Lady Sherlock: The First Unofficial Case
36: The Clever Little Devil
#NOTE: EVERYTHING TYPED HERE IS FICTION. PLEASE READERS DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND ALL THE THINGS WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR!
[NOTE: THEY USE ENGLISH WHEN TALKING!]
"Disregarding Hazelia, he was nostalgic about his time with Lazul. Only Lazul understood himself at that time. He was really hoping to meet the man again," Alkaf said, turning everyone's eyes, "we can continue the story."
Morning that day, though,
At 11:15 AM,
In the living room of the orphanage ...
"Ka ... Ka Hasel benal-benal will pelgi jau?—Kak .. Hazel's sister really going far?" ask a child of the same age as little Haz. He grabbed the little girl's hand, then continued, "Don't pelgi .. later can't play together—Don't go .. later can't play together."
"Novita," called Mother Shinta softly as she held the child's shoulder, "sister Hazelia will definitely visit again to see us. Isn't that right, Hazelia?"
Huh! Adults are good at lying! Mother Shinta doesn't want me back for what sweet talk? think little Haz. He did not answer Mother Shinta's question, but embraced the little girl of his age named Novita. She whispered in Novita's ear, "I'll be back to play together. Yes wait!"
Novita with her innocent face, gazing with teary eyes at little Haz, "Promise?" she stretched out her little finger towards little Haz, replied by the little girl by hooking her pinky.
"Promise."
Lady Li forcibly pulled little Haz. He obviously did not like the girl at all. "We don't have time for sweets! Our ship will be leaving soon!" yells. Even Mr. Li himself to the point of pressing his head stared at his wife's behavior towards the little boy. Looks like they have a grudge against little Haz.
"Then we say goodbye. See you soon." Mr. Li seemed to be more friendly than Madam Li. He knows better manners and how to respect others, even if it's a child.
"Bye bye!" yell little Haz.
"See you Hazelia!" they all shouted back at him.
A heartwarming farewell atmosphere, at the same time festive.
Mr. Li herded little Haz into the back seat of the TOYOTA GREAT COROLLA— car of the rich in the 1990s.
From the window of the car, little Haz stared at the orphanage further away from the view. Until the tip of the home disappeared completely from his view. Replaced paved roads and housing that are increasingly foreign. He knew they were going to the port to board a ship there.
Little Haz sat quietly in the car, unlike most fussy little kids when told to linger in the thing with the roaring engine. He read the follow-up to JOSTEIN GAARDER's SOPHIE WORLD novel that read a quarter, as if he had gotten used to riding in a car.
The journey from the orphanage to the port in the Capital of West Kalimantan Province only takes about fifteen minutes. And during the journey, little Haz busied himself reading the novel, leaving Mr. Li stunned by his calm nature.
Actually, little Haz would not be taken to live with Mr and Mrs Li. She will live alone with a babysitter Mr. Li hired for her. The world is hard and cruel. The reason why Mr. Li could not bring little Haz to live with him was because Madam Li did not like him. So, Mr. Li decided to take him to his parents' hometown in North Sumatra, PematangSiantar City.
Li's family's TOYOTA GREAT COROLLA car is stuck in traffic in front of the port. There were a lot of cars waiting in line there, long, winding like snakes.
Little Haz exhaled a rough breath, staring exasperatedly at the cars ahead that were sounding the car horn loudly. The sounds are deafening. He did not focus on reading the novel. In the end, he gave up and covered his ears with both palms. A storm! thought. He was very upset with a place like this, a place filled with commotion, which was actually not necessary.
Little Haz gazed far out the window of the car glass, looking at the ships that were beginning to sail away from the harbor, the fishing boats that had just returned with their large catch, the, and small sampans belonging to the children of fishermen who floated quietly on the water. Natural scenery that really calms the mind, among the clamor of car horns that are mutually unpretentious and echoed in the air.
Mr. Li looked at the smiling little Haz towards the scene above the water. He attached a bottle of cold drink to the little girl's cheek.
Little Haz was shocked because of the cold temperature that was felt on his cheek. Then, he turned his gaze towards Mr. Li.
"For you," said Mr. Li, shaking a bottle of cold drink before little Haz.
"Thank you." Little Haz accepted it. At least, for him the cold drink can cool his head from the noisiness of the horns, even if only briefly. He squeezed the contents of the bottle of cold drink. He thought it contained the juice he usually drank, in fact it was not. It was a bottle of fermented milk drink, known as yoghurt.
The price of a bottle of yogurt on the market at that time was very expensive. Only a few people can buy it. Small Haz including lucky to enjoy the fermentation of the original milk sold at that time—remember in the future, fermented milk alone must be mixed using chemicals.
Haz's small face instantly changed as she sipped the yogurt, her forehead shrinking, holding back the acidic sensation that filled her sense of taste. Em ... It's strange! Rich people always drink like this? thought innocently.
Back to the situation in the patient's room ...
"Hm .... Ahhaha!" their laughter all exploded instantly.
"Shttttt!" The sisters patrolled the hospital hallways, opened the doors of the patient rooms they occupied and told them to turn down the sound. It was already nine in the night that some of the patients who wanted to sleep would be interrupted by the sound of their laughter.
"I'm sorry" Alkaf said to the nurse. The door closed again.
"It turns out he can be so innocent!" milla whispered. She certainly did not want to be warned twice by the hospital sisters.
"Look at Miss Hazelia's face, it's that red" Andrian said.
"Shut up!" hiss Haz did not accept them all.
"Aw~ Very sweet ...." Even until Jelkesya followed.
"Enough! I am adorable. I won't deny it." Haz smiled sweetly, but his eyes glared sharply.
"No need to be offended. I'll continue the story." Alkaf is good at melting the atmosphere.
About five hours of waiting,
The port of the Capital of West Kalimantan Province ...
Little Haz had already been through various places in the harbor. From small stalls; people selling fish, meat, vegetables, and fruit along the side of the road; houses; small farms; shops selling snacks; and so on; souvenir shops. Almost everything he saw. And, he only realized that a world as big as that— was wider than just going around in the city; meeting people he already knew.
Little Haz did not ask much from Mr and Mrs Li, because he was used to living frugally in an orphanage. If you want something, then he must help Mother Shinta, both at home and sell vegetables from small garden harvests in the market. Usually he's with Lazul who does it. If he and Lazul wake up late, then instead they have to help with homework—clean up every corner of the house, cook food for the kids, and some other work.
Asked by Mr. Li also he had no interest in buying anything, except when passing by a bookstore. His eyes glimmered toward the novel JOSTEIN GAARDER entitled EL DIAGNOSTICO: Y OTROS RELATOS and SOLITARY MYSTERY.
Mr. Li got out of his car, got into the bookstore. She seemed to know what little Haz wanted. He bought SOLITARY MYSTERY books and THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY by JOSTEIN GAARDER for the little girl.
"Thank you." Mr. Li knew how many times he had heard those two words spoken from little Haz's lips.
As for Mrs Li, she did not like to see her husband indulge the son of Jonathan Li, her own brother-in-law. Every time he saw Mr. Li indulging the little girl, he must have grumbled, muttering long with sentences that little Haz himself did not want to know what it meant.
Mr. Li himself could barely read JOSTEIN GAARDER's book full of wise philosophies, puzzles, strange, yet real and realistic. But, seeing little Haz who is fond of books like that, makes her sure that she is really Jonathan Li's only daughter, and that she is, a man who is a genius from small to successful export-import abroad. The future of this child is very bright, he thought.
Finally it was also their turn to board the ship after waiting for almost five hours.
Little Haz stared at the large ship in amazement. He never saw her this close. He had only heard of it a few times from the rich who were wandering the area in search of the natural resources available, exploiting them to fulfill their own passion for wealth.
Little Haz got out of the car when the dead object was parked neatly in the boat. He could see foreigners doing different types of activities inside the ship. Starting from the guards who searched the ship for things that were not desirable; young couples who were dating and making out; families who played and laughed cheerfully; and; many other things.
"Hello little boy," call a man to little Haz.
The girl looked over and found a sad face. But, he was not afraid at all and instead put on a flat look to the man. He could have dumped the books in his arms if only the man had dared to mess with him. Although later he will feel regret later, but life is the most important.
"Where are your parents?" ask the man. He doesn't seem to want to do anything bad to little Haz.
"I don't have Papa and Mama" said the little Haz innocently.
"Eh?! How can I get on the boat?" ask the man.
Little Haz looked at him with an annoyed look. Parents like to piss kids off, right? thought. The little girl ignored the question of the man she had just known and rushed to find a quiet place to read a book.
Before that, little Haz was told Mr. Li not to carelessly wander around. He said there were a lot of bad people there. But, according to Little Haz, Master and Lady Li were also bad people. They think he's an item that can be bought at will? Even dared to leave a small child in the midst of the vastness of the ship they were riding. Fortunately, little Haz had heard that the room he was going to ride in was on the first floor of the ship deck. She got room number 23, while Mr and Mrs Li got room number 24.
The length of their trip to North Sumatra is really not short. Before they go there, they also have to transit through a port in the country's capital.
Fortunately, the facilities on board are quite complete and luxurious. In fact, there are lounging spots and swimming pools. Of course, all of that is covered when buying boat tickets. The price is not cheap at all. In the 1990s, the price of luxury boat tickets with complete facilities in Indonesia at that time was Rp. 50,000,-/adult and Rp. 35.000,-/children. Very high prices in the 1990s.
Little Haz came to a bar on the boat. Everyone looked at him, gaping, and thought, What is a little boy for in a place like this?! Did his parents not take good care of him?
In fact, little Haz is just looking for some quietness to continue his JOSTEIN GAARDER novel. He climbed up to the bar. The man who had followed her shook his head, dizzy with the treatment of the four-year-old girl.
The bartender, when he saw the man sitting next to little Haz, stared at the little girl, whispering, asking her, "This is your son?"
"No!" he said, whispering back, "I found this boy in the middle of the ship all by myself. He said he had no Mom or Dad! I didn't expect him to walk in here!"
The bartender looked back at little Haz. He was stunned to see a four-year-old boy, with a flat face, reading a heavy reading book by a famous Norwegian writer! He knew that JOSTEIN GAARDER was a writer who wrote a book from the perspective of children. However, the words in it .. ugh .. are very difficult to digest. But, the little girl easily opened one by one, sheet by page of the book. "I'm sorry," she said, "but is this little boy just as fuzzy as a grown woman? Reading the book of a famous Norwegian writer with an age that is too unpredictable? Am I being an object of a television show with a hidden camera?"
Back again ...
"I can imagine the expression on his face! He must have been very shocked to see the little boy," milla chuckled, "he looks like a fool who can't read the book! Seeing a child carrying three types of books with the same author's name .... I can't help my laughter, sorry. Haha. How ridiculous!"
