Chapter 4
Los Angeles, 4th may 2018
Julia Dewi Sofia Luvin parked her car in front of the hotel where Erwie Vincent was working. A pair of gorgeous calves was seen getting off the car. Black glasses were moved above the forehead. The long straight hair was flattened to the back. A pair of feet began to take her entering the hotel. Two security officers taking care of the front door, opened the door with their smiles full of respect to her. They all knew the princess had come bringing lunch for her prince working inside the hotel.
Erwie Vincent was seen serving a guest who had just wanted to check-in.
"This is your room key, Mrs. Silverstone," said Erwie Vincent in his really fluent English. "Your room is on the twelfth floor, number 7768."
"Thanks, Young Lad," said Mrs. Silverstone who looked very elegant with all the jewelries sticking on her neck and wrists. "This young lad is very fluent with his English. And also very cute and handsome… Oh, God! If I were 40 years younger, I'd chase after you, Handsome."
Never been thought by Erwie Vincent before, Mrs. Silverstone dabbed his chin out of a sudden a minute before she left the receptionist table. Of course Erwie Vincent was astonished for a while. Yet, with his professionalism in his work, he still smiled and said, "Your pleasure, Mrs. Silverstone…"
The wealthy middle-aged woman passed by. Erwie Vincent sighed in relief. There came again Julia Dewi Sofia Luvin who also looked very elegant with her exotic appearance that afternoon. She put a pack of lunch on the receptionist table, right in front of Erwie Vincent. Erwie Vincent's colleague who was also a receptionist, knew directly that it had been the lunch time inasmuch as the princess had arrived bringing lunch for her prince.
"Who's that wealthy and rich woman, touching here and touching there?" asked Julia Dewi a little bit unhappy.
Erwie Vincent smiled calmly, "Her name's Silverstone. It's only today I see her stay here. She said she had just been playing in Las Vegas, staying here tonight, and tomorrow will be leaving for Washington. Governmental officer."
"Oh, of course… No wonder she had a lot of money, can be spent a little bit playing in Las Vegas," said Julia Dewi. "But, of course you also know my dad and mom have more money inasmuch as they have several cell-phone and computer companies in New York."
"So?" Erwie Vincent was a little bit amused staring at his princess.
"If she does something impolite to you again, just report it to me, Wie. I'll let my dad and mom settle the rest with her," said Julia Dewi slightly louder.
"I'm a man. Even if she does something ill-mannered to me, I'm not the one who'll gain the loss, Jul. Don't be too anxious. Later on, the food will be cold. Just eat together," said Erwie Vincent also indicating his colleague.
"Please…! Don't be naughty, Wie Wie… A good man mustn't look for an opportunity in a tight spot…" said Julia Dewi pretending to be irritated.
Erwie Vincent burst into his grinning laughter.
"Okay, let's eat together, Do," said Erwie Vincent to Aldo Morales, his colleague who was also a receptionist.
"Yeah, just eat together. I cooked all this food on my own… Don't hesitate… Help yourself…" said Julia Dewi Sofia Luvin smiling warmly.
"Don't worry, Do. A very successful restaurant owner's daughter won't produce the strange and queer tastes…" said Erwie Vincent again with his playful grinning.
"Please, Wie…" My cooking experience started when I was 12. My ingredients measurement has never been wrong," said Julia Dewi pretending to be a little bit annoyed again.
Erwie Vincent burst into small laughter this time.
However, his colleague knew and understood his own position. Who knew not that Julia Dewi Sofia Luvin had a crush with Erwie Vincent Makmur since the first time they met? Julia Dewi was a crossbreed between an American and a Singaporean. Her dad was a computer and cell-phone businessman becoming the king in big cities in US. Her mom is a Singaporean, running a quite well-known five-star Chinese restaurant in China Town Los Angeles, after getting married with her dad. Inasmuch as the colleague did not feel really comfortable having lunch together with an in-love couple, he decided to find some food outside.
"No, thanks… I'm not really hungry. Just eat then… I'd like to search for fresh air first outside," said Aldo Morales and he began to step further away from the receptionist table.
"Okay then…" Erwie Vincent smiled calmly again.
Aldo Morales passed by behind them. However, when he was passing behind Erwie Vincent and Julia Dewi, out of a sudden Erwie Vincent felt both of them were being stared by Aldo Morales who was still standing behind. A kind of instinct… A kind of quiet words from my heart… As though Julia and I were being stared by this Aldo Morales, full of jealousy behind our backs… Oh, Buddha! I hope that's only my unreasonable instinct…
Erwie Vincent turned back at once. Aldo Morales diverted his sight to another direction. He directly passed by from that place.
"What's the matter?" asked Julia Dewi slightly astonished. She knew Erwie Vincent possessed a kind of queer and mysterious power which could not be explained rationally. Seeing her prince turn back at once and out of a sudden like that also made her somehow uncomfortable.
"No… Nothing really," uttered Erwie Vincent somewhat doubtful wanting to continue his sentence or not, but between Julia and him, there was no any secret since they knew each other for the first time.
"You must be thinking suspiciously that your colleague was doing something unkind behind our backs a moment before, mustn't you?" Julia Dewi's body started to shake.
"Only a kind of instinct, Jul…" said Erwie Vincent deciding to say what he felt frankly. "Hopefully, that was only my unreasonable instinct. But, I keep wondering why he needed to stand for such a few moments behind us just now and I thought he kept staring at us with his eyes filled with jealousy."
"What on earth is his name?" asked Julia Dewi began to be cautious.
"Aldo… Aldo Morales… Coming from Manila. He's just been here for two weeks. One more, Takeru Honda has moved to the night shift. The one in the night shift, Roberta de Castellanos, has got married and followed her husband back to Mexico."
"Just two weeks…?" Julia Dewi Sofia Luvin nodded her head for several times. "Yet, what I have to admit is that his behavior was somehow queer and strange just now. If he'd indeed wanted to go out, why would he have been standing behind us for so long? We weren't in his way, were we?"
Erwie Vincent shrugged his shoulders. He continued his lunch. Everything which had been cooked by Julia Dewi was always suitable for his appetite.
***
The night had come to China Town Los Angeles. The town was like a town which was never dead. The night fair seemed to be very crowded. A lot of domestic and international tourists seemed to be strolling here and there. Mandarin and English were spoken everywhere and sometimes they were mixed each other.
Erwie Vincent seemed to mix with other overseas young adults who were mostly younger than him. Julia Dewi was also one of them. They were listening to Erwie Vincent's instructions about the dragon dance music background. Shortly after the next two to three minutes, Erwie Vincent returned to his dragon drum. The drum was beaten producing the very fast rhythm. The four dragon musical instruments rang one and another with the same speed of rhythm.
The rhythm changed from the walking phase to the kuo ciang long phase. Julia Dewi was beating her small dragon gong following Erwie Vincent's pair of hands which was very quick. She had been practicing on her own at home. Tonight she was deadly sure that she would not do the same mistakes anymore. In fact, she was right… She could be able to beat fluently all the background dragon dance music formulas which were taught by Erwie Vincent.
The background music reached the finishing stage. tang tang cer… tang tang cer… teo! chep! The music stopped until there. The drum, gongs, and cymbals stopped ringing at once.
"Yeah, the scenario is like that… During Mrs. Wang's tea shop opening ceremony, we'll be playing the background music with such formulas. Understand, don't you?" asked Erwie Vincent.
"Understand…" replied the four gongs and cymbals players in one voice.
"Okay… So, the large dragon gong and the large dragon cymbals must not ring simultaneously. Whenever you find out that both of your timings are the same, that means one of you has made mistakes. You must set your own rhythms and formulas so that your instruments can ring one after another again," said Erwie Vincent to the large dragon gong and large dragon cymbals players.
Both of them nodded their heads.
"The small dragon cymbals ring regularly in one and one beat, okay…? And the small dragon gong has its own formulas and they're different from the other three instruments. Can you do it, Miss Julia Dewi?" asked Erwie Vincent slightly kidding.
"Of course, I can," said Julia Dewi with her full spirit.
"Okay… Okay…" said Erwie Vincent and now he turned to the dragon trainer who was also an overseas man from Taiwan working in Los Angeles, "Are you ready, Ming Neng?"
"Ready…" said Ming Neng, the dragon trainer.
"Okay…" said Erwie Vincent to the dragon dance four musical instruments players. "Now, we combine the background music with the dragon's movements. Quick movements will be followed by quick music and vice versa. Ready, Everyone?"
"Yoo…" exclaimed all the players in one voice.
The drum started to be beaten. The four dragon musical instruments started to follow the drum. The dragon pearl began to turn around quickly and briskly. The dragon started to dance, following where the pearl went. The gongs and the cymbals all rang systematically and regularly one after another.
Again Julia Dewi paid attention to Erwie Vincent's hands which were very quick dancing above his drum. Without her realization, Julia Dewi thought back about the first moments when they first met. Sweet memories began to pop up to the surface.
While driving her car exploring the big main roads in Los Angeles which were still crowded, Julia Dewi looked at his car clock for a while. It was merely eight in the evening. She could still go to her lovely ice cream café and enjoy her favorite vanilla ice cream, Traffic Signal. She turned the steering wheel to the right. Now, her car was passing by a smaller and more silent road compared with the previous main roads.
The traffic light changed from green to yellow. Before Julia Dewi was able to pass by, the light changed again from yellow to red. The car stopped by the traffic light.
How astonished Julia Dewi was as she heard a loud crash and a loud bang on the highway above her. She still had her opportunity seeing the car above fall down right to her car below. She screamed to the top of her voice.
"Aaaiiihh…!"
Out of a sudden, she saw again a young man appeared from nowhere, crossing the zebra cross in front of her. In the middle of clear and unclear sights, Julia Dewi saw the man lift up his hands to the air. Yellow light started to come out from the man's hands. Yellow light was diverted right to the falling car. Consequently, nothing happened to Julia Dewi's car. Once again, Julia heard a loud bang further behind her car.
Slowly, Julia Dewi looked behind. The falling car had reached the ground behind her. Was that possible? Solely by directing his yellow light, this guy managed to send such a heavy thing to the back, so that the heavy load did not hit her car.
Julia Dewi got off her car. She was now facing a young handsome guy wearing white shirt with long sleeves, complete with his trousers, belt, and his office shoes. That guy was seen having just gone home from the office.
"Thanks… Thanks very much…" said Julia Dewi slightly stiffly – a little bit confused, somehow confused of how to start a conversation with her hero, a hero without ulterior motives who had just saved her.
"Why…? Why…?" asked Julia Dewi in the middle of feeling scared and confused.
"It's better one person gets injured rather than two persons get injured. Am I right?" uttered Erwie Vincent pointing to the fallen damaged car on the road.
"So… So…" Julia Dewi was not able to finish her sentence.
Erwie Vincent approached the damaged car. With one sweep of his hand, yellow light popped out again. The yellow light was directed to the car. There lied another injured and unconscious middle-aged man on the road. His face was flooded with blood. Yet, once the yellow light touched his face, the blood and the scars were slowly invisible.
Julia Dewi was watching that mysterious phenomena with her widening eyes.
"Call the police and the ambulance, Miss. Tell them there's an accident here," said Erwie Vincent beginning to feel dizzy and sick. His eyes began to be filled up with many fireflies.
Julia Dewi had not got out from her shock. Yet, when Erwie Vincent looked at her once again, she realized where she was and instantly knew what she had to do. She took out her cell phone and called the police as well as the ambulance.
After a few minutes, Julia Dewi returned to Erwie Vincent. She saw the young man's face had turned white and pale. Julia Dewi was startled.
"Gosh! Your face looks really pale! What's happening?"
"Don't… Don't… Don't tell anyone what you've just seen… I beg you not… Don't…"
Shortly afterwards, Erwie Vincent's world was drowned into the really black darkness. Unclearly, he could still hear Julia Dewi scream asking for help. After that, everything turned dark black without any light.
"Miss Julia Dewi!" Erwie Vincent called her name again while scrawling his waists. His calling made Julia Dewi's past memory fade away.
"Oh, sorry… sorry… sorry… There was a bit mistake just now. The rhythm was too quick," said Julia Dewi giggling for a moment.
Erwie Vincent sneered his princess for a while. Then, he continued beating his drum again. The dragon and the pearl danced again and entered the final post.
The music stopped instantly. The practice was over.
"Okay… The day after tomorrow we're invited to play a little bit dragon performance in Mrs. Wang's tea shop grand opening. All gather at the studio the latest at six o'clock. At six o'clock all of you should arrive at the studio. Don't be late please. Mrs. Wang is a boss who appreciates time discipline the most," said Ming Neng, their trainer who was a Taiwanese.
Erwie Vincent and Julia Dewi looked at each other for a while. There had been many times when some of their members were always late. Consequently, they were always reprimanded by their clients using their services.
Erwie Vincent smiled calmly again. Not in Medan, not in Los Angeles – there were always some people being late.
***
Los Angeles, 5th May 2018
On Saturday indeed, Erwie Vincent did not go to work. There were some other receptionists who were indeed hired to work on Saturdays and Sundays. They worked for 12 hours per day. However, in spite of not working, waking up at seven o'clock in the morning had been Erwie Vincent's routine, even when he was still staying in Medan.
The alarm clock rang. The hand was lifted up and set off the alarm clock. A pair of robust and hairy legs got down from the bed. Erwie Vincent got up and walked to the window. When the curtain was lifted up, the gentle and soft morning sunshine started to break through the window and get into his apartment.
The eyes were gazing around Los Angeles from the fifteenth floor. Some private cars and public vehicles had started to operate going to and fro the streets. The uncontrollable mind went back again to the past.
Five years have passed… Five years… Not short time, but it feels that it was just passing by like that. As if I was lost in the middle of the mountains facing to the huge ocean… Losing directions… Not knowing where to go…
Wie… Wie… Erwie Vincent sighed his long breath. The light from the lamp post in the morning is like a tinge of crimson light at dusk, shining on the grief and sadness I've left behind. Hmm… Have I really left the grief and sadness behind…?
Like the butterflies flying to the cliffs and hills, trying to search for a delicate and susceptible light of hope… In spite of this, I realize that the story mustn't stop here. By continuing writing the same story, I can realize how long my dreams in the future can be. Oh, Buddha… Do I still really have a dream…? Do I…?
The uncontrollable mind went back again to a moment in the past.
"Rick…! Die…! Where are my new undies, which I bought yesterday!" shouted Erwie Vincent still in his 13 years old of age at that moment.
His two siblings watching cartoon on television got shocked for a moment with Erwie Vincent's out of the blue shouting.
"Who's taken them! I don't like the Power Rangers image which you bought yesterday!" Erick Vildy also replied rudely.
"I don't like either. I prefer the Jiraiya image of mine. So, it's impossible that I've taken your undies and worn them!" said Erdie Vio nonchalantly.
"But, it was obvious I put my undies in this cupboard. All our undies are mixed one another…" Erwie Vincent started to yowl and howl. "I can't find them inside here! Most of the undies inside are yours! You must have taken them! I want to wear those new undies to school this afternoon!"
Erwie Vincent struck at Erdie Vio first. He pulled his brother's pants strongly. Later on, he instantly saw his new undies with the Power Rangers image being worn by Erdie Vio.
"Yeah, that's Power Rangers! They're mine! Take them off! Return them to me! I want to wear them to school this afternoon!" shouted Erwie Vincent at the moment.
"No! No! I don't want! I don't have any new undies anymore! Erick is wearing mine with the Jiraiya image! So, which new undies should I wear to school later on? I've got swimming lesson today. I want to show off my new undies to my classmates later!"
Out of the blue, Erdie Vio diverted his attack to Erick Vildy right now. Out of a sudden, he pulled his sibling's pants strongly. Erick Vildy fell off headlong to the floor.
"I can't borrow them for a while, can I, Die! Mine with the Hattori Ninja image were accidentally thrown to the ditch by Mom this morning! Mom is washing them now!" shouted Erick Vildy at the moment. He was obviously angry.
"You can't! You can't! Erwie has asked his undies from me. So, you must return mine, Rick! Take them off! Return them! I want to wear them right now!" shouted Erdie Vio not giving up in attaining his undies back.
Erwie Vincent was also confronting Erdie Vio from the back, "Take them off quickly, Die! I want to take a bath right now! After bath, I want to wear them!"
The three brothers pulled here and there, kept pulling one another in a train formation. Erick Vildy's emotion rose up. He was the first popping out his red light. Erwie Vincent and Erdie Vio swayed back several steps in astonishment. Erwie Vincent also popped out his yellow light. Erdie Vio did not want to lose either. He also popped out his green light. An energy explosion occurred in their bedroom. Consequently, in an instant time, their room turned to a shipwreck.
Mrs. Florencia was shocked seeing her three sons' bedroom.
"I've told you not to use that power with anger, haven't I! It can change into a hazardous dark magic! Why don't you listen! Stop it…! Stop it please…!" Mrs. Florencia's loud screaming voice was heard until the silent small road in front of their house.
Three E stopped their fight. Three of them looked very guilty and ashamed inasmuch as now their room had turned into a shipwreck.
"What's the matter? What's going on around here?" Mrs. Florencia growled at her three sons.
"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Faiz Makmur who appeared out of the blue behind his wife. He was also shocked seeing his three sons' bedroom condition at the moment.
"I've got no idea as well. Three of them fought one another and even used that power, Faiz…" Mrs. Florencia still looked shocked.
Mr. Faiz Makmur started to talk firmly to his three sons. "I've told you not to use that power whenever and wherever you like, haven't I? It's dangerous not only to yourselves, but also for the people around you. What's the matter? What are you guys actually fighting for? During the breakfast this morning, I saw you were as solid as a rock. Now, you want to kill one another! What's the matter with you, Guys?"
"Erdie took my undies with the Power Rangers image, Dad, Mom… He's got his own with the Jiraiya image, but he's still wearing mine with the Power Rangers image!" Erwie Vincent started to howl loudly.
"Erick took my undies with the Jiraiya image, Dad, Mom…" Erdie Vio also started to yowl loudly.
"Mine with the Hattori Ninja image were accidentally thrown to the ditch by Mom this morning, weren't they? I borrowed Erdie's undies for a while. He didn't want to borrow them and urged pulling and pulling my pants, Dad, Mom…" Erick Vildy's crying was also very loud and sad.
The couple patted their foreheads. They had not really thought before that the undies they bought yesterday evening could be a matter of fight among their three sons this afternoon.
"Yeah, it's you…" said Mr. Faiz Makmur to his wife at the moment. "In fact you accidentally threw Erick's undies to the ditch just now. Now, it's your fault…"
"Why…! Why can it be me, Faiz?" protested his wife a little bit irritated.
"I don't want to settle anymore… You settle this dispute fairly… Don't let them get into a fight anymore, will you? Settle it, My Dear Wife… I believe them in you…"
Mr. Faiz Makmur got out of the room and went downstairs. Three E were still heard yowling and howling loudly. Having no other options, Mrs. Florencia Quincy had to use her magical steps to settle the dispute among her three sons.
"Okay… It's my fault," said Mrs. Florencia Quincy with her snapping smile. "So, it's decided that nobody will be wearing his new undies to school, okay?"
"But, I've already promised to show my new undies to my classmates during the swimming lesson, Mom…" said Erdie Vio still not feeling satisfied enough.
"Tell your friends, Die… Not yet bought… Tell them Dad and Mom will buy them for you tonight… Okay…?" said Mrs. Florencia again with her snapping smile. "For those who don't cry anymore… For those who make up again, I'll treat them eating some delicious food at Thamrin Plaza after school… Okay…?"
The three siblings nodded their heads spontaneously. Delicious food had been waiting for them this coming evening. They were looking forward to the evening time.
Mrs. Florencia called upon her three sons one by one.
"Rick…! Come here…!" the one being called approached his mom. "I know your emotion can rise up quickly and you can get angry easily. But, there's one thing that I need you to know. Every time getting angry, you must remember… Erwie and Erdie are your brothers. I won't lie to you here. Even though three of you don't have the same blood, be sure, Rick… In the future, three of you will need one another. Understand, don't you?"
Erick Vildy nodded his head, "Yeah, Mom…"
"Wie…! Come here…!" the one being called approached his mom. "You stand in the second place. Don't ever forget that…"
"Why should I be in the middle, Mom?" asked Erwie Vincent innocently.
"Your light is yellow…" said Mrs. Florencia getting an idea out of the blue, "In the traffic light, where's the position of the yellow light?"
"In the middle, Mom…" replied Erwie Vincent.
"Yeah… Standing in the middle, your duty is becoming a mediator or an intermediary between Erick and Erdie. You mustn't worsen the circumstance between them. Understand, don't you? I don't want to lie to you here. Even though three of you don't have the same blood, I'm dead certain… In the future someday later, three of you will need one another. You believe me, don't you?"
Erwie Vincent nodded his head, "Yes, Mom…"
"Die…! Here…!" the one being called approached his mom. "Being the youngest brother, you…"
"Why should I be the youngest, Mom?" asked Erdie Vio instantly.
"Your light is green. In the traffic light, where's the position of the green light?"
"Below, Mom…" replied Erdie Vio innocently.
"Okay… Being the youngest brother, you definitely don't sit around and accept anything wholly from your two elder brothers, Die. Don't always expect your two elder brothers to give in you, Die. Okay…? I think sometimes, it's wiser that you give in them first. I absolutely understand your two brothers' personalities. When you're kind and gentle to them, they'll be one-hundred folds kinder and gentler to you. Understand, don't you?"
Erdie Vio nodded his head, "Understand, Mom…"
"I won't lie to you, Die… But, even though three of you don't have the same blood, I'm certain… Someday later, you'll need one another… You believe me, don't you?"
Erdie Vio nodded his head instantly.
"Oke… Now, you've known what you have to do, haven't you?" asked Mrs. Florencia again, folding her arms in front of her chest.
"I'm sorry, Die, Wie…" said Erick Vildy with his face full of regrets. "I get angry easily. I promise not to be angry easily again in the future."
"I'm sorry, Rick, Die…" said Erwie Vincent also with his face full of guilt.
"I'm sorry, Rick, Wie…" said Erdie Vio also with his face full of regrets. "From today on, anything which must be shared, we share it among three of us. Agree?"
"Yeah, agree…" replied Erick Vildy and Erwie Vincent in one voice.
Mrs. Florencia pretended to get a cough for a moment. Three E embraced one another as their making up and peace symbol. Three E started to embrace one another followed by their giggling voice. Sometimes, they think that their mom was somehow too exaggerating about brotherhood and peace concepts.
Going back to the real world, Erwie Vincent kept smiling while looking at their photos in his cell phone one by one: their photos during their primary school graduation, their photos during their holiday to Beijing with their parents, their photos during their holiday to London, their photos when they joined the dragon tournament for the first time, photos when they joined a study tour together to Singapore, their photos during their senior high school graduation, and their photos when they joined some national dragon championships in several big cities in Indonesia.
Again Erwie Vincent lay his head to the glass window. The morning sunshine was still gentle and comfortable on the skin.
Coming here, I exactly can't forget all the grief and sadness from the past. I'm afraid of being hurt in the middle of a strange city like Los Angeles – without family – without two siblings of mine… Suppose it wasn't because of Julia Dewi, I didn't even have my own time for myself… Oh, Buddha… Is this really the choice I want? Is this really what I want…?
There was a knock on the door. Long daydreaming faded away instantly. Erwie Vincent walked to the door. He would want to see who came to his apartment early in the morning like this.