A LUTA CONTINUA (Latin phrase that means the struggle continues)
-a BoBoiBoy fanfiction by Roux Marlet-
Disclaimer: BoBoiBoy (c) Monsta
Regarding artwork use, please read the Author's Note at the bottom page.
The author gained no material profit from this work of fiction.
Alternate Universe, No Pairing, Grown-Up Characters.
Genre: Friendship, Family, Angst.
The story was rated M (Mature) for the ADDICTIONS theme (to be explained later).
Important side notes: Tok Aba and Amato in this story were not father and son.
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The ringing of a cell phone called out, breaking the silence in the dark. At first, the owner ignored it. The caller was more stubborn, persisting in pressing redial every time the waiting tone ran out. Until finally, a hoarse voice was heard after the answer button was unlocked,
"Hello?"
"Hellooooo, good morning, Mr. Architect. Thank you for answering my ninth call."
The sarcastic voice from the other side of the line had burst out before Solar could fully open his eyes.
"Still in bed?" The voice grew more annoying with each subsequent breath.
"Morning, Fang," Solar replied flatly, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just woke up. What's up?"
"We have a new client. I'll see you at eight."
A new client? After months without a new project? Solar's spirits suddenly rose and he realized the sun was already high through his bedroom window. He hurriedly sat up. "Eight o'clock at the office?"
"Yeah. In half an hour."
Solar jumped out of bed when he realized it was half past seven on his clock, "Fang, why didn't you wake me up earlier?"
"Oi! I called eight times already, didn't I?! What business is it of mine to wake you up from your sleep?"
"Ish. Yes, yes, Lecturer. That's it."
Solar threw his phone on the bed and hurriedly took a shower.
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Fang should give Solar credit for making it to the office at one minute to eight. With no time to wait for the bus, Solar sprinted from his home two kilometers away. At least Solar got to Fang on time, enough to put on his sweaty face and labored breathing before turning into the cafeteria and buying breakfast.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Solar would always remember this advice from Gopal, Kumaran's son, his colleague in the next division, financing. Fang caught up with him at the restaurant and talked while Solar filled his stomach. Even his breathing was messy although it was Solar who'd been running around, not Fang. Apparently this project was urgent, wasn't it?
"I was notified by the boss in a chat at midnight last night. So, of course, I just read the message when I woke up. This time it's a skyscraper for a hotel and some meeting rooms and showrooms. In the afternoon, we'll meet the mural artist for the project."
"Huh? A mural artist?" asked Solar with a frown. "Why have a mural artist before the building is finished? It's not even designed yet."
"This client asked for... hmm, a touch of nature... for the design, for the interior as well as the exterior. Have you ever heard of integrated arts? Well, that's it. So, this mural artist will be involved from the planning process of the building. He often paints plant murals for tall buildings."
"This client wants the outside walls and all the rooms painted with murals?" Solar was still chewing. "And, plant murals? Why didn't the client just buy plant wallpaper?"
Fang rolled his eyes. "It's easy to say. This client is very demanding, he wants real paintings."
Even in Solar's eyes behind the orange visor glasses, Fang looked annoyed and reluctant but forced. He blurted out, "Do you know the client?"
"Huh, yes. My brother, his name is Kaizo."
Solar's eyebrows went up one side, not expecting that. There's something hidden in Fang's sentences that was delivered with expressions that could have multiple meanings, so Solar didn't ask. "The boss accepted this project even though he knew the client was your biological brother?"
Fang nodded. "Originally, the boss asked me to be the project manager again. I refused, obviously because the client is my own brother. I'll join the engineering division instead."
Solar's eyes sharpened, his heart suddenly pounding. "So? Who's the PM?"
Fang sighed. "The boss wants to manage it himself."
"I see." Solar didn't comment further, the hope that had flown through his head was instantly dashed.
Fang was a talented civil engineer and was often appointed project manager in charge of the entire building process, from planning, design, budgeting, execution, and completion. Solar, who was an architect, dominated the design process.
Not that Solar wasn't capable of being a project manager, but...
"That way, I can still teach until the end of this year," Fang continued, sounding somewhat relieved.
Solar also knew that Fang, who also worked part-time as a civil engineering vocational lecturer at his alma mater, had been awarded a scholarship to study for a master's degree next year from his university.
"Congratulations again, Lecturer," Solar said, trying to sound sincere as he continued eating. Fang smiled wryly at him, knowing his friend's behavior.
It was hard to compliment others when you were expecting praise for yourself.
"Thank you," Fang muttered at last.
The atmosphere suddenly dropped awkwardly. Solar finished his breakfast without another word while Fang fiddled with his phone. A notification popped up, prompting Fang to speak up again,
"Well, later this afternoon, I have class. So, I'd like you to meet the artist, please."
Solar, who was drinking juice, choked. "Eeeeh? Why doesn't the boss see him? He's the project manager, supposedly!"
Fang replied, "He's still finishing up the project in Johor."
"Who am I, anyway?" grumbled Solar. "Everywhere, the one who deals with clients and external parties is the PM!"
"...You're the project manager's representative."
Solar suddenly wanted to smash Fang's purple-rimmed glasses upon that answer.
"I'll give you the manager's contact information," Fang added hastily, regret in his voice. "I called him earlier. The manager is nice."
"That's crazy to have your own manager. Professional, surely? If this professional artist asks for something, what am I going to do?" Solar was getting annoyed. "You go meet them, Fang. I'll cover for you this afternoon."
Fang scowled. "I know you were a teaching assistant in college, but that's not the concept!"
Solar's breakfast evaporated already in the form of negative energy. He knew arguing with Fang would only waste his breath and energy, but he was annoyed.
"So what? What should I tell the artist? We haven't even discussed the concept of the building yet."
Fang shook his head. "That's... Mr. Boss said, for today, you'll just have to make introductions."
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Surya Gamma Sentosa, Sdn. Bhd. was a contracting agency that specialized in high-rise buildings. Although still a medium-sized micro company, they have managed to erect several office buildings, hotels, and malls spread across Selangor, West Malaysia. The owner was Amato, an architect, who happened (or not so coincidentally) to be Solar's father.
Following in his father's footsteps as an architect was not enough for Solar's towering ego. An ambitious architecture graduate, he joined his father's contracting firm while studying civil engineering, and it was there that he met Fang, who was three years younger. They were in the same class, competed against each other, and graduated at the same time. Solar got an additional civil engineering degree and invited Fang to join the bureau.
In a building project, an architect was in charge of the design and then a civil engineer realized the design in the form of structural and ground contour calculations, material selection, and budget plans in collaboration with the finance division. The next step was to recruit freelancers who would build the building. They usually had a subscription to a construction workers' bureau headed by Pak Tarung. This part was Yaya's job in the resources division.
All these stages were managed by a project manager or PM.
Because Solar had a degree in architecture and civil engineering, he often headed the project from the planning stage to the implementation stage alone. He was the one who designs, and he was also the one who calculated everything needed to bring the design to life. It was quite efficient in terms of time and manpower for a fledgling business, and it was not as if Solar can't handle two responsibilities at once, although the bureau also had two other architects, Iwan and Shielda, and three civil engineers, Fang, Nut and Ying. All of them were young people. Amato used to run the bureau with Uncle Pian, who was also a shareholder.
With his skills and intelligence, Solar should be able to move up quickly. The project manager was the closest target, and then wouldn't he be the owner of the bureau in the future, replacing his father?
But things didn't go that smoothly. At best, Solar had only reached the position of engineering manager so far, one level below project manager.
Then again, Fang wasn't the project manager for this project, even though he was the most frequently appointed and proven project success. Solar understood that the client this time was Fang's brother, so it was the right choice to avoid conflict. In terms of skills and experience, Solar should have been able to fill the position, but the boss, whom they call Mr. Boss, had other ideas. Amato himself wanted to be the project manager.
All of Amato's unilateral decisions were relayed to Solar through Fang, and now he had to deal with a foreign artist and his manager. Solar felt the 'nasi lemak' from his breakfast turn into thousands of tiny needles in his stomach, making him feel sore and nauseous. It was not that Solar was nervous or antisocial—he was a confident person, the kind of person who dominated conversations—but that was a thing of the past.
Solar sighed and tried to start a conversation with the manager on the messaging app.
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"Quake! I want my candy!"
That afternoon, Solar turned his head to find two young men in the waiting room. One was dressed in a simple but neat suit, while the other wore a loose T-shirt and pants with color stains in several places.
"Be patient, Thorn. Later, when we're in the room, I'll give you something," said the man in the neat suit, his tone soothing.
"Candy, candy!" The artistic man jumped up and down happily. His eyes widened when he saw a wall hanging made of woven leaves. As Solar recalled, it was the work of Gopal, who sometimes used leftover cooking ingredients from his family's restaurant. "How nice! But, poor leaves... but, it's still nice!" Then, the man clapped his hands in delight.
'Such childish behavior,' Solar thought to himself as he cast a reproachful glance. No, wait a minute! Judging by his outfit, was that the mural artist Fang was referring to? They expected Solar to work with this kind of person from the earliest days of the project? Solar was still stunned watching the man go back and forth observing each decoration on the wall when the other man looked at him, then stood up and smiles.
Solar walked over, putting on his best fake smile. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. My name is Solar."
The manager, neatly dressed, returned his greeting. "Good afternoon. I'm Quake, Thorn's manager."
Thorn turned around and exclaimed excitedly, "Hello, Solar! Nice to meet you!" He took Solar's hand and shook it while laughing. Solar's smile stiffened. Artists were free people, but Thorn's demeanor was very informal in his eyes.
"Uh, Thorn, slow down, please," Quake scolded with a frown.
"Thorn is super excited! Hehehe, sorry, Solar. Does your hand hurt?" The artist brought Solar's hand in front of his eyes.
"Um, no problem," the architect said, gently withdrawing his hand and adjusting his glasses. Might as well drop the formalities at this point. "Have you two had lunch?"
"We did," said Quake. "Thank you," he added, as Solar seemed about to invite them for lunch.
"I see." It seemed like a waste for Solar to browse the food menus around the office.
"I'll have some candy," Thorn said abruptly.
"Do you like sweets?" asked Solar, remembering one of the results of his search. "There's a shop nearby that sells sweets. Why don't we have a chat there?"
Thorn turned to Quake as if asking for approval. The manager nodded with a smile.
"Fun!" cheered Thorn with a happy face.
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What Solar needed to remember when meeting new people: always pretend in the beginning. You never knew who you were dealing with. It was not uncommon for Solar to meet polite, calm young men like Quake, but his interactions with Thorn were a bit odd. They were roughly the same age and it was Quake who was more respected by Thorn, not the other way around. Who was the professional artist and who was the manager here? Or was Thorn not really a professional in his field? But then, why else would he have his own manager?
Solar himself didn't eat at the shop, just ordered a cup of coffee. Thorn ordered a rainbow cream cake with bright colors, while Quake ordered a cup of tea.
"Thorn is a phytograffiti activist," Quake said after taking a sip of his tea, which was still too hot.
"Phytograffiti?" Solar was sure he was the most avid visitor to the campus library, but he had never read the term before. Without needing to ask, Solar understood where the word came from. Phyto was related to plants and the other word was graffiti, painting on a wall.
"Since I was little, Thorn likes to draw on the walls!" continued the artist with cream smeared around his mouth. "Thorn likes plants, so that's what he draws!"
"Thorn, the cream." Quake offered a piece of tissue, which he quickly pulled from his bag.
"Oops, it's dirty. Hihi. Sorry, sorry. Thanks, Quake." Thorn accepted the tissue and wiped his mouth, then continued, "There's an artist in America who is actively painting plant murals on tall buildings. She's my inspiration!"
"Wow, that's great," Solar commented diplomatically. "How long has Thorn been painting... umm, making, phytograffiti?"
Thorn turned to his manager. "How long, huh, Quake? Ummm..."
"About... eight years?" said Quake, his gaze shifting to the window as he counted.
"Oh, yeah. That's probably how long it's been," said Thorn incoherently, having just stuffed his mouth with another large piece of cake.
"Thorn must have a lot of experience, huh," Solar said, looking at the two in turn. "Our project will definitely go well."
Thorn snatched his sentence before Solar can finish, "I'm sure! Thorn's really excited, because this is going to be the tallest skyscraper in Southeast Asia!"
Solar nodded with a smile, already knowing the same thing from Fang's bit of information. There was something about this eccentric artist that made Solar quite sure that Thorn was dedicated to the unique art of murals.
"We were contacted by someone named Amato," Quake said with a questioning look at Solar. "Then, we were given the address of this office. Next, someone named Fang called me this morning."
"Ah, yes. Please forgive us. Our bureau is a small one. Mr. Amato, our leader, is still in Johor; while Fang is working part-time as a lecturer."
"Oh?" Thorn looked at Solar with a surprised blink. "Then, Solar?"
Upon that question, Solar was in a dilemma. He hadn't asked or contacted his father about his role in the project. Clearly, Solar was not the project manager. He chose the safest answer, "I'm an architect."
"ARCHITECT?!" Thorn screeched at the top of his lungs. Solar could feel his face turn red, and the other patrons of the tavern turn to their table. Quake whispered soothingly.
"So, Solar is the one who will design the building?" Thorn's eyes sparkled brilliantly as he lowered the volume. Solar was sure he could see stars twinkling in those eyes as he nodded. Once again, Solar's hand was grasped by the overzealous Thorn. "Please help, Solar!"
Was it really this easy? Solar kept smiling. "Of course, Thorn."
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to be continued.
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Author's Note:
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Many thanks to a good friend, Nyankuro, who agreed to be interviewed about architecture and civil engineering. It turns out that researching these things is not as easy as I thought :")
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Sdn. Bhd. stands for Sendirian Berhad in Malay, the same as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in English, and Perseroan Terbatas (PT) in Indonesia.
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"Phytograffiti" is a term coined by Mona Caron, a mural artist from Switzerland, which is also her original hashtag in popularizing her artwork on social media. Mona is best known for her series of murals about the resilience of "weeds". Mona has worked on many mural art projects in the form of wild plant metaphors, with a lot of support and participation from local communities. Mona can be reached at (remove space):
• mona. caron at gmail. com
• monacaron. com
• Instagram mona. caron
• Facebook /mona. caron. artist
Last but not least, the mural on the tall building on the cover of this story is also Mona's masterpiece!
Thank you for reading. Criticism and suggestions are very welcome!
November 27, 2022.