One quiet morning in Bekasi, Bandit, Chilli, Bluey, and Bingo were staying at Tedy Wijaya and Silviah Malaka's house in Prima Harapan Regency. The house, originally built in 2000 and renovated in 2015, was home to Yafie Achmad Raihan and his family. Tedy, a Blue Heeler and Black Labrador mix, and Silviah, a Red Kelpie and Border Collie mix, were now retirees, enjoying their peaceful life. Yafie, their eldest son, ran the family businesses: Dapoer Jasmine, a pudding and cake business co-managed by his mom and his aunt Vera Febriana Malaka, and RHN Farms, a goat and sheep farming operation in Sukaharja Village, Jonggol.
That morning, Bandit and Chilli were resting in the spare bedroom on the second floor, while Bluey and Bingo shared Yafie's bedroom. The bedroom's walls were adorned with vibrant colors inspired by logos from various train systems—blue and orange, reminiscent of the 2011 Kereta Api Indonesia logo, with Amtrak and SBB CFF FFS logos prominently featured. Yafie had stayed up late, playing OpenTTD and meticulously constructing a transport network on his PC until 3:30 AM, after which he indulged in some YouTube videos until 4:45.
At 5:00 AM, Yafie, not quite ready to sleep, wandered through the house. He found his mother reciting Quranic verses in her bedroom. The soothing hum of the morning prayer filled the air. Hungry, Yafie asked in Indonesian, "Mom, I want a macaroni with sausage." Without skipping a beat in her recital, Silviah replied, "After I finish this recital, at 6:00, I'll make it for you."
With that, Yafie returned to his bedroom to find Bluey and Bingo still sound asleep. He grabbed his Infinix Hot 30i and snapped a quick photo of the two peacefully snuggled in his usual sleeping spot. The dawn light was beginning to brighten the sky, casting a soft September glow over Bekasi.
Afterward, Yafie headed to the second floor to water the guava tree, one of his favorite morning rituals. As he worked, he listened to a playlist of his favorite songs, switching from "Hidupku Kan Damaikan Hatimu" by Caffeine to "I Know a Place (The Creek Song)" from Bluey. By the time the clock struck 6:00, he made his way downstairs, greeted by Bandit and Chilli, who were sitting in the living room, already anticipating breakfast.
At the dining table, Bluey, Bingo, and Athaya—Yafie's younger brother who worked at Jasamarga—were already seated. Silviah was preparing Yafie's breakfast, while Yafie himself was still immersed in his music. Soon, Silviah placed a warm plate of macaroni with sausage in front of him. Content, Yafie dug into his breakfast, enjoying the familiar sounds of family life and the beginning of another day in Prima Harapan Regency.
Thirty minutes after breakfast, Athaya prepared to head to work at the Jasamarga Headquarters in Tamini. He was riding his 2023 Yamaha NMAX 155 scooter, as his 2016 Toyota Kijang Innova was still at the workshop after a minor accident. Before leaving, he waved to Yafie, Bluey, and Bingo, who were planning to walk to the park at L Block. The trio waved back, and Athaya rode off through the bustling morning traffic.
Yafie, accompanied by Bluey and Bingo, set off on their walk despite the busy streets. They passed by familiar places, including the house of one of Yafie's old classmates from elementary school. The streets were lively as people rushed to their morning routines, with traffic picking up as usual.
As they approached an intersection, Yafie suddenly saw a Honda Vario speeding toward them, driven by Aditya Hafizh, a male German Hound. Luckily, Bluey and Bingo had stopped just before the intersection, but Yafie was almost hit. He muttered to himself angrily, "Shit! Too fucking close!" Upset by the near miss, he quickly turned to Bluey and Bingo, calming himself. "I'm sorry, girls, for my behavior" he said, feeling guilty.
Bluey reassured him with a smile. "No worries, mate. I think he was in a hurry." Yafie nodded in agreement, and they continued their walk to the park. As they reached the park. It wasn't large, but it was enough for a peaceful morning stroll. The clock struck 6:30, and Yafie was still lost in his music, earphones blasting his favorite tunes to the max.
As they still the park, Yafie thinks he felt one of two familiar figures were about to approaching—Mrs. Syarifah, a female Border Collie who sold tofu in the morning, and by instinct, Yafie sense of a male Shikoku, who was a traveling Milkfish Presto seller's existence. These two sellers were notorious for their loud, repetitive calls for customers, and Yafie always referred to them as his personal "Grim Reapers." Knowing they would pass by soon, Yafie decided it was time to retreat. He glanced at the time—it was 6:45.
"Bluey, Bingo, follow me right now" Yafie said, trying to sound calm. But the girls whined, reluctant to leave the park. As the tofu seller's call grew closer, panic set in for Yafie, despite he's drowned out of the surrounding sounds. He scooped up Bluey and Bingo and rushed to a safe spot where they could hide. He dashed toward a local health post, which also had a shaded area where elderly residents played table tennis.
When they arrived, the place was nearly empty except for two elderly dogs—a Pug and a Toy Fox Terrier—playing a slow game of table tennis. Yafie, Bluey, and Bingo hid in the corner, waiting for the traveling sellers to pass. By 7:30, more elderly dogs had joined the game, including a Shiba Inu, Jack Russell Terrier, Greyhound, and, to Yafie's surprise, his own father, Tedy Wijaya, along with Bandit Custard Heeler.
Bandit, who had been searching for Bluey and Bingo, spotted Tedy and joined him for a chat. They were deep in discussion with a Greyhound and Mr. Subari, a German Hound who happened to be Aditya Hafizh's father. The conversation seemed serious, but Bandit kept scanning the area for his daughters.
Yafie, meanwhile, stayed hidden with Bluey and Bingo, nervously still listening to his music on full volume, hoping to drown out the sellers' calls. Even though Bandit was calling for Bluey and Bingo, Yafie whispered urgently to them, "You two stay put. Don't make a sound."
Just as Bandit started approaching the building, Yafie quickly intervened. "No! Don't come in here!" he shouted, blocking the entrance. "There's a tofu seller passing by!" His voice was frantic, and Bandit raised an eyebrow, unsure of what was going on.
Tedy came over to see what the commotion was about. He reassured Bandit, explaining that Yafie was simply having one of his usual panics over the traveling sellers. Bandit and Tedy shrugged and returned to their conversation, now more focused on the game.
Ten minutes later, after the tofu and milkfish sellers had finally passed, Yafie, Bluey, and Bingo cautiously emerged from their hiding spot. Feeling relieved, they decided to head home, with Tedy and Bandit following not far behind. Bandit borrowed Tedy's 2013 Honda Beat, and Tedy rode behind him as they headed back.
Once they arrived at the house, Yafie went straight to his room to catch up on some sleep. Meanwhile, Bluey and Bingo excitedly joined Bandit for a short trip to Bekasi City, eager for a mini-vacation with their dad.
At 9:00 in the morning, Tedy, Yafie, and Chilli prepared for their trip to Jonggol, where they planned to visit RHN Farms. Tedy's trusty 2010 Toyota Kijang Innova was ready for the journey, and as they set off, the car was filled with lively conversation. The topic quickly turned to the farm business, which was co-managed by Yafie and Mr. Heru Susanta. Chilli, who was excited to learn more, began most of her responses with her signature "Wackadoo!" as she acknowledged the importance of their work.
Cruising along the Jakarta Cikampek Highway, they headed toward JORR 2, enjoying the scenic drive. After about an hour and 45 minutes, they arrived at an Indomaret store near the intersection, marked by a sign for Pesantren Al Andalus. Yafie decided to buy a quick lunch, grabbing a Pop Mie (or Mie Sedaap Cup) and a bottle of Teh Botol Sosro.
He also grabbed a Teh Pucuk Harum, just in case. After stocking up on snacks and drinks, the trio continued their journey to RHN Farms.
Another 30 minutes later, they reached the dirt road leading to the farm, where Yafie stepped out of the car to clear obstacles like a fallen tree trunk. The simple wooden house in the distance came into view. It reminded Chilli of old American panel-wall houses, though she was unfamiliar with this style since she grew up in Queensland.
However, the charm of the house had a familiar warmth, almost like her own home.
As they approached the farm, they were greeted by Mrs. Ari, holding her baby son, Arka, while Mr. Dani, her husband, was out gathering grass for the sheep and goats. Yafie, acting playful, barked at little Arka, causing the baby Bulldog to giggle. Inside the cozy home, Yafie handed Mrs. Ari the noodle cup he had bought earlier, asking her to prepare it for lunch. He also took out a portable radio from his backpack and started playing music, skipping over an Avicii song that didn't quite fit the mood.
The day at RHN Farms passed quickly, with Tedy, Chilli, and Yafie spending time inspecting the farm and talking with Mr. Dani and his family. Yafie enjoyed visiting the sheep, especially his favorites, which he had affectionately named after characters from the Arthur series. One sheep, with impressive circular horns, was named Buster Baxter, while another, with a mix of white and black fur, was named Arthur Timothy Read. Arthur was particularly friendly, always climbing on his front legs and wagging his tail when Yafie hugged him. The third sheep, George Lundgren, stood beside Arthur, creating a charming trio that Yafie adored. Even though his attention had shifted to Bluey, his love for the Arthur characters remained.
By 15:30, it was time to head home. The family bid farewell to Mr. Dani, Mrs. Ari, and little Arka. Yafie carefully packed up his radio, and the trio set off for Bekasi, retracing their route back along the Jakarta Cikampek Highway. The sun was beginning to set when they arrived home, and the clock now read 18:00.
As they pulled into the driveway, they noticed that Bandit, Bluey, and Bingo had returned home earlier from their mini-vacation. Chilli excitedly gathered everyone together and showed them the photos she had taken during the day at RHN Farms. Among the pictures was one of Buster Baxter, the sheep with circular horns, whom Yafie had named after the Arthur character. There were also pictures of Arthur Timothy Read and George Lundgren, who wagged their tails happily in the photos.
Bandit, Bluey, and Bingo listened intently as Chilli recounted the day's events, and Yafie beamed with pride, knowing his favorite sheep had made such an impression. As the evening wore on, the Heeler family and Yafie's family settled in for a relaxing night, happy to be back at home after a day filled with adventure and laughter.