So In Love
EP. 71. Fortune Cookies

********

Shien frowned in surprise after he read a chat message from Nathan asking him to come to the hospital later that afternoon with his parents. For some reason, the doctor with Korean look face did not explain the details. But Shien guessed if it must be related to his transplant operation later. Thus, Shien did not ask much and immediately agreed to Nathan's orders, although in fact he was very regretful because his plan today for the streets to enjoy Lembang must be canceled just like that.

Storing his phone back onto the nightstand, Shien then brushed away the blanket covering his body to get out of bed. But he had just touched the end of the blanket, suddenly the arm of Heaven coiled around his stomach, then pulled it until Shien again crashed on the bed.

“Where to?” Ask Sky with a hoarse voice typical of people waking up. He hugged Shien tightly under the blanket that had covered them overnight.

“You're up, it's noon. Take a shower.” Shien sauteed as he thrashed, trying to escape from the Heaven's embrace.

“A minute, Shi.” Sky murmured as he smirked his face at the intersection of Shien's neck, thus making him convulse amused as a warm Sky gust of breath tickled the skin of his neck.

“Do not want! I have to get up and get ready to go home.” Said Shien, making Heaven raise his head while frowning his forehead.

“Lho, not last night you said you want to go for a walk first here?” Sky asked in astonishment, recalling the last night conversation with Shien who said that the girl wanted to spend all day enjoying Lembang and hunting her signature food.

“Yes, but suddenly this afternoon I have to go to the hospital. So have to rush home.” Shien. The sky was mangosteen, then again threw his head on the pillow while closing his eyes.

“Ya has released.” Pinta Shien, upset himself because Sky is still a herd holding him.

“Inter, Shi. Rarely do we get to like gini.” Heaven without opening his eyes.

Shien snorted as he sighed deeply. This sky really sucks.

“Gini kayak atmosphere supports Shi make. . .”

“Make what?” Sambar Shien flipped his body so faced with the Sky, his forehead scowling suspiciously as if he could guess what the man was going to say.

“Make a child.” The Sky Whisper was right in Shien's ear along with a mischievous grin on his lips.

“Your mouth, tuh.” And it didn't take long after the sentence was thrown from the mouth of Heaven, a single blow landed on his lips to make those lips clench withholding laughter. The sky always liked Shien's irritated frowning face and jutek's gaze after he managed to tease her.

“Haha, joking, Shi.” Sky chuckles. Teasing Shien has always had its own pleasures for him.

“Ya already, if so quickly freelance.” Shien grigetan himself while trying to push Sky's shoulders, but the man did not move at all.

“Thank me morning kiss first.” Pinta Langit whispered inductive as she pressed her nose against Shien's nose.

“Now!” Reject Shien quickly, then move his head away. But just as quickly as that the Sky pulled Shien's nape and snatched his slightly dry lips at a glance.

“Ish. . .” Shien smacked Sky's chest annoyed that the man had already dared to steal a kiss from him. While Heaven just stuck out its tongue, it was soft.

After Heaven freed him, Shien moved from his bed. But before he actually got out of bed, Shien took the time to pummel Sky's face using the pillow as hard as possible to make the man scream stifled, but chuckled softly later.

Who told him to be so annoying? Huo.

********

Papa, Mama, and Shien who were sitting opposite Nathan immediately put on a tense, disappointed, and sad face at once. Either they had to say what after a few seconds ago to hear the bad news from Nathan.

“Conditions that can be said to be very rare in someone who has brain stem death. But it is not possible not to happen.” Nathan said a moment ago.

DEG

Shien's heart was like being hit by an enormous stone, his face stiffened, a cold temperature started to creep up on his palm. Shien could guess what Nathan would say next, but he chose to hear his explanation further to be sure. The same thing was felt by Mom and Dad.

“Last night, we got word that the patient was showing signs of consciousness. The doctor removed the ventilator, and it is certain that the patient has a high life expectancy. Now he's in recovery time.” Clearly Nathan then, made Shien feel all the energy within his body being pulled all over.

Just now he heard the happy news because there is someone who is willing to donate a heart donor for him and it is clear also the level of compatibility. But apparently God has other plans.

I don't know how Shien should respond. Should he be sad above the happiness of others?

Ahh, Shien doesn't know.

His hope of getting a new heart and having a normal life in a healthy sense, disappeared instantly.

Shien's heart melos. He wanted to cry, he wanted to be angry. But angry at who? Fate who had played him like this? Who gave him false hope? No. gabe. Shien could not be angry at something beyond his power.

“Sorry, Shien. Looks like we'll have to wait a little while.” Nathan continued with a heavy heart. Undeniably, Nathan was similarly shocked and saddened to hear this. And he also felt guilty for giving great hope to Shien and his family, but he himself also blew that hope.

But, what can Nathan do? He is only a Doctor whose job is to deliver good and bad news to patients and their families even though it is very burdensome for his own feelings.

“Here, it's not just you who are disappointed. There are six others who previously also put their hopes on donors.” Imbuh Nathan later.

Shien flinching. He let out a heavy and long sigh, not knowing what to say.

So did Papa and Mama who were just as devastated to hear this news. They breathe simultaneously. There was nothing more they wanted than for her youngest daughter to be able to live healthily, so she did not have to be in pain again for the rest of her life.

“Stay optimistic and pray. You will definitely get the donor at the time God has planned.” Nathan cheers. However, we must not despair as long as we can still try and believe that God will never test a servant beyond his limits.

“There's more?” Ask Shien flatly.

His emotions are really fucked. Shien did not know how to express it. What was clear, he wanted to get out of Nathan's room that was suddenly empty, it was stifling to be there.

“Stay taking medicine regularly. Don't stress.” Nathan said.

Shien nodded, then moved from his seat to say goodbye and walked out of Nathan's room. Ignoring Mama who called him worried and prepared to follow. However, Nathan quickly stops Mama and says to give Shien some time of his own.

Yes, Shien needed time to calm down, especially to accept the reality he did not expect.

Mama breathed heavily, then sat back down. A moment later, his cries broke as if he was able to feel the suffering and sadness that Shien had experienced. In his heart he spoke. “Yes God, let me, not my son.”

Papa and Mama are most tormented in their inner condition and the news that Nathan delivered today. They felt bad for not being able to do anything for her youngest daughter.

********

It had been two days since the less than pleasant news, Shien had become even more reserved than usual. That girl is like a robot. Go to work and spend more time in the room. He just came out of the room to eat and only spoke as necessary. That was when Papa and Mama started the conversation first.

It definitely made Papa and Mama worried. But they also did not know what to do to comfort the girl. Shien's feelings may be very sensitive, Papa and Mama are afraid that Shien is misresponsive thinking that they are pitying him if Papa and Mama try to comfort Shien. And if that happens, maybe Shien's mood will be much worse.

Shien sat pensively on the swing, on the playground he used to visit with the Sky. But, today was unaccompanied by the man even though Shien desperately needed him to share the story.

Sky is outside the city to be a speaker in Pediatrics seminars and also lecture about child surgery there, precisely at one of the universities in Yogyakarta.

Counting three days from his departure after returning from Lembang, Sky did not contact Shien. Instead, Shien could not contact the man. His number was out of reach, it seemed like the Sky was really busy. And the last time Sky contacted Shien was three days ago, Sky reported that he had arrived and apologized to Shien if he couldn't call him tired enough to want to rest his body immediately. As a result, Shien, who originally wanted to share his grievances, took his intentions for granted and kept his own grief to this day.

A boy in a Kindergarten uniform, complete with his school attributes and a cell phone deliberately hung around his neck made Shien look over at him, then ignore him with an indifferent face. Fits Shien's personality who doesn't like kids at all, no matter how funny they are. Fina who knew that reality to the point of not being able to imagine what if Shien became a mother someday.

The boy sat on a swing next to Shien. Then Shien with the tail of his eyes searched for someone. The child's parents or perhaps the teacher. Although the playground is near kindergarten and it is time to go home from school, but children should not roam alone without adult supervision.

Not that Shien cared, only that he did not want to be bothered if only suddenly the child sitting next to him whined and cried asking to be delivered home to him because the parents of the child did not pick him up.

Not wanting to think too much into it, Shien chose not to assume the existence of the little boy. He then casually opened the ice cream cone packaging that some time ago bought from a traveling ice cream dealer across the playground.

The little boy watched Shien licking his paper-made ice cream lid with a hopeful look, occasionally licking his lips and gulping his saliva. Shien felt that gaze, but he tried not to care. However, the next second Shien snorted loudly. The little boy's gaze really made him uneasy.

Sucks.

“Where is your Mama?” Shien asked flatly as he thrust the ice cream in his hand at the little boy and was immediately greeted with pleasure.

“Still, Aunt. . .” Said the boy with curly hair that long after grabbing the only ice cream that Shien had bought. His clear eyes seemed to sparkle. While Shien snorted, disliking the way the little boy called out to him. Does Shien look that old? Shien felt sister's calling was still more suitable for him.

“Mama is at home.” The little boy replied then, then started licking his ice cream.

“Papa you?” Shien asked again with his eyebrows raised.

“Office.” Shien's frown was puzzled at the little boy's reply.

“Whose pick up?” Shien asked again. He looked at the ice cream that the little boy was greedily eating with an unwilling look. According to Shien, the little boy's mouth was exactly like the shredder in his office, not yet three minutes, the ice cream was about to run out.

“Grandmother.” The little boy replied briefly after he swallowed a chewable ice cream cone waffle.

“Should wait at school. Don't wander around recklessly. Kidnapped new know your taste.” Tegur Shien, there is no sweetness at all as anyone else or should treat a child.

“I've been waiting for an invitation here, really, Tan.” Little boy, put the last piece of ice cream in his little mouth. Both of his cheeks were padlocked looking up and down funny along with the work of teeth shredding food.

Shien's eyes squinted as the wind that blew against his face. Luckily the afternoon was not too hot because the sun was covered in clouds so Shien was still at home to sit for a long time there.

“Tante. . .” Call the little boy suddenly, drowning Shien in his daydream. Shien then turned his head lazily with one eyebrow raised.

“Hand me dirty.” His sister then while showing both palms of her hands that were straws with chocolate-flavored ice cream towards Shien. Likewise with the area around his tiny lips that are no less dirty.

“Ya netin.” Shien did not care, then turned his face back.

“Tante. . .” Call the child again with a pleading expression.

Shien sighed, then turned his head with an annoyed face. “Why, anyway?” Ask a jutek, but not in a high tone.

“Bantuin.” Pinta the little boy with a sinless face turned his hands and face to Shien.

Shien sighed in annoyance. But even so, his hand reached into the bag to look for wet tissue, then without saying much he grabbed the child's small hand and began to clean it with a gentle movement. Clearly, Shien did not want the child to cry and make his ears hurt if he did so violently.

“Small child.” Call Shien as he switches to cleaning the boy's mouth.

“Hum?” The little boy kept it short.

“Lain times, must be careful with new people, let alone you do not know at all.” Shien advised, considering that the little boy was not at all afraid or wary when he met him. “Do not greet people carelessly, can not also be written carelessly. If that person is a kidnapper or a scoundrel how?”

“Tante, right, not the bad guy.” Said the little boy innocently.

Shien rolled his eyes lazily. “Where did you know?” He then pulled his body after finishing cleaning the child's hands and mouth, then put a used tissue in his bag because the trash can was too far away for him to reach. More precisely, Shien was too lazy to move on.

“In the movie, the face of the bad guy is ugly, Auntie.”

Shien snorted amusedly at the innocent reply from the little mouth of the child.

“Jadi. . .” Shien gave her a smile even though it was not clearly visible. “Am I pretty?”

The little boy blinked, from his expression like he was thinking. “Still look forward to Aunty at home.” The answer is honest, making the face of Jutek Shien back up.

“Sia. . . .” Shien was close to cussing, his one hand was already hovering preparing to snap at the little boy's head. But he broke it down and put it back down. Shien still knew himself not to quarrel or bully a child. It can be branded a real bad person if he does and the child cries, then complains to his parents.

“But he's stingy. I never gave you ice cream. Aunt the best.” Connect the little boy while pointing one thumb at Shien.

While Shien was just throbbing hearing that. Shien thought that little ones really thought shallow and innocent. Even this little boy that Shien did not know of his name was not worried at all if the ice cream he was given might contain poison. Ckckck, it's a good thing that Shien isn't a bad guy.

“Tante. . .” Call the child after a moment of silence.

“Hum?” Sahut Shien with furrowed eyebrows.

“Tante sad?” He asked suddenly, his clear eyes observing Shien's sad face.

Shien grunted amusedly. The boy really talks a lot. “Little boy don't get to know.” He said as he ruffled the child's hair in a fit of anxiety.

“I have Uncle, if he's sad again, he likes kayak gini. . .” The little boy then put on a sad face and practiced how Shien sighed and exhaled heavily earlier. Apparently, he had really noticed Shien.

Shien pulled one corner of his lips slightly, then went back to ruffling the child's curls speechlessly.

“Tante want to know how to Uncle smile again?” Shien shook his head, unwilling to know and uninterested.

The little boy pouted, then jumped down from the swing to then stand right before Shien.

“Sini, Aunt.” The little boy instructed Shien to bend his body with a hand gesture. Shien scowled confusedly, but eventually he complied as well.

“Begini.” The little boy grabbed both sides of Shien's face, then kissed her lips three short times. “Don't be sad, Aunt. Aunt's face is ugly if sad.” Said later.

Shien smiled amusedly at the behavior of the little boy, reminding him of someone he was wanting his current existence, Sky. “Truly sweet mouth. There sit again.” Once again, Shien ruffled the wrath of the boy's hair.

“Tuh, right. Aunt beautiful if smile.” Tempt the little boy while pointing towards Shien's lips that were still pulled upwards. While Shien only snorted between annoyed and amused at once.

“Ohh, yes. Whose Aunt's name?” Ask the child after sitting back on the swing.

“No need to know.” Shien put on his jutek face again. While the little boy immediately pouted at Shien's reply. “Because we won't see you again and don't see you again.” Shien continued heartless, making the little boy immediately throw a protesting gaze at him.

“Kena-”

“Biel. . .”

And along with the protest sentence that the little boy was about to lay down, at that moment also the soft voice of a middle-aged woman calling his name, also approached him.

“Grandmother. . .” The boy exclaimed cheerfully, his eyes twinkling at the middle-aged woman he called Grandma walking up to him.

Shien turned his head, his eyes narrowing as he tried to remember when he had seen the beautiful face that felt quite familiar. But Shien's memory couldn't catch him. Maybe it was just his feelings.

“Biel, sorry Grandma is late, dear.” Said the middle-aged woman while helping the little boy called Biel get off the swing.

“Udah how many times Grandma said, you if you wait for an invitation at school. It's deserted here. What if there is a kidnapper?” Omel the Grandma was worried as her gaze down the playground was wide enough for a moment, it was quite quiet.

“Nothing, really, Grandma. I was then granted Aunt.” The little boy said as he pointed towards Shien.

Then Shien stood up and smiled a very thin smile at the middle-aged woman who still looked beautiful. Shien so guessed, how beautiful was that woman when she was young? And Shien guessed she must be very pretty.

While the middle-aged woman directly observed Shien from top to bottom with probing eyes, it was also apparent that her vigilance was there.

“Tadi Aunt also loves me ice cream.” Imbuh the little boy, making the Grandma immediately put on a worried face. Clearly, which parent wouldn't worry if an unknown person gave his child food?

“Take it easy, Auntie. I'm not a bad person.” Shien said quickly as if realizing the middle-aged woman's suspicion of him.

“So I happened to meet Biel and he was alone. So, I accompanied him for a while until his invitation came.” Shien continued to lie a little, because he could not say honestly that he actually did not intend to accompany the child at all and just happened to calm down there.

If Shien spoke honestly, then the middle-aged woman would look at him as a freak, even though he was actually a freak.

“Then, sorry to trouble.” The middle-aged woman's words were heartless, obvious from the sudden change in look on her face. “And thank you for accompanying my grandson.” Her impression with a sincere smile.

Shien nodded accompanied by his faint, stiff-looking smile. “Then, I excuse you, Aunt.”

Feeling the atmosphere was very awkward, Shien chose to escape even though he still wanted to stay there at least for a moment.

“Ehh, yes.” The middle-aged woman's heart was just as awkward. “Thank you in advance, Nak.” He said again, and Shien responded again with a nod.

“Tante, wait. . .” Shien who was just about to step up, instantly came to a halt as soon as the little boy named Biel held him back.

Shien looked at Biel questioningly. The boy then reached into a red backpack with his Iron Man character, then took out something like a snack with a small package.

“Say my friend, if this meal can be lucky.” Biel then handed the packaged snack that turned out to contain fortune cookies to Shien.

“Lucky it is because we can eat and taste this delicious cake.” Said Shien realistically while brandishing the cake packaging. He then returned to say goodbye and passed to get out of the playground area, then immediately stopped the taxi that happened to pass there.

From the rearview mirror, Shien felt he saw someone he knew leaning against the body of a parked car not far from the park area.

“Jackson?” Shien muttered with squeaking eyes, making sure that that person was someone he knew. But, the distance of view is getting shorter as the car he is riding increasingly drove away from the playground environment. And Shien decided to ignore it.

Shien then turned his attention to the fortune cookies that Biel had given him earlier. He opened the packaging containing a crisp cake shaped dumplings inside the cake containing a long paper, which is said to be a fortune prophecy, he said, but Shien didn't believe him at all because he thought it was just a cake maker's fad to boost sales.

There were two cakes in one package. Shien took one, then split it to read the contents of the message he got. Actually, it's quite entertaining. Last time he got a nyeleneh message saying “I cannot help you, for I am just a cookie.”

And now he seems to get it too. Shien smiled amusedly, barely laughing after he read the message he got inside the fortune cookie. “That wasn’t chicken.”

Ck, really funny. It was obviously cake.

A moment later, Shien then split it apart. Instantly his smile shrunk and his face implied a dislike for the writing contained in the second cake.

“Trials and suffering”

********

To be continued. . . .