Come Fishing with Me

This was just the first day in the new house and Arsya already felt dull. He got bored playing online or PC games. No TV programs also caught his attention, not even the Discovery Channel that he usually watched on a weekend back in his old house. 

Arsya liked to have friends. Back in his old town, Bandung, he had a lot of friends. In the neighborhood, at school, or even in every club he joined: swimming, golf, and horse-riding. 

Today, in his new house, in a kampung called Sardonoharjo, Sleman, he was a stranger. He felt lonely. He had not heard any children playing outside near his house. Not a single voice. As the only child in his family, he had no one to play with but his parents. However, even on the weekend sometimes his father still worked online and his mother was a little busy preparing for their sukuran as a new member of the society. He helped for a moment, but then he got bored. As an active child, he liked to play outside.

***

In the afternoon, some women and men from the neighborhood came to his house and he was introduced to them by his mother and father. They got invited by his parents to help prepare the sukuran. 

They were Pak RT and Bu RT, also another pair. What attracted him the most was that Pak RT came with a boy of his age. His name was Ramdan. Ramdan looked shy at the beginning but seemed very nice like his parents. When they shook hands, they smiled at each other.

Their parents discussed things and Arsya invited Ramdan to have some snacks. They had a chit-chat and then they finally agreed on one thing they both liked doing: fishing.

Ramdan told Arsya that there was a little stream not far from his house where they could go fishing. Or even swimming. Oops! "You'll like it, but don't tell your mother," Ramdan whispered. "Okey-dokey," Arsya replied. The stream was clean and there were many fish living in it. 

Arsya asked for his parents' permission to go fishing with Ramdan. Looking happy with his new friend Ramdan, his mother could not help saying yes to that. "Yes!" He said loudly. Ramdan also asked for Pak RT and Bu RT's permission. Like best friends already, they did a high five then. 

Arsya took his fishing rod and the other stuff right away, then off they to the stream. "Just use my other fishing rod, Ramdan. You don't need to go home to take yours," Arsya said on the way. "That's great, Arsya," Ramdan replied.

Once they got to the best spot, they packed off their fishing tools and got ready. This was where Ramdan and Pak RT usually went fishing. The place was shaded by trees and they already found a natural rock bench to sit on. 

***

While fishing, they told each other about themselves. Arsya suddenly asked, "Do you like playing online games?" "I like it, but not too much," Ramdan replied. "Mee, too. I like to be in the nature. That's why in my old life in Bandung, I would ask my parents to go anywhere outdoors: fishing, trekking, hiking, swimming" Arsya added. "Wow!" Ramdan said while opening his eyes wide. "Me, too! What a coincidence!" He responded. 

Suddenly, his hook got a target, and yup! Little by little they caught fish! Arsya followed that he also got some fish. They were so happy. In his mind, Arsya thought that would invite Ramdan to go fishing every weekend.

Then he said, "Ramdan, will you go fishing every weekend with me?" "Why not! Why don't you also invite our fathers!" Ramdan replied. "That would be a toootally great idea," Arsya continued.