"Thank you for the help." I looked at Evan Maulana's outstretched hand which was making friendliness. "If you don't stop him, we will lose the fugitive robber."
I work in a daze. Still with his head down.
The reality that reinforces Ferre's warning that the pocket novel be completely discarded has left my mind stuck. I don't understand which part of my actions helped Evan.
"Sir?" This young man lowered his back slightly to find my direction.
Danial nudged my elbow from behind. I do not know since when he has returned to accompany me.
Ah never mind. I just want to get out of here.
I looked up while taking a deep breath. "I do not do anything. So…" I glanced once and then his hand that was still hanging. "There's no need to go overboard like this." I closed the conversation with a small smile as I put both wrists in my pants pockets.
Replace Evan who works. Between amazement, shock, offended and embarrassed. Meanwhile I could hear Daniel growling.
"Is there anything else you want to talk about? If not, I'll go first."
"Oh yes." The man in front of me lowers his hand slightly, then bends his five fingers for two seconds, then bounces them back in a very awkward welcome posture.
"Please continue your journey."
I lead the way. As much as possible try to walk as natural as possible, do not look in a hurry. I desperately wanted to run. If only I had the teleportation ability. It's a shame that CerO scientists couldn't develop skills that were too fictional like that.
"Sir!"
Shit!
The scream forced me to stop. I finally had to let go of my grip on the metal handle of the glass door. I twisted my body halfway without having time to relax my facial expression. I could see Evan getting more and more reluctant. Even though he couldn't help but shorten the distance that I had worked so hard to create.
Shit!
"Can we exchange business cards?" This time he held out a black paper. There is a small police badge in the upper left corner of the object. "Maybe next time we meet again, I'll treat—"
He fell silent because I quickly raised my hand. "I'll make sure we never see each other again. Thank you."
I didn't see what kind of look he put on. It doesn't matter and I don't care. I just need to calm down and immediately start my trip to go on vacation.
"My name is Evan Maulana."
tsk!
My brows furrowed. There was a piercing pain in my ears when I heard his persistence. "Pleased to meet you!"
Crazy bastard!
****
"Argh!"
The chair to my left shook. It made me automatically open my eyes and immediately put on a line full of regret when I turned my head.
"I'm not mad at you." I threw an uneasy grin at the woman in her sixties who was looking at me a little scared.
"I only have a little..." I deliberately hung the sentence. Between those pauses, I loosened my lips, creating a sad and pitiful look. Don't forget to switch faces.
"Oh sorry." I looked back at the woman while blinking teary eyes. "Once again, I am sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
This woman smiled kindly. He stroked my right upper arm gently. "Hopefully, all your problems will find a solution soon."
Succeed!
My lips smile again. I gripped her hand tightly. I cupped gently before giving a light kiss on the back of her slightly wrinkled hand.
"Thank you."
There is a natural compassion that probes deep within the heart. The warm, sincere support from her shady face grew a tiny bud of longing and regret for the late Mother Iris.
Ah, it's a shame I'm repeating life in 2204. If I was revived in 2194, I'd be checking the orphanage news more often. And maybe I can join in burying my foster mother.
I rested my head on the seat cushion. In less than a second I closed my eyes, the flash of Evan Maulana's figure again disturbed my feelings.
I bit my tongue to prevent swearing. I keep my eyes closed.
Trying to settle into a relaxed position seemed better, rather than looking up at the sky full of clouds at the risk of my exasperated expression showing.
I don't want her to misunderstand again to invite her worries.
No… It's not like that. Somehow, I had a feeling she would try to force me to tell a story if he saw the restless expression on my face once more. Tend to have negative thinking, really. But it's better to be preventive.
I took out my phone and air buds from the bag that crossed my chest. Without turning off airplane mode, I started enjoying the first ballad genre song from the list of downloaded music lists.
Then, the pure white note is ready to be filled with various speculations. But strangely, I can't start the first word of all the chaos that's been wrestling in my mind.
Stunned, I fell back into my daydream.
Evan Maulana has appeared now. Then who else? What's next Sandara Aghni?
Sweat dripped from my temples. At the same time, I was reminded of the possibility of a fork in the plot.
Could it be, wherever the plot runs, I still end up in death?
My breath was heavy. I put the phone back in the bag.
That book is a complete bastard! What's a book like that given to me if it doesn't have a happy ending. Usually the main character is always given a happy ending.
If my goal of being revived was to atone for all the sins related to my job description in Alpha, I shouldn't have had to search for the full version of the novel. I just need—
"Geez!"
I looked at eleven o'clock, the direction of the muffled scream just now came from. One by one the neck of each passenger was erected in the same direction.
A woman and a flight attendant looked worried about something. If you saw that there were coffee stains on the blouse skirt of the shoulder-length hair, the flight attendant seemed unable to keep her balance when she handed a Styrofoam glass to a male buyer with a thick beard.
At least the man's agility deserves to be appreciated. He who had raised his hand to receive his order immediately grabbed the woman's arm. Prevent it from falling down.
I winced in pain when I saw the light steam from the stained cloth.
It must be really painful.
"What is it?" The new stewardess asked the question quietly.
"I didn't mean to, sir." The stewardess was almost in tears. She didn't even dare to look up.
What happened next was that the flight attendant was pulled back from the center of the commotion by another comrade. At the same time, another flight crew came to bring wet and dry cloth at the same time.
"I'm fine, really—" The female passenger turned to her left as another foreign man draped a jacket over her skirt.
From here on, my condition gradually worsened.
The woman who spilled the coffee was Sandara Aghni. And the man who helped the flight attendant was Saputra Bagaskara.
I turned my face to the right. I intertwined ten fingers to hide the tremor that struck suddenly.
How could those two people be here? I didn't even take Sandara's medical recap on purpose so she wouldn't be my patient. But what was that? How come?
My molars crunched loudly. I close my eyes tightly. I reflexively covered my ears when the conversation between my voice and a man who didn't know anyone popped into my head.
.
"What are you doing?! Why are you doing all this to me, Adam! What is your real aim!"
There is a short pause. Before the tone of voice that was one hundred percent similar to mine answered coldly. "Killing you."
The silence that returned was less than ten seconds.
"Why?" There was a vibration that made his vibration even more shaky. "What did I do wrong?"
I heard myself sigh. "That's your last message?"
The interlocutor let out a forced laugh. I could even smell the bitterness even though I couldn't see what his expression was like.
"You will pay for everything. One day, you will pay for everything, Adam!"
.
I felt tightness in my chest, so painful as if someone was strangling me. Everything around me seems to be spinning.
I quickly pulled up the gag bag that had slipped between the magazine and the safety card.
There is still an hour left on the journey.
I can't fall here.
****
"Mr Reza?" I am surprised. To my right stood the old woman who had been sitting next to my chair during the trip. She pulled his touch from my shoulder. "Are you still not feeling well?"
I managed to arch a reassuring smile. "Thanks to you, I've gotten much better."
It turned out that my efforts were not fruitful. This woman sat up still with a worried expression. "My offer is still valid as long as my son is still on his way here."
I shook my head. Still as stubborn as fifteen minutes ago. "I can't trouble you more than this, ma'am."
"Oh my..." She pursed his already tiny lips. "You're like someone who just wants to rob me to the point of being reluctant like that."
I chose silence. Like when on a plane, for the second time I grasped her five right fingers. I gently rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb. I looked up with a smile still plastered on. "Please accompany me here until your son arrives."
Ah, this woman has a very, very soft heart. How much empathy does she have? Just now, his eyes were filled with tears.
"Without you asking that I will accompany you here." She rubbed the corner of her eye with the hand that I did not hold.
After that, there was no more chat. We just sat side by side. The same position as on the plane. But this time I'm no longer busy daydreaming about many things while staring blankly at the notes on the smartphone.
Miraculously, I found relief in this arrivals terminal. Even though it's full of people passing by. It feels different like in an airplane cabin.
Maybe because the space is narrow. Or maybe because I saw the faces of Sandara Aghni and Saputra Bagaskara earlier. What is clear, now I can calm down. Uhm, I guess the last reason has the most impact.
"Sorry if what I said after this seemed patronizing."
I turned and nodded slightly stiffly. There is a slight reluctance that sticks out when I remember my defensive attitude while on the plane. "Certainly not. Please."
Somehow, the opening sentence just now sounded very seductive. Melt all self-defense. Maybe because of her tenacity or her selfless willingness, I felt sure to lean on her for a while.
The old woman smiled broadly first before gently rubbing my left shoulder. "If you have trouble sharing your worries with those closest to you, I think you can ask a psychiatrist for help."
I was stunned.
Do I look so messed up that a complete stranger suggests I see a professional?
"Has your hyperventilation been relapsing recently?"
My inner struggle stopped because it received a soft pat on the same place. "Yes." I spoke up after ten seconds of silence staring at this woman in consideration. "The last time I had it was ten months ago." I looked down. Staring at the right thumb that I squeeze slowly.
"I think it's better to get a psychiatrist's help." She concluded after taking a deep breath of concern.
I fell silent again. Again trapped in a one-way discussion with myself.
I'm a psychiatrist, in the end need a psychiatrist too?
Senior at Alpha, being one of the greatest in the organization, 'Dad''s protégé straight from a teenager, can he be this weak?
Why didn't I think of it before? Could it be that my vulnerability has been discovered by Danial? Has he started defecting from me now? Could it be that by this time 'Dad' had devised a plan to kill me?
"This."
A business card tucked this woman in my left hand. I didn't even realize she had let go of my grip on the reddened right thumb.
"If it's too far to get here, we can consult by phone." I lift my face. Such a good offer left me at a loss for words.
"Cost matters can come later. I will send the prescription via courier if you mind coming in person." She ended his sentence with a slightly awkward smile.
"Oh, I didn't mean to offend you by discussing medical expenses." Suddenly she shook her head quickly. "I really want to help. Because as far as I know, appointments with psychiatrists at the hospital often have to wait in line for days."
I noticed that there was worry on her face. I can understand, because after all, discussions of anything money-related are always the most sensitive topics.
"Thank you very much, Mrs. Talasha." For the first time in almost half a day, I can actually smile broadly. "I will contact you after arriving at the Hotel."
Even in my current view, Her calm face looks doubly charming than before.
I don't care if it's just an optical illusion because I'm too moved by her pure heart.
The ringing of Mrs. Talasha's cell phone gave me a chance to wipe away the tears that almost spilled out.
"Hello? Have you arrived, Rei?" She left. Her shoulder-length brown hair swayed to the right following the movement of her neck. "Where?" She stopped looking when a young man Danial's age waved from eleven o'clock. "Yes, I saw you."
"Be careful on the way." I immediately hugged her as he turned her back to face me, about to say goodbye. "Nice to meet you."
I can feel her nodding. "If anything happens… whatever it is… call me immediately."
I was the first to release the embrace. "Thank you very much."
After the Mrs. Talasha and her son passed through the exit, I returned to the chair. The business card he gave me became a new object for me to research.
Dr. Talasha Syamsie, Sp. Kj.
At the bottom right of the business card, there is his address and mobile number. Meanwhile, in the upper left corner, there is the Jayapura International Hospital logo.
I looked up, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. As expected, my vacation this time did not go smoothly.
"Excuse me." Someone poked my right knee briefly.
"Yes?" I straightened myself. The young man with 'love' framed glasses was looking at me with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Mr. Reza Gunawan?" I tilt my head. Don't understand the name this guy is asking. There were fifteen seconds he spent frozen and just working, before his sobriety vanished in an instant. "Wait a moment." He reached into the breast pocket of his black shirt.
"Oh my gosh." I was surprised after he showed me a 4x6 photo of a man with a thin mustache with short hairs covering his entire jaw.
"Forgive me. Are you the envoy of Jayapura Travel?" My hands immediately grabbed the backpack that was leaning next to my right leg.
"That's right, Mr. Reza." The young man with the name tag Fikri Ariyanto smiled again, which looked so forced.
"Oh, yes. Reza." I grimaced involuntarily. It's a shame because I had forgotten my identity and the disguised face I wore during the holidays.