TIE STORY

TINO

TINO

Michael Platino is his full name. Grandpa Jacob is a true football fan with the French national team as his favorite. When Michael Platini, who was part of the French national team, led his country to win the World Cup, it was the same time when Grandma Jacob was giving birth to his father. Grandpa Jacob was ready with a girl's name just in case, Michelle Platina. It still wasn't far from his idol.

Grandpa Jacob was an Indonesian ambassador in France, so for young Tino, it was not a luxury to visit other countries. From a young age, he was accustomed to different cultures, customs, and norms. As a result, Tino received an eclectic education, a mix of European, Middle Eastern, Javanese, and even Indian influences. English was the daily language at their home. Meanwhile, Jacob's mother still held the title "Cut" in front of her name, indicating her Acehnese heritage. A place known for its strong and courageous women.

One time, Grandpa Jacob visited We Island, Indonesia's point zero, for an international congress discussing the Silk Road and its economic impact at that time. Tino, although in the early stages of his civil engineering studies at the University of Indonesia, joined him as it coincided with the semester break. But because it coincided with a holiday, Tino accompanied his father to Aceh to attend the conference.

There, Tino met Jacob's mother, who was helping her father sell Turkish carpets at the Banda Aceh market. Tino's young blood stirred at the sight of a woman with features reminiscent of Pakistan trading in the midst of the bustling market.

Sweat trickled down her forehead, tracing the contours of her high cheekbones, pausing briefly and continuing down her slender neck. It then flowed down the curves above her shoulder blades, pausing briefly again before descending to a slightly protruding hill, glistening in the sunlight.

Despite having only seven thousand five hundred rupiahs left in his wallet from his meal at the nearby Padang restaurant, Tino gathered the courage to approach the girl.

Tino: Excuse me, how much is this carpet? (Pointing casually at the stack of carpets in front of the girl)

Carpet Girl: Why are you calling me "Bu" (a polite way to address a woman in Indonesian)? Am I going to marry your father? My name is Layla, and people here call me Cut Layla.

Tino: Oh, sorry, Layla. Where I come from, calling someone "Bu" is a sign of respect. It's different here, I guess...

Layla: So, where are you from? (She responded nonchalantly)

Tino: Jakarta.

Layla: Oh, from the capital, I see. No wonder you smell different. (She smirked)

Tino: (getting annoyed) Is my smell unpleasant? Like, sweaty or something? (frustration building and silently berating himself)

Layla: No, your scent is pleasant. A mix of ylang-ylang and mint. Masculine and mature. Not like the people here who always smell like spices.

Tino: Oh (taken aback and blushing at the compliment)

Layla: By the way, the carpet you chose is directly imported from Turkey, and it costs 250,000 rupiahs. (Casually moving the other carpets to make the chosen carpet more visible)

Tino was astonished when he realized that the carpet he had pointed at was pink with a heart-shaped pattern.

Layla: Are you sure about this choice? (Trying to read Tino's reaction) Let me show you something more suitable. My selections usually satisfy my customers.

Layla then stood up and moved next to Tino, starting to sort through the piles of carpets.

Tino observed and caught the scent of Layla, which, despite the sweat, remained fresh and fragrant, with a hint of sourness that strangely intrigued him. His pants tightened slightly as Layla nudged him in the thigh.