The Journalist

Part 37: I Am Deprived of Everything

The human brain is designed to hold more memory than a computer. Unfortunately, human memory begins to decline as we enter our twenties. There are times that we can not remember anymore or the simple term is forgotten. If normally it is like that, then for the case Yuna experienced it is not impossible that she really cannot return her memories again.

After knowing what happened to Yuna, I took a step back from her life. I decided not to appear in front of him again. I'm not trying to make him remember our relationship either. He survived the threat of life and was not physically disabled like the other victims, has become a gratitude to me. Putting her back in her family's arms is how I make up for the guilt. Guilt for making him have to follow me to this place. Moreover, I had time to think of another woman and put herself aside.

"Please take care of Yuna for me!" I bowed fully in front of Yoshizawa. "Yuna Sakurai .. is not a spoiled and troublesome woman. Instead of wanting to be understood, he preferred to understand the circumstances of the people around him first. He was not picky about food. Even tend to like what we like, such as trying to make our hobby as a hobby as well," I said with slightly foggy eyes, "so ..."

I took a deep breath, then tried to keep smiling so as not to look pitiful.

"Please promise to pay more attention to the way I pay attention to her. Promise me to always take care of her better than the way I look after her. And .. Promise me to continue to love her greater than the way I love her."

"I promise," Yoshizawa replied without hesitation.

Actually, there's a lot I want to tell her. Merely, those words seemed to be swallowed back. As a man, I've lowered my ego by coming looking for him just to say all this. Not wanting to disturb him, I left immediately.

"Ayano-san!"

My steps stopped for a moment. I turned my head back towards him.

Yoshizawa seemed hesitant to say. "If ... someday Yuna's memory returns, can you not return to her?"

I nodded small. "Don't worry. Just treat him as best you can, that way, even if the memory comes back .. there will be no meaning to him anymore."

Yoshizawa is a kind man, always forthright and dedicated. It is appropriate that Yuna's father chose the man as his favorite daughter's future companion. I support her to continue to accompany Yuna through her healing years and also to be the man who occupies her heart in my place.

I'm back at the base. As he opened the door, a balloon containing pieces of metallic paper and gold powder exploded and fell right over my head. Along with that, Aoba, Eiji and So came out while welcoming me cheerfully.

"What's this?" I was surprised to receive a surprise from them.

"Ayano-san, we're partying. Come sit!" So pulled me to the round table where we were putting together the news.

On the table there are several bottles of wine typical of the Middle East. There are also some special foods in this country. Eiji thrust a large glass at me, while Aoba immediately poured the wine. They treated me like a special guest.

"Arigatou. Sorry, I've been troubling you all a lot. I once disappeared, you guys tirelessly looking for me. I want to make some investigative news, you guys helped me. And now, I know you're trying to comfort me from the personal problems that hit me. You guys are really good partners" I said slowly, bowing my head.

"Ayano, you're too formal! Let's just have a drink, but not much!" So invite us all to a toast.

I took my phone out of my pants pocket. I tried to open the e-mail. It turned out that there were a lot of incoming messages from Zaheera. Yes, since Yuna was in an accident, there have been many things that I have ignored including messages from her.

Zaheera: Assalamualaikum, Nissa are you okay? You haven't returned my messages in days. May Allah protect you.

That's just one of the heaps of messages sent to me. Not that I didn't want to return the message, I was just confused and had not found a solution to the news I promised.

"Hey, have you heard about the American feud and Al Jazeera media?" Aoba suddenly opened the topic.

"What's wrong?" so asked while sipping wine directly from the bottle.

"Al Jazeera's media dare to write a strong criticism of the presence of American soldiers which they consider an act of militarization in a number of countries in conflict" Aoba said.

"Bare too, huh, them?"

"Isn't Al Jazeera the bravest media ever? They've even aired footage of Osama bin Laden that's stirring up the whole world, right?"

Hearing their conversation, I suddenly remembered Kamal Malek. Yes, Kamal Malek is one of the journalists working under the auspices of the media. He might be able to make this news release.

"Are you sure Ayano? If you give this news to someone else, your name will not be recorded there and the person who took this news will be considered as a forerunner to the disclosure of this case," Aoba told me.

"My aim is purely to help the oppressed women of this war earth" I replied without a doubt, "don't worry, for your money spent on helping me find information I'll replace!"

Eiji, Aoba and So glanced at each other. Eiji then said to me, "Ayano, we followed you. If you think it doesn't matter if the news is given free to other media. We're a team, you don't have to talk to us like that."

After letting Yuna go, I had to re-leash the precious news that we managed to uncover. With a heavy heart, my first article about the investigation of the incident around, I must leave it to others. I don't want our efforts to be in vain. Especially Zaheera who has helped me a lot in collecting data at the refugee camp. I don't want to break his hope which is also the hope of the survivors.

After all, Kamal Malek is a journalist and journalist from the Middle East media. It's only right if I ask for his help to raise this news. I brought the article along with the data and evidence I had on it. He accepted this news with pleasure. Yes, for those of us who are journalists, news that has not been sniffed is like a hidden pearl.

As we all thought, the news really exploded like a bomb. Just less than five days after breaking into the media headlines, the news was able to draw international attention. Many heads of state denounced the amoral act. The UN spoke up by admitting honestly about the information circulating and conveying their apologies and will investigate the case completely.

The effects of the uproar of the article provoked the media around the world to release the same news. I read articles that are now at the top of the most searched news. This writing is still purely from me, there are no additions or deletions from their editors. This makes me happy, although the bitter thing still feels when looking at the bottom corner of the article is written Kamal Malek's name is not my name.

Amid a wave of heated news with the revelation of a number of new facts, Kamal Malek received the Pulitzer¹ award and the Freedom of speech award for being considered brave to reveal this humanitarian case.

It would be hypocritical if I admitted that I was not sad because the award that many war journalists dreamed of now fell on him for the hard work of me and my colleagues. The natural instinct of man is to regret as easily as I am currently experiencing. However, my slump did not last long as I received a message of gratitude from Zaheera.

"Please pass along my message to the journalists who helped bring this case to light. Thanks to the news, the world began to care for and protect us. She has truly been the hero of justice for many women in this country" Zaheera wrote.

"Yes, I'll get your message to him" I said as I was.

"So, your best friend is an Egyptian journalist who works in Al-Jazeera media?" He returned my message.

It seems Kamal Malek is so famous that Zaheera immediately knows it. The choice to give the article to Kamal Malek was right. Because, if the news was first released by the Japanese media and profiteered my name as a writer, maybe Zaheera would assume I was lying because he said he did not recognize any Japanese journalists.

"Yes. He's the one who helped us" I replied. Even to Zaheera I was unable to claim to be the original author of the news.

"In my opinion, journalists are a profession that is no less great than other professions on the face of this earth. It may not make people rich or famous all of a sudden. But this profession is feared and respected business people, mafia, political figures, even the ruler in every country. For me the work of journalists is like a star in the sky that is always believed to exist even though it does not shine" Zaheera said in a later message.

I was so excited to read a piece of her message. It's like getting a new energy.

In the gripping silence of the night, I stared at the pitch-black sky where not a single star was visible there. Suddenly, I immediately remembered Zaheera's words.

I thought I was a failed human being. As a journalist, I cannot voice directly the voices of the oppressed. As a man, I was too weak and swayed with my unstable feelings. And as a lover, I have failed to maintain my love. But from all the failures that I experienced, I also reached a conclusion that the journey of one's life is not really smooth. Because life is not the same as a fictitious script that sells dreams.

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footnote 🦶🦶🦶

Pulitzer Prize: the highest and most prestigious award in journalism for journalists with the best written work.

as the cave once alluded to in the narrative, so these war journalists are the highest caste of journalistic gays. Because of their risky duties, they are awarded many non-canned awards from internationally.