Papa To Kirana

Chapter 48 Juan's Story

Alexa and I were in front of a cramped grocery store on a rundown street. We both wear sunglasses so no one recognizes them.

“You sure this is the place?” ask on Alexa that ensures the surrounding conditions are safe.

“Harsa once taught me how to be a spy, now that science I use to find out who has worked with him. Come on, we better get in,” Alexa immediately pulled my arm to get into the store immediately.

An old man looked up from his notebook. The round glasses perched on the man's nose slumped when he saw us.

“You bought what?” ask the old man.

“We want to meet Juan,” Alexa said.

“Juan is busy working if you want bi... “

The old man's words came to a halt and was stunned when Alexa put some money on the cashier's desk.

“We exchange Juan's working hours for this money,” Alexa said with her rest.

The old man shouted to Juan and before long a large tall young man with a rather dark complexion ran away in a row.

Juan seemed confused by the presence of both of us. Especially when Alexa pulled him to one corner of the store.

“Sorry, who are you?” ask Juan.

Alexa takes off her glasses, “I'm Alexa and she's Balin. We came to see you to ask what has happened between Harsa and his late wife, Karina.”

Hearing the word Karina mentioned, Juan immediately prepared. He moved his head to the right and to the left making sure no one was eavesdropping.

Then Juan guided us both to walk between the high shelves of goods. Opening the door to a narrow room that seemed to be used to rest shop workers.

“Please sit!”

Juan pointed to a small sofa chair that had been rickety with foam that had fallen out. The sofa was too narrow for two people to sit on. So me and Alexa sit together. Juan was sitting in a small chair in front of me.

I opened my sunglasses because I couldn't see clearly in the dimly lit room.

“So you guys want to know what happened to Mrs Karina?” juan asked, looking at us both in turn.

“Iya, and why does Harsa hate her own daughter so much?”

Juan was stunned, he tilted his body forward.

“I didn't hear wrong. Real daughter. Means baby conceived Mrs Karina... “

Alexa nods, “Ya, baby survived.”

Then Alexa pointed to me, “Balin who has been taking care of Kirana, the daughter of Karina.”

I cleared my throat interrupting, “Sorry, I don't know exactly who this Juan is?”

“I'm a former gardener who once worked in Mr. Harsa's mansion,” said Juan introduced himself.

“So you know what problem Harsa has with Karina?” tanyaku seriously.

Juan shakes. Alexa and I exhaled in despair.

“Come on, Juan, just say it. We're here to fight for justice for Karina and her father,”.

“Did a third person damage their household? Like Harsa cheating or vice versa, so?” I asked impatiently.

Juan nodded back. Then I cleared up to start telling stories.

“House of Mr. Harsa and Mrs Karina is fine. However, over the past few months, they have gotten into frequent fights.”

“I remember back then, I was mowing the lawn in the back garden, Mr. Harsa and Mrs Karina had a fight on the second floor near the open window. And I saw for the first time Mr. Harsa slap Mrs Karina.”

“What do they fuss about?” my many.

“I don't know either. But there are a few words I heard and I still remember being spoken by Mr. Harsa.”

“What?”

“Tuan Harsa said, he will not hesitate to kill the baby contained by Mrs Karina if she tries to divulge the secret of Mr. Harsa.”

“What secret?” ask Alexa.

Juan shakes. Then keep talking.

“Since then, Mrs Karina was locked up in the top floor room. Not fed and drank. Though Mrs Karina is pregnant.”

“What?” I growled, clenching my hands, hearing Juan's words.

Juan laughed bitterly, and continued the story of how the experience of working as a gardener at Harsa's house.

The servants are afraid of Mr. Harsa. They are often bribed with money to say nothing about Harsa's treatment of Karina. Even Juan told me, Harsa had threatened to slaughter the servants who tried to help Karina.

I lowered my head and suddenly remembered the moment I accidentally met Karina in the pharmacy. She was pregnant but her body was thin and her face looked exhausted.

So at that time, Karina was getting rough treatment from her husband. But why didn't Karina tell me back then?

“The window in Madam Karina's room was nailed and the key to her room was always held by Mr. Harsa,” Juan came back to tell her story.

“But Mr. Harsa once accidentally dropped the key in the park and I secretly duplicated it before I finally returned it to Mr. Harsa.”

Alexa chuckles, “Smart is also you, Juan.”

Juan just nodded slowly. Although I saw her lips puff up a faint smile as Alexa praised her.

“Since then, I have often given food to Mrs Karina without Mr. Harsa's knowledge. I know the risk is very great if I get caught helping Madam Karina, but I also can't bear to see pregnant women tortured like that.”

I must confess Juan's courage. He also claimed to have helped Karina get out of Harsa's house to meet her father and after returning from there, she helps Karina hide the milk box that Karina brought to keep Harsa from suspecting Karina away from her home.

Then Juan was aghast, he glared at me.

“I just remember, at that time Mrs Karina said that pregnant mother's milk was bought by her friend named Balin. Is that you?”

I nodded my head. While Alexa scrunched his forehead.

“But why did Karina return to Harsa's house? He should have stayed at his father's house.”

“Karina knows Harsa is smart, cunning and manipulative. So he did not want to act rashly,” I said guess, but it turns out Juan smiled justifying my words.

“Ya, right. At that time Mrs Karina met her father to discuss her plans to flee abroad.”

“But the plan failed,”. “On the night Karina ran away Karina's father instead had an accident and Karina finally contacted me.”

“Atau could be Harsa himself who has made Karina's father, Indra Irawan, accident,” Alexa also guessed.

“Maybe,” timpal Juan. “On the night Madam Karina ran away, it was the last day I worked. So I don't know anything else.”

“About anything that could be used as evidence that Harsa had committed violence against his own wife? Maybe like CCTV footage?” ask Alexa while squinting.

Juan was bowed with a blank look. He didn't say long, then sighed.

“I'm sure, Mr. Harsa must have deleted the CCTV footage that showed him torturing Mrs Karina.”

Alexa glanced at me, she bit her lower lip looking frustrated.

“How is it, Balin?”

I shook my head not knowing how else to let everyone know about Harsa's rot.

“But wait! Can Mrs Karina's notebook be used as evidence?”

Me and Alexa glanced quickly at Juan.

“I remember, Mrs Karina always wrote a notebook hidden under the floor of the room.”

I moved my body closer to Juan. Looking at the young man was full of seriousness.

“Juan, you want to accompany me to take the book?”

“Of course. For the sake of justice for Mrs Karina.”

Alexa shook her head. He looked anxiously at me and Juan took turns.

“Balin, Juan, are you kidding me? Like you accidentally went into the tiger's cage, and if the notebook isn't there how is it? If caught by Harsa's men how?”

“Alexa, relax! At least we try first,” I said.

“Indeed how will you sneak into Harsa mansion?” alexa asked who still sounded anxious.

“On the rear fence of Mr. Harsa's house, there is an iron door that is connected directly to the path. Mr. Harsa himself did not pay too much attention to the iron door because it was covered by vines.”

“You have that door lock?”

“Sure. That door also used by Mrs Karina ran away from Mr. Harsa's house. So when are we going to act?”

“Tonight too.” I said steady.