Bittersweet Arrangements : A Sugar Dady Affair

Rizky’s arrival really affected Elena’s mood this morning. He was sure that his brother would fulfill all his wishes. Understandably, Elena is the first of three siblings. But even so, Elena has received love from her adopted sister since childhood, although not all the time. Rizky lives in Surabaya, of course, with his parents, while Elena is in Yogyakarta. They will only meet at certain times. So, while Rizky is in Yogyakarta, Elena will make good use of him.

Elena went down the stairs in a bit of a hurry. He fell asleep earlier after morning prayers. And he woke up at 6 o’clock, but at 7 o’clock sharp he had to be at school to prepare for the exam. Indeed, the exam only starts at 07. 30, but all examinees must be at their seats before that time to avoid unwanted things such as slow networks, computer errors, or other technical problems. Everything must be prepared before the simultaneous exams in Indonesia run according to schedule.

“Morning, Daddy Mommy,” Elena greeted, kissing both of her parents on the cheeks in turn.

“Morning, Eki.” The loud sound of Elena’s kiss on Rizky’s cheek made Jeremy look annoyed.

“Eli, be polite. You’re both adults, no need for those kisses!” Jeremy reminded Elena.

Honestly, Jeremy was a bit concerned about the closeness between Elena and Rizky. Despite being adopted siblings, they didn’t share any blood relation. So, if they were to fall in love and get married, it wouldn’t be a problem. But Jeremy didn’t want that to happen. He cherished Rizky as if he were his own son, and he didn’t want that status to change anytime soon.

“Daddy’s jealous?” teased Elena, now sitting in the chair beside Rizky. As usual, Ivand and Viero just smiled. For them, Elena and Daddy were the king and queen of drama. Elena with her innocent and clingy nature, and Daddy with all his possessiveness. One more thing to note, Elena was also a bit childish and whiny.

“Enough, let’s have breakfast!” intervened Vanessa to prevent any further chaos at the dining table.

Elena started to eat her fried rice enthusiastically. There was no time to linger as she had to head to school soon. The same applied to Viero, who was already neatly dressed in his school uniform. Ivand, on the other hand, looked more relaxed. As a senior, he had a break from school during the 12th-grade National Examination period. Most likely, the teenager would spend time with his motorcycle club friends.

After finishing breakfast, Elena immediately stood up and grabbed Rizky’s hand, asking him to take her to school.

“El, usually you go by yourself; don’t bother Rizky,” Vanessa advised, shaking her head.

“I don’t want to; as long as I’m here, I want Rizky to take me to and from school,” Elena protested with a pleading look at Rizky.

“Fine, let me have my tea first,” Rizky replied casually, releasing Elena’s grip on his wrist.

Quickly, Rizky sipped his warm tea and got up from his chair. “Mommy and Daddy, don’t worry. She’s used to being this spoiled. Luckily, Letta isn’t here; otherwise, it would be a headache,” Rizky said, laughing.

“Dad, can I borrow the motorcycle?” Rizky asked Jeremy for permission.

“Daddy’s other car is available for you to use,” Jeremy replied, having just finished his breakfast.

“I want to use the motorcycle; I want to enjoy the fresh air in Jogja,” Rizky said, looking pleadingly. Even without permission, Rizky could use Jeremy’s vehicle. However, Rizky knew better. Jeremy had two other sons, Ivand and Viero. Rizky didn’t want the two younger brothers to be jealous if he acted as he pleased.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

While in Yogyakarta, Rizky felt more comfortable riding a motorcycle than driving a car. He cherished the serene atmosphere and fresh air of Yogyakarta, especially on Malioboro Street at night. The cool and pleasant ambiance, combined with the friendly locals, made it an experience he couldn’t find in Surabaya. The metropolitan city with its hot weather and widespread industrial pollution.

For Rizky, both Surabaya and Yogyakarta held special memories and stories. He grew up in Surabaya, his father’s hometown. Rizky himself was born in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. It was there that he first met his father. However, it wasn’t his biological father, Bagas, but Jeremy, his adoptive father.

“Let’s chat later. El is late!” Elena pulled Rizky’s hand without caring about Rizky’s desire to chat with Ivand, his brother.

Thirty minutes passed, and Elena arrived at school on time. The students who happened to be outside the gate were excited to see a young man accompanying Elena. Naturally, almost all the students didn’t know who Rizky was to Elena. They assumed Rizky was Elena’s boyfriend, especially since they had never seen Elena with a guy before, given that her parents prohibited dating.

“Good luck on your exam!” Rizky said, extending his hand for Elena to kiss.

“Ready!” Elena replied with a wide smile before leaving Rizky. Regardless of the inquisitive gazes from the students directed at her and Rizky, Elena confidently strolled into the school, passing through the large gate and heading towards the building where the science classes were located.

At 09:35, Elena exited the examination room with a cheerful face. Almost 90% of what she had studied the night before appeared in the exam. The questions were similar to the ones her teacher had given. Besides, English was one of her favorite subjects. No matter how difficult the questions were, Elena could tackle them.

As usual, Elena planned to meet up with her two best friends first. She also intended to excuse herself and apologize because she had to leave early today. While walking towards Citra’s examination room, Elena glanced at the watch circling her wrist. There were still 20 minutes left before Rizky picked her up. Earlier, she had informed Rizky to pick her up at exactly 10:00. She still had a short time to chat with her two friends. Suddenly, Elena remembered the watch Rizky had given her. As far as Elena could recall, she was wearing it yesterday. The beautiful watch was a special gift for her 18th birthday, two months ago. Elena had ordered the watch specifically when Rizky went to Paris. If it were lost, Elena could cry for seven days and seven nights.

Elena fell silent, trying to remember where she had put her beloved watch. In her mind, Elena began retracing her steps from yesterday, starting from going to school until arriving home with her Mommy. Thump… Elena’s heart skipped a beat when she remembered where she had last been before reaching home. She had taken off the watch when performing ablution for Dhuhr prayer. But… Elena felt vague and doubtful because she rarely took off her watch when she was outside. But if it was indeed left there, why hadn’t the owner of the place called her?

“Uncle Devan?”