A Friend from Malaysia

A Hard Choice

Flashback is yes!

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Abidin just finished Friday prayers and will re-open his N-one shop when one of his shop customers comes to buy some snacks.

"Just come home from Friday prayers, Uncle?" greet the young man wearing the peci and the sarong. On his shoulder was slung a prayer mat indicating he had just returned from the mosque.

" He em. Wait a second. Pakcik open the door first," Abidin said to customers who often come to this store. Joseph name.

"Quiet, Uncle. Mase ni saye was not in a hurry," he replied to the old man.

"Oh, thank goodness that's how it is. Boss aren't you mad when you're a little late coming to the hospital?" abidin asked the young man.

As far as he knows, Yusuf is a staff of Healthy World hospital located not far from the N-one store he manages. Look, even the brother can buy land and open a shop in the area of the famous hospital in Malaysia even abroad. The land he bought must be very expensive because the location is not far from the hospital environment whose name is known to foreign countries.

If anyone asks if he has jealousy or envy for his brother, the answer is yes! It would be hypocritical if he did not want a similar fate to Tengku Yahya Nirwan.

"Saye kat hospital just coass, Uncle. And saye had finished coass kat Healthy World," replied the young man as he followed Abidin into the store as soon as the store's rolling door was shifted to wide open.

"Coass?" ask Abidin not understand. He's just a layman who doesn't understand the procedures of medical education.

"Hu um's. Coas. Co-assistant" the young man replied explaining. "So Pakcik, I took the medical course. After studying at the university, we also have a test before getting a doctorate. And for some of the stases, I'm ready for Healthy World Hospital. I will take the next stage in Jakarta. Maybe then saye will take housemanship (in Indonesia called internship) there for two years. So I'll be back here a long time ago, Uncle," Yusuf explained. Whether Pakcik Abidin understood or did not explain, Yusuf did not bother.

"Oh like that? Poor Uncle, this is left by you. Who else is going to buy this store?" abidin said pretending to be clear.

"Haha, Pakcik ni, a store this big can't be no buyer other than saye. It's kind of right je," the man's tickle.

Abidin just smiled.

"Hahaha .. ade many buyers at this store but loyal customers only a little je. Not like you," added Abidin again.

"Pesta, Uncle. This shop is near the hospital. Most uncle buyers are patients from the hospital. Patients are not always in the hospital every day. Saite juge want to linger sick, Uncle, Uncle. The patient had to change every day, hahaha," the young man laughed again.

"Betul also ape you said that, but Pakcik became sad juge could not see you again. But from the bottom of the heart of this uncle, Pakcik say goodbye, may you succeed in the region of people," said Abidin sincerely.

"The same prayer, Uncle. Saye also prayed that his business Pakcik more successful and can build a branch of the N-one ni shop to the neighboring country," Yusuf replied sincerely.

Abidin smiled wryly.

"Aamiinu. But this is not a shop. This is saye's brother's shop. Ade also branches there KL," said Abidin.

"Huh? Saye sangke this shop has an uncle ...." The young man looked dumbfounded.

"Fear it. Saye ni only manages to have an older brother saye saje. Pray that in a mase saye can build his own shop," replied Abidin.

"Aamiin .. hopefully Pakcik can build a big lag store from this," said Yusuf.

"God willing" replied Abidin.

This was the last meeting between Abidin and Abraham Joseph before they were reunited in Jakarta.

A few years later, the development of Tengku Yahya Nirwan business also developed into a much bigger one. Three of his stores were turned into mini markets. And Abidin still faithfully manages the brother's binis in Penang. Until one day a man about his age came to the mini market he managed.

At first he thought the man had come only as an ordinary buyer. But no, the man just circled around the display rack while spreading his gaze around the supermarket, then as soon as his footsteps stopped in front of the cashier where Abidin was, the man started saying something strange.

"It looks like you guys are making very good use of my money, ckckck, really shameless!" said the man.

"What do you mean, sir?" abidin asked in astonishment mixed with displeasure.

"Your money is this old, but you're still like a regular shopkeeper. You don't want to have your own business, Abidin? Your brother even has a grandson. It may not be long your turn. Your son's already married, isn't he?"

Abidin was astonished by what the man knew. He didn't know her but the man knew that much about her.

"If you die, you don't want to give something as an inheritance to your children? Listen to your child's household life is no less difficult with your life. Sticking to the principle of how long? Be aware, Mr. Abidin, you are old!"

"Do you mean talk like that? You don't know saye with saye's brother but want to try to interfere in saye's personal affairs?Actually who is this sir? Where did Master come from? If I look at this sir, it's definitely not Malay!" Abidin was getting angry at the man.

The man chuckled with that kind of Abidin attitude. Then he again walked closer to the cashier, where Abidin was. Their distance is getting closer, making Abidin had felt daunted by it. The man had the aura of a criminal, the gaze of his eagle eyes seemed to want to kill whoever was before him.

"Your gate took something precious from me. Something expensive that he shouldn't have dared to take. I think you must be wondering where he can get the capital to be able to make a business of this magnitude, right?"

Abidin. Yeah he doesn't know where his brother got this much money from. As far as his knowledge, the salary of the brother as a crew of rough workers is not too much even though it is enough to meet the needs of his family.

"That's-ape?" tanya Abidin stuttered.

"No need for you to know what it is. What is clear is that he must have traded it for some money and made a N-one mart business like this. And therefore you know, I'll take back whatever he's got. His family, his property will not escape my target. Including his sister, his sister's family, his nephew ...."

Abidin goosebumps it made. But he is not an easy person to be threatened.

"Look don't threaten saye. Saye will report you to the police station if you dare to mess with the saye family!"

The man laughed again.

And it's true. The blood of a father who feels his daughter is threatened rises to the crown.

"Don't even dare to make ape on him! You get out of here before I call the police!" throw Abidin away with anger.

The man was undaunted by the threat of Abidin. Then he grabbed a pen and a book that was on the cashier's desk and wrote down a few digits of the number there.

"I need help from you. If you want to help, I'll undo my intention to disturb your daughter, "the man added, not caring about the look on the beaver Abidin showed.

"Go! Before I report to the police!" cacao Abidin.

But his condemnation was only met with harshness from the man.

"Call me, if you change your mind."

The man left after saying that.

After that Abidin also by phone call actually asked Yahya the brother. About his encounter with a man who claims his property was stolen by Yahya. Yahya was surprised to hear that, not expecting people from the past to come after him to this time.

"Abang will tell you later. This brother is in Jakarta. There are cheap land auctions in the strategic area of opening a business. Who knows you get the land at a cheap price, we can make a branch of N-one, kat Indo," said Yahya at that time.

"Anything there with a ready?" ask Abidin.

"Zubaeedah and Andini. Ilham didn't come. Zubaidah also wants to attend the wedding of his friend here. So you go together only" said Yahya.

"Oh like that? All right, I'll wait till you get back."

The next day, despite fears for his daughter's safety, Abidin can't do much more than allow his daughter to go to school as usual. But her worries seem to be coming true soon when Farida doesn't return from school. Panic struck. Abidin has searched and there and even reported his daughter's disappearance at the police station. Calling the brother who was still in Jakarta at all did not help. Until the morning, Abidin suddenly remembered the number that the man had recorded at the cashier's desk. He thought about calling that number.

"Hahaha you finally called me?" The voice across there, unmistakably the voice of the same man, who came to him in the N-one mini market.

"My daughter, where is she?" tanya Abidin was very sure that Farida must be in the hands of the man.

"Don't want to go to the police?" ask the man back in an understated tone.

Abidin sighed long. He had already tried it, but it seemed the police did not move quickly to find his daughter. They are still speculating that Farida might just stay at her friend's house and Abidin is told to wait patiently at home. He said that after three days of not returning home, he was reported to the police station immediately. But Abidin couldn't just wait three days. Not to mention that time in the 90s, the means and infrastructure of the police to track the whereabouts of someone, not as sophisticated as now.

"Well, so you've reported it to the police but they told you to wait for a few days. How many days is it? Three days? Haha .... Justdoit. Spending time having fun with young girls is not a bad idea" the man mocked.

"Don't! Don't do anything to my daughter. Please, saye will do whatever you want!" said quickly.

It was terrifying to imagine what might have happened to Farida considering she was with a bad man. On the phone, there are lots of male voices. God, don't let them do anything to Farida! abidin liver screams.

"Hahahah .. Let's talk about a deal now!" said the man again. After waiting for a while, the man opened his voice again. "You ready for any deal? If you're ready, I'll send your daughter back this morning to your house or to her school. Of course as long as my conditions are not met, my men will be watching over you and your daughter. And I wouldn't hesitate to be rude and vile if you tried to cheat. You just choose!"

Abidin again took a deep breath. The most important thing right now in her head was only the safety of Farida, her daughter.

"Have a good time, sir," he said in a clear tone.

"Good! What a wise father. Then I'll just tell you the deal. Your daughter's safety can be exchanged for Yahya's grandchildren. Ilham or his sister, Andini," said the man.

"A-ape?"

Abidin was surprised by the condition of the man who until then did not know his name. Changing the safety of his daughter with the grandson of the brother, like eating simalakama fruit. Although how Ilham and Andini are also his grandchildren. Moreover, Ilham, every time he came to Penang, the boy was so adorable and treated him like his own grandfather, it was no different to treat him with Yahya. Perhaps even more familiar than his biological grandfather who did not have the humorous soul.

"Ahh, you must be hesitating. Quickly decide! I'll tell you yes, Mr. Abidin. It's actually just a fight between me and Yahya. I want to see him suffer. Because he once made me almost die and robbed a treasure I had earned with my men. Losing one of his favorite grandchildren would probably make him suffer. That's why I need your help. But even if you want to bear everything yourself it's okay. Please choose the safety of his grandson Yahya Nirwan with your own daughter. 17-year-old girl, if I sell it at the auction of the striped men, who do you think suffers the most here? Only your daughter is! Think carefully. And I need an answer right away. I-ka-rang!!"

Abidin's troubled mind could no longer think clearly. Only the safety of his daughter was on his mind.

"But my daughter, is she okay?" tanyanya wants to make sure.

"So far he's safe, but don't know an hour? In half an hour? 15 Minutes left? It all depends on your decision. Hows it? Your daughter, Ilham, or Andini?"

"You're gonna do something to Ilham or Andini if I help you?" ask Abidin.

"It's none of your business, old man! Now just choose who to sacrifice here? Your daughter? The inspiration? Or Andini?"

Abidin gulps nervous saliva. How sort? How sort?

"You've been thinking too long. Well I assume you chose your own daughter to sacrifice. Suiiiit!!!" The man whistled calling his men. "Take the girl into the room!"

"No, no! Nay! Andni! I'll give you Andini! Help u! Not Farida!" it was spontaneous and hysterical.

There was a bit of weirdness across there.

"A somewhat disappointing choice. I hope you at least choose Inspiration. Andini is no problem either. Later I will make the little baby destroy his own Atok!"

And Abidin felt weak for a moment. How wicked is he. But he had to think of another way later. Farida must survive first.

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The next chapter is still flashback... Like and comments bebeib ....