Düsseldorf: Russet Melody in the first autumn

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Lessingstraße,Düsseldorf, Deutschland. Autumn, December 03rd 2015.

Christopher Schlösser was solemn to swallow a pile of savory, sweet, and cheese flavoured popcorns in the front of mini-flat-screen television. Watching a friendly football match between his favorite team, Fortuna Düsseldorf, versus Borussia Dortmund. His both legs up on the sofa, between a pile of empty cans of Coke.

“Christ, how many times I reminded you to not litter this apartment with any wastes!” Anggia’s voice was clearly in the command and instruction’s frequency. As if Anggia was the German girl, the owner of the apartment, and Christopher was just a stranger who stayed in that apartment freely and fulfilled it with a basket of trashes. The fact was diametrically opposed to the German culture that loved cleanliness so much.

At the moment Anggia just came out of the kitchen of Christopher’s apartment and made a plateful of fried bakwan for Christopher. She picked up some empty cans of Coke which were located near Christopher’s feet with her right fingers.

Anggia sighed when her fingers was touching accidentally bushy hairs all over Christopher’s bare thighs and calves. However, Christopher didn’t seem to be disturbed by the movement and the sigh. His both eyes remained to be focused on the television in the front of him that was at the moment semi-enclosed by Anggia’s body.

“Christ, do you hear what I said?”

Christopher nodded, looking indifferent in his place jumped. His last jump nearly made the living room couch was broken-down and dislocated Anggia’s right hand.

“Christ! You sat on my hand!” Anggia shouted hysterically. She almost cried, due to the unbearable pain. The empty cans of Coke that had been in her hand rolled away into the carpet beneath them.

At the moment Christopher stopped the movement and shifted away from Anggia’s hand. He pulled Anggia closer at his embrace. There was full of apologies that looked in his eyes. Although, as usual, Christopher rarely had talked to Anggia. He just massaged Anggia slowly in her slight sprained wrist.

Anggia cried more profusely. Tears fell down in her cheeks because of enduring the pain that was whacking more and more.

“Hey, don’t cry! I can’t stand to see you cry.” Christopher pulled Anggia to get closer and closer at his embrace. He stroked Anggia’s hair gently. “Wait a minute! I’ll take medicines.”

Anggia shook her head and holded Christopher to not stand up from his position.

“I have an ointment if you don’t like—”

Again, Anggia shook her head firmly, stopping Christopher’s utterance.

Christopher was forced to sit in his position again. He drew Anggia’s body to get closer, in order to lean on him. Christopher’s right arm clasped around Anggia’s stomach that covered by pink plain long sleeved T-shirt made from pretty warm fabric and material. Meanwhile, his left arm continued the activity to massage Anggia’s right wrist.

“I’m fine, Christ,” said Anggia uncomfortable while trying to pull her body away. “I’m sorry for disturbing your comfort to watch your favorite team!”

Instead of releasing his embrace, Christopher even clasped Anggia’s body more tightly. “Just sit down here! Accompany me to watch television!”

Furthermore, Christopher got up a little bit from a sitting position. Gropping the pocket of his navy blue super short jeans. Handing a bar of original chocolate made in Germany to Anggia.

Anggia shed tears again for receiving Christopher’s gift. The first German product was handed by Christopher to her. Chocolate mint flavoured Laderach.

Anggia almost had been dying for curiosity. Because, Christopher hadn’t led her to any place that really had a German nuance yet or intended to introduce her to the German products up to that time.

“Just take it, Ia! I bought a chocolate for you, not just to look at.” Christopher muttered softly while running his hand through Anggia’s hair. For the sake of seeing the clear hesitancy in Anggia’s eyes.

Finally, Anggia recognized well that habit. Christopher’s habit when he began to be passionate to Anggia. Christopher might just consider her as a sister or a true friend.

“Don’t worry! I’ll buy a dozen of German chocolates from different brands! Once you’ll get used to and start falling in love with Germany.” Christopher continued his utterance.

Seeing that Anggia just remained stupefied and motionless, Christopher opened the chocolate wrapper for Anggia. Breaking one part and put it to Anggia’s lips. He himself took a fried bakwan, an Indonesian snack, made from corn material that was laden of cooking oil by Anggia before.

Anggia’s heart moved and quivered a lot. Feeling her heart’s beats changed to pulse fast.

Christopher’s fingers smelled so sweet and fragrant for a kind of man like him.

After about two weeks she lived under the same roof with Christopher, Anggia began to understand his lifestyle. Christopher was a kind of severe dandy man, non-smoker.

That kind of man was less masculine according to the majority of Indonesians’ opinions. But, it wasn’t like that in Christopher. His body fragrance and sexy red lips added fully his charm. And for the sake of remembering that matter, Anggia’s heart was just like to leap toward the ground. Feeling the adrenaline to move fast in the rate of her blood swish.

Lessingstraße,Düsseldorf, Deutschland. Autumn, Desember 07th 2015.

“We wil look at the campus today as our plan or not, Ia?” Christopher approached Anggia in the living room of his apartment with wearing a navy blue casual shorts that just covered until his hips. He cleaned droplets of water that still wetted his russet curly hair and shirtless body.

Anggia who was holding a vacuum cleaner squealed aghast to see Christopher who had come suddenly in that condition. She was in hurry to pull window curtain of the living room before throwing a super large dry towel on the table nearby to her toward Christopher. She forgot completely if the curtain of the apartment was the type of automatic curtain which was driven by a machine.

“Christ! Can’t you get dressed first before getting out of your room? If there is another person who sees—”

Anggia broke off her utterance abruptly for seeing the strange smile that fainted at Christopher’s lips. Christopher’s gaze looked as strange as the way of he looked at Anggia meaningfully and curiously.

Anggia was conscious that she did too much. If only Christopher was naked to go around Germany, it also wasn’t her business.

“Sorry! I…. I meant—” Anggia was failed to clarify her mistake.

Christopher just waved. He didn’t wait Anggia for accomplishing anything she wanted to say. “Get ready! I’ll accompany you to go around the campus.”

Anggia nodded and replaced the vacuum cleaner equipment near the door of the kitchen.

Christopher threw himself to the end of a nearby couch. Flinging a wet and half-dried towel to the end of the couch opposite the place where he sat down. Lifting his legs on the table. He put his hands into the back of the head before resting his head against the back of the sofa. Looking at every Anggia’s movement to replace the vacuum cleaner equipment near the door of kitchen with a strange movement. Seeming very uncomfortable.

If she was compared with European girls, Anggia was less feminine. Christopher had never seen that girl who had ages of five years older than him wore a gown, a skirt, or something like that. Although, she was quite feminine in the matter of color options.

After two weeks of living under the same roof with Anggia, Christopher began to recognize Anggia’s character. She was a kind of girl who loved talking too much, liked to command, and had a fragile heart. She didn’t like too much kitchen work. But, she really loved cleaning house. The contradictory type with Christopher.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Christ?” Anggia felt uncomfortable.

As usual, Christopher had preferred choosing to not answer. And letting the terrible silence exist between them.

Seeing that Christopher remained to look at her very strangely, Anggia was in a hurry to go toward her room. Hiding her blushing face that became reddish one at that time. Withstanding the pulsations of heart that began to rise in her heart. A strange feeling she tried to repress for the sake of her promise to parents to not get married with a European.

Meanwhile, it wasn’t too far behind her, Christopher forwarded his view. Following Anggia’s movement with his gaze. Admiring the way of Anggia walked that looked like a catwalk model. However, it didn’t seem that she tried hard to make her way of walking became too sexy, like Karina did.

There was no strange flutters that he felt at the moment. It was just fully admiration. To an Asian girl who received a scholarship from the German government for her achievements. To the Indonesian girl who changed his attitude and lifestyle. That living room for the example. At the moment, it looked too clean and shiny, like the living room of a perfectionist.

Christopher himself didn’t know what motive that made him really love touching Anggia frequently. A practice he had never done yet until that time. Even, to a kind of rabid fan like Karina. Fan had announced frequently to every girl nearby her that she belonged to Christopher. However, it hadn’t been Karina the cause of he hadn’t gotten too close to any girls.

An autumn wind that delivered the air of Germany to become 16° Celsius also seemed unmoved against the motive of change. The wind moved too quickly to change the temperature from hot weather, cold, cool, to hot one again in a matter of days or even hours. A substitution of the temperature had happened frequently, even more oftentimes than another European countries.

Kuntstakademie Düsseldorf that had dark brown color and medieval design looked increasingly old among a row of magnolia trees that at the moment had dark brown color and almost completely dropped off and was covered by the air of winter. The three-level high building had high doors of a Spanish-style and large glass windows had a measurement of two times three meters that had gray colors and plaid small motives. A flat roof of the building was drawn up with a little extra artistic ornaments in the front.

Ignoring the fact that Düsseldorf was a city of fashion and business, Düsseldorf was impressed totally old and not too modern. The academy of art that had been established since 1773 was one of the proofs.

Christopher was a good tour guide if he wasn’t in a hurry or was distracted by something. He took Anggia to walk along an aisle by an aisle and a hall by a hall of classrooms during hours.

As most of areas and other places in Düsseldorf, even in Germany, which was covered by four kinds of primary colors, the interior of Kuntstakademie Düsseldorf also was covered by four kinds of primary colors.

Bone colors dominated the first and second floors of the building. From a half of painted walls up to its main pillars. The gray color for the marble tiles. Brown one for bricks were arranged to make the main ladders. On the wall toward the second floor, there were carvings that looked to crack were sculpted on the wall. Some sculptures and photographs appeared to be arranged to line up along the Spanish-style hall in the second floor. Apparently, it was the part of the Department of Sculpture and Photography.

“Have you decided to choose what majors, Ia?” Christopher re-opened a conversation after a long silence between them.

Some persons in that part of building gazed intensely toward Anggia that seemed foreign in their eyes while addressing “Guten Tag!” to her and “Hallo!” to Christopher.

Anggia shook her head, looking so stupid. Just paying attention intensely to the interior design of the art academy in its top floor.

That part of building looked so different with the two floors underneath. The walls and ceilings in the top floor had the shade of light brown, while the main pillars and patterned tiles had russet color. There were paintings on the wall carved in the floor toward the top floor. The paintings of various sizes were just placed along the wall in the third floor. Perhaps it was the part of building of drawing and painting art majors.

“What kind of majors are offered, Christ?”

Christopher gazed at Anggia in disbelief. “You haven’t read the guideline book yet?!”

Anggia shook her head. At the moment her heart fluttered a little bit strange. Not because of the pretty boy in the front of her. However, the feeling that she slipped into something was totally unfamiliar suddenly felt grim and gripped her with a terrible qualm. As if high-powered snowfall arrived in Germany and made her body tremble.

Christopher walked to turn round to back down while shrugging. “Hmmm.... art of painting, sculpture, and photography, as you can see.”

Christopher pointed his fingers to the artworks were exhibited along the place they passed. “The graphic arts, architecture, design, and stage design.”

“Then?” said Anggia in a daze, completely feeling confused.

Christopher felt the aura of confusion and the fundamental change of Anggia’s expression. That girl’s face looked very pale. Until Christopher pulled hastily her at his embrace, in order to that brown-skinned girl didn’t fall in marble tiles underneath.

Anggia herself didn’t feel Christopher’s embrace on her shoulder. With the natural confusion, she sputtered, “There is no acting or something like that, Christ? Filmography?”

As usual, Christopher had chosed to be silent. However, his silence was full of concerns.

“Oh my God, Christ! I really don’t have expertise in the other kind of arts. When the German government was providing the scholarship offer at this place to me, I said ‘yes’ immediately.”

After that, they were in the situation of very tremendous and awful silence. Anggia was preoccupied by her own thoughts. Meanwhile, Christopher just tightened his embrace on Anggia’s shoulder until they reached in the first floor again.

“This is your place to adapt your German during the winter holidays.” Christopher pointed to a classroom which was located in the corner near the exit.

“Learning German for several seasons, Christ,” corrected Anggia.

Christopher shook with laughter, barely stopping. Anggia never heard his long and roaring laughter until at the moment. The voice of Christopher’s laughter gave a feeling of warmth off in the extreme autumn.

“You are laughing at me, Christ?” inquired Anggia.

Christopher didn’t answer. Just continuing his laughter and nudging Anggia to get out of the building. Leading her to the garden in the front of.

Whether Anggia was so stupid, pretented to be dumb, or was too unpretentious, all of the Germans knew that if only Anggia was so stupid in speaking German, she wouldn’t be sent to that academy to adapt her German during the winter holidays. However, to a language academy or seasonal course in an accredited language college. Because, however, the department of arts was a specialty that required a specialization of specific German as well which wasn’t possible to understand by early learners.

A man who wore a red triangle-knitted hat held up his palm to face toward Christopher’s direction and extended the index finger from a distance when Christopher was walking in a row with Anggia in the garden of the frontage of building. Some clumps of cherry-blossoms looked in some angles.

Apparently, the Germans were enthusiasts of something made in or in the style of United States of America and Japan, decided Anggia with her thought.

Christopher nudged Anggia’s right arm before advancing toward unsymmetrical-nosed man who had the height of six point three inches in the front of him. Seeming to want to protect Anggia from anyone who was stepping in a hurry and hastily to approach them.

After a long time had stayed together with Christopher, Anggia realized, he was a lefty.

“Regardless of Katlina’s supervision, eh?” quipped the very white-skinned German man that had an age of about twenty years old in the front of them, mentioning Karina’s nickname so dramatically. The impression of his white skin not as white as the immaculate limestone, as the whitest Indonesian. However, as white as the white snow. Seeming stark contradictory with the red metallic long-sleeved upright-collared T-shirt that he wore.

Christopher smiled grimly before patting Anggia’s shoulder in his left side. “Anggia Selestina,” he stated.

The very white-skinned German man just gazed at Anggia intensely at the moment. Judging obviously about Anggia’s body and figure. His sophisticated thick eyebrows moved up-down-up sharply. His bow lips seemed to open doubtfully. “Speaking you English? U Nederlands spreken? Sie Deutsch sprechen?—Do you speak English? Dutch? German?” he asked politely with awkward grammars.

Anggia didn’t answer the question. Just smiling graciously at him while holding her hand out. “Anggia Selestina.”

“Ah, Munich!” It was the second time, a German commented on Anggia’s very thick accent.

“Florens Micek. But, my friends usually call me ‘Mck’.”

By the name of any German accents Anggia had ever learned, the way of Florens mentioned his nickname making her ears whir and buzz much more.

Anggia turned her head toward Christopher. Demanding an explanation.

Christopher pulled Anggia’s shoulder at his embrace with a warmer sense. “Mck, meine schöne Frau.”

Florens nodded enthusiastically. “Ja. Mck,” he repeated more slowly. However, his words still felt so strange and buzzed in Anggia’s ears.

“Is that like M-C-K?” Anggia spelled clearly letter by letter with Indonesian spellings.

“Nein. Nein. Mck.” Florens’ face flushed, hearing how was the way of Anggia mentioned his name.

Man… di? Cu… ci? Ka… kus?—The room of taking a bath, washing clothes, and getting to the toilet?” Florens frowned with a grim face to hear his own lips stumbling about three Indonesian words. Heaven knew whether the Asian girl in the front of him would understand what he tried to say or not.

Hei, kau bisa berbahasa Indonesia?! Maafkan aku! Tapi, aku tidak bermaksud untuk menyandingkan namamu dengan apapun. Aku benar-benar tak bisa mengucapkan nama panggilanmu. Lidahku bisa terbalik jika mengucapkannya—Hey, you can speak Indonesian?! Forgive me! But, I didn’t intend to pair your name with anything else. I really can’t pronounce your nickname. My tongue could be reversed if I try hard to say it.” Anggia hit lightly the man in the front of her. It was just like how had been the way of Anggia had hit Christopher and her Indonesian male friends that had been very close to her.

Florens looked very shocked. So did Christopher.

Florens backed the steps spontaneously. Meanwhile, Christopher tightened his grip on Anggia’s arm. Almost clutched her.

Maksudku, aku tidak berniat untuk menyamakan namamu dengan apapun. Aku tidak sedang menghinamu—I meant, I didn’t intend to equate your name with anything else. I wasn’t insulting you,” repeated Anggia more slowly and with easier dictions. She misunderstood wholly the shocks that had appeared in her both German friends’ eyes.

Furthermore, Christopher said goodbye with his gaze without any words as usual. He just provided the sign language at Florens to pass first. Florens nodded, completely understanding.

Christopher brought his face closer towards Anggia suddenly after they turned round. Almost making Anggia choke and stive when Christopher’s fragrance was blowing gently on her right cheek and ear. It looked like to kiss Anggia’s cheek.

“Most of Germans aren’t like me, Ia. Although, Mck is the type of friendly German,” Christopher whispered in Anggia’s ear.

Anggia blushed completely to feel Christopher’s breath that felt so warm in her sense of touch. However, she still was able to turn her head toward Florens—seeming to be remembered for something—who still standed up in his position, five meters behind Anggia was walking. “How about Flo? Florens? Mice?”

Florens smiled wryly. “Florens is better.”

A few meters after they grew distant from Florens, Christopher ran his hand through Anggia’s hairs passionately. However, Christopher’s movement hadn’t stopped yet until that action. He brought his face closer toward Anggia.

Anggia just held her breath. Preparing herself to accept the gusts of Christopher’s breaths that felt so warm in her auricles and very fragrant in her sense of smell. However, Christopher didn’t stop his action on Anggia’s cheek or want to whisper something. He kissed Anggia’s hairs awhile that at the moment had messed up, due to his hand’s movement.

“Christ?” Anggia demanded an explanation.

“That matter made me like you so much, Ia,” explained Christopher shortly. He didn’t answer completely the point of Anggia’s implicit question. Even, neither did to remove her curiousity.

Slow but sure, a little bit of affection started to grow in Christopher’s heart. The affection to a girl who had appeared constantly as her ownself without imitating anybody else. Her appeareance also was so simple. She never seduced intentionally any men with her way of walking or talking.

Although, Anggia had convinced hard Christopher about how much her love to Germany had been. But, Anggia still remained an Indonesian girl who lived in Germany. Nothing else more.

Neither Christopher nor Anggia knew if it wasn’t too far behind them, six pairs of eyes captured the action of Christopher’s light kiss unintentionally. Florens, Karina, Ralf, Sascha, Sara, and Aram. But, not just those six pairs of eyes were so shocked and aghast. All of eyewitnesses in Kuntstakademie Düsseldorf were also so shocked. To a Christopher who was never so sassy and brazen to any else girls.

Meanwhile, the temperature of autumn began changing with the aura of winter that started exhaling and blowing away a cold weather. Sending a clear shiver and tremble, not just to the Indonesian girl’s body, like Anggia, who wasn’t familiar with the snow. But, also to Anggia’s heart that rised to rattle in pain, withstanding the sensation of cold that rised in the bottom of her heart.

Anggia started feeling interested in Christopher. More than just physical attraction. Ignoring her promise that had been stated to parents at the beginning of the autumn.

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