The Dusk of the Middle East

Episode 27's

The head chef ordered the kitchen crew to add a table where to put food, so that the queue is not too long with additional passengers boarding. The new passenger, still dressed in all black, greeted, though their faces were sinister, but they smiled kindly.

The canteen is getting crowded. The crew is busy, some are adding food, some are taking dirty dishes.

"Om night. Robin greeted cheerfully.

"Night." Joseph answered only short."

"You wanna play guess not om?" Robin offers, excited.

"It's best not, sir. The long queue behind" Mang Jajan reminded softly as he turned towards Joseph, "Good night, Yusuf. Hey, you look tired. Your eyes are red and your face is pale."

"All right..." Robin agreed to be disappointed, even though he was prepared with questions that he thought were difficult.

"If you are tired of rest, Joseph. Don't push yourself too much." Mang Jajan kept stepping. The group moved forward in line.

Joseph nodded slowly, not answering. His eyes aimed at the fifty-six black-clothed men in front of him.

"Mother Anna!!" Robin exclaimed loudly making people look over.

"Mang, Mamang, this is Anna's mother, Robin's teacher. Ah, it's a pity that sister Mei didn't eat at the cabin."

"I just saw Anna's mom eating in the cafeteria, or just because of the different seats so I don't know?" Mang Jajan asked.

"We've never eaten in the cafeteria, Mang." Anna's mother's husband answered. A man of Chinese descent, thirty years old, sepantaran with Saleh and Joseph.

"You cook in the cabin?" Mang Jajan smiled, "We also brought cookware and groceries. But, the young masters preferred to eat in the canteen. Only Miss Mei can't come because she's still nauseous."

Saleh, who was sitting near the Riau Sultanate, and two temporary school teachers, stole the hearing. May still nauseous? Ah, he hasn't seen Mei yet, her lover.

Anna's mother's husband shook his head, "We don't cook. I took food in the cafeteria because my wife wasn't too comfortable in a crowded place. She's shy."

Everyone looked at Anna's mother. Makes Anna's mother look wrong at the look. Ann's mother squeezed out her sweaty fingertips. If he followed his heart's wishes, he had left the canteen and returned to eating in the cabin. Anna's mother felt that at any moment someone would know who she was.

"How's the fried chicken, Robin? Delicious?" Seeing Anna's uncomfortable mother, Saleh switched the conversation.

"Enhak, Khakak Saleehh." Robin replied with his mouth still filled.

"Don't talk while chewing, Robin. You could choke on it." Saleh chuckled small.

Robin swallows her food quickly before her brother, Robert, chides along.

The adult passengers immediately engaged in conversation. The entourage of the Riau sultanate spoke with Mr. Hatta and Mr. Andipati about the road and land transportation conditions of the island of Java, comparing it to the conditions in Riau.

"Bao. Can I talk to you later." Saying Saleh, whispering.

Mang Jajan nodded.

"That's Chinese clothes, Mr. Robin." Anna's mother's husband explained when Robin whispered, again asking her brother, what was the name of the bright clothes that Anna's mother often used.

"Our ancestors are from Singkawang, Kalimantan. But our parents were born and settled in the Percinaan area of Manado City. My wife and I have been friends since I was a kid in that Chinese village, being separated for a while because my wife moved to Manila."

"Well, Manila?" Robin was immediately attracted, turning to Saleh who was busy talking to Mang Jajan.

"Sister Saleh," Robin interrupted the conversation, "We're eating in Manila, aren't we?"

"Robin, don't interrupt an adult conversation." Robert nudged his sister's arm, glaring.

"It's okay." Saleh laughed, "God willing, Robin. We'll eat in Manila."

Robin cheered, god willing.

"Master, don't bother, Saleh. Miss can be angry later." Mang Jajan reminded.

"I'm not a hassle, Mang. Just remind, who knows brother Saleh forgot."

Amidst the conversation that morning, people did not notice Mother Anna's anxious-looking face. She held her husband's arm several times, whispering something. Her husband whispered back, faintly heard about, "Nobody knows about Manila, Bou. There's no."

.

.

.

"Where have you been, Saleh?" Joseph opened his eyes, still squinting next to him. Yusuf slept more often in Saleh's cabin.

"What time is it now?" Joseph crawled, trying to look at the clock on the table. It's still dark outside, "Jeez at four in the morning and you just got back to the cabin?"

Saleh sat beside Joseph, his face bent in such a way, "I am from the cabin of the family of May. I went to see him, saw his condition. She's so fragile."

Joseph was surprised, opening his eyes perfectly.

"Then how? Is she really pregnant?"

Saleh just nodded in response.

"Damn, how could it be?"

"What how can it be? Of course because we did." Saleh cut off Joseph's head.

"Yes, I know. I meani. Ah, I don't know." Joseph was at a loss for words.

"I'll tell you the truth we're married."

Joseph's response was the same as Heiho's response when Mei said the same thing. Joseph laughed mockingly, not believing.

Saleh explained to Joseph as Mei explained the case to Heiho.

"Thank God you're married. What about the continuation of your relationship? Doesn't it matter if Sergeant Heiho knows?"

"He already knows."

Yusuf was shocked again, patting his head. He looked at Saleh worried, afraid that Sergeant Heiho would do something to his friend.

"Don't look at me like that, Joseph. Take it easy, I'll take care of that damn Sergeant. How dare he make Mei choose between leaving me or aborting her."

"What?" Joseph made sure his hearing was not wrong.

"If Mei doesn't choose both, then Mei should divorce me."

Joseph cursed damn.

Saleh chuckled, comforting his friend if all he had arranged well.

Later that night, on the shore of the two outermost ships, on the darkest side. Saleh was smoking a cigarette, waiting for the arrival of his men. Fifty-six men in black yesterday rising from the port city of Coron arrived on the second floor deck, standing before Saleh. Subject respect.

"Good night, Boss." Say hello to two men at once. They both look about the same age as Saleh.

"Fahri, Rio, I have a duty for you." Saleh called out his second name. Fahri is the man with the lily tattoo on his left neck, while Rio has a black lily tattoo hidden behind the long sleeves of his suit.

"Before, have you seen your young lady?"

Everyone nodded in unison.

"She's my wife, Mei De Houten. You guys know him, right? No matter who her parents are. Now she is my wife, as well as your young lady. If anyone doesn't like him, you can get out of the Black Lili Gang." Saleh said softly but in a threatening tone, a dark aura that was rarely seen came out from his body.

No one let out a voice.who dared to refute Saleh the leader of the Black Lili Gang. True enough, Saleh was a big Mafia boss. No one knows about this, not even Mei and Joseph.

Saleh had heard everything from May. He told the woman to leave all the trouble to him, let him scrape Sergeant Heiho. The plan will soon be revealed.