[TLS#1] Senior
SENIOR 24

In the white room, Meira sat in a chair near Soraya's gurney. His hands faithfully fed the woman who was lying down with a sad look.

"One more bribe, Auntie."

The woman opened her mouth welcoming Meira's mouthful.

Meira smiled as the porridge was finished. He then kept the bowl of porridge on the nightstand and took the drinking water that had straws. He thrust it slowly on Soraya's lips.

Soraya slightly raised her head. Started to sip the white water.

The woman turned her head back. She smiled faintly looking at Meira who tidied up her eating marks.

"Thank you, son. You have to take care of Auntie" said Soraya.

Meira smiles. "Together, Aunt. May is also bored at home."

"Mama and Papa are you?"

Meira took Soraya's right hand which was laced with an infusion. For some reason, Meira just wanted to hold the woman's cold hand.

"Mama Mei runs a boutique, Tan. If Papa's back at the office, the night's just come home."

Soraya nodded in understanding. He then turned to look at the hospital ceiling. His sight turned sad.

Meira's eyebrows shot up. "Auntie why?" tanyakanya.

A small breath came out of Soraya's mouth. "All right, Mei?" he muttered to Meira.

Meira smiled faintly. The girl switched to rubbing Soraya's already thin hair. "Sir Alka is fine, Aunt. Mei could look at him before coming here."

"He's eating?"

Meira nodded as Soraya looked at him. "Yes, Aunt."

Soraya breathed a sigh of relief.

There was silence between them. Suddenly the entrance opened.

Enter Devan with a crackle bag in his right hand. The guy approached Meira.

"Now, May. I brought you food for you."

Meira accepted it with pleasure. "Thank you, Brother Devan." the girl smiled broadly.

Devan nodded. He turned to Soraya. "Aunty's fine, isn't she?"

Soraya nodded with her smile.

Devan was smiling. "Thank God" he said. Relieved.

"Oh yes, May. You take care of Auntie Raya first, yeah. I have business."

Meira nodded.

"Devan said goodbye, Tan," the boy told Soraya.

Soraya nodded. "Be careful, Van."

Devan yelled at Soraya's hand. "Yes, Aunt."

***

The rundown warehouse near Garuda High School bears witness to Arkan's current plight. The guy with an already chaotic appearance was tied up at a large pole.

Good and Devan who was in front of him grinned viciously as Arkan's eyes slowly opened.

Arkanese. The guy slightly rounded his eyes when he saw Good and Devan. He gulped his saliva.

Goody. The gondrong guy stood up while crossing. No, that's not what surprised Arkan. But the bow that was in the boy's right hand and a few arrows behind him.

Devan. The man stood up while twirling the folding knife in both hands. He grinned at Arkan's expression.

"Where? Sweet dreams aren't you?" exciting Good.

"Obviously a good dream, I. People have managed to get in Alka's prison" Devan said sarcastically.

Arkan screeches. Trying to untie the bond in his hand but failing. That big enough rope seemed to be tied dead.

Nice chuckles mockingly. "Don't rush to be free, Kan. Playful dong first with us. Well, no, Van?"

Devan laughs. Laughter that sounds like psychopathic laughter in Arkan's ears. "Yoi. We haven't been playing together, you know."

Arkan looked at them sharply. But the one in the face only sneers mockingly.

Good one step forward. Take an arrow from his back and attach it to the bow. He lifted the bow up high. Squinting his eyes as if looking for the right target for his dart landing.

Arkan's legs are shaking. He almost collapsed if there was no rope tying his hands and waist.

"What are you gonna do fucking?!" Arkan shouted in fear.

Good to laugh for a moment. "According to you?" reply with raised eyebrows one.

The set!

The arrow came off and broke when it hit the wall. Arkan chuckles cynically.

It turns out to be a fake arrow!

"Lo was less happy as a child? Play it, same fake arrows!" Arkan laughed mockingly.

Good just shrugging indifferently. Behind him Devan smiled obliquely.

Good to get back the arrow from behind his back. He then took aim at Arkan's arm.

Again. The arrow fell to the floor when it hit Arkan's arm.

Arkan laughed again. "Lo want me to play archery or what, anyway?"

Nice grinning. He took back his remaining arrow. "So you can't wait to play with me?" Good to understand. Started to put arrows on his bow.

The set!

The arrow deviated but scratched Arkan's arm.

Arkan grimacing. Fresh blood came out from behind his black t-shirt. The scar of the arrow on his arm was gaping with blood that was unceasingly coming out.

Good and Devan laughed.

"It's my turn now." Devan is forward. Played both of his folding knives at random.

"Gue still wants to be kind to you. I have two options, you come to Alka and apologize, or one of my folding knives stabs your body. You're free to choose which one." Devan shrugged his shoulders.

Behind him was a nice guy who was seen calling someone.

Arkan screeches. "I'd rather die than have to apologize to that fucker!"

Devan nodded with a mocking smile. "That means you choose the second option. Right?" Devan smiled obliquely.

The guy stroked the edge of his knife. "Lo's heard of it, right? Alka matahin his own brother's arm for revenge for his brother's treatment of my same?"

Devan grinned little. "There is no mercy in Alka's heart for those who have dared to touch her friend. The Lion, too, has no heart!"

Devan turned the knife back on his right hand with two fingers. "And I want to repay Alka's kindness. You should get more rewards!"

Arkan just kept quiet. In his heart he was terrified. The Lion is famous for being reckless and heartless to people who dare to disturb their calm.

And now Arkan has gone crazy digging his own grave.

"But I'm confused as to which part of your body to stab." Devan Sok has a confused face.

The guy examines Arkan's body from top to bottom and then up again.

"Hungs? A stomach? The foot? The thigh? Or head?!" Devan asked enthusiastically.

"Let's heart die!" nice Chirps from behind. Both of the boys' hands were drowned in his jeans pocket. The bow's gone somewhere.

Good shrug.

Devan turns to Arkan. He smiled slanted.

Arkan himself began to weaken. The blood coming out of his arms was numerous.

The set!

The first folding knife toss deviated. It seems that Devan wants to see Arkan's fearful gaze.

"Lo still has a chance. Want the first or second option?" ask Devan. Once more.

Arkan smiled obliquely even though he was a little weak. "Gue.baik.mati.mati!" answer Arkan. Pressing every word.

"But I'm not going to make you die that easily. You must suffer first!"

Devan throws a second folding knife and sticks it in Arkan's right calf.

"Abkkhhh...." Arkan groaned in pain while Bagus and Devan laughed. Even the two guys are angry.

It's like a psychopath!

Arkan is very weak. The man screamed in pain as Devan pulled the knife from his calf.

"Goodle. I love your pain like this!" Devan smiled obliquely and then threw away the origin of the folding knife.

He turned to Nice and Ezra who had just come.

Ezra throws a bandage box at Devan and is caught by the guy.

"We're not as bad as you think we are" Devan told Arkan. Start taking bandages to wrap around Arkan's arms and calves.

Arkan again cried out in pain as Devan wrapped around the bandage carelessly on his arm and calf.

"Ezra, help me get him down to the police station."

***

"Thank you for the cooperation, son Devan, Good and Ezra." Adrian shook his hands in turn.

"Together, sir," Good reply, representing.

Mr. Adrian took off his hand. "But what, Arkan has a cut on his arm and calf, yeah?"

The three men looked at each other with indecisive gazes. "Arkan tried to escape, sir. He also attacked us. That's why we had to be rude to him."

Good and Ezra almost laughed at Devan's lies. The two men turned their faces away with smiles on their foreheads.

Adrian nodded in understanding. Shortly afterwards Alka came with a policeman beside her. That guy's shirt is still like yesterday. Uniform SMA.

Good, Devan and Ezra smiled happily and walked over to Alka. Hugging a guy's style on that guy.

"Lo's free, Man!" pekik Nice.

Alka chuckled softly. "Thanks. I love working with three."

Devan smiled as he patted his chest proudly. "Devan Ardeon, here!"

Ezra and Nice twisting lazy eyeball.

"Congratulations Alka. You're free now" that's Mr. Adrian. The man shook Alka's hand.

Alka just nodded in response to Mr. Adrian's congratulations. The police then left.

"Lo don't want to see Arkan first?" chirps Ezra.

Alka shakes. "Useful."

***

One of the rooms in the Mahardika residence was filled by several bottles of Wine and cigarettes. As well as some boys who make out with paid women.

The atmosphere in the room was like a nightclub.

Samuel. The guy just sits on the couch and breathes his cigarette smoke out of his mouth and nose alternately.

The sound of music that is loud enough does not interfere with its activities. Beside her was a woman in sexy clothes who was busy flirting on her arm, but neither did she care.

Brak!

The door was opened hard until their activities stopped. The music was pretty loud and stopped too.

Samuel looked at the door. There, Papa Samuel—Hadi Mahardika— stands with a sharp gaze ready to wield anyone in the room.

"What are you guys doing in my house, huh?!" sniff the man. Angrier.

Samuel sighed and threw his cigarette butt into the ashtray on the table.

All his friends were silent without twitching when they saw Hadi's face reddened with anger.

Hadi stepped in. Standing in the middle of that freedom-crazy teenager.

"You think my house is a nightclub, huh?! Where's your manners?!"

Hadi sighed softly. "out. Get out of my house right now!!" the man returned.

Samuel's friend came out of the room. Some of the paid women seemed to fix her slightly tangled clothes for what reason. Some took their bags on the table and left. Dare not look at Hadi.

All of that did not escape the sight of Hadi. In his heart he clucked incense. It is this kind of youth that can destroy the name of the nation.

Hadi turned to look at Samuel who was standing with both hands sinking in his jeans pocket. The flat gaze of the man was met with the angry look of Hadi.

"This is what you got in America?" Hadi grinned miris. "It turns out Papa sent you wrong to America."

Samuel smiled in anguish. "Now Papa is new?"

Hadi shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "Papa is not sorry. Papa's just looking at Papa's son who's wrong."

Samuel laughing. Laughter that implies sadness. "Now the word 'child' is just spoken from Papa's mouth?"

Hadi hush.

"Where was Papa three years ago?! Papa just wanted the bastard child without knowing that Papa still has children who are more entitled to love, Papa!" Samuel shouted in anger.

"What do you think I haven't known all this time? Papa pretends to isolate Alka from this house, but Papa secretly always finds her. While me? I'M THE ONE WHO'S COMPLETELY EXILED HERE!!"

"Papa sent me to America because Papa thought I made Alka's life suffer. Papa thinks I'm traumatizing Alka until she's got a psychopath!"

Samuel rubbed the rough corners of his eyes that had runny. He looked at Hadi who was silent without a twist.

"What's so good about me?" Samuel looked at Hadi.

"Why does it feel good to be a legitimate child who is not treated fairly while the illegitimate child gets more treatment?!"

Samuel chuckles. "I'm pretty self-conscious, Pa. I'm a legitimate child, but Papa never expected me to be present, right?"

"Sam, watch your talk! You're Papa's son. Papa never differentiates you from Alka!"

"Allah! Papa thought Sam didn't know that Papa never loved Mami?" Samuel smirked a little.

"I am a legitimate child born from the womb of a woman whom Papa hates in his presence. And Alka was an illegitimate child born to a woman Papa loved dearly."

"Simple is our definition for Papa!"

Samuel left the room after saying that sentence. Leaving the silent Hadi with a blank look.

He's been wrong. All this time he didn't treat Samuel the way he should because of Megan. I was too afraid to love Samuel. He did not want to lose Alka if he loved Samuel too deeply.

And now, he lost Samuel because of his affection for Alka.

Then how should Hadi behave?