TERRA EMPIRE: ON THE EVE OF WORLD WAR
Episode 9: A TRIP ON THE SUBWAY THAT MORNING
“Good morning..”.
“Good morning, beautiful lady..” reply the fat black woman who is busy with her fryer in the kitchen. “...lekas breakfast, omelet eggs and sausage to the cold.”
“Waah, you are the greatest,Nana..” praise Lana.
Lana took off a happy smile looking at the cook-appointed plate on the table. The smell of grilled meat never failed to make her stomach churn, and it was indeed this kind of food that she needed this morning. Before enjoying it the girl asked the housekeeper, “Dad where?”
“Mr McQueen is not awake yet. He just wrote me a message to make some meat and peas stew later. Maybe he worked till late at night.”
“I don't think I heard him coming home last night,” Lana frowned.
“Maybe he didn't go into miss's room because he didn't want to wake you.”
“But dad still had time to put his stuff here?” Lana laughs amusedly to find a cardboard box with a paper patch that says ‘To McQueen’ at the table next to the stove.
Nana put her lips together, “That made me anxious all morning. I'm afraid it contains something sensitive to fire and will explode when exposed to heat when I cook.”
“Move it if you're worried.”
“Miss remember what your father reacted to when I moved his stuff last time?
Of course Lana still remembers, it happened three days ago, Nana took Lana's father's shirt off the couch in the room to iron. His father had advised earlier that Nana tidied up the clothes to be used work until slippery, and not unexpectedly the entire electrical circuit at home exploded. When the iron pad touches the shirt, the heat generated from the electric current turns around with twice the power of the previous one, burning the plug hole and also the mainline controller fuse of the house.
As a result they have to experience the lights of the house to die all day, before it can be repaired at a cost that is certainly not small. The little accident left Lana's father nagging incessantly that day. Nana warns him many times not to touch the things he brought from the laboratory.
Lana giggles, “It's not your fault either, Nana! You don't know if it's the project stuff in the lab.”
“Because I've been kapok,” Nana shakes her head while putting on a look pretending to be sad. “Let only the master who tidied up his strange items by himself.”
“Same as I have to go alone to school,” Lana goda.
“I don't think you mind if miss wears Vector for a while. After all the car can go home automatically, right?”
Lana shook her head, “No, Nana! I'm taking the subway.”
“What makes you comfortable, miss.” comments the black woman with a big smile.
“Naah, I have finished eating,” said Lana. “I leave first, Nana!”
“Happy learning, miss!” Nana nodded. “Just leave the plate on the table. I'll get it done in a minute.”
The nearest Subway Station is three blocks from her house but for Lana McQueen it's fine. He was happy to be able to walk in the morning. Much could be seen along the way and also gave him a chance to think, although that morning there was nothing specific he wanted to think about except what was happening in the school cafeteria.
No one's ever defended her like that. It might also be because he has no close friends, but other kids do tend to step aside or look for safety when dealing with Allen's rugby gang. Either Jordan was too brave or too stupid, which obviously got him battered.
Lana felt guilty. Not only because the guy defended her but also because she had not had the time to say thank you. He actually wanted to see Jordan's condition after being taken to the school clinic. Unfortunately he was a little late for class and it turned out that Jordan was no longer in the clinic. The school's clinic doctor told me that Jordan had gone home first. When Jordan went to school today, Lana wanted to see him and thank him for what he did yesterday.
Ten minutes later Lana was inside the Subway station. Subway officers informed the loudspeaker that the train was coming soon. Like the others, the girl stood in the queue and entered with the other passengers when she saw Jordan Cross in the carriage he was about to ride.
Jordan, who also saw him, smiled. It's just that his smile is not as wide as usual because the guy is like he is holding back the pain of swelling in his jaw, “Hai, Lana.”
“Again, Jordan!” reply Lana while looking closely.“How are you doing?”
“Still alive as you see.”
“The Head of School called Allen's parents and friends this morning. They will be tried by him, along with their children. How about you?”
“She asked you anything about what happened in the cafeteria?”
“Many! But what he most wants to know is of course who started it.”
“Something unquestionable, isn't it?” lana's Comments.
“Of course! He's already collected a lot of information from me.”
“Means it doesn't seem like she needs it from me,” Lana mangosteen. “While I'm ready to be called.”
“From our talk it doesn't feel!”
“I'm glad you're okay,” said Lana.
“Thanks!” Jordan nodded with clumsiness.
“Dan...” Lana felt her tongue was a hoax but there was nothing more appropriate than this moment to express it. “....I thank you for defending me from those son of a bitch yesterday.”
“No problem!” Jordan smiled in a way that made Lana's heart flutter. “You will definitely do the same when it happens to me.”
Lana shook her head with chuckling laughter, “not necessarily, anyway!”
Jordan groaned, “And I thought you were ready to be called to my defence in case I was going to be in detention like Allen.”
“That's what you think,” Lana grinned.
“Sorry once I ask that..”.
Jordan's words made Lana giggle amused…
At Miller and Rainbow Station, the two got off the train along with other students who were also heading to Lynbrook High. Most of the passengers on the train to that end are schoolchildren from Lynbrook High. No wonder because the area is not a business center or settlement. Without Lynbrook High the station is a quiet place among the 18 Subway Stations leading from San Francisco to San Jose.
The girl had just wanted to ask something when she stepped outside the station but she broke her mind when she found Jordan suddenly glued to the television set near the ticket counter. TV on the station was airing a news broadcast from CNN about the attack that destroyed the American military headquarters based in Baghdad, Iraq. The attack was an Iranian-launched missile, allegedly in retaliation for an American drone strike that killed General Sulaimandi.
The figure of the broadcaster on TV disappeared for a moment replaced by images of high-ranking Iraqi officials who regretted how this incident took place in his country. The official said that the dispute between the neighboring country and the United States should have been done without involving his country. He called on Iran to immediately apologize for the attack on the Iraqi government. Because if not, this problem can be long-tailed.
“This is already crowded so news on the internet. Could this be the beginning of the third World War like many people's opinions?” Lana asked after Jordan interrupted her attention.
“Hopefully no! I don't like war.”
“Who likes, eh?” Lana responds. “That's why I don't
ever follow the news about him.”
“The problem with this one has been bothering me since a few days ago.”
“How can it?”
“Nightmare!” Jordan answered. “Some times I have had nightmares that I was in the military base hit by that missile and I burned in it.”
“Really?” Lana flabbergasted. “It was terrible..”.
***
