It happened again.
Aleyah fell asleep again. This time she woke up in the men's bathroom. The last thing she remembered was the male ghost coming into her room and arguing with another ghost about who had possessed her body. And then it happened again.
Aleyah stood up and held on to the wall. She waited until the men had left and when they were already gone, she came out of the bathroom stalls. She looked at the mirror. Staring at herself who looked very messy. Aleyah took off her hair tie and smiled, "I'm okay," she said as she arranged her hair. "There's nothing wrong with me, I'm totally fine." she said again while forcing a smile.
Aleyah returned home with a basket of potatoes.
Then not long afterward she ran into that man, Michael. Aleyah was about to say hello but he immediately continued walking as if they didn't know each other. Aleyah didn't have the energy to get angry or argue with Michael, so she chose to stay silent this time and followed that man's steps from behind with small, shuffling footsteps.
Michael was no longer focused on his cellphone or the road in front of him. He occasionally glanced behind him to find out if the woman was still behind him. Their direction home was in the same direction so Aleyah must have been behind him, right?
He looked back slightly and found out that Aleyah was not there. The woman was left behind by a very long distance. He squinted at Aleyah, who was still walking like a sloth behind him. The woman was acting quite strange so he felt he had to check on her. His eyes widened when he saw Aleyah almost fall.
Michael ran fast enough to get to Aleyah. The woman holding onto the wall looked very pale. Michael couldn't bear to see her pitiful face and then decided to take over the basket that Aleyah was carrying. After that, he told her to follow slowly from behind.
They continued walking again. Michael sighed again when he found that the woman was still far behind him. He stopped and didn't move even an inch. He was waiting for the woman to stagger until she arrived in front of him.
"I think I need a rest," said Aleyah. But Michael didn't seem to care about her grumble. He was just standing there like a strong wall that was unbothered. Before the man continued his steps, Aleyah grabbed onto his arm ASAP. "I don't think I can walk anymore, we have to take a taxi."
"We? I live closer to your house. Why would I bother to go that far?" rejected the man.
"Then why did you bring my groceries?"
Michael pointed to a bend in the alley in front of them, "I'll just help you get to the end of that alley. Now follow me and hurry, you're like a snail."
The man stepped firmly, which made Aleyah, who had not completely removed her hand, stumble. The woman almost fell hard if the man hadn't grabbed her waist. Michael smacked his tongue, "You always have a way of bothering me," he said in Aleyah's face. Aleyah looked away, "Sorry," she muttered with a blush.
Michael widened his eyes again and looked away immediately as well. And then he handed the basket of potatoes to Aleyah then lifted the woman's body with his two strong arms. Michael touched her without permission and Aleyah wasn't even angry with him. She didn't even have the strength to get angry. She was just very tired and sleepy. Aleyah touched her glasses then looked at the face of the man who was holding her. Michael had very beautiful green eyes.
"I still didn't know your name. I'm Aleyah, you are?" Aleyah asked quietly. Michael turned to her and then she smiled, "I was right, your eyes are very beautiful. It's green like a dense, calm forest. It felt like I could actually sleep peacefully there."
She looked at Michael with her glazed eyes which made her look like she was half-conscious. But she was actually waiting for the man's answer. What is he called?
"Are you drunk?" asked Michael in surprise.
Aleyah shook her head, "You didn't answer my question. Is it that hard to say your name?"
The man ignored Aleyah's words and continued walking. They had passed the end of the alley he had pointed to. Aleyah smiled again and thanked him, this means the man would take her home.
"I'm light, aren't I? You lifted me up easily." Aleyah asked, she really couldn't stand meeting quiet and indifferent people. Besides, Michael's voice sounded quite calming. She just wants to hear them often.
"You are as heavy as a bear."
Aleyah suddenly snorted in annoyance. "Ow! My head hit the wall, can't you be gentle with women?"
Michael sighed, "You really want me to throw you over there?" he asked irritably as he took a step to the left, preparing to throw Aleyah's body into a trash can that happened to be near them.
Aleyah tightened her arms around the man's neck. "Please don't. I will shut my mouth and never speak again like a dead body." she begged, shaking her head several times. The man looked back at her and Aleyah tightened their embrace. She was desperate because she really couldn't walk anymore.
The man was still looking at her, looking into Aleyah's brown eyes through the lenses of her glasses. Aleyah became increasingly worried and she said another pleading line so that the man would not put her down.
The man brought his forehead closer to Aleyah's forehead. Then Aleyah's eyes, which had been very heavy, opened wide. Michael distanced himself after a few seconds, "You have a fever." he said casually without being bothered by Aleyah's face which was bright red.
Michael lifted Aleyah's body more steadily and then continued walking. "Your body is hot but your mouth is still noisy." quipped the man, breaking the sparkling light in Aleyah's eyes.
Aleyah leaned against the man's chest. "You're right, I'm sick. That's because I'm depressed. My eyes have been strange lately, I've checked it in to the doctor and taken medicine until I'm almost dying."
Michael frowned. He glanced at the woman in his arms, Aleyah told him all this while closing his eyes and she sounded very honest.
"My eye doctor said it wasn't strange. But I keep seeing this black shadow..." Aleyah complained then buried her face in Michael's broad chest. This made Michael tighten his jaw. "Not only that, I also often wake up in a place that I wasn't supposed to be," Aleyah muttered incoherently. Her voice was muffled and Michael couldn't hear it clearly.
"Do you understand the predicament I'm going through?" Aleyah asked more clearly because Michael was silent for a long time.
Michael didn't say anything, there wasn't the slightest clearing of his throat, yes, any response or complaints. He just stared straight ahead without any desire to chat. Like a stiff robot who is stingy with words and without emotion.
Aleyah gave up. "Yeah right, let's just be quiet the whole way. I don't even know your name, even though I really want to call you every time we meet." aleyah muttered before completely closing her eyes and plump lips.
Michael wasn't just silent towards Aleyah. He stayed alert because they were being followed from the moment they stepped into the small alley towards the bakery. Michael glanced to his left. The suspicious white car now had its doors open.
The timing was perfect, they had arrived and Michael woke Aleyah up by immediately putting her down without warning. The owner of the white car turned out to be Jeremy, the man with fat cheeks was supporting Aleyah's body.
"Can't you be careful?" Jeremy sarcastically annoyed.
Michael frowned in response. Jeremy put his hands on his hips, "Who are you? Why are you touching her?" he asked while glaring at the indifferent man.
Michael looked at Aleyah, "You owe me." he said briefly then left in front of them.
"Yeah, good night too." Aleyah answered. Michael, who was standing in the dark, turned his back after hearing that. He saw the little wave of her hand and the smile on the woman's face. He put his hands in his trouser pockets and walked with wide strides.
Aleyah carried the basket of potatoes in both hands and walked steadily into the kitchen. Jeremy, who wanted to help her, lost quickly.
"Hey, you have the courage to go home with a guy now?" Jeremy asked, starting to get annoyed because Aleyah didn't answer him seriously.
"I'm not a kid anymore Remy, you look more like papa now." she answered then ended it with a little laugh.
"That's because I'm worried, he looks like a man with a bad reputation. There's something strange about him. I'm sure of it, he's definitely a bad guy or a cheater."
Aleyah slammed the basket hard to stop Jeremy's rambling. "I can't believe you would say something like that."
But Jeremy didn't shrink or be afraid, "Who is he? It seems like you two are close."
Aleyah sighed and covered Jeremy's mouth with her hand. After her friend calmed down, Aleyah patted his shoulder several times. "We talk again tomorrow, okay?"
"Good night." Aleyah said again.