Joshua couldn't get the picture of the man falling to the floor and running away out of his mind when he got back to his apartment that evening. It was not the kind of brutality he was used to. Sure, there was danger in Yangon, but this was different. It was too genuine, this. Furthermore, he wasn't prepared for it.
It grew worse the more he considered it. Joshua had been there when Elena had stabbed the man. Though he didn't hit anyone or threaten anyone, he felt guilty by association. Even if all he had done was stand behind Elena, he had intervened. And what if those men returned to get him? What if they believed he was involved?
He was terrified all day long. He jumped at every sound outside his flat. I felt uneasy whenever a stranger looked at me. Joshua began to steer clear of his regular locations, take alternate routes to work, and even ceased attending his martial arts practice. He had the impression that someone had painted a target on his back, watching for him to clean up the shits that Elena had stirred.
When he heard people aren't talking about the street stabbing much, his paranoia decreased. There were no hints of retaliation or police involvement. It appeared as though everything had simply... vanished. It got worse because of that. the calm before the tempest. More than anything, he was still afraid of the unknown.
His tea shop buddies sensed a difference in him. "What's going on with you, man?" inquired his friend Min one evening. "You look like you haven't slept in days."
Joshua moved in his seat, attempting to shake it off. "Just busy with work," he said. Min, however, was not convinced. "You've been acting like you're afraid of something."
He was scared that those men would find him. He was afraid Elena's uncontrolled aggression would catch up to him. He hadn't done anything, but it didn't matter. He was engaged now, whether he liked it or not.
Elena came after that. She vanished as swiftly as she arrived. There is no explanation or apology. She had abandoned him to face with the aftermath.
She had left him to handle the aftermath on his own. Joshua pondered down on whether she could even recall him, or if he was simply another person in her chaotic burning existence.
The fear in his mind go on, but it became less intense after a week. Joshua had avoided direct contact, but his chest constricted each time he passed that alley. As far as they knew, he had assisted Elena, and he knew those men were still out there. He had no idea that they were simply biding their time and waited for the ideal opportunity to attack.
Joshua eventually began going out again, albeit he stayed quiet. His self-assurance had suffered greatly.He started to steer clear of any circumstances that may place him in risk again. Though it was likely just Yangon as before, something had changed in the city; it felt darker and more menacing. He had been foolish, believing that he could manage on his own in a setting similar to Elena's. But his thoughts continued to turn to Elena. She had acted bravely—ruthlessly even. Joshua had froze, taken aback by how fast things had gotten out of hand, but she had met danger head-on. He was starting to doubt his own bravery, even if he still wanted to think he could match hers. One evening, while enjoying his typical sweet tea at the tea store, Joshua laughed angrily to himself. Maybe he was just a dumb kid after all, thinking he could stand up to the chaos that Elena brought with her. For now, keeping his head down seemed like the smartest move. After all, not everyone was cut out for that kind of life.
Before he knew it, he was right back in the alley, one afternoon, where he first met Elena. He went up cautiously, looking around him as if he expected something or someone to jump out at him. But the alley was just as normal as it was always known to be, stray cats lounging around, and vendors prepping for the evening crowd. He should have felt relieved or so one would think, but a weird relief and disappointment overflowed in his being. If Elena had indeed left, then that meant he was free of the trouble she seemed to drag along. But then again, a part of him wanted some answers-some kind of closure on whatever unfinished business still lingered.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to drop by the tea shop where he had first spotted her. Maybe someone knew something about her there, or maybe he would get a clue regarding which direction she had taken. He stepped inside, and now-familiar fumes of tea and fried snacks enveloped him like a warm blanket; he sat at his usual table.
Ko Kyaw Gyi, the proprietor, placed eyes on him and waved. "Back again, Joshua? Thought you'd gone off the map."
Joshua gave him a false smile. "Just needed a break. Laying low for a while."
Ko Kyaw Gyi raised a brow but did nothing to press for any details from him. Instead, he slid over a cup of tea. "Usual?" The tea shop owner asked. "Yeah, thanks," Joshua said, sipping. It was comforting as ever, but his mind was elsewhere.
A few minutes into the evening he decided to bring it up. "Hey, Ko Kyaw Gyi, remember that woman who was here a while back? The one with that sailor mouth and the attitude?"
Ko Kyaw Gyi shrugged in thought before he nodded. "The foreign woman? Yeah, I remember her. Stirred things up pretty good that evening, what? Are you in love with her or something?
Joshua asked the tea shop owner , "You happen to know where she went?" trying to sound nonchalant. Ko Kyaw Gyi shrugged. "No idea. Those types rarely stick around long. They've always got something going on somewhere. You might've scared her off, you know."
Joshua frowned a little. "I did not mean to drive her away. I just asked some questions, nothing more."
Ko Kyaw Gyi gave him an affectionate look. In this city, people came and went like the tide. "You might run into her, or you may not."
Joshua drained his tea, placing the cup upside down. He had hoped for more information, but he left no closer to finding her. The feeling didn't leave him as he wandered the streets of Yangon; their story was not over.