dengan wanita tua dengan tongkat berjalannya atau salah satu pegawai lain yang tengah membersihkan rak. Bagaimana pun, pada akhirnya, ada lebih dari cukup kebahagiaan di penghujung hari.

Peace, love, berkeringat tengah malam (tapi bukan TB)

A.