Trapped by Pandora

Chapter 5: Lightning

“Rory!” call Alin when he sees Mallory chatting with the children of the same age.

“Kak Alin,” Mallory approached Alin who was standing not far from them. Alin allowed her to call him sister, the same as the other orphanage children so they were more familiar.

“You look very cheerful, happy ya here?” Alin no longer saw Mallory's face wrapped in grief like it was this afternoon when they met in the city hall park.

“Here is fun Brother, many friends. They're all good kids. Anyway, it's cold here. Many green gardens are refreshing,” Mallory develops a smile. Mallory likes hospitable, humble, no-one-suffering orphanage kids. They seem always happy, grateful for every favor they have behind all their incompetence. Unlike most of his friends at school.

“Kak Alin is happy to see you are no longer crying. Gini dong, it looks beautiful,” they both laughed softly.

“Ehm... Rory, it's ahead anyone wants to meet,” continued Alin.

“Hah? Who's Kak?” Mallory squinted her eyes, looking at Alin curiously. Thought guessing.

“Rory, darling!” a heavy voice that was heavily on his head sounded from behind Alin. Mallory bit her lips in anger. He also turned his eyes to Alin, there was a sense of disappointment behind his eyes.

“Rory, sorry Brother Alin yes. Alin didn't mean to disappoint you. Brother just doesn't want to make your family anxious. Believe me, no one is stopping you from staying here. You can stay here as long as you want, but at least your family knows to make them feel calm,” Alin clasped Mallory's hands tightly. Indeed Mallory understood Alin's position, he did not blame, only he was not ready to meet his family let alone the father.

“Queen, let's go home. We can talk about all the problems well. Daddy promises to listen to you always. We go home yes,” take Beryl in a soft voice. Alin stepped to the side, giving Beryl room to get closer to her daughter.

Beryl grabbed Mallory's hand, rubbed the girl's tip and then hugged her. Mallory is eager to cry, she is not willing if Daddy who is very dear to her is married to a hypocritical woman like Zora. He should be able to make sure his Daddy refuses the wedding.

“We go home yes, Queen?” Beryl let go of hugs, rubbed cheeks and kissed her eldest daughter's forehead. Mallory was still silent, not giving an answer. He glanced at Alin who was smiling looking at him.

“Dad, I'll be home if...,” Mallory is silent once again.

“Then?” Beryl waited for her daughter's answer.

“If, if Daddy is married to Kak Alin!”

“What?” Beryl and Alin were both overwhelmed by Mallory's request, which was beyond their expectations. Alin could not believe that the teenage girl in front of him had such an astonishing idea.

“Rory, are you okay?” Beryl touched Mallory's forehead with the back of her hand, but the boy had no fever, his body temperature was normal. Mallory is not delirious.

“I'm fine, Dad! I don't want Daddy to marry Auntie Zora. I would never willing that attached grandma to be my Mommy!”

“Grandma attach?” Beryl turned her head to Alin who was still standing glued, she remembered that the beautiful doctor had mentioned about the attached grandmother. So her daughter nicknamed Zora after her grandmother. Beryl wanted to laugh out loud, but her mouth was still tightly clenched given Mallory's request.

“Rory, listen to me! Daddy won't marry Zora, never! Daddy never liked it, and you know it. Now, let's go home. We talk about this at home, don't bother Doctor Alin!”

“I don't want to go home before Daddy promises to marry Kak Alin! I knew Daddy didn't like Auntie Zora and refused the match, but the shameless woman would do everything she could to make Daddy willing to marry him. I don't want Daddy to get caught up in his trickery. If Daddy is married to Kak Alin, the attached grandmother will not interfere with our lives anymore!” Mallory unraveled everything in her head, and tears began to drip from the corners of her eyes.

Beryl was silent, no words flashed through her mind. His brain was looking at Mallory's every sentence. What the hell's going on? Why is Mallory so hard against Zora? Why was hatred clearly emanating from his grown-up daughter?

“Dad, why silence? Daddy wants to marry Alin?”

“Daddy, ehmm-Daddy,” Beryl is nervous not playing, don't know what to say.

“What's Dad?” Mallory's getting her hooked.

“If Daddy isn't ready, I won't go home either!” ketus Mallory's.

“Fine, Daddy is getting married to Doctor Alin!” beryl had no other choice of answer. Let Alin slap him, curse, or whatever. He is ready for all the risks.

Alin gawked at the pair of father and son.

“Yes God, what the hell is this?” his inner. His mind was suddenly murky, how could he be involved in their family affairs. How could a new known person agree to marry her just because of the request of a teenager whose emotions are up and down. Alin shook his head.

“Have been satisfied, right? Now, let's go home! Please,” Beryl tried to persuade Mallory, she realized that Alin must be very surprised by the answer. However, he believes that Alin will understand his position. He will explain to Alin.

“OK, we're home!” how happy Beryl was to hear that.

“But Daddy has to marry Kak Alin next week. Otherwise, I will go from home to a place where no one can find me!”

Like a flash of lightning striking, Beryl glared almost to take out both of her eyeballs. While Alin staggered slightly back, he needed to lean on the closet behind him so as not to fall down in shock. Beryl watched as the dazed-looking Alin clung tightly to the wooden buffer cabinet.

“Rory, the wedding was no joke. It can't be done in such a short time. Many things need to be prepared,” Beryl gave understanding to her son. He also felt bad for having plunged Alin into his family problems.

“I know Dad, but I also know that Daddy is more than capable of doing it,” Mallory won't budge. A second later Mallory walked closer to Alin who was still overwhelmed by his confusion.

The flash of their conversation this afternoon in the park again overshadowed Alin. Alin could not resist, but his future was at stake. Married without love, really not listed in the agenda of his life.

“Oh God, why are these humans so easy to decide my life path? What kind of drama is this Lord?” Alin screamed in his heart.

Alin could not bear to see Mallory who had been flooded with tears once again. The teenage girl looked so fragile. Alin fell silent, his mind flashing into the air. Mallory was about to lower her knees to the floor to grope, but Alin immediately restrained her arms before the girl fell to her knees.

“I-iya, Sister is getting married to your Daddy,” just like Beryl, Alin has no choice but to grant Mallory's wish. Replace Beryl who gawks in surprise. However, it was undeniable that the other side of his heart surged with excitement.

“Queen, now we go home first yes. It's night, pity Doctor Alin. You've had a lot of trouble for him, let him rest. Tomorrow we talk again,” said Beryl.

“Thank you yes, Brother!” Mallory hugged Alin.

“I-iya,” Alin's brain is empty.

“Doctor Alin, forgive us! We go home first, thanks for everything,” Beryl immediately took Mallory's hand and took her away. Meanwhile, Alin was still standing while holding his forehead. He hoped that this incident was just a dream, where tomorrow morning when he opened his eyes, everything would disappear. He should immediately go home, soak in the bathtub and forget everything that just happened.

^^o^

“Doctor Aliiiinnn ...,” Sister Penny barged into Alin's study while shouting loudly.

“Yeah, Sister Penny what the hell?” Alin covered both of his ears with his palms. Fortunately this afternoon there were no patients coming, so it is certain that there will be no complaints with the voice of Sister Penny who was blaring.

“See this, Doc!” Sister Penny offers a bouquet of red and white roses.  Alin's eyes bought when he saw his name on the card tied to the bouquet.

“Cie-cie, from whom?” suddenly Ragnala joined in the workspace Alin.

Alin received the bouquet of flowers from Sister Penny's hand and then read a greeting card with the mind still hovering. Alin gulped down reading every word written on the piece of sky-blue colored card he was holding

Beautiful roses for a pretty Doctor

            Can’t wait for next week…

            Have a nice day, Sweety.

            B. Monza

Alin spread the eyeball when reading the name of the sender of the bouquet of flowers. Put a bouquet of flowers on the table. He closed his face with both palms, lowered his head and exhaled violently.

Ragnala who noticed his best friend was suddenly lethargic, reaching for the card. He scrunched his forehead, read the card and thought far away. Read again and think again. The name listed on the card seemed familiar. Is that the name of the patient in their clinic? Is that the name of their college friend?

“Oh my gosh! Don't tell me that this ...,” Ragnala hangs his sentence.

“Who the hell, Doc?” ask Sister Penny curiously.

“Aliiinnn, this-inikan,” Ragnala has not finished talking, but Alin has been mangosteen to justify whatever the results of Ragnala's guess.

“Ih, Doctor Nala makes curious!” sister Penny is getting into trouble.

Alin lunglai, his head was laid on the desk. It was like freefall from the twenty-floor of a multi-storey building. This morning when he left, he breathed a lot of air and forgot about last night. Let's just say last night was just a dream. However, what was happening now had instead faded his hopes.

“Doctor Aliiiinnn,” Sister Debby was moved into Alin's room. The one who was called did not want to raise his head at all.

“Suster Debby, what's up?” ask Ragnala wonder.

“It-it,” Sister Debby stuttered.

“Ita ita ita, what the hell? Speaking of which dong!” grunts Ragnala.

“That, someone sent lunch box to Doctor Alin!” sister Debby.

“What?” Alin raised his head. He didn't feel like ordering any lunch boxes today.

“Dear God, what else is this?” his inner. Alin sighed softly, where did the quiet world go. He wasn't sure his peaceful life all along would remain as before.

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