The sun was up in the sky, while Orlando was sitting on his table. He looked tired after a night that he spent in the hospital looking after his mother that still unconscious after two days.
He was looking at his coffee with an empty gaze. That morning, he got news from his colleagues at his office that he should just stay home for the time being.
In his thought, Orlando thinks that he would probably be fired because of something that he didn't even remember. 'How can I just hit my boss car like that? I'm so fucked up! How is mother's condition now?!' He felt like the world spinning around him and he was the one to be blamed, just because of that one night.
Orlando didn't even realize that his hand was shaking when he took the cup. CRANGG! The cup fell from his hands and broke. He looked down at the broken pieces and he couldn't help but to cried his heart out. "Raaaagghhhh!!!" He put his hands on his temples.
***
Three days ago, he was drinking together with his friends. It was his second time visiting the new club that just opened in the area. They had a good time, dancing on the dance floor, eating with the girls and played games. Orlando took two shots of anejo blanco while they conversed with the girls.
"Hey, why don't you come and dance with me instead of sitting here?" One of the girls took his hand, "Isn't it such a waste for a handsome man like you just sitting here watching your friends dancing?" She giggled as she pulled his hand and made him stand.
All that Orlando remembered was how loud the music was, and how beautiful the girl that danced with him at that time. Every of her moves left him bewitched and he swayed to her rhyme as she smiled teasing him.
After the dance, she ordered some more drinks for us. After the waitress came to our table and served the drinks, she took his drinks and put something in it. The girl then smiled and offered him the drinks, "This drinks taste the best in this club, try this." She whispered sweetly to him. Orlando took the drinks without a doubt.
After some sips, Orlando suddenly felt dizzy. All his memory blurred ever since took the drinks. Was it him who danced once again with her? How many drinks that he drunk? What did she say to him when they went outside? Who actually drove that night? Was it he? Or was it her? Is it really him who created the accident?
All that he remembered was a day after he woke up from his drunkenness, where the police put him in a police cell in the police station. The police who guarded the cell was staring at him for a quite long time, before Orlando was taken out to the interrogation room.
"Do you know why you brought here, Mr... Orlando?" A policeman flipped some of papers that she held in her hands. A pile of documents were put in front of her. "No, Sir." Orlando replied shortly and shook his head. He still felt the hangover in his head.
What happened was that his boss filed a report about how his car was damaged from irresponsible car which drove at 3 a.m. in the morning that day. In the same time, an accident was happened because the same car hit a woman in near a store beside the parking lot. It was the same car in which he rode together with the girl that Orlando met at that time.
"It was very fortunate that the man who filed the report found that woman still alive. She was taken to the nearest hospital by that man." The police officer put down the files that he held and continued, "You were the only one found sleeping beside the car that created the accidents. Now the question is, don't you know that the law prohibited a drunk man to drive?"
Orlando's eyes widened and he gulped as he heard the police statement. "Yes, sir" He turned his head to the side and thought 'How can I be so stupid and just swayed by everything that the girl said to me? Where is that woman then?'
"Apparently, the woman that became the victim of the accident was your own mother." The police officer continued to explain the situation to Orlando.
Orlando turned his head that instant, his eyes widened once more. "What?" He stood up and held the police's shoulders by his hands. The police shook his hands calmly. "We already told you in our conversation yesterday, but it seemed that you just slurred and blacked out. That is why we're here now Mr. Orlando."
Orlando looked puzzled, sweats trickled down his brow. "Is… is she alright now?" Orlando asked the police officer and hoping that his mother was okay.
"Her critical condition has pass, I think she is in a stable condition now. We will ask her for her testimony about the accidents later when she gets her consciousness back. As for you, the witness saw you slept beside the car while both of the car doors in front were opened. Do you remember anything about the accident last night?"
After answering some more questions about the accidents, the police officer decided that Orlando was a witness rather than the perpetrator. He told Orlando that he may go home till the next call, if it's needed. Ever since, Orlando couldn't sleep even when he was very tired and closed his eyes for just a moment.
***
Orlando was cleaned up after the coffee when his phone rang. He looked at his phone with a name 'police officer Martinez' written on it. He picked up the phone quickly, hoping that he would get some good news from the police.
"Hello, is this Mr. Orlando?" The voices from the other side were a bit noisy. Orlando replied, "Yes! That is me officer Martinez." Orlando stood up straight after he replied and walked to his room.
"A good news for you sir," Officer Martinez seemed to be happy from the tone, "We have caught the person who drove with you yesterday. We found a CCTV yesterday and from your mother testimony this morning, the girl who drove with you is the culprit." Officer Martinez stopped for a while, and he continued, "Apparently, the girl is a dealer and she tried to promote new drugs."
The voice from the other side seemed concerned, "Did you know this girl?"
"No. I met her at the YYY Club the day before I got drunk." Orlando replied as he remembered what she did to his drinks before his memory blurred, "I believe she put something in my drink that time!"
"Alright then, we may need some more information from you, sir. We hope that you come to the police station tomorrow for the statement, can you do that?" Officer Martinez asked Orlando straightly. "Yes. I will do that." Orlando replied briefly. Officer Martinez thanked him for his cooperation and ended his call.
Just after he received the call from the police officer, his phone rang once again. Orlando looked at the screen which said that it was from the office.
Orlando quickly picked it up and said, "Hello, Orlando here."
The voice from the other side was familiar, it was his boss calling, "Hello, Orlando. I'm sorry for what happened to your mother three days ago. I'm glad we found the culprit, thanks to your cooperation in the police station back then."
"Oh, it was nothing. I'm sorry for the car though."
"It's fine, the insurance will cover them." His boss told him with calm tones in his voice. "Come back to work when your mom's better. I will hang up now since I'll be with the client soon."
"Alright, thank you sir." Orlando replied briefly. He felt relieved after he received both calls. He ran to the hospital to meet his mother. He was so glad that his mother is okay and he can probably keep his job. From that day onwards, he promised himself that he won't drink with strangers anymore.