Given that this would be Daniel's very first time flying, as it was clear from how he had actually made a concerted effort to prepare himself just for the challenges and crowds he would soon encounter alone on his own… Every second imagining if this could really be that easy, only to be met with the contrary, that it really could be that easy.
Just like how at the end it only took five minutes for the boy to go smoothly through the baggage check and such, as well as making sure that the gate listed on his ticket indeed existed and was the same as the one on the information board right in front of him… But somehow, he instead felt disappointed.
Because though it was just a small airport near his even smaller town, still the place was just so much emptier than anything he had anticipated… That it is as if he truly would be more upset when his fears and anxieties don't come true, than when something bad actually happens precisely when he is ready for it.
However, no one can be held accountable when people are just still terrified to leave their homes, much less travel to large cities or even overseas—all of which they are unfamiliar with—out of concern for what may happen to them all. That even the small village where Daniel lives, where there had not been any murder incidents for over two decades, has now recorded more than twenty cases in less than three months, which is a strong enough thought for anyone to imagine what might have already happened in a larger city.
And even that still does not include certain access restrictions that have made travel on flights even more challenging since that one day.
"That day of judgment is what I mean… It has completely changed this world." Next to Daniel, an old man with his empty rucksack sighed.
As the boy thought it wouldn't be such a terrible experience to wait for his own flight while conversing and listening to some tales and weird political opinions from some random people who seemed to have seen a lot in this world, which Daniel then asked back out of pure curiosity, "Do you not feel scared as well? I mean, you're traveling alone by yourself… And this far to the edge of this country even."
"Well that's because I have nothing to lose. I have no one." The old man responded.
"Ah… I see."
"Instead, now, rather than feeling scared… In this old age, I feel more at ease actually."
"You mean you feel relieved that all this is only happening now?"
After hearing Daniel's views on something he had previously mentioned, the elderly guy chuckled as he asked, "What do you think happened to the world when I was at your age?"
"Sorry."
"You gotta understand something about this matter…" He leaned forward and pointed at the floor with his index finger, "The more people realize how much power can be held in the palm of their hands, the more they hate how few hands they have."
"..."
"It's not about the power, but it's about the hate… And boy, that will never change."
Daniel was still struggling to comprehend the phrases when the loudspeaker abruptly began to broadcast something as he also realized that the flight code that was being repeated was indeed his flight code, so he anxiously packed up and got up from the bench that had only been used by him and the elderly man.
"I think that's my flight." Daniel said in his awkward tone.
"Yeah, go on now. I appreciate you talking to me though… It's rare for someone as young as you to come up to someone like me just to chat."
Daniel smiled in response to the comments, then bowed his head courteously and walked away, joining the short queue of people through the hallway.
~~~~~
The flight took about three hours to arrive at its destination.
In a strange place he had never been to before, as Daniel put all of his trust into following the passengers on the same plane as him as they made their way to the baggage claim area and then finally to the exit… Where the heat of big cities in tropical countries feels much more intense than in the countryside.
And the shape of the city, which is much more neatly arranged and modern, can be seen directly from the large map on the plaque right in front of Daniel.
The City of Guinaian as it says in large letters at the very top of the map, which when seen from a distance looks like a city in the shape of an almost perfect circle, surrounded by forest full of various tree species on the outside and in the middle… A place that is also designated as a green park, despite the fact that it's still actually filled with a few buildings scattered around it.
Something that slightly disrupting the beautiful pattern with the part that should be full of green on the map, enough to pique Daniel's curiosity so he decided to slide his index finger along the red lines on each structure in the center of the park, to a row of names of carnival rides next to the map image.
"A ferris wheel… And a merry-go-round." The boy read the two lines of names on them, then took a step back to take another distant look at the whole map. Until suddenly the ringing tone of his cellphone snapped Daniel back to reality, for it was a notification from the driver he had ordered from an online service. Reminding Daniel that he was already waiting at the place they had agreed to meet.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting, I was just looking at the map plaque right there to make sure of something." The boy closed the car door with the big bag he hugged on his chest.
"The map… You new to this city?" The driver turned to Daniel from his rear-view mirror.
"Yeah?"
"I see. Welcome to Guinaian City then."
~~~~~
Unfortunately, the boarding house address that Daniel had written down in his notes turned out only to be his own incompetent speculation based on nothing but Google Maps.
Since he himself vaguely remembered the actual location and of course, all of that was of no help to the driver who even had to make them both go around the same road several times before Daniel finally decided to give up… The boy then apologized to the driver as he still kindly agreed to drop him off in front of a university entrance gate.
The very same university that Daniel ought to have gone to, if only all the catastrophes he instead had gone through had never occurred. The same holds true of the boarding house where Deo and Fanya presently occupy, a place Daniel should have lived in with his two best friends since two months ago as fellow freshmen. But the thing that disappointed Daniel the most, though, was not all of that; rather, it was the fact that he could not even find the address of the boarding house.
Which meant he could no longer surprise Deo and Fanya by showing up out of the blue, imagining how the two people's expressions would be when they met, one thing that always made Daniel grin while he was still on the plane and the car.
Not to mention that this meant he had to contact Deo to come pick him up; being the cause of Daniel's dissatisfaction as he flipped through his notes, finding a phone number marked with his friend's name on one of the pages filled with data he had collected that proved to be largely inaccurate… But this time the number he called was indeed correct, out of the rest there which definitely contained information that is not.
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
The fat teenage boy who was still in shock over the voice he heard on his cell phone only moments before, was even more shocked by what he witnessed in front of his very own eyes… Perched on his vintage white motorcycle, 1994 Honda Astrea Grand, a single-cylinder SOHC with an 85.88 cc displacement.
Something that Daniel would never have guessed his best friend had beyond anything more reasonable. And as The boy made a concerted effort to avoid being the most surprised he then said, "Surprise..?"
"..."
"Hehe."
"This isn't funny, Daniel. You should have called us right when you woke up in that hospital and not suddenly showing up like this!"
"Us?" The lad bent down and hugged his bag while his eyes darted anxiously to the left and right. "You told Fanya already?"
"What..? I mean, no. I don't know what to say to her about this shit."
"Good." In a flash, Daniel was on his feet again. He strode a few paces closer to his friend, and his face was flat.
"But she will be angry, Daniel. That girl will be really, really angry with you."
"I know… That's why I want to surprise her."
Deo suddenly pushed Daniel's shoulder away from him to make sure of something. "Are you even listening?!"
"You got any better idea than mine? You want me to see her with a serious face? Acting like I've been depressed ever since that day?"
"..." The boy was silent for a moment, he lifted the motorbike's stand and looked forward as though he was ready to leave… Yet Daniel was still not finished with his words.
"So? What do you think, smartass? Feeling stupid already?"
"Alright, whatever dude. Come on then… Hop on. I'll take you to our boarding house."
"Oh, now I'm the one who sounds reasonable, huh?"
"Just hurry the fuck up!"
With a sense of dissatisfaction, recognizing that what his friend's about to do was indeed a grave error, Deo instead decided to give up on caring.
"And what kind of ancient wheeled thing is this, anyway? Is it even strong enough to hold your entire weight? What about my bag then?"
"Shut up."
~~~~~