Breather

Iwan, Bayu, and Agatha enjoy a Saturday morning breeze together. It's all because of a challenge from Bayu yesterday.

Bayu: Does any of you want to go jogging tomorrow?

Iwan: Me.

Agatha: Count me in!

Bayu: Nice, here's the route.

Bayu: Map hyperlink (press here to see the route)

Iwan: Along the northern ring road? We'll be suffocating from diesel smoke.

Bayu: Our standards are the best; we'll be fine.

Agatha: Emission is emission. You're messing with your lungs with this route. Let's pick another route.

Agatha: Map hyperlink (press here to see the route)

Iwan: Along Parangtritis Avenue is good, but by the time we finish our jog, we'll be toasted by the sun.

Bayu: Couldn't agree more. I already have enough skin pigments to camouflage myself at Parangkusumo sand dunes.

Bayu: @Iwan, do you have any idea where to go?

Iwan: Map hyperlink (press here to see the route)

Bayu: Let's see… Kalasan temple, Sari temple, Prambanan temple, Sojiwan temple, Ratu boko temple, Banyunibo, Barong, and then Ijo. Now, this is good stuff.

Agatha: The uphill is quite a challenge.

Bayu: Really? I bet we'll make it.

Agatha: You bet? If you don't make it, buy me a new home theater set!

Bayu: Fine! If you don't make it, buy me a fully automatic high-speed 3D printer!

Iwan: I see a new theater of war brewing here. Just chill; both of you will make it.

Bayu: Correction, both of you will make it somehow.

Agatha: Correction, bayu ain't gonna make it.

The result is this: a long jog with uphill terrain. Agatha, with her jersey shirt, hat, sports trousers, and running shoes, is fitting for a morning jog and run. Bayu chooses a set of red tracksuits and running shoes to be visible to the naked eye before sunrise. Iwan, however, wears a singlet and short pants and goes barefoot. Without fear of cold, Peebles, dirt, water, and fallen branches hitting his feet; despite his toenail being nearly busted by a rock.

"Dude, why don't you wear shoes? Your left toenail is almost gone."

"Walking barefoot in nature helps to harness nature's energy. By the way, you look kinda pale-"

"I'm good, we're almost there."

"Yup, 100 meters left to Kalasan temple."

"So, this is Kalasan temple? It's tall!"

"An 8th-century Buddhist temple build to venerate Tara-"

"Let's keep going! To Sari temple!"

"Wait, you're gonna skip- hey! She never runs out of energy, huh?"

"It's useless, dude; she'll end up sleeping or ignoring you when it comes to history. And I think she considers this as a normal jog, not a tour across historical temples."

"Man, history is actually fun-"

"That's just you. If you explain the history of the Majapahit Empire to me, I'll sleep within five minutes of your lecture."

Their jog continues: Sari, Prambanan, Sojiwan, Ratu Boko, Banyunibo, and Barong. But their energy has decreased significantly to reach Ijo temple. Iwan has Iwan already reached Ijo temple, leaving Bayu and Agatha on the road. Exhaustion catches up to them quickly. There is no jogging, only a slow walk on the steep slope coated with asphalt.

"Dude, my lungs… They're turning into a pump."

"My heart ain't feeling so good."

"They're beating like an engine, huh?"

"Yeah, inside a car, delivering tofu."

"Good work, I'm hungry now."

“I want tahu gejrot.”

"AAAAARRGGGHH! Don't make me hungry. Please, dude… We're almost there, right?"

"Yeah, I can see the temple and that guy chilling while eating pukis."

"Oh, both of you make it! Want some pukis?"

"You have a pandan flavour?"

"I'll take the chocolate one, please."

"Here you go."

"Look at that viscous dough; flow down into steel molds. Beige and green with sprinkles, and that brown soft crust. The smell is really fragrant. You want some of these A-… Where's she?"

“Off to buy a tahu gejrot.”

"Spicy food in the morning? What a brutal choice"

"I feel bad for her stomach Bay, why don't you advise her?"

"I've tried, dude, trust me. it didn't work… As you told me years ago, the only one who can change yourself is yourself."

"Did I ever say something like that?"

"Yeah! You also told me that people often invite hardship to change themselves."

"Still don't remember."

"Seriously? Dude, you're the wisest high schooler I've ever met, and you didn't remember your own words of wisdom?"

"I never consider myself wise… I have a long way to go, especially overcoming laziness."

"But you're not lazy!"

"I would've taken my courses seriously if I'm not lazy. Swimming, German, math, and many more. I would've exercised every single day."

"You're way too reflective, man. Don't be so hard on yourself"

"The problem with myself is I'm reflective; I know that my biggest problem is laziness… yet because of that very laziness, I'm lazy to take the actions to change myself. It really pains me when I realize that this is my current problem…. It might be the hardest one of all. I've reached peace, a stable income, a great occupation, no enemies, and a good life. What's the point of life if you fail to face your problems? Challenges, predicaments, hardships, hindrances, temptation, pain, and obstacles make life more colorful and worth living for with all your gains. But-"

"Both of you have such a deep talk… Eat this tahu gejrot first.”

"Thanks, dude; it's not spicy, right?"

"It's not that spicy!"

"Not that spicy, roger that!

Small, hollow, crispy fried tofu is complimented with a sweet and spicy watery dressing atop a clay plate. It's actually not that spicy (for Agatha), considering there's only eight bird's eye chili. But Iwan and Bayu are not fans of spicy food in the morning, so… Good luck!

"Iwan, this is pretty hot… You good?"

"Still asking? My tongue is on fire… My warm water ain't helping at all."

"Let's just enjoy it, you say challenges make life worth living."

"Yeah, I've accepted my faith."

"Come to think of it… Bayu and I are really exhausted; how did we end up reaching this place?"

"Oh yeah… Water, I think?"

"I healed both of you while you struggled down there."

"I see… It's 9 AM now; why don't we go home now?"

"Good call! Wan, any bus stop or station nearby?"

"There's one right there! Oh, the bus just arrived! Run!"

"Dude, I'm tired… Wait up…"

"I haven't finished my meal! Oh, he left."

"I guess it's just the two of us now."

"ye, a gush sho. te auto shul me tis see roanti." (yeah, I guess so. The author should make this scene romantic.)

"Swallow your food first; I can't figure out what you're trying to say. You wanna get a breakfast?"

"um ihn!" (I'm in!)