Lutfi Gilang's

14. Last Message

I woke up in bed that night. With a heavy head I tried to get up. Trying to clarify my view in the dim room, the irradiation only comes from the moonlight and its friends, the stars. A sign that this has entered at night, the ration to sleep.

There was no sound of Jaja and Kusnandar as before that greeted me from dreamland after fainting. It is possible that the New Prisoner has not returned from his affairs, while the old man is being held captive by the leader of this place, I am sure.

Now, regret incarnates my heart and brain. Feeling that my actions this afternoon were very careless, or maybe I got emotional because of seeing the murder in front of my own eyes, the murder caused by me did not quickly fulfill the wishes of the leader of this place, he said, the murder was due to my mistake.

I'm still a kid! Inexperienced! Goddamnit!

I catch my breath, trying to control the heart rhythm to reduce tightness in the chest. Not long after I heard the voice of people calling me: "Nine-eight-nam," That's a familiar voice. Hermann!

"How can I hear his voice? Has he been transferred to the South cell? Or was it me who went back to my previous hammock?" I was just wondering myself. Get out of bed and get closer to the source of the sound.

"You awake?" tanyakanya.

"Ah," I'd say.

"How are you doing?"

"Not worse than this afternoon. Whatdoyouwant?"

"Ha ha ha... You really can't talk, can you?"

"Hmmm.." I muttered.

"I heard your troubles from Aaron, .. I'm sorry for your subordinates." he said with pity.

"Even he is not yet my subordinate" I replied listlessly.

"Don't blame yourself, it's a decision he made himself. You just have to respect the choice" he said. "After all, you didn't force it, did you?"

"Ah," I'd say. "So, what do you really want to say?"

"That's right!" he said a little exclaiming. "I have two news for you. From me and your friends, which one do you want to hear first?"

"Tell me what you want to say" I responded.

"Ha ha ha, your language is really strange." he said. "Look, you won't be able to beat Yatno—"

"Yatno?" ask me to interrupt the sentence.

"Yes, the tattooed man who beat you up." replied Herman.

"Do you know about him?" ask again.

"Yes. I fought him many times and never won" he said. "Don't you mock me by laughing at me!" snapped it.

"Absolutely not. To be honest, you're stronger than me." I'm saying.

"Ha ha ha. Where might I be stronger than you. I was knocked unconscious by you. Don't forget that!" his weakness.

"Just luck," I deny.

"Luck that only you can make" he responded.

"Hmmm.." I muttered. "it feels a little strange to be able to talk this way with someone who is my opponent."

"Ear!" tepiss. "Now I'm no longer your opponent. I have no business to have trouble with you."

"Hmmm...." I muttered. "so what about Yatno?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah!" yells. "He told me himself that he used to be a martial arts coach, and indeed he himself had an invulnerability. So, an attack like anything won't work on him." Herman explained. "I've even seen that guy get shot at by a state brew and not die. Not even a little hurt!" he said starting to exclaim.

"Like a movie," I responded.

"You think I'm kidding?" tanyakanya.

"No" I answered. "There are some people who do master the science of invulnerability. But. I can't even attack him,"

"Hmmm.." he muttered. "I'm sure, it's because you're not as focused as your previous fight,"

I'm silent. Thinking about Herman just now. And of course it's not wrong. I admitted it a few minutes ago.

"Listen, I understand from the movements you use, you can also martial like Yatno. There's a chance that you can beat that guy if you focus more" he argued.

"Thank you for the advice" I replied.

"Yes, but of course you can't trust the Director that he'll give you the throne if you win" Herman added.

"So, what plan do you suggest for me?" I asked.

"Ha ha ha... You don't like pleasantries, do you?" He asked back.

"Ah," I'd say.

"Me, Mabonk, Lucas and Burhan will help you" Herman said.

"Unfortunately, I won't be able to pay anything" I said.

"You'll have everything if you become a director. So, you don't need to be confused about your debt." responded Herman.

"Suck!" his anger made me confident in my hypothesis. "So, you take it?"

"With your generosity? Of course I accept!" I said to be satisfied. "Only, no one knows tomorrow. And I can only hope, hopefully according to your plans."

"Tch! You speak as if you were going to die tomorrow." said Herman. "Calm down, I'm sure everything will go according to plan!" He exclaimed!"

"Ah," I'd say. "So second thing, what do you want to tell me?"

Herman muttered for quite a while before finally his hand slipped through the cracks of the iron bars and laid down a piece of paper.

"From who?" my many.

"The old man, who lived in one room with you before" he replied.

"Where is he?" I asked again.

"Hown room itself. The subordinate of the head of this place sent you back to your original habitation room." Herman explained.

"Now that I understand, that's why I can't see Jaja and Kusnadi. Thank goodness the old man was not arrested" my heart said.

"Tell me, what else you want to know." asked Herman a few seconds later.

"You know about that old man with no number in custody at the gym a week ago?" my many.

"Penja mean?" He asked back.

"Ah," answered.

"What I know is that he likes to go in and out of prison and have a twin" Herman said.

"Turns?"

"Yes. But no one knows who the twin is. I've never seen his twin myself. Maybe, it's just bird news."

"Hmmm...." I muttered. "what about a man named Jupri?"

"Jupri The Broomker?!" asked Herman a little exclaiming. "That guy died three years ago, why do you want to know?" tanyakanya.

"I just want to make sure of something." I replied. "Alright, thanks for all the help."

"Of course!" emphatically. "But to be honest, I thought you'd ask me where I got the letter from."

"From a rat, right?" many ensure.

"Where do you know?" Herman asked back.

"I once read that rats are used as couriers. Letter or food. There's also a GPS signal to keep an eye on the guards" I explained.

"Tch! You know a lot. Goddamn bum!" complained Herman.

"Thank you for the compliment" I responded and got up and sat back in bed.

I'm setting my breath. Open the letter in my palm and try to get the night light to shine on it. Then I read the message inside.

"Hi Bung, stationery and coffee Bung I've made one behind the bed Bung. I hope you spend that coffee."

No sender name. But from the style of language and form of writing that extends Latin I am very sure that it is Kusandi writing.

"What does this mean? Why would he send me a message like this? I told you the coffee was for him, why does he still keep it for me? Wh why? What's up?" I can only wonder for myself behind the gripping cold of the night.

🚶🚶🚶

Monday, 25 February 2019.

The officer woke me up early in the morning, before breakfast time. When I got up and faced him I was shocked to death after he said: "Take your things, you're free."

Whether I should be happy or not, given that tomorrow I have to fight the Director to get help from him to find Kusnandar's people, and otherwise the old man's life is in danger. However, on the other hand, I did have to go back looking for Lutfi after almost a whole month of not getting any updates from him. Hows it? What am I supposed to do now?

"God! Get out! You are free!" snapped it.

"Wait a minute, why am I being released?" I asked, as well as trying to refuse my release today.

"Your demands have been dropped. The problem is over." the officer explained.

"Imust be!" my tangkis.

"If you don't want to go out now, I'll lock you up for a year!" threaten her.

With a heavy breath, I exited my detention room following the officer's steps. In my brain I just keep struggling about the plan that failed miserably and the bad fate that will befall the old man.

After picking up my stuff in a quiet South cell— no Jaja, no Kusnadi—and bribing the officers not to confiscate it, then receiving my gear before going to jail, and replacing the prisoner's clothes with normal human clothes, I stood in front of the porter while facing a place that already felt like home to me.

Now, it's hard to leave this place. Especially with the bad things that will happen tomorrow. I really cannot imagine what tomorrow will be like, and what the anger of the leader of this place will be like tomorrow. I can only hope, may bad things not happen to Kusnadi, may he not die, may the people who support me also not die, may all be well, may all be well, because I can't do anything. "Everyone, take care of yourself."

I turned the body. Legs up. Exit Class I Central Jakarta State Prisoner House.