Les Laches

44.

Tian walked towards her dressing table with weak steps. The phone he had placed on top of the tissue box, rang since a few minutes ago. However, he did not answer the call because his eyes were still half-open making him a little slow to read the name listed on the screen.

“Halo,” greet Tian without successfully holding the gap at the end of the sentence.

“Still sleeping?” ask the voice across the phone in disbelief.

Tian glanced in annoyance at the wall clock that showed the time at 13:06. “I just slept, Gar. In case you forgot. Indonesia is seven hours better than the UK. So, if you just move there, the humans here are already in unproductive hours and need to rest. Including me.”

“Tumben you took a nap?” asked Afgar without heeding the protests from Tian.

“What's the matter, Gar?” tanya Tian replied ignoring Afgar's question.

“I vidcall, yes,” Afgar said. He did not wait for Tian to agree when he disconnected his phone.

Tian glanced at his reflection in the mirror without intending to tidy up his appearance in the slightest. Although there is nothing to fix other than a shirt with the words “Pajamas all day” that might make the appearance not quite presentable in front of Afgar.  However, the times where Tian felt the need to show an attractive impression in front of the man were long gone. In Tian's eyes, Afgar was no longer the man who made his heart beat faster than normal.

Tian's phone rang back. This time a video call with an Afgar profile photo appeared and filled the screen of his phone. Tian shifted the answer button. Then leaned his phone on the edge of the tissue box because he did not want his hands sore if he had to stabilize the position of his phone during the video call.

“See not this where?” As soon as Tian's face appeared on his phone screen, Afgar switched the angle of his video call to the rear camera and showed a view of the vast green land. In some areas of the land lay neatly trimmed shrubs and trees that molt because of the dry season.

However, Tian's admiration for the expanse of beauty was immediately sidetracked as his eyes caught a tower building standing tall towering in the distance.

“Gar. The one in front of you is Cabot Tower, isn't it?” ask Tian slowly.

“One hundred!” yelling Afgar sonorous. 

Some visitors who were also in the courtyard of the tower building looked at him with disturbed gazes. However, Afgar chose not to care and returned the angle of the video call to his front camera. “I'm way to the tower now, huh?”

Tian nodded vigorously, making Afgar wish he could hug the adorable creature right then and there. 

Tian himself was already fully awake looking at the Brandon Hill scenery shown by Afgar all the way to the tower.

“Be careful,” said Tian reminded when he accidentally saw a narrow and steep staircase when Afgar again gave access to the inside of the tower through his rear camera.

Afgar climbed the steps one by one while imagining the view he would see from the top of the tower. Of the many reviews he read about the place, almost all visitors praised the beauty of the city panorama that can be enjoyed from a height of 105 feet or about 32 meters. In addition, he can also enjoy the intact landscape of one of Bristol's oldest city parks, Brandon Hill.

Afgar also thought of Tian across the phone patiently waiting for him to finish his journey to the top. He had wondered if the girl was here, it would have taken him a while longer to arrive at the top of the tower. A long row of stairs with no place to rest it would certainly make the girl faint from exhaustion. 

Since childhood, Tian did not have good stamina so during school he was always left behind in physical education lessons. Once upon a time, Afgar had invited him to climb Mount Prau and he several times had to carry the exhausted Tian even though he was going through a sloping track. Afgar himself did not feel burdened because carrying Tian on his back was not much different from carrying his carrier.

After about fifteen minutes, Afgar finally set foot on the roof floor of the tower Cabot. The first thing he did was look at Tian's face which for him still looks thrilling despite only appearing wrapped in a loose shirt and cloth pants with knee length. The smile blooming on the girl's face was like a tribute to her efforts to reach the top of the tower which was enough to make her body sweat.

“Anybody see the sights of Bristol from a height of one hundred and five feet?” asked Afgar after his breathing returned to normal.

Afgar hurriedly shifted the camera's viewpoint as he felt his face turn red. He pointed the camera behind his phone towards the bottom of the tower.

Afgar tries to sharpen his hearing to capture the response given by Tian to the scene he shows. However, his efforts are interrupted by the noise of the surrounding visitors who are mostly dominated by teenagers who are three times more excited than him because they managed to conquer hundreds of steps in the tower Cabot. 

Finally, he took out a bluetooth handsfree from his backpack and clogged both his ears.

“−ya, Gar?”

Afgar frowned as he only managed to catch a few sentences spoken by Tian. “What are you talking about, Ti? Sorry, it's so noisy here.”

“Iya. I said the same thing. It's so noisy in there.”

Afgar raised his eyebrows. “No comment on the scene I pointed out just now? I am tired of climbing steep stairs along 32 meters just to give you a look at this view to you, you know, Ti.”

“Bullshit. You ride because you find a good scenery photo object,” Tian sneer.

“Iya. But the picture is your pesenan. I have absolutely no interest in panoramic portrait objects. I prefer people's motto,” reply Afgar.

“Iya, yes, thanks. But I told you the view was ‘GILA REALLY!’ youho. You are the only one who is not listening.”

Afgar only chuckled at Tian's words. The two then continued the discussion about the history of Cabot tower and Brandon Hill park where the building is located.

“Zinc is there, Gar?” tian asked as the two started running out of topics.

Afgar nodded towards his phone. Tian smiled with relief.

“How are you? Have you heard from Meda?” asked Afgar who had prepared the comfort sentences if the question made Tian again moody.

However, Tian showed no expression of sadness at all. He even looks tired. It proved that the girl had repeatedly suppressed her feelings with logic so as not to constantly think about Meda.

Seeing all that, Afgar felt a little furious. His desire to separate the two lovebirds was getting stronger. However, he was smart enough not to do it blatantly. He knew Tian very well and knew very well how the girl's mechanism of thought and action worked. Tian was actually a wise figure, just a little subjective. He sees the truth from his own perspective. Hence, Afgar judged that his act of pretending to support Tian made up with Meda while constantly looking for ways to provoke Meda's jealousy over her relationship with Tian was the most effective way to achieve her goals.

“Ti, do I need to say Meda?” Afgar again urged Tian.

Tian shook his head steadily. “You want to rest right there?”

Afgar hesitated.

“Ya. You think there's a way to go there. Don't talk Meda again,” Tian tengar.

Afgar nodded again with a resigned expression, but relief poured out in his heart.