"Albania." Sheina's eyes lit up as soon as she saw the beauty of the country from the Google search engine. A place full of history, far from the hustle and bustle, and the one that is the choice is Gjirokaster.
Sheina wrote several lists of places she wanted to visit and to find references she searched one by one the names of those countries with the most interesting tourist destinations that tourists have ever reviewed and the choice fell on Albania.
"WHAT?!" That was the first reaction when Oliver got the news that she was going on vacation to Albania.
"You can visit Paris, Inggis, Spain, Maldives, Bali, Thailand, Hongkong, LA, Sidney, Newzeland, even thousands of other places but why Albania?"
"I don't know, I just want to go there." Sheina replied.
Oliver sighed deeply. "Ok. Give me your sightseeing plan, if you don't come back in two weeks I will look for you." Oliver threatened.
"Now way." Sheina replied. "You'll stay here and wait for me to go home." She answered firmly. The conversation took place just after Sheina had finished packing her things and tapped to fly to Albania tomorrow.
***
The sky was so clear this morning when Sheina managed to set foot in Gjirokaster, a town in southern Albania directly adjacent to the mountains. A magnificent castle towering against the high hill wall and seems haughty while harboring a mystical beauty.
Sheina chose to stay at one of the guesshouses in the city. Larry the owner is so friendly even though he is a local. A woman of approximately fifty years old greeted Sheina's arrival in her old car driven by her son Drix.
"Welcome Mss. Anthony." Larry greeted kindly.
"Thank you, a pleasant welcome." Sheina smiled kindly after receiving the soft drink.
"Let me suggest your room." Larry took Sheina to the second floor of his house. The view of the hills and also the ancient European-style buildings that spoil the eye stretches beautifully from the window of his room.
"40 USD per night." Larry said.
"Deal." Sheina put down her clasp bag. He decided to take a vacation in the style of a backpacker, without bringing a lot of things. Sheryl's suggestion for him was really what he did. And traveling alone without bringing people close to him turned out to be fun. Learn new things, sitting next to new people on the plane. Enjoy doing things without having to consider the feelings of the people around him and it's fun. Sheina, who had always hated solitude and was abandoned, found that it turned out to be "alone" it was not so bad.
"The car in front can be used for a rental fee of 150 US Dollars a full day, but if you want to pick up a package, for your stay plan for one week, I will make it much cheaper, 450 US Dollas." Larry said with bright eyes.
The inn is not crowded, but there are always people staying overnight. Last week a man from a very mysterious land of the middle of nowhere stayed for seven days in the room she was now about to occupy. The man paid a very high price for the medium room sheina occupied, about 1000 US Dollars for seven days.
"This is a cabinet that can be used, but sorry, someone still left their things in this place. Just a bag, so I don't think you mind sharing a place with that person." Larry said explaining why there was a small black square-shaped bag with a small padlock that made it unable to open.
"Oh ok." Sheina's nod, after all, a small bag will not give her intention to enjoy her dream vacation in Albania.
"My son Drix will be your tour guide while here, and that we give away for free. He will also drive for you if you want it."
Sheina smiled from ear to ear. "Thanks Larry, that was very helpful. Thank you for your hospitality and Drix."
"You're welcome baby, I wish you enjoyed your vacation in Albania."
"Sure."
Sheina's smile ushered in Larry's departure from inside his room. Sheina didn't want to waste time. After tidying up his belongings he immediately contacted Dirx and asked him to drive around the tourist attractions close to the inn he occupied while in Gjirokaster.
Sheina had Drix drive her to the city's famous old building, Gjirokaster. Indeed, it seems ordinary, just an old building that is a fortress on the hillside. Some tourists came in groups, seemingly enjoying their lunch. Some come in smaller groups, admiring the architecture of buildings built in the 12th century, more precisely in 1812.
This old building seemed ordinary, but for Sheina, in each of its hallways kept a mystery hundreds of years ago. I don't know what it is used for and who comes here, who knows, every five years there will be a folklore festival in this fortress. In the five-yearly festival, there are various performances, ranging from Albanian music, dances and traditional clothing.
Entering the next hallway, Sheina stopped her footsteps, she turned to head towards Drix.
"I know your mother forced you to sue me Drix." Sheina looked at Drix, and the young man looked clumsy. Sheina even heard her mother tell her to get up quickly and drop off guests who were none other than herself.
"Sorry." Said Drix.
"No problem, I'll go around and come back soon. We met in the park where the group had gathered an hour from now." Sheina provided a solution to their problem. Sheina knew very well that Drix might have had enough of going around this place because he did it almost every day, whereas for Jo, he didn't want to just go in the building and listen to Drix's babble, he really wanted to enjoy his feelings inside the castle and see every winding as well as the passage.
"Ok." Drix's nod agreed.
Sheina left Drix and began to go down hallway after passage, admiring the solidly arranged rocks, I don't know what they were glued to in antiquity. Fifteen minutes of circling followed the passage with a map, bringing Sheina in deep tranquility. He has completely forgotten all the problems of his life these days.
Shortly before leaving the hallway and turning, someone crossed paths with Sheina and bumped into her until it almost bounced off.
"Ouwh..." Sheina leaned against the stone wall while the man seemed to turn his head towards her. Time froze for a while when their gazes intertwined, locked. The man in a neat suit, being in a tourist spot of a kind of fortress at noon, what is he doing?
"Are you okay?" The man's sentence seemed to have just melted the time back.
"Yes... I'm good." Sheina nodded.
Sheina tried to balance her body and be awkwardly self-sufficient.
"That, fall out of your pocket." Sheina lowered her head and picked up a black package as big as a mobile phone that turned out to be quite heavy.
"Thank you." The man left Sheina after taking the black package from the hands of the woman who still looked fascinated by her good looks.
Sheina seemed unable to master her curiosity until she decided to stalk the man. He walked out of the place and immediately got into a shiny black sedan with a few well-dressed people escorting him.
Several cars also appeared to go hand in hand leaving the place.
"What are you doing here?" Drix suddenly appeared out of nowhere, making Sheina agitated.
"Oh...." Sheina clutched her chest.
"What are you looking at?" Drix asked.
"No, I just accidentally collided with someone."
"Someone?" Drix's eyebrows wrinkled. "What are you looking at besides that?"
"He looks weird." Sheina honestly.
"Did you see anything other than that?"
Sheina looked at Drix full of suspicion. "You appear to be interrogating me Drix?"
"No. Forget it, we'd better leave here, there are many other places you can go." Drix's face suddenly looked anxious.
Sheina sighed deeply. "I'm not interested anymore, maybe we can go back tomorrow." Sheina whimpered. He looked worried looking at Dirx's expression at a glance.
"Ok." Drix, who didn't say much, suddenly became talkative, and it caused a big sign in Sheina's mind. Why did the man change drastically.
***
On the way home while driving the car, Drix appeared to receive an incoming call from someone who made him suddenly upset.
"Hello." He opened the voice after paying attention to the screen of his mobile phone, seemingly considering whether or not to accept it, but he decided to accept the call in the end.
"Yes sir." Drix's jaw solidified and it happened just as Sheina turned to him.
"Yes, he didn't see anything sir."
"I'm very sure."
Drix turned to look at Sheina at a glance. "I'll take him, and you can ask him directly. " Drix stared at his phone screen after the call ended. He took a deep breath.
"My boss wants to meet." Drix said, not daring to look at Sheina.
"What boss?" Sheina asked.
"The person who bumped into you just now."
"You're holding it?" Sheina asked.
"Yes." Drix's nod was brief.
Sheina pursed her lips at a glance. "You're sure you're okay."
"Yes if you're willing to come with me tonight." Drix looked at Sheina as if pleading.
"Drix, I feel that something is wrong with you." Sheina grabbed her cell phone and attempted to make a call, but Drix dispelled it until Sheina's cell phone fell. "Hey!" Sheina snapped.
"Stop talking and just shut up." Drix ordered, his expression grew more panic and Sheina shook her head. "I refuse to come with you." Suddenly he changed his decision. Drix slammed his steering wheel causing a loud squeak and their car pulled over.
"If you refuse then end my history, they will kill me and my mother." Drix said with an irresistible emotion.
Sheina's eyes rounded. "What do you mean Drix?"
Drix swallowed. "They can do anything, so please come with me and don't ask much. I'll make sure you're safe until you leave this place."
"Who are they and what is your relationship with them? And why did you make the first day of my vacation a mess Drix?!" Sheina's brow furrowed.
"You chose the wrong place to spend your vacation young lady." Drix replied with a dark look.
"Tell me what's going on." Sheina raised her tone.
Drix swallowed, "Long story, but one thing you should know, they are not random people."
"You're dealing with the Drix mafia?" Sheina's eyebrows were linked and Drix didn't answer, he just looked away and it made Sheina drop her head on the back of the chair.
"Perfect..." He said resignedly. "I'm on my vacation in the hopes that I'll find the turning point of my boring life. But I didn't expect that if you brought me together with a swarm of people who would not hesitate to whisper, it was not what I needed." Sheina smiled ironically.
"Is this the so-called suicide tourist service?" She laughed until tears fell from her eyes. This is really a painful irony. "I'm tired of my life and many things that make me tired, but I don't want to die so soon." Sheina's tears fell even more. "I did my last call Drix." Sheina pleaded.
"No." Drix whimpered.
"At least let me say goodbye to them."
"You'll be fine. You just have to meet them and say that you don't see anything. I promise you will stay alive and be able to return to your country." Drix said before the car drove back and they returned to the inn.