Chandanas

Home of Light (2)

I'm woken. I don't know how long I slept. However, judging from the atmosphere that was still dark and cold, it seemed like not long ago. Maybe an hour or two, I don't know.

I tried to close my eyes once again, trying to sleep because after all, we have a lot to do tomorrow.

Minutes by minutes passed. I did not go to sleep. It was hard to fall asleep even though I tried repeatedly to force my eyes to shut. I kept trying to get back to sleep, but I still couldn't.

Giving up, I pulled out the blanket and got off the bed and walked out of the room. Before going down the stairs, I was silent for a moment. Maybe Kiran's asleep. If I go downstairs, I can disturb him. But it could also be the opposite. Maybe Kiran is also the same as me who has trouble closing my eyes because too many things interfere with the mind.

After serious consideration, I walked down the stairs with half a tiptoe, hoping not to make too many noises that might wake Kiran up if she had slept.

When I got to the ground floor, Kiran was nowhere to be found. On the hairy carpet there was only a pillow that he should have slept on.

Curious about Kiran's whereabouts, I walked slowly towards the door while rubbing my arms. The air is very cold, especially I only wear short-sleeved shirts whose material is not too thick. The cold air accompanied by the wind blowing fine seemed to stab to the bone.

I was still busy warming myself up when I saw a small bonfire from outside the house. With hesitation, I opened the door and found Kiran sitting in front of the bonfire. I walked over, my eyes squeaking as a gust of wind blew at me viciously, making my body feel shivering and cold.

Kiran realized my presence. He stood up then walked towards me with a panicked expression, "Why come out? It's cold in here!"

Kiran walked quickly and took off her jacket, and gave it to me because she knew how cold it was tonight.

"What are you doing outside? No, you're the one who wears it" I refused Kiran's jacket. Unfortunately, I unconsciously said the rejection sentence with trembling lips so that Kiran even more bitterly put her jacket on me.

Forcibly, I let Kiran put on the jacket, "I can't sleep" Kiran said, rearranging her jacket to perfectly protect me from the cold tonight.

"I can't sleep either," I noticed Kiran's face, we actually looked just as tired.

"We're going in?" Kiran held onto my shoulder with both hands, forbidding me from being outside any longer.

I shook my head slowly, "The fireflies," I pointed behind Kiran while looking in amazement at the yellow dots of light floating in the sky that night.

Kiran looked back, she looked just as amazed and surprised as me. In fact, he looked much happier and more enthusiastic than me, "This is the first time I've seen a firefly" Kiran said softly, a smile etched on her lips.

"I don't want to go in" I looked at Kiran with a slight plea.

After all, we never knew when an opportunity like this would come again. We never knew we would be together and see fireflies like this again later in life. We don't even know if we're alive and can survive all this to be together until the end. So, instead of having to go through all these moments with sleep and dreaming, I prefer to be awake and open my eyes because then I know that our togetherness is real and not just a dream.

Kiran looked worried after hearing my words. After being silent and only sighing for approximately ten seconds, Kiran gave up. He nodded then said, "Wait next to the campfire huh. I took the blanket inside. You must be cold."

I smiled a little while understanding.

Kiran rushed inside the house while I walked towards the campfire and sat around it.

I looked at the fireflies around me in amazement and happiness. I don't know when the last time I saw a bunch of these little glowing animals. It felt so relieved and happy to realize that I was finally able to come back here and greet them again after such a long time.

Not so long ago, Kiran came out of the house with a blanket that she did not know where she was coming from. It looks like he dismantled the entire house to get the blanket considering that the sound of lying continues to be heard while he was still inside the house some time ago.

Kiran walked quickly towards me and tried to put the blanket on me. Immediately, I refused, "You're the only one wearing it. The jacket you gave me. You're cold, Kiran."

"No. You must be colder. You're the one wearing it," Kiran still tried to put the blanket on even though I had repeatedly refused.

"Just you."

"You are."

I stopped resisting and looked at him in silence. Kiran was seen panicking before she finally cleared her throat and said, "Jaudah is used alone," she rushed to turn her face after saying this.

Until then I still did not understand what Kiran meant until she pulled my hand back to sit down. He then sat behind me and wrapped the blanket so that both Kiran and I both got the quilt ration.

The situation became a little awkward as Kiran also looked just as nervous as me. None of us tried to start the conversation because both Kiran and I were busy with their heads.

For a few minutes, we just sat looking at the fire or fireflies flying around us. The situation and atmosphere were indeed very quiet. No sound could be heard other than the rustling of leaves blown by the wind as well as the sound of wood being devoured by fire. However, no matter how quiet the situation was, I did not feel lonely at all. The silence between us was so soothing because even just by sitting close together like this, I was already feeling so happy and happy.

Satisfied playing with each other's thoughts, Kiran became the first to break the silence between us.

"How do we get out of here? You know, the distance from here to the entrance of the forest is really far. It would take a day or even more if we were to go there on foot," Kiran sighed so violently that I brushed her because her warm breath hit my neck so suddenly.

I did not immediately answer because I was still busy neutralizing the increasingly unfriendly heartbeat.

"I don't think we can get through the forest entrance. Most likely Edy must have been waiting for us there. What's more, Edy has installed a cctv camera there. He even knows when you come. And I'm sure he must have installed the cctv in other places as well. I don't know where, which is for sure the longer we're in this forest, the less safe we're here" I tried to explain.

Edy is not a person who is easily lied to because he is always able to think about the worst possibility of each plan so that all preparations must have been made. At the moment we are at a disadvantage because we don't know exactly what Edy is planning. We know him and know his nature. We should also be able to predict what he will do and do next. But that's Edy. The only thing we know about him is that he is unpredictable and unpredictable. He can do whatever he wants so it is difficult for us to guess the plot and what he wants to do next.

"Then, how should we? If it's like you said, that he's a cctv camera masang not only at the entrance of the forest alone, the more we explore the forest, the greater our chances of being caught with Edy. We don't know where he put the camera, we are clueless and can be recorded unknowingly. But, if we don't move at all, sooner or later we will be met with him," Kiran spoke in a worried tone of voice.

I looked straight at the campfire, in fact, there was one way we could probably do it.

"There is rarely a vehicle passing by. Even if there is, we cannot predict when the time will be. And the danger is also for us to roam around the main road. It would definitely be much easier for Edy to find us there," I paused for a moment before continuing, "But there is one. As I recall, there is always a truck that passes every two days. The truck was transporting vegetables that would be brought to the market, I myself do not know which market. I remember that because I used to wait for the truck to pass by. If there's a way out, that truck is the only way we have now," I turned to look at Kiran.

He seemed to think before finally saying, "What day? Every day does that truck pass by?"

I turned my face away with a sigh, "That's the problem. I forget every day what. That's for sure once every two days."

"In a week there are seven days, if the truck passes every two days, we can not estimate which day. Means only luck can suck us. If Edy had installed surveillance cameras around the main road, once we showed up, he would have known where we were. And if we show up on the wrong day, we could be in danger," Kiran analysed the opportunities we had and it is true that every step we take will have equally great consequences.

"Actually, before coming here, I had time to leave a letter in the room. I knew Roka would definitely read the letter. But the thing is, I don't know when he will read the letter. When I got your location, I wrote down the location of this forest on a paper and left a small note for Roka next to my computer. If we're lucky, he might have read my message and called the police," Kiran said with some hesitation.

"Huh, seriously you? Shouldn't we just wait here until there's a search team? I'm sure if the police come, Edy's plans will fall apart."

Kiran sighed, "Yes anyway. But Roka is a haphazard and not careful person. I already paste the note next to the keyboard because every time he goes to my house he is always riding a computer pinjem, but I am not sure he will be aware at that time. Roka was not a person who could pay attention to things or small details. I'm afraid he didn't even realize I was writing that note to him. In fact, it might even be considered trash and thrown away as he was," a frustrated tone sounded in Kiran's voice.

So complicated. I can't even say anything anymore. If that's the case, then the only road we have is the vegetable truck. That's our only way to get out of this forest immediately.

"Tomorrow morning, we go to the main road. Whatever the risk, we are responsible. Yea?" I said shrewdly.

Now, there's nothing else we can do but try. If we delay and wait longer, the closer Edy gets to us. Therefore, we must hurry. Even if tomorrow the truck does not pass, all the risks we will bear together.

"You sure?"

"Aren't you sure?" I asked back. I'm honestly not sure at all. I felt so scared even just by imagining Edy arresting us and going back to doing bad things.

In terms of physicality and condition, we both did not benefit at all. Kiran may be a martial artist. However, I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to pick a fight and move a lot after what had happened to him.

I pecked as Kiran moved her hand and hugged me from behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder while sighing. I stuck it. Really sudden.

"I'm afraid I can't protect you" he said softly.

A sense of warmth ran through my heart after hearing Kiran's sentence. I feel really lucky that God sent Kiran to me when I was not sure I could live in this suffering world.

Kiran made me hope and believe in a time when I couldn't even trust myself. He was able to make me feel safe and comfortable just by looking at him. Kiran, I should have protected you. I should have taken care of you because you're all I have.

"We should try, Kiran."