THE DESSERT

Cheese: Keju Jawa

Arnold terlihat sedih memperhatikan Rama yang sibuk bersiap-siap berangkat kuliah. Sesekali Rama melirik dan menyadari roman muram sahabatnya itu. "Lo bisa di sini dulu sampai waktunya kerja nanti, kok," hibur Rama.

"Makasih, Ram," jawab Arnold lirih yang membuat kedua alis Rama semakin bertaut.

"Lo se-mupeng itu mau tahu kelanjutan cerita gue sama Shinta?" tanya Rama tidak mengerti.

Arnold menghirup napas dalam, kemudian menghelanya perlahan. "Bukan itu, Ram," sahut Arnold.

"Terus? Apa, dong? Kok, muka lo kusut banget?" kejar Rama.

"Menurut lo, gue bossy, enggak?" tanya Arnold sejurus kemudian.

"Hem, kalaupun iya, masih dalam porsi wajar, sih. Kan, memang lo lebih mahir soal kuliner dari gue," cetus Rama.

"Kalau misal lo sama terampilnya sama gue, lo merasa gue terlalu ngatur dan sok tahu, enggak?" kejar Arnold lagi.

"Wah! Sulit, Nold. Gue kan, faktanya enggak selevel sama lo, ya. Tapi, kalau buat gue sih, selama ini aman aja. Lo memang punya kapasitas untuk itu," sahut Rama setelah berpikir keras, "Kenapa? Lo ada masalah di resto?"

Arnold mengedikkan bahu sambil berujar, "Ya, gitu deh. Kayanya gue udah bikin suasana dapur enggak nyaman."

"Karena dianggap bossy?" tanya Rama. Dia tersenyum tipis lalu menepuk pundak Arnold seraya berkata, "Gue percaya lo orang baik dan penyayang. Jangan terlalu mikirin orang yang enggak menghargaimu, deh."

Arnold tersenyum ke arah Rama, wajahnya kini terlihat lebih cerah. "Thank you, Ram," ujarnya tulus.

***

"G'day, guys!" sapa Chris begitu masuk dapur. Dia segera menghampiri Arnold yang sibuk menyiapkan hidangan penutup untuk malam ini dan bertanya serius, "Is there any cheese that's unique to Indonesia, my mate?"

Arnold memeras otak sejenak, lalu menjawab dengan antusias, "Yes, Chris. There's Javanese cheese from the Central Java and Yogyakarta regions. It is made from cow or buffalo's fresh milk that are fermented using natural or tempeh yeast. So it has a unique aroma and fragrant with a soft texture, a sweet and savory taste. Its color is brighter and more yellow. Sometimes it has additional ingredients such as sesame seeds, chili, or garlic to give a more complexity."

Mendengar penjelasan Arnold, Danny yang sedang memasak di sampingnya memutar bola mata dan berkomentar, "Huh, cheese from Java? I've never heard of any cheese from Indonesia."

Arnold tersenyum dan berusaha menjelaskan, "Javanese cheese has been around for centuries and is a staple in many Indonesian dishes such as oseng-oseng mercon or pecel. Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Danny mengedikkan bahu. Sambil mengambil bahan di bawah lemari, Danny berkata, "I'm just saying, I think you're exaggerating its uniqueness. I don't see how it can be that different from other types of cheese."

Arnold berkilah, "You're missing the point, mate. It's not just about how different it is. It's about celebrating our culture and heritage through our food."

Danny mengangguk-angguk santai sambil memotong sayuran. Dia kemudian menyahut, "I get that, but I just don't think we should be making a big deal out of something that's not that special. We have to make sure our guests get delicious and high-quality dishes."

Chris buru-buru datang menengahi dan berujar, "Hey Arnold, do you happen to know any high-quality Javanese cheese products?"

"Yes, I do," sahut Arnold cepat, "There are several producers in Indonesia that I know who make excellent Javanese cheese. You won't be disappointed."

"That's great to hear," tukas Chris mengangguk senang, "Can you give me the contact information for the producer?"

"Sure, I'll send it to you," jawab Arnold. Dia mengambil ponsel, membuka daftar kontaknya dan segera mengirim ke nomor Chris.

Chris mengecek ponsel, lalu mengangguk-angguk. "I have a contact in Indonesia who can help bring that cheese here. If it passes through Australia's airport regulations, then it must be a high-quality cheese," ucap Chris yang kemudian berbalik menoleh ke Danny, "Agree, Danny?"

Danny hanya mengangkat bahu tanda menyerah dan setuju. Chris beralih menghadap Arnold dan bertanya, "So, Arnold, how do you plan to serve the Javanese cheese?"

Arnold menjawab dengan yakin, "Well, some folks might not be used to cheese with a strong flavor, so I'll pair it with fresh fruits like apples, grapes, and pears to give it a sweet and refreshing taste."

"Sounds interesting," komentar Chris, "Do you have any other ideas, Danny?"

"Yeah, we need a great option if we can't get the Javanese cheese," tukas Danny serius, "We could also serve a cheese platter with a selection of Australian Colby cheeses and some nuts and dried fruits."

Chris mengangguk sambil mengacungkan jempol. "That's a good backup plan. But let's try to get the Javanese cheese first."

***

Rama yang baru saja membukakan pintu jadi khawatir saat mendapati Arnold memasuki apartemennya dengan gontai. Dia menutup pintu perlahan dan mengikuti langkah Arnold. Begitu Arnold menghempaskan tubuh ke sofa, Rama pun menawari, "Kopi, Bro?"

"Air aja," jawab Arnold singkat.

Rama mengambilkan air hangat dari dispenser dan mengangsurkannya ke Arnold. "Minum dulu, yuk! Lo kaya orang dehidrasi aja, deh. Kusut banget," cetus Rama.

Arnold tersenyum hambar dan meminum pemberian Rama. Rama pun duduk menjejerinya sambil bertanya hati-hati, "Masalah di resto lagi?"

Arnold mengangguk lemah. "Mungkin gue aja yang kelewat baper," ujar Arnold lirih tak yakin.

Rama menepuk bahu Arnold sambil bilang, "Gue tahu kerjaan lo pasti berat banget. Mending, lo pindah tinggal di sini deh, biar lebih gampang ke resto."

Arnold tersenyum tipis dan berkata, "Gue malah ada rencana pindah kerja, Ram."

"Ha? Lo dapat tawaran dari resto lain? Lebih bagus dari "Spice Route"? Di mana?" cecar Rama kaget.

Arnold menggeleng diiringi tatapan heran Rama. "Gue pengin kerja di Indonesia aja, Ram. Enggak tahu juga sih, di mana," terang Arnold sambil menyengir miris.

Dahi Rama semakin kusut karena bertambahnya jumlah lipatan di sana. "Karier lo di Spice Route, kan lagi moncer? Kok lo buang, sih?" sergahnya.

"Kenapa? Kalau bener gue jagoan, mestinya di mana pun gue bisa bersinar, Ram," cetus Arnold.

Rama menggeleng-geleng tidak paham. "Apa pun jalur baru yang lo tempuh nantinya, itu bakal mulai dari nol lagi, Nold. Enggak sayang?" tanya Rama memastikan.

"Masih dipertimbangkan, kok. Baru wacana ini," kilah Arnold, "Mending lo lanjut deh, kasih tahu gue. Momen spesial apa yang bikin lo yakin sama perasaan Shinta? Gue butuh suntikan optimisme lo, nih."

Rama menghela napas lambat-lambat,lalu bergumam dengan tatapan yang semakin menerawang jauh menembus kaca jendelayang tersingkap kordennya, melayang di tengah langit malam, "Yah, kalau memangbisa bantu lo, sih. Jadi, ceritanya begini ...."