12

JUNE 12, 2017 / NASVERSIX

“So, do we, like, have a sixth sense or something?”

The meeting I Jeremy’s room was now moved to Lina’s. Jeremy said he wanted to look at her room, thinking that maybe he would feel something there. Lina thought about him giving a vague answer about his sexuality so she wasn’t too worried bringing him to her room.

“Probably. This sixth sense thing is usually… bloodline-related, right?” Jeremy asked back.

Lina shrugged. “Why? Does your ancestry have them?”

“I have an uncle who does,” answered Jeremy. “Seeing things and stuff, but before this, I had never seen anything. It’s only when I started living in that room.”

“Maybe… it’s something that only comes when you reach puberty?”

“Hoiii! I reached it at 12 just so you know!” Jeremy flipped and threw a pillow towards Lina. Lina laughed. “Laugh all you want, but what are we going to do?” Jeremy asked.

“The counsellor told me to stay in her room…:

“Hah?! Serious?!”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Haven’t you heard? She’d sometimes hang around behind Delta block alone. A classmate of mine even said that when he went there to smoke, he saw here laughing, talking alone. Creepy!”

Lina was quiet. She did hear those stories, but she never cared. Hostel kids would sometimes make things up. “Don’t just believe what people said,” Lina said.

Jeremy pause, “But… hmmm…  I myself… don’t feel comfortable with her. She… looks at me weirdly.”

“Looks at you weirdly, how?”

“It even seems like a stalker. When I organise a rehearsal in the auditorium, she’d always come and watch…”

“Maybe she likes theatre too…”

“There was that one time she asked how I was doing in my class.”

“Okay, that’s weird.”

“Told ya!”

Lina and Jeremy were both silent.

“Maybe she likes you,” Lina suggested.

“She’s old for goodness’ sake!”

“Not too old. She still looks hot from what I can see.”

“Or could it be that you’re the one interested in her? How great, you’ll be living in the same room,” Jeremy teased.

This time, it was Lina’s turn to throw a pillow towards Jeremy. They laughed.

And Lina felt that… it had been long since she let out a sincere laugh like that.

Khalil arrived in his hotel room and immediately threw his body on the bed. Tired. It took him 3 hours to arrive here from his home by car. Old Said, his driver, offered to drive the car – but Khalil didn’t want to involve anyone else in his business this time. It’s too personal.

Khalil got up and flicked the curtains open. The view from his room was quite beautiful – he could see a lake, a waterfall. There used to be a restaurant near the lake – the place CGTSS students went to eat grandly at times. Khalil wasn’t sure about the kids now, and he wasn’t sure where their port was. Maybe they no longer care about things like this waterfall.

If Khalil looked closely, he could still see himself and his friends, 10 years ago – having fun around the small town. He could still feel the splashes from the waterfall when bathing there, and he still remembered every inch of the face of the person that he dearly loved – his hair wet from the water.

“Of everyone, you’re the one who should understand it best, Khalil!”

Khalil sighed. The clock showed that it was already 4.50 in the evening – after Asar prayer, he planned to take a nap before going out for dinner. People said that it’s not good sleeping after Asar – if done 40 days straight, you could become crazy.

Khalil felt that he need not care about those things. He was crazy for a long time now.

“How long have the lakeside restaurant been gone?” Khalil asked while eating at a mamak restaurant.

“It’s been a while. It’s already gone when I started working at CGTSS,” the counsellor answered. She then added, “Bintang Coffee Shop is no longer there too.”

Khalil slightly smiled.

“I really appreciate you coming here, Khalil,” said the counsellor, sincere.

“ I came because of him.”

“I know.”

Quiet. The situation became somewhat awkward. Khalil took a fork and played with his Indo Mee, fried albino-style by the cook. It was a big mistake ordering this thing – Khalil didn’t usually order unhealthy food like that, but for some reason he did.

“So… did you ever… you know… settle down?” a question came from Khalil which made the situation even more awkward.

The counsellor laughed.

Khalil shrugged while smiling embarrassedly. “What? It’s a valid question.”

“Would it be a valid question if I asked that to you?”

“Obviously it won’t.”

“Then? Is it valid to me?”

Khalil smiled, immediately changing the topic. “So tomorrow, I’ll be able to meet this mystery boy?”

“Yup. I just hope he doesn’t freak out. I think that even he had started doubting my intentions. I had always been watching him.”

“Watching him?”

“Not that kind of watching! I mean… I always look over him.”

“Like a guardian angel?”

The counsellor smiled. “Something like that.”