I Can Hear Your Heart
24. The Meeting Room
I glared at my television screen. A beautiful woman in her black suit seemed excited to read the morning news.
"Nearly at the same time the entire world community felt the same earthquake force. In the western part of Indonesia itself the earthquake can be felt at twelve pm. While in central and eastern Indonesia at 01.00 WITA and 02.00 WIT. The force of the earthquake is quite hard to cause panic in the community that was asleep or was just about to rest the night. The BMKG estimated the earthquake to be eight on the Richter scale, but because it happened in a very short time it did not cause significant damage in the community. BMKG itself has lifted the tsunami warning at exactly three in the morning. And until now at six in the morning, the results of monitoring BMKG and national natural disaster litigation center have not shown any aftershock or aftershock activity. Until now BMKG itself does not know where the epicenter is and how deep into the interior. After the following drama we will see coverage from several countries that experienced the same earthquake and reports of damage from various regions due to the earthquake last night followed by discussions with litigation and disaster experts mr. Suroso and our seismologist Mr. Ramires. Stay with us for a moment."
I got up lazily from my sleep. Grabbing my phone that's ringing. From Mr. Mario.
Holiday canceled. I had to attend an impromptu meeting held because the shareholders were angry about General Manager Mr. Mario's intention to close the hotel for some time to come.
The announcement on the hotel's official website brought shareholders together and forced a video conference for them on the unilateral decision of the hotel's manager which they thought was absurd. So this is where I sat lazily and resentfully in front of this nearly three-meter-long table.
Other managers have not yet arrived including deputy general manager. I'm the only one in this room...The door of the room I closed was revealed. The meeting time this time is right at the start of the business hours - it will start in thirty minutes. They may still be stuck in traffic jams in the morning.
"Coffee?" Mr. Mario appeared in this room with two-cup coffee in his hand. He put a cup in front of me. I grabbed that cup. "What about your sleep?"
Sipping coffee for two seconds, I stopped it. "Latte?"
"You don't like it?"
"I think I'm going to like Americano more now because when I sip it I can think there's something more bitter than my life." Mr. Mario laughed as if I was just funny in front of him. He grabbed his coffee cup, traded it for mine and sipped it. "You said I could libertize? Then why are you making this trouble?" She's quiet. The silence made me think. "Are we creating a bigger problem?" I asked with my heart pounding. I obviously remember yesterday when we were at the former Lamara hotel he said about the timing and the right momentum. But obviously we had a mess last night, a big mess that made me even have to lose Alex.
"Maybe we should be prepared with a counterattack tonight."
"What?" I knew there was a big mess yesterday, but I didn't know the consequences would be this big. I can't imagine how the Royal Garden Hotel turned out to be the same as the former Lamara hotel and was invaded by demons who might be exodus for a new residence after we grounded the building yesterday nightly. I can see it on the television screen.
"But before that we had to close the hotel so that no one would fall victim in this battle."
"What do you mean by: we have to be prepared with the right momentum and timing because otherwise there will be a big problem..?"
"An angel must not use his sword on Earth, even if we end up using it we can only use it once in a thousand years, it will have a considerable impact on the Earth and its contents. You've seen the morning news, haven't you?" I nodded, understanding the reason why he would not allow me to help Alex with his sword. "The earthquake must happen around the world evenly or some countries will disappear instantly in one night and shock the world. Raising the sword a second time means we say we surrender to you and curse you. When we left. The earth will bring out all the pain for you. Earthquakes, plagues, droughts, floods, erupting mountains, devastating waves may even shift the Earth from its rotation. An accelerated apocalypse."
I try to understand his words. Stare at him fixedly. "It must be very difficult to maintain that integrity. Being a guardian angel when we humans don't even deserve to be protected."
"It is not us who determine whether you are protected, but He-who you call: God, God, Father, Yahweh, God. We are just carrying out His word. He gets hurt as often as he falls in love with you. Maybe it's because you guys are messing around, but also ngangenin." I did not hear his words. He smiled, his face handsome as an angel.
"How long have you been here?"
"Man's time or God's time?"
"I'm still human."
"Three thousand years."
"What's? Are you kidding me?" She laughs.
"I'm too old for you." She said. I laugh.
"Do you have a younger brother?" godaku's. He added laughter between us. This human dime joke hopefully can make the angel in front of me a little amused. Then we fell silent. My hands are on the table. The right hand twirled the coffee cup that I had not yet gulped in the slightest. Sometimes I try to take a deep breath. Then I felt his fingers grab my left fingers. Gave courage to me.
Only the two of us know what will happen here in a matter of hours. Only we know who we're dealing with and what risks this world will pose. In this place, in this Royal Garden Hotel the fate of the world will be determined.
"Maybe I should call my mom, sister and dad later to apologize."
"Yes, that's good." He answered as if. His hand was in the coffee cup. He took his coffee back.
Jeng, you know Amara?
Amara is not the top artist.
The savings of Mr Bambang you mean?
Pa, charity party later at the Kenanga Papa hotel same Mama wear clothes that couple, yes, that we bought in Paris yesterday.
You can too, Ma.
But Papa don't give his contribution to kebablasan, yes, can our poor fall, Pa! Poor poor and abandoned children who keep the state, Pa not us. Papa's duty is to take care of his wife and children.
From sosmed she dong, Jeng. Here, look at me. Uploading photos with the moon in the sky. This caption read dong Jeng.
Ride a private jet, cuiyyy....
I let the voices hit
myself. I looked at Mario. He closed his eyes. Angels and demons can hear the voice of the human heart. He must have been very dizzy for three thousand years hearing our selfishness.
Following him I closed my eyes and let the frenetic world hit me even harder. I can feel everything that is going on out there. Some are working, some are going to school, but some are planning to skip this morning and get together with friends. Some are looking for identity and popularity then so early have mentioned the message in social media. There are women who rush to the market, mendumel because the price is expensive and then greeted rude traders to quarrel and cause heartache and sadness. Or a father who drove on his motorbike to work in honesty and another father who stepped this early with a mature plan of bribery to launch a business for the bright future of his family. There was also a co-worker who devised the downfall of his colleague. There was a child who prayed for the recovery of his father, there was another child who cursed his father and mother because of poverty. Or a writer who spends the night in high fantasy in his bed right in front of his laptop about a one-night love story that finally ends up censored by the editor this morning, then tearing itself. Say a lot more fulgar that's not even censored...About an*******, robbers and religious leaders who even feel holy without sin.
Everything went as usual. No one knows who even thought that tonight, it might be over. Like a candle that has been lit, the world in which we laugh out loud, planning good and bad things for others will end tonight.
Chequek..
Meeting room door open. Reawakened us. One by one my colleagues came in, saying greetings as if just chatting in the morning and then took place in the empty seats. The morning meeting began.
Meetings in the morning and during the day it turns out there is no difference both just for dizziness. The person who intends to be angry no matter the day is still too early, still let go of his anger, like one of the owners of this hotel who has been raising his voice.
"Closing a hotel for one day will make us bear the loss of almost a hundred million especially in an uncertain deadline? Are you crazy, General Manager?!" Mr. Raharja curses from the big screen in the meeting room. He was in Jakarta for an important affair with the central government. I clenched my hand hard. My heart aches because I'm the only one who knows the reason for this closure.
"Who do you think you are?! You only have a five percent stake right now after you've spent your money on charity, the establishment of the parlors and donors remain dozens of social foundations and now you think you still have the power to decide something as important as this yourself?!" Mr. Bily added another spicy remark.
"I know it's a matter of loss that you will suffer, I'll replace it."
"Cuiih, what do you think you're as rich as?!" I want to silence Mr. Aldi's mouth by asking more like him than the Boss of the angel who is in front of us? From our own Creator? But I still try to restrain myself. This angel certainly did not want his existence to be recognized, if he wanted all humans to know who he was he could by opening his suit and then take out his wings and fly all over the world. "You even stayed in a hotel penthouse because we allowed you, you don't have a house. Your only property is that the car was produced only in 1951 and often not."
I glanced at all the people in this room who are now subject to contemplation after stating at the beginning of the meeting that they were not asked for an opinion on the planned closure of the hotel that has spread throughout the archipelago. GM representatives even added oil to the already burning husk about the arrival of several media outlets questioning the closure. Is it because of bankruptcy?
Mario closed his eyes again. She's angel. He can't be angry, but I'm not an angel.
"So it's a money issue?! Okay, come on, let's open this hotel and let you see those demons ruin everything. Come tonight, it will be a night you will never forget if we are alive and the world is still there. Because tonight the battle between humans and demons will begin. Right now you have to choose who you're on: God or Satan?"
"What did you say?"
"I'm human and not an angel like you so I can get angry!"
"What are you talking about?!" ask Mr. Dipraja confused. I prepared to answer, but Mr. Mario's hand immediately smothered my mouth.
"From today we want him fired....!" The video conference connection was cut off suddenly when Mr. Mario flicked his finger. Everyone now looked at me silently and stared, and then Mr. Mario's hand immediately pulled me out of the room. He's so mad at me.
Maybe he should be angry.
Maybe God should be angry too.
Let us know our mistakes and repent.
Might as well.
If there is still time, we can regret and repent.
