Second Change
Chapter 25's

The first weeks of being David's girlfriend, the atmosphere was still awkward. But David is the kind of person who is very attentive. Always video call every three hours, just to see I'm doing something. I always put my phone in a standing position at the dinner table and continue the routine of cleaning the house. While David, working at his desk with a screen to highlight his face.

"Already well. I want to take a shower." I said to him across the street who was busy typing something on his computer keyboard.

"Call me for a meal." The ink glimpsed at the mobile phone screen.

Though busy. But what should video calls continue. Is this a possessive type? Or bucin?

I don't know. Just go through it first.

My phone's ringtone is ringing again. This time Emi called.

"Hello Lia!!! How are you doing? Is it okay with my brother?"

"Hi Emi's. Yes, all right. Um. How are you?"

Actually I was a little reluctant to ask about Emi. For not wanting to hear him tell the story of his new bride. I was afraid of jealousy, envy and then sadness again. But now I've asked. I will listen and forget.

"okay. Tony and I are preparing for our move. Lately it has been very busy and can't keep up with the news. Sorry yeah."

That only? Just busy preparing for the move? Not a story of how sweet the life of the newlyweds is?

But what was that? Moving out?

"Moved? Move where?"

"Dad there's a big project in the mine. And this project was handed over entirely to Tony. So we had to move to a place close to the mine site."

"Is it far away?"

Does that mean I'll never see Tony again? Is this David's suggestion that we be far apart?

"Five-hour flight, Lia. Very far. I'll miss you and brother."

Five hours drive, not by car. But with a plane. Will this distance make me completely forget Tony? Is it because this distance is going to make me miss him even more?

"Oh yeah.. Tomorrow we'll have a farewell at home. So come home tomorrow night with sister, huh, Lia."

Farewell dinner with Emi does that mean Tony will be here tomorrow too? Do I have the courage again to face Tony who currently considers me disgusted. My heart is full of dilemmas. He wants to meet her and not meet her. But the current situation doesn't seem to give me a choice. David will definitely go home to see his beloved sister. Which means Tony and I'll be inevitable this time.

I confirmed Emi and closed the call. I stepped into the bathroom, dousing myself with cold water from the shower. Behind my dark eyelids, I remember Tony who first took a bath with a dipper. He went into the bathroom and came out again after a few seconds. Then I asked him if he should go in the tub? But the tub was too high and maybe he could drown.

I laughed in my heart at the events of that day. I thought he had been bathing in the river or bathing only when it was raining. Now in retrospect, Tony's confused behavior while living in my house is not because he is too poor, but because he is too rich, so the common life is a new thing for him.

I remember Tony again. In the memory of my life like there is no other memory except the happy days of living together. Life with David wasn't enough to cover those memories. If the human brain could be unlocked like a computer, I would delete all the folders that Tony was in contact with. Starting from the day he carried his guitar sitting on the stone chair of my yard while singing the song 'Easy on Me'. When she sang the part 'Go ea..sy on me baby, I was still a child' my vision could not be separated from it anymore. Since then I have always found a reason to talk to him. If only I hadn't given him a glass of water. If only I hadn't listened to his song. If only I had thrown him out when I could sit in a stone chair. If only he had never come.

My phone rang two hours later while I was pouring fried rice from teflon onto a plate. The one who called was none other than David. I held my phone up on the tisue box and shifted the green button. David was in the car.

"What's wrong?" tannya

"Newly ready to cook." I raised teflon towards the camera and then turned to the sink to wash it off.

I picked up the phone and took it to the dining table and used the glass as a backrest.

"Where are you going?" my ask while scooping my fried rice.

"There was a meeting at the hotel" he still looked at me.

"Absolutely, meeting at the hotel. There's also a meeting room, right?"

David chuckled lightly showing off his neatly lined teeth. "The meeting is still secret, so it shouldn't be too blatant."

I nodded while chewing.

"Who's eating plans to do what?" tannya

"continue Netflix. After that cook for dinner." I explained as I chewed the second mouthful.

"Today you're not cooking. I've had Katrine order Peking duck for dinner."

I nodded again while chewing the third mouthful.

"I'm almost there. I'll call again soon."

I waved my finger in front of the camera and the call was over.

...****************...

"Tomorrow will you take me or will I go to your office?" ask me while we're having dinner.

David who was separating the flesh of the peking duck thigh from his bones came to a halt and looked at me.

"How do you know?"

"So Emi called. Wh why? You plan to go home by yourself?"

"What are you afraid of, Dave?"

David still did not answer. Just focus on the food.

"You don't believe me?"

Instead of answering me, he took a tissue, wiped his mouth and placed it on top of the femur in a dish. Didn't get there. David got up and put it in his room accompanied by a door slam.

Behind the caring David, there's him who's emotional. It was better for him to yell at me, push me against the wall, glare with angry glittering eyes and threaten me not to go home than to shut up and slam the door.

I'm cleaning the table. Put the rest of Peking's ducks in the fridge and follow David to his room. David was standing on the veranda of his room overlooking the garden that was part of the apartment. In the morning, many elderly people do morning exercises in the park. During the day, the sun shines on the entire garden and no one stays there for long. In the afternoon, many children accompanied by their parents were playing bicycles, skateboarding and running around. At night, the park is almost invisible. The only striking is the yellow lights that adorn the edges of the garden.

I stood next to David and looked at the night scene in front of us. While guessing what David's thoughts were, sorting through the sentences I had to say without offending and awkward him.

"Tomorrow nothing will happen" I said breaking the silence.

David still didn't flinch.

"Hold my hand and make sure I'm always by your side." I said again.

"Tomorrow you at home. I'll think of the reason for your absence on Emi." she turned to look at me.

"What the hell are you afraid of, Dave?" ask me half annoyed. "You're afraid I can't control myself and leak everything?"

"I just don't like to see you two in the same room" he growled.

"What do you think of seeing the two of us in the same room?"

"none. Just don't like."

"Me and him are done, Dave. Whatever is in your mind is no longer going to happen in the present and the future."

"Can't you just go this time?" her voice went up "Please, Lia."

I'm shaking. "Tomorrow I'll prove that your worries are in vain."

I stepped away but was hugged by him. He buried his head on my shoulder. I threw away all my frustration and patted her on the back.

"I'm afraid of losing you."

"I won't disappear if you don't lose." I said

He chuckles softly. "I've always wanted to carry you everywhere."

...****************...

Twenty-four hours after I managed to persuade David, now David again put on an unpleasant face because the position of Tony sitting at the dining table is right in front of me. I swear, I've tried my hardest not to observe Tony. How can a man's finger look so elegant when using chopsticks?

When his hands were raised, I wondered which vegetable he would get from the dining table. The first one he took was the tempura oyster.

"Son Lia, eat son." said Mama David who sat next to Emi.

"Ah, yes. About eating, Aunt eating."

Papa David nodded without looking at me. As usual, Papa David was never friendly with me.

When my eyes shifted to the cutlery in front of me, it turned out that my plate was already filled with food. I didn't realize that David had already moved food to my plate.

While eating, the scene in front of me still caught my attention. The way to chew food with a flat face is very different from when he ate shrimp for the first time. His eyes widened, observing some of the shrimp in his hand that had been bitten in half.

"It's a perfect match, Lia ! I just knew that carrots, bombay and what's the name of the trus mixed shrimp and fried with flour can be as perfect as this. Who created this?" he stuffed another half piece into his mouth and took another piece from the plate.

"Another name is kol. Trus there are more pieces of red and cayenne pepper." I said as I chuckled at his behavior.

"Phanthas phedhass" he said with his mouth full.

I smiled at the moment remembering the incident. It can only be fleeting because the same person before me will never be like that again towards me. He ate a medium rare tempura oyster and saikoro with a flat face. Though to me this is very tasty and can not be compared with the shrimp bakwan, chicken curry, rawon that he once ate at my house.

"Our meal table will soon be quiet, sir." said Mama David to her husband while sobbing.

"That's.. Mama, don't make sad dong. Kan uda promised not to cry." two seconds later Emi cried while hugging her mother.

The dinner finally ended with Mother and Daughter crying that would go a long way.

"Amelia."

I almost jumped out of my chair. For the first time, Papa David called me. I turned to her with a pale face returning her sharp eyes that were looking at me.

"Yes, um." I said nervously.

"Follow me to my study." he ordered.