Cocooned

EX'S INVITATION

"Because I know you're a good person, Ter, I'm sure you'll come to Linda's wedding. If you want revenge, just take your girlfriend so she's jealous" Susan said before I hung up.

I've been itching for a week, apparently a lot of people say I'm good. Not in front, not behind me. Surely I know, I'm a good person, but well that's the limit. Did they never learn?

I don't want to exaggerate my problems of kindness and what I've done, because good and stupid are separated by a hair-thin line, just like the difference between love and hate. Again, people say, I don't care.

Which until now I still can not accept is a good person turned out to be not lucky. Unfortunately, that knowledge came too late. I only found out when Linda was having an affair with a good friend of mine.

Error, friend—ya, baik—no!

If he's nice, then there's no way a friend would be willing to ruin my relationship with Linda who has been running for three years, right? We even planned a wedding.

But God is good, he opened my eyes and filled Linda's heart before it was too late. When we broke up, Linda said she didn't love me and just considered me a friend. Oh yes, of course, we were friends first, with three other people. But when he said that, my world exploded as if shot by the destroyer Palpatine in the latest Star Wars movie.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, it's been almost two years since that incident and I think I buried it deep enough, I was wrong. I was like a dog digging another hole where I buried a bone, when an invitation from Linda arrived on my desk two weeks ago.

If anyone says I'm pathetic, go ahead. I will not deny it, because since that incident I have not been interested in finding a replacement lover.

I was scrambling my hair in frustration when the phone rang. A form of sound I knew immediately gushed ferociously from the speaker hole. "Terrence Halim, tell me that you'll be home by the end of this year or I'll write to the Police Chief, Police Chief, until Satpol PP to ban you from returning to Malang City again—forever!

"I will place your picture— with a red cross on the face—on the walls of the airport and station, so that forever you can not set foot again in your hometown!" The girl's breathing panted slightly before she added, "I'm really serious!"

I didn't know what to respond to, except for a laugh, a loud laugh, until my eyes watered. I think this is the last step of my friends. They sent a saint to make sure I would fall into sin and go to the deepest hell, if I refused to come.

"Terry, can you hear me? Quit laughing. I'm serious!" hardiknya, which makes my laughter harder.

Valerie Lukman should no longer take care of the world. If I'm not mistaken, I heard she was determined to be a nun. Has he changed his mind?

"I just slammed the phone from Susan for the same request." I exhaled heavily, then the shadow of the girl with thick glasses and colorful braces made me smile.

"My answer, when was the last time we had a reunion? You never called me either. Oh come on, let's just say it's the five of us reunion. Four, because Linda's on stage. Ooops, sorry!" The sentence just made my nose appear and reflected faintly on the window of the office that showed the view of North Jakarta from the twenty-second floor.

Oh, nice! This is exactly the advice I need to push my feet up to the penthouse on the top floor, break the windows, and throw my body down. Maybe by then my best friend would have known how tortured I had been all this time, and now they seem to be conspiring with Linda to torture me again.

"One more time I say, I'm not going home. I'll be home when I want to go home!" My voice was starting to sound frustrated. Then when a word sounded about to come out of Valerie's lips, I hurriedly stopped her, "Point!"

I pressed the red button on the screen, then threw the phone at the desk. Just now that the square object landed on its shiny pelurisnya, the sound of notification was heard. Aarghs! Who else now?

I saved you at the pool, remember? At that time someone pushed you down and your head hit the tile before it splashed. I think it's time to return the favor. That's the brief message from Valerie.

Oh, my God, he's still forcing his will. Valerie's a better person than a good person. I don't think anyone knows him, who doesn't owe him a favor. Especially I am clearly his best friend. If there wasn't him then, I'd be dead.

But hey, look on the bright side. If I were to die, then I wouldn't be heartbroken like this, would I? I tried to defend myself before I finally gave up. While grunting, my finger went through the contact list in the phone to find his name, and immediately pressed the phone button.

"All right, you win. I'm going home. When's? Hmmm .. That would be a secret. Yeah, I know, before Linda's wedding date for sure. Yes, I promise. Yes, yes, and yes. You're chatty!"

Once again my phone landed on the desk, next to the gold-covered invitation. With a frown, I read again the wedding date listed, December 23, 2019. Just incredible! From the 365 days of the Common Era, Linda had to choose the same date as our anniversary date for marriage.

Two more weeks to H day, there are many things that I have to take care of before leaving for Malang. I hope my boss approves the leave I'm going to take tomorrow.

　

　

A week after I promised Valerie that I would come home, that night I arrived at Abdulrachman Saleh Airport. I've been waiting for more than two hours, but I haven't seen the mother sighting. A little bit of suspicion haunts me, lest I forget my mother's face and not recognize her?

Since dating Linda, I have never been back to Malang City. I just realized by now that Linda's been having a bad influence on me. Only after breaking up with her did I take time to go home. No one knows about my return, except my mother and sister, and of course my father who is now in heaven. Malang is a small town, I don't want my relationship to run aground as gossip because Linda's family is one of the most prominent families here.

This is what makes Jaya, Susan, and Valerie worried. Often they call to make sure that I'm still holding on to the rope of life, instead of using that rope to snare my neck.

"Terrence Halim?" greet someone.