The Girl Next Door's

The Missing Woman

Deril sat quietly on the bench across the street. They finally arrived after walking for about three minutes. The stalls they came to were not so big, but clean enough for the size of the stalls in the middle of the village. Bayu went in alone. He looked familiar when he passed by the owner of the stall.

"Quickly too," Deril murmured, as he saw Bayu out of the stall while carrying two glasses of warm drink in his hand.

"Now! Jasmine tea. That's all there is," Bayu thrust Deril's glass. "Bu Ayu bertar again here to bring fried bananas."

'Rezeki's down!' Deril became excited. He really likes fried bananas. Especially free.

Bayu sipped his coffee carefully while sitting next to Deril. "Okay, we continued our conversation earlier, huh?"

Deril just nodded. His eyes focused on the middle-aged mothers who were pouring fried banana dough into a large frying pan. The fragrance even smelled up to where they were sitting.

"The woman who was rumored to be missing, her name is Xiao Ying," Bayu began. "She's a Chinese woman who cantiiiiiikkkk really! Must be beautiful, right? She's married to a specialist, anyway!"

"That's Mika's mother?"

"Yes," Bayu confirmed. "The disappearance of the woman is not much different from the time of Ardi's disappearance."

"Don't anyone suspect that these two cases are related?"

"Of course everyone is suspicious" said Bayu quickly. "Doctor Stephen was driven mad because his wife disappeared!"

"Crazy?"

"Yeah, you know! A problem that can make men crazy, yes, only women," Bayu said that while raising the pinky of his left hand. "When Doctor Stephen moved to this village, his wife was pregnant. The reason they moved was because Doctor Stephen wanted his wife to live in a beautiful and comfortable place, far from the hustle and bustle of city life. They are known to be excellent and generous citizens. Doctor Stephen did not hesitate to help this village in financial affairs."

"Doctor Stephen lives next door to my house. The man is friendly and kind."

Bayu sipped his coffee again. "That's what makes people here confused. Perfect nature, great work, and a beautiful daughter are matchless. Sounds like anyone's reason to live, right? But his wife's missing."

"What did the police say?"

"There are many possibilities. I heard this case from my parents who served as a village device. First, his wife ran away with another man who was more powerful than Doctor Stephen. The second possibility, his wife lost when following his son abroad. Shirt-"

"Stop! Stop that!" Deril. "Who's going abroad?"

"Mica."

"Well?"

"Oh, that's another case," Bayu replied lightly. "Stand, break. The fried banana is coming."

Deril's attention was turned to Bu Ayu who came with a plate full of fried bananas. The money made his stomach rumble. Bu Ayu threw a knotty smile as her gaze met with Deril.

"Bule, Yu?" he turned to Bayu while asking with a medok voice typical of the area.

"Yes, Mom! Just try talking to me!" answer Bayu.

Bu Ayu turned his head with eyes full of twinkle. "Well, deg-degan loh I got! Just learned a little English."

"It's okay, Mom! The important thing is sure!" Bayu still teases Bu Ayu.

"Helo, Sir!" Bu Ayu waved excitedly at Deril. "This is very good!" he said while thrusting a fried banana at Deril. "Tri! Try!"

Deril let out a long sigh as Bayu giggled amusedly. "I speak Indonesian, Mom," I'm Deril.

"Oalaaaah!" Bu Ayu directly nailed a punch in Bayu's arm. "You're embarrassing me!" gerutu Bu Ayu's. Bayu only replied with a laugh. After being satisfied to hit Bayu, Bu Ayu turned to Deril. "Take it, Dik, the fried banana! Guaranteed delicious!" tawar Bu Ayu's.

"Thank you, ma'am," Deril tried to be polite. Without a doubt, because his stomach had also screamed for food, Deril immediately tried fried bananas made by Bu Ayu.

"Enak, right?" bayu said full of pride, but he did not make the fried banana.

Seeing the bule enjoying his fried banana, Bu Ayu's smile widened. "This time, the fried banana is free, make an introductory greeting," he said, patting Deril's shoulder gently. "Eat a lot, yeah! Ask again if less. Mom comes in first," she said.

"Make a lot, Mom!" answer Deril before Bu Ayu passes.

"Continue, huh?" ask Bayu.

Deril.

"A second possibility, Doctor Stephen's wife followed Mika abroad. Likely third, his wife was lost during the trip, either by kidnapping, accident, or murder."

"That means the case is big, dong?"

"Yes. The police are here to cooperate with the foreign police. But, there was no trace of the existence of the person named Xiao Ying. At that time, Mika could not be questioned, because Mika had just finished a major operation."

"Well, on to the case!"

"Mika had lived abroad because she had to undergo major surgery. Doctor Stephen said, Mika was accidentally exposed to hot water until it had to be operated on."

"What operation?"

Bayu shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really understand the medical world. Just an operation," he answered. "For sure, Mika spent almost three years abroad before returning here."

Deril drank a lot of warm tea. "Did anything change?"

Bayu shut up for a moment. He remembered the rumors he had heard. "Mika is getting pretty."

'Is plastic surgery possible?' inner Deril. "Then, until now that woman named Xiao Ying, did not meet?"

"No. In fact, the traces alone do not exist. Xiao Ying was pronounced dead two years after his search. Stephen did not want to socialize for how long. Her work is silent at home and often abroad to look at Mika."

"There should be plenty of CCTV around Doctor Stephen's house. He must have been traumatized for losing his wife."

"Doctor Stephen became a regular again, after Mika came back here. But, over-protective there was no opponent!"

"I would do the same if I had a beautiful child" Deril said.

"But, the people here agree, that Mika is a bit different."

Deril. "Different what?"

Bayu scratched his chin. "She was beautiful from birth. But I think his face is a little different. It also changed 180 degrees. From being initially jolly and easy to get along with, Mika becomes quiet and more often confines herself in the house."

"Mmm, maybe she's traumatized by the loss of her mother?" ask Deril.

"Can be. But, I think there's something odd."

Deril thought for a moment. Perhaps, since he had only known Doctor Stephen's family, there was nothing strange to him. Different from Bayu. He and his family have known them for a long time. They feel like something is different.

The sound of the ringing of the mobile phone made the two jump in shock. Bayu hurriedly reached into his pocket to pick up the phone.

"I'm back first, yeah!" his fare when he finished taking a phone call. "My mom wants to go home first because my sister's fussy. You can finish the fried banana. There's still plenty of time to relax before that's over."

"okay."

"I rarely get friends to talk here. Not many kids our age. Next time, I'll go to your house, okay?" Bayu patted Deril's shoulder with a small smile. Without waiting for Deril's answer, Bayu immediately moved from his place.

***