The One Thousand Days

Chapters 14. Coincidentally Planned

I walked quickly into the house with long steps. My mind is full because I'm still not sure if Geral killed that dog last night. It felt like the reason for killing because the dog was barking at him sounded ridiculous and absurd. Dogs that may not even be related to it. Damn, I did not find that reason in this case even though I was trying to find a justification in Geral's actions.

When he opened the door and stepped inside, Geral could not be seen wandering around. My house is as quiet as usual. My eyes combed in all directions, the young man did not appear anywhere even when he went to his room, the room was empty. I just turned around and was about to come out when my eyes fell on the dirty laundry basket in the corner of the room. The shirt Geral wore last night should be in that place. My limbs stepped quickly and immediately crouched down. Without waiting for a long time to open the basket. I nodded, the basket was empty.  I was a step late.

“Honey!”

I gasped as Geral's voice sounded in unison with her hands wrapped around my neck. Unpleasant murmurs began to feel in my stomach while the bristles began to bristle. I'm looking. Since when was Geral here? I didn't even notice when he came in. Even his footsteps escaped my ears. Unfortunately, I always forget one thing, since he came back to life I could never predict his arrival at all. Forgetting that the young man's footsteps now were often so subtle that they were barely audible.

“I want to take the dirty laundry,” if I lie.

“I've washed all the dirty clothes,” Geral smiled happily while she slipped her hands near under the armpits and pulled me up. “Eat, yuk!”

“You cook too?” I looked at the panda-faced apron Geral was wearing. Looks funny on that tall guy's body. I almost laughed but tried hard to hold it.

“Iya dong,” said sound proud.

“Wah!”

“Come you try!” he said, pushing me closer to the dinner table.

My eyes widen when I see food on the table. Not just rice and one type of side dish, but several kinds. I'm sure he must have worked hard to make all this.

“You cooked everything?” I asked while turning to look at him.

Geral smiled again and then nodded. “Your favorite,” he said as he pointed at a row of golden-colored rolades lined up neatly on a plate.

I haven't said anything yet when Geral directly forced me to sit down. The young man deftly prepared the food on the plate. Sometimes I look at her face and she smiles at me. He also reached out his hand to pat the top of my head after I received the plate containing his rice. Geral's as sweet and as good as I remember. Suddenly I felt guilty for suspecting him. My geral would probably never kill an innocent animal. No matter how painful death is, it doesn't feel like he's going to change someone until it's that drastic.

“You also sit down!”

“Sure.”

He positioned himself beside me. As we always do. Sitting side by side made us feel closer, at least that's what he always said. His words and actions always make me think when he is charming and perfect.

“Enak?”

“Enak,” I said honestly, Geral's cooking is always good. My cooking doesn't have half the taste of his hands.

“Where were you going?”

I almost choked. Finally he asked about this too. I can't be honest with him. Where might I say I went out to see Alice.

“Coffee?”

Geral's question is like a spark of fireworks that triggers the heart to beat faster. How does he know? Could it be that he was following me or at least knew my purpose of going out this morning.

“Coffee?” i'm parroting.

I followed Geral's index finger pointing at the carton containing the coffee cups. I want to hit my head against the wall as soon as possible. Stupidly. Of course he knew I was buying coffee when he found a carton filled with coffee cups. Holy hooch! I'm getting paranoid.

“Ah! I forgot that I also bought breakfast, I think you have not cooked,” I said while patting my forehead– I really\do not remember about the rice sitting.

“Iya, we can eat rice uduk later,” he said.

I'm asserting. Don't want to disappoint him. I also had breakfast earlier, but it does not feel right about it to people who have struggled to cook this morning\-morning. I took a breath and moved to stand up. Now I'm approaching him.

“Geral!”

The young man turned his head and I put my arm around his neck. Ii'm sorry. Really am. I want to say it but my tongue feels muddy. I want to let go of all this suspicion. Wanna believe. I want to love this young man without a doubt. I want everything back to how it used to be. However, I could not say a single word at all.

“What's up?” geral's voice sounded soft.

“Nothing\-nothing,” I'm back to lying while biting lips. I don't know until when I have to keep lying and pretending\ like this, I don't know the answer myself.

Geral did not say anything, she just patted my arm. Let me hug him. He must have understood what was hidden in my heart, without me saying it.

“You eat?” tanyakanya.

“Iya,” I said while releasing a hug.

Nothing we talked about after that. Only a few times did Geral invite me to talk about a gossip show that aired on one of the television stations this morning. It seems like he was watching while cooking. I was also happy to chimed in on that small talk, after all it seemed like it was all I needed after a few days of being too busy lying and pretending\pret. After eating, I'll take a shower and we'll go to the store. At least that's what we're planning today.

Geral must have fallen asleep and forgot to lift the clothesline. I smiled while shaking a few times. He's been forgetful lately. I lifted the clothesline that Geral washed. A little happy when he found out that he not only washed his own clothes, but cleaned my clothes as well. I pulled one last white shirt and put it in the basket. This shirt looks like the one I wore last night.

I grabbed the shirt and pulled the arm. My eyes grew bigger when I saw that shirt's sleeve was torn. Cross-cut incision in the right arm. The incision marks were irregular as if they were the bite marks of a savage beast. The blood patch had disappeared, but I could only estimate one thing. It could be that this shirt was torn because it was bitten by Momo, the dog. Could this mean that Geral really\killed that poor beast last night?

This is impossible. I asked him all this. Now I rush\-hustle the rest of the clothes that have not been lifted from the clothesline after that I immediately ran into the house. Put the basket on the table near the washing machine and run up with the torn shirt in hand. I have to ask him this. When I got to the top, the door to Geral's room opened and I immediately looked inside.

“Geral!”

There is no lawfulness. The young man still did not move from his position, seemingly soundly asleep. I'm moving closer. Geral muttered softly, it seems that she was delirious. My finger touched his forehead, the heat stung my palm. The young man's hair looked limp from sweating. Body's hot.

“Geral...Geral!” I grabbed his arm. Geral squirms but does not open her eyes. “You heard me?”

When the young man did not reply, I immediately opened the blanket that covered his body. My hands were exploring the young man's arms. Uncover a long-sleeved shirt that closes up to the elbow. I was flabbergasted, a fresh scar stuck to the arm near his elbow. From the incision marks, these may be animal bite marks. I shut my mouth. There is no other explanation for this injury.

Geral's growling voice made me flinch. Now his teeth sounded clashing against each other as his body began to shiver even more intensely. It may be that these bite marks cause an infection or it could be that the dog is transmitting rabies. I bite my lips, Geral could be in danger if the bite carries rabies.

“Please wait, I'll find you a cure,” I said as I pulled the blanket over his neck.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a fork that was taper enough. I thrust the fork strongly\-strong into the surface of my own arm. After that, I bit the scar until the outermost layer of skin was torn. My bite won't cause any injuries so I tried to stab him first with a fork. Now I frowned while gritting my teeth as blood flowed out.

“Quite, this is quite similar,” whispered me while covering the wound with my hand.

My feet stepped quickly on the street towards the pharmacy at the end of the road. Taking a doctor home is definitely not a wise choice. For now, at least I can only provide first aid. If he doesn't get better then I'm going to have to take him to the doctor. To cover all that then I have to pretend\pret if I'm the one who was bitten. That way I'll get the medicine without having to explain who's really sick.

“Mbak, any cure for dog bite wounds?” my question immediately showed me the scar from my own bite on my left arm.

“You check first?”

“Do drugs alone should not be?”

“Of course it can,” said it was friendly.

 “Give me fever medicine too,” my door.

“Sure.”

I paid immediately after the apothecary guard gave me the medicine I asked for. I walked home in a hurry\hasty. My eyes kept watching around, I was afraid Geral might be wandering around outside the house. However, I did not find him outside. At least now I'm breathing a little. I quickly climbed the stairs. Fortunately, Geral was still lying in bed.

I touched her forehead and started compressing her using cold water. During the compress, I cleaned the wound with alcohol and applied the wound medicine. Put the medicine I got from the pharmacy into the young man's mouth.

I opened his mouth with a spoon. The medicine has been pounded and liquefied so that it is easy to swallow. Unfortunately, the medicinal liquid just kept flowing out. If forced, I was afraid he would choke so choose slowly\-slow. After a long time, the drug was finally used up too–though many also spilled and stuck in the tissue rather than get into his mouth. I touched his forehead, the heat had not subsided. He was still silent, only his regular roar of breath made me believe that he was still alive.

“You'll be fine\-all,” I rubbed Geral's sweaty hair.

 “Lice–” Geral suddenly\-sudden growling.

“What?” i'm woken.

“Lice–”

“Who is Lice?”

I'm trying so hard to remember everything that's related to Lice's word. Lice must be a name, but who. I don't remember Geral ever mentioning this name before.

“Lice...Alice!”

“Alice?” i'm parroting.

My forehead is wrinkled, could it be the Alice I know. Alice, the spirit summoner. Where possible, Geral did not know him.

“No coincidence in this world.”

Alice's voice was ringing in her ears. But, where is it possible. If Geral did not know him then could it be that this body knew him. I remember Alice saying something to a woman who was guarding this house.

“He who will take her to where she should be.”

My eyes are now looking at the young man. There may not be any coincidence in all this. This young man also did not happen to be the body for Geral's soul. Nor did he coincidentally tie a promise to me. Alice chose me, too, not by chance. Could it be that Geral's death was not a coincidence either? The accident that made Geral's car plunge into the ravine was also a planned thing. I closed my lips, could Geral be killed. Could be, right? All of this could happen.