Man, what a day! I’m tellin’ ya, being a telephone operator in Bima is like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded. So, I wake up, right? Sun’s blazin’ through my window on Jalan Soekarno-Hatta. I’m like, “Great, another scorcher.” But hey, it’s Bima, what do ya expect?
First call of the day, this dude’s all frantic. “My goat’s missing!” I’m like, “Bro, it’s a goat, not a kid!” But he’s serious. Apparently, his goat, named “Bima” (how original, right?), wandered off near the beach. I’m tryin’ to keep a straight face, but inside, I’m crackin’ up. I mean, who loses a goat on the beach?
Then, I get another call. This lady’s yelling about her neighbor’s rooster. “It won’t stop crowing!” she screams. I’m like, “Lady, it’s a rooster. That’s its job!” But she’s not havin’ it. I swear, I could hear the rooster in the background, just cluckin’ away like it owns the place.
By noon, I’m on Jalan Diponegoro, grabbin’ some lunch. I hit up this warung for some nasi goreng. Best in Bima, no cap! The owner, Pak Joko, is always crackin’ jokes. He says, “You eat here, you’ll run faster than a goat!” I laugh, but I’m like, “Dude, I’m not racing goats today.”
After lunch, I’m back at my desk, and the calls just keep comin’. One guy’s all mad ‘cause his phone bill is too high. “I only called my mom!” he says. I’m like, “Bro, you called her 20 times!” I mean, come on!
Then, outta nowhere, the power goes out. Classic Bima, right? I’m sittin’ there in the dark, thinkin’, “Great, now I can’t even call for help.” I hear the street vendors outside on Jalan Raya, still shoutin’ their deals. “Get your pisang goreng here!” Like, how are they still going?
Finally, the power comes back, and I’m flooded with calls. This one lady is crying. “My cat is stuck in a tree!” I’m like, “Lady, it’s a cat. It’ll come down.” But she’s not having it. I’m tryin’ to calm her down, but I’m also thinkin’, “Why do people have such dramatic pets?”
As the day drags on, I get a call from a kid. “Can you help me find my lost toy?” I’m like, “Kid, I’m not a toy detective!” But he’s so cute, I can’t help but try. I ask him where he last saw it. “Near the mosque on Jalan Sultan,” he says. I’m like, “Dude, that’s a big area!”
By the time I clock out, I’m exhausted. I walk home through the bustling streets, the smell of grilled fish wafting through the air. I pass by the market, where everyone’s haggling like it’s the Olympics. “Five thousand for this? You must be joking!”
I finally get home, plop on the couch, and think, “What a day!” Bima’s wild, man. It’s got its quirks, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Just another day in the life of a telephone operator, right?