Borus wakes up. Passing his study desk, he reaches for his mobile and searches for any message. “How was tonight’s meeting?” He’s reading the message from Hannah. This woman always texts him late in the night, doesn’t care whether the response she needs is urgent or not.
He texts the reply with the speed of Ferrari. “A ‘party’ is not a party without Hannah.”
When Borus returns from the bathroom, the reply message from Hannah has arrived: “It’s not a ‘party’ without Abang [older brother] Borus Komang.”
“It’s like you watch a movie for a thousandth time; you know all the scenes by heart, dialogue by dialogue. And when one scene missing you just know it; you get lost because the dialogue in your head doesn’t match with the one on the screen. It won’t be the same again until you restore the missing piece.” He types the reply and changes his clothes, word by word and piece by piece.
Two minutes later his mobile shrieks with the message tone. “Come on Borus. It’s still early in the morning, and you start playing words again to seduce and attract a woman?”
“You don’t attract love, Hannah: it comes to you, it chooses you because you deserve this honour.”
“Here you again, attempting to charm an innocent girl. Spare your words Mister, it’s still early in the morning! Give me the wing instead when the day is falling, and shadow of the night is fast approaching.”
“Whatever is true –the truth- is always charming and transforming. You could also say hypnotic.” He’s ready to leave for work.
*****
(Jakarta, 28 September 2009)
