Morning was still enveloped in the comforting embrace of night. However, many people had already begun their morning exercises, either jogging or taking leisurely walks. I slowly directed my bike towards the new road.
The atmosphere was somewhat tranquil, causing me to hesitate in continuing my journey. However, when I stumbled upon a stall selling Soto Ayam (Indonesian chicken soup), I didn't hesitate to park my bike in front of the stall.
The time displayed on the corner of my phone indicated 06:03. It was still early, as I intentionally set out early to savor this bright day.
My first destination was the new road. What better way to start the day than by hunting for breakfast? It had been a while since I last enjoyed a bowl of Soto Ayam.
The seller was busy attending to customers, some of whom requested their Soto Ayam to be wrapped for their family's breakfast.
"I heard that the price of rice has reached 16,000 rupiah per kilogram," I overheard the seller lamenting, while the customer simply smiled.
"Does that mean the price of Soto Ayam has increased?" I inquired.
"It hasn't increased, but I've reduced the portion," replied Mak Ijah, as I'll refer to her (not her real name).
Mak Ijah was occupied serving customers while occasionally flipping her fried ingredients---fried chicken shreds and tempeh. After serving customers who bought fried chicken shreds, I ordered Soto Ayam from Mak Ijah.
"Chicken soup, with all the toppings. Do you want to add boiled eggs?" I asked Mak Ijah.
I noticed boiled eggs were available.
"Are boiled eggs available, Mak?"
"No, they're not. I only brought fried eggs from home, so the raw eggs were left behind. If I had brought them, I would have boiled them here," Mak Ijah replied.
"Okay, that's fine, " I said.