The tiny café huddled despondent among the huge city buildings. Heat rained down on them like the breath of hell. The half a dozen customers glanced up above the door with blinking LED lights “Fred’s Café”. Unlike the outside, the interior of the café was cold and cheery, with bright lights, colorful walls, clouds and light blue sky is painted on the ceiling. The clock above the kitchen is pointing to 12.30.
I looked around at the busy tables. An old couple eating side by side, one cup of hot tea each, studiously bent over their meals. A group of women in their thirties collapsing with helpless giggles as a stern woman dining alone nearby looked on and frowned. A family and their kindergarden children, the noise level is high. But it didn’t bother me. I was used to it.
The door wide open as I can see a man with tidy navy shirt coming in, holding a laptop and a file. Andrea arrived on time, he sat down in front of me saying
“Sorry, I almost late”.
I nod, “It’s okay. You are on time anyway” I smile.
Andrea lifted the lid of the laptop and start typing, then he unzip his folder and shove it against me. There are pictures of my room designs, I have no comment cause they are all beyond my expectations. He is genius!
My lips lifted upward, eyes wide open “This is nice” I praised.
“Beyond my expectations. You are a genius!” I added
I leave the paper on the table, tilt my head looking at Andrea, he gives me a smile that seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushes through me, I can feel my cheeks are burning itself, there’s something in his smile, then I remember the word “piggyback”
Piggyback word echoing inside my head again and again, there’s a small spinning sensation through my head.
“Alana?” he grabbed my wrist…. and the vision vanished.
“Are you okay? You look pale” he added, his eyes widened, worry as hell.
“I’m…I’m okay..”
I rubbed my forehead, sipping my hot tea.
“I mean if you need a ride then I will.”
I cut him off “no, it’s okay. Let’s continue”.
Somehow I feel Andrea is no stranger to me, my subconscious memory is alerting something, the tiny voice is warning me.
“Alana?” Andrea seemed worry
“Sorry” I added, “can we continue?”
He flared his nostrils, “umm.. Okay” he nods, rotating the laptop towards me, showing his designs on the screen.
So we finally made our deal, they will start working next week, he will help me with the furniture too, everything to complete the house.. So I just need to wait for another 3 months. Get ready Ana yay!
“So..” He said as we both quit the café, he tilted his head towards me.
“How are you doing?”
I give him a smile, “I’m fine”
“I mean, if you have anything.. you can call me. I will help you”
“maybe like urgent..or..” struggling to finish his words.
I snorted a laugh. “No wonder you are a nerd back there during school time”
“pretty hard to speak to women..” he admitted, “especially the special ones like you” I tilted my head looking at him, he is smiling sheepishly.
And dugh, something hit me in the chest, and now it’s beating rapidly, it beats so strong I think my chest will burst. I threw my gaze away.
“Gotta go..” I point my car with my thumb. Andrea nodded, waving his hand while his other arm is holding his laptop and his folders. Something is wrong with me, that vision seemed real from the start. Everything isn’t connected but I have to find out one day.
I check my rearview and make necessary adjustments to make sure I have a good view of the cars on either side and behind me. I turn my car on and the music louder.
***
Hard splashing water droplets hit the car windows as I drive onwards. The skies are overhung with a blanket of grey, so much that I can barely tell the difference between the sky and clouds. I watch raindrops race down to the windows. As I threw my gaze away for a second, there’s a big bus in front of me with headlights blinding my eyes. I got really panic so I threw my steering wheel away and hit the trees, then I slipped and fell from the cliff.. I heard a woman’s screaming.. The moment I fell, I assumed I was dead. Then I keep waking and waking. I like to be unconscious rather than awake because when I awake I could taste the coppery blood pooling in my mouth. I could feel it grazing my teeth and soaking my tongue. I felt the aching and cracks in my bones. Each crack felt like rocks burrowing into my skin. I sucked in cramped air, feeling my lungs caving in on themselves. I saw the spots in the corners of my vision, making my head feel like the only thing inside of it was static. I heard a buzzing noise filling my ears. I feel like I was there for hours, fading and waking and fading and waking.
My agony is the only thing keeping me alive. It’s the only thing I could feel anymore. Maybe that's when I died.
I heard a man’s talking.. slowly faded away…
I woke up, gasping and panicking.
“ARGHHH NIGHTMARES” I moaned, my head was soaked with sweats along with my body. I rose from my bed and heading to the bathroom to wash my face. I glanced at the digital clock in my bathroom with the numbers 02.30 glowing in yellow. I sigh, leaning my palm on the washbasin, looking at my own reflection in the mirror.
They seemed real.. the dreams..
I sat on the bed, pulling my drawer beside my bed, taking out my Yearbook. I flipped the thick blue cover with the year 2013 written on the cover.
Hmmm “Science-4” was my class. I slide my finger along the line of students standing with the form –teacher, pointing it to myself. I sniffed a smile, I was actually a nerd too, I wore glasses during high school and Vivi was standing beside me, she is always gorgeous.. I remember that time when it came to Valentine’s day, her locker was always full of love letters and gifts. Girls were so jealous at her. I moved my finger pointing to Jason, I was dating Jason that time, he was every girls’ crush too. A little flashback while the girls gang glaring at me
when I start dating him. I was like “OH SHT WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON” and
Vivi was like “Let them eat their own sht” that’s why she wasn’t a gang of
queen bees or anything like that, cause she hates them.
Andrea said he was my classmate too. I narrowed my eyes scanning the tiny face one by one. Then the familiar good looking guy is there, he was actually standing beside me.. Eh.. but he wasn’t a nerd, he was very good looking in this picture, almost impossible for me to not remember him. Or maybe I was just busy dating with Jason until I didn’t notice him at all.
I yawned, my eyes are soggy.. I feel sleepy all of sudden. I put my Yearbook back to its place and lay on the bed, I clicked the lamp off and pull the blanket until my neck.
DRRTTT DRRTTT DDRRTTTT
My face is crinkled with sleep, and I blinked my eyes fast as if the late afternoon light burned my retinas. I don’t remember when I open the curtain wide as the sunlight easily slid in through the window. I stretched my arm to reach my phone to turn off the noisy alarm.
A notification popped up, I tap the screen as it brought me to the email.
You received Rp.10.000.000,-
My eyes wide open, my brain starts to perk up, and its electrical activity starts to resemble the brain. WHAT? 10 millions? Just in 2 weeks after I submitted my manga? I quickly check from my phone through the application I download. My work has been seen for 5056 times, 230 likes and 345 subscribers. Oh Jesus
Christ!
My previous manager even paid me that much for 1,5 months. This is insane.
LET’S CONTINUE THIS ALANA!
I rushed to the bathroom to take a bath and prepare myself to continue my work.
tringgg tringg tringg tringg
I grabbed my phone and place it against my ear “Halo?” I said
“Halo? Ani?”
The man clears his throat.
“Alana..” he repeated, but I did listen he called me with “Ani” very clear.
“Yes Andrea? Is there anything..”
“Alana… I am sorry..” he sounds gawky.
I lifted an eyebrow, stop drawing on the digital tablet.
He took a deep breath, “Can I buy you dinner tonight? Next week or whenever you are free?”
OK this is awkward. There’s a silence between us for few seconds. I nod my head, “tonight?
I’m in a good mood today” I implied, taking off my glasses, rubbing my eyes.
“Sure” he replied
“Pick you up at 7?” he sounds delighted
“yepp. See ya soon”
“See ya”
I hung up.
I tilted my head glancing at my digital clock, the numbers 5.15 glowing in yellow. I stood up and walk towards my wardrobe, “What should I wear?” I mumbled, rummaging the pack of dresses hanging on the hangers. I dragged out a maroon slit dress I wore during my high school at my friend’s 17th birthday party, and of course it is still in a very
good condition. I just wore it once. I closed my wardrobe and hang the dress near the bathroom, then I put my glasses on and continue my drawings.
I tilted my head looking at the digital clock in my bathroom, it’s 6.30 already. I get dressed and pulled out a pair of black high –heels from the mini drawer beside my wash –basin.
My phone’s ringing, rattling on the ceramic wash –basin. I stretched my arm to grab my phone then press a button, put it against my ear.
“Halo?”
“Hey Alana? Are you ready? Or you need me to wait? Cause the traffics were fine on my way”
“umm…..” I put my heels on, my voice wobbly and unsteady “I’m ready…actually… yes I am ready!” I exclaimed. I took my bag and rushed outside.
When I stood by the drop off, Andrea slid his window down as I can see him waving towards me. I pulled the handle, throwing myself inside.
“Sorry.. there’s a kid pushing every button of the floor” I said as I am gasping for breath.
Andrea snorted a laugh.
“ah.. you look really excited” he teased.
“What do you mean excited?” I lift an eyebrow, asking sarcastically.
“okay I am just joking Ani…” he grinned.
He clears his throat and say one more time “I mean Ana”
Ani Ani and Ani. Isn’t that a nickname for me? Somehow I feel curious about it, he seems surprised when he accidentally calls me Ani.
“Hey”
“mm?”
“Why do you keep calling me Ani?” I asked, without hesitation. “I mean, I hear that every time, but you seem pretty surprised”
“It’s a nickname from me to you Alana” he smiles, but I can see that he is masking his anxiety.
“you know.. Ani is not that bad though. You can call me that” I added.
“Are you sure?” he scoffed softly. I nod my head, “of course I am”
There’s a moment where I realize, the same place I had in my dream. I used drive through this hallway where the rocky cliff below still in development process. I just noticed, the barrier between the road and the cliff is now fenced high above so people won’t fall easily.
Is this a coincidence?
So I open up to Andrea.
“Andy..” out of nowhere, those word went through my head, Andrea tilted his head towards me.
I repeat my word, “Andy?”, pretty sure that word came from my subconscious memory, which buried inside with no reason.
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Comments
Neha
now i got the lead of the story. its interesting good work author
2020-06-23
2