by Dee Lestari
Kugy took it. Gradually, the look of protest on her face disappeared. “Well, Agent Nowheretoturnia, I have to admit. As far as kidnappings go, this is very agreeable.” She chuckled. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
They sat on the edge of the cliff. With the grass beneath them and two cans of soda beside them, they watched the sun set until it vanished, engulfed by night. Then they gazed in wonder at the Indian Ocean spread out before them.
They drove down to a sloping part of the beach where several food vendors had set up stalls. The night was still young, and clear. A scattering of stars appeared in the cloudless sky, and the moon glowed majestically in all its fullness.
“This is the best instant ramen I’ve ever had in my life,” Kugy declared as she slurped up her noodles. She was already on her second bowl.
Keenan glanced at the empty package on the table. “Are you sure?” he asked doubtfully.
“Of course,” Kugy affirmed. “First, I haven’t eaten anything since lunch. And second, this place has the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen. Nothing compares—not even the most expensive restaurants in Jakarta. Am I right?”
Keenan laughed and moved on to his second bowl as well. “So you don’t regret being kidnapped?”
Kugy stopped chewing. “Can I ask you something? What’s the real reason behind all this?”
Keenan also stopped chewing and looked at her for a moment. “Finish eating first. I’ll tell you later. But not here. Not now.”
Kugy’s eyes widened. “We’re going somewhere else?”
Keenan nodded. “Just twenty yards over.”
Ranca Buaya beach was hemmed in by coral reef, except for a cove where fishermen kept their boats, right where the food stalls were. Nearby was a small, empty stretch of sand.
There on that stretch, Kugy and Keenan finally had the opportunity to wade in the ocean. The sand beneath their feet was made up of broken clamshells, creamy yellow in hue. Hundreds of tiny waves sparkled silver in the moonlight. They could see little mounds of coral peeking out of the water, shimmering, gilded by sea foam.
After she had her fill of playing in the waves, Kugy threw herself down on the sand. “I’m so full,” she said. “I’ll sleep soundly tonight.”
“Want me to make you a bed?” asked Keenan.
“How?”
Keenan ran to the car and came back with a small pail and shovel.
Kugy laughed. “Were you planning on planting something? You brought a shovel and everything!”
“Don’t ask too many questions,” Keenan reminded her. “That’s one of today’s rules.” He got down to work.
“What are you doing?” Kugy was still lying on her back, gazing up at the night sky.
Then she felt herself being lifted up.
“What are you doing?” she shrieked.
A few seconds later, she was set back onto the sand, into a shallow pit.
“You won’t find this kind of bed anywhere, not even in the most expensive hotels. It’s a sand bed. All natural—and therapeutic, too. It works like reflexology.” He rattled this off in the easy manner of a medicine-seller hawking his wares. He continued to pile sand on top of her as he spoke, using his bucket as a scoop.
Kugy offered no resistance. She even giggled. The grains of sand tickled as they flowed over her skin.
“How’s your bed, Little One? Comfy, huh?” Keenan’s smile was triumphant.
“Better than a five-star hotel.” She sighed, closing her eyes. Once her body was completely covered with sand, Keenan lay down beside her.
“Of course it’s better,” he said. “This is a million-star hotel. You can order instant noodles and hot tea, the rooms are enormous, and there’s a massage bed and live music playing nonstop. The waves. Nature’s sweetest song.”
Kugy turned to him. “You mean you—”
“Think of this as a belated birthday present. Think of this as a small token to celebrate our reunion. Think of this however you want.” Keenan inched toward her, keeping his eyes on her. “This is my way of thanking you for all the valuable inspiration you’ve given me.”
Kugy froze, and the pile of sand on top of her made her feel weaker still. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t even speak. All she could do was gaze into his face hovering above her, so very close.
“Little One,” Keenan continued, “I’ve always remembered what you said. How much you love the sound of the waves. I hope coming here has made you happy.”
Kugy could barely speak. “I’ve never been happier. Thank you.”
Keenan shook his head. “I’m the one who’s thankful. And I have one more present to give you. The same rules still apply: you have to do whatever I tell you. Okay? Now, close your eyes.”
Kugy obeyed, though she was incredibly nervous. Her eyes were closed, but she could feel Keenan coming closer. His breath felt warm on her face. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst right out of her sand bed. But Kugy couldn’t have moved if she tried.
“Open your mouth,” he said gently.
Apprehensively, Kugy did as she was told. She felt something on her lips, in her mouth. She knew that scent. She had been holding her breath. Now she released it. But she didn’t say anything because her mouth was full.
“It’s a banana. Your favorite.” Keenan chuckled. “I brought a bunch with me.”
“Very clever,” she said between bites. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
Keenan placed his index fingers against his temples, like antennae. “Neptune radar,” he said lightly.
“All right, fellow agent. We’ve finished the main course. Now we’re eating dessert. What next?”
Keenan’s expression became serious. “It took four hours to get here from Bandung. It’ll take three hours to get back to Jakarta. If we try to drive home tonight, we’ll be exhausted. What about going back tomorrow morning before sunrise?”
“But where are we going to sleep? We’re not really going to spend the night here, are we?”
“Don’t worry. I’m a very responsible kidnapper.” Keenan went back to the car again and returned with two sleeping bags. “We can sleep in the shelter back over there, or on the beach. Up to you, Little One.”
Kugy thought for a while. “I think I’d prefer to stay here. But is it safe?”
“It’s safe,” Keenan answered confidently. “Your kidnapper has security under control.”
“Oh yeah? How?”
“Prayer.”
Noni frowned when she saw the unfamiliar number on her cell phone screen. “Hello?”
“Hi. Is this Noni?”
The man’s voice was unfamiliar. “Yes, it is,” said Noni. “Who is this?”
“This is Remi.” There was a pause. “I’m Kugy’s boyfriend.”
“Oh!” Noni exclaimed. The name wasn’t new to her, but she hadn’t anticipated Remi calling her out of the blue. It was eleven o’clock at night.
“Sorry I’m calling so late. I got your number from Kugy’s little sister. I was wondering if you know where Kugy might be? Her cell phone has been off all day, and her family doesn’t know where she’s gone.”
“Wow,” Noni said, genuinely surprised. “I don’t know, either.”
“Her sister said Kugy often meets up with old classmates. Maybe you know something?”
“Actually, I’m one of the classmates Keshia’s referring to,” Noni said with a grin. “There were four of us who used to hang out together, and we’ve been hanging out a lot again recently. But as far as I know, we didn’t have any plans to meet up today.”
“I wonder where she is,” said Remi, sounding worried. “How could she just disappear and not tell anyone?”
“I’m sure she’s fine.” Noni chuckled. “She does a lot of weird things. She’ll turn up tomorrow at the very latest.”
Noni’s words failed to put Remi at ease. On the contrary, he felt even more anxious.
Kugy opened her eyes and found the sky already
reddish in hue. Keenan hadn’t woken her up. She scrambled to her feet and saw that his sleeping bag was neatly rolled up next to her, its owner having gone who knew where. She had been left in the shelter, all alone.
Kugy began walking toward the beach. The sky looked like it had been divided in two, reddish on the eastern horizon, with the rest of it still dark blue, preserving the traces of night and its flock of stars. The moon was still glowing, silver and round like a single pearl perched on the edge of the sky, ready to fall into the waiting mouth of the dawn. She spied Keenan not too far away, standing and staring out at the beach.
Sensing Kugy was close, Keenan turned. He saw Kugy’s smiling face backlit by the sun’s rays against the sky. Her fine hair fluttered in the breeze. He had been enjoying the morning’s beauty. But now it seemed the morning had a rival.
“Good morning, Little One.”
“Morning, Mr. Kidnapper.” She walked over to him.
“Come over here.” Keenan tugged gently at her hand. “One final rule—no protesting,” he whispered. “Just for a little while, you have to let me do this.” Slowly, Keenan moved behind Kugy and put his arms around her, hugging her from behind. He spoke into her ear. “Wherever life ends up taking us, I can honestly say your work has been my greatest inspiration. If you’ll let me, I want to continue working with you. Kugy—Little One—do you want to write fairy tales again?”
Kugy gulped. “I do. As long as you want to paint again.”
“I do. For Pilik,” whispered Keenan. For you.
“For Pilik,” Kugy whispered back. And for you.
They were silent. It was as if the silence had a pulse. They could feel it beating, each beat conveying what remained unsaid. Then there was a whisper. For a moment it hung in the air. Then, as if it were an ocean wave, it flowed into their hearts, and stayed.
Unconsciously, Keenan tightened his embrace, savoring this silent heartbeat. Because only when they were together could he taste eternity. If only for a moment.
CHAPTER 39
WORKING TOGETHER
When Kugy returned home, the first thing she did was call Remi. The first thing he did was yell at her.
“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?” he shouted. “It was like torture, I was so distressed! And I couldn’t do anything about it, except call everyone I could think of, asking about you! Except wait up all night till dawn for you to call, which you didn’t! I was just about to call the police!”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Just one minute on the phone with you! Not even that—just thirty seconds! And it would have been completely different!”
“Yes, I know, but—”
“Kugy, you’re too much.” Remi spoke coldly. His words pierced her.
“It was all unexpected. I went to Bandung, and I found out a former student of mine died, so I—”
“Look, I don’t care why you went. That’s not the issue. Why didn’t you tell me anything? Why was your cell phone off all day and all night?”
“The thing is . . .” Kugy squeezed her eyes shut. I can’t tell him. “The thing is, I left my cell phone in my room, and it was switched off. I’m sorry. It was really irresponsible.”
There was silence on the other end, followed by a deep breath. “If you ever disappear like that again, and if anything happens to you, I’m not sure I could ever forgive myself.”
“But Remi, I’m fine—”
“And how was I supposed to know that if I couldn’t contact you? How?”
Kugy was speechless.
“Someday you’ll know. You’re too precious to me. I can’t lose you. You can’t imagine how I felt yesterday. It was excruciating. Please, don’t ever disappear like that again.”
Before Kugy could stop herself, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Remi’s words had made her realize something.
“It’s all right. The important thing is you’re home. Nothing’s more important than that.” Remi spoke as if it were himself he was trying to reassure. “Are you feeling all right, darling? Are you tired? You’re not upset at me, are you?”
“I’m fine,” Kugy said emphatically, trying to hide all traces of her crying.
“I’ll come over later, okay?”
“Yes. I’ll be waiting,” answered Kugy. And when the conversation ended, she sat for a long time, wiping away the tears that fell in a seemingly endless stream. She realized now that, for one night, she had been able to return to the land of fairy tales. It was a perfect world, where love was eternal. But this was the real world. This was the life she was leading. It wasn’t as beautiful as that other land, but she had made her choice.
Bitterly, Kugy reminded herself that Keenan was nothing more than a fairy-tale prince. The tale that ended with them living happily ever after would never come to pass. Remi was her reality—right there, within reach, and madly in love with her. She wasn’t sure she could ever forgive herself, either, if she hurt Remi. She had deceived him this once—and that was already one time too many.
It was Monday, and Keenan was returning from the office. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He had spent hours resisting the urge to call her, and he felt as if his entire body was suffering from an overwhelming thirst. He just wanted to hear her voice, her laugh, her snicker. He dialed her number.
“Hey, Little One. Whatcha doing?”
“Mr. Kidnapper!” Her voice sounded cheerful. “I’m still at the office, and I was just thinking of you. I was about to text you.”
“Oh yeah?” It was Keenan’s turn to sound happy. “What’s up?”
“Are you ready for this?” Kugy cleared her throat. “Today I started writing again! The General Pilik series is back!”
Keenan’s eyes brightened. Kugy’s words had kindled something within him. “I have an idea. Listen carefully, okay? Then give me your honest opinion.” Keenan’s tone was serious. “Every time you finish a story, I’ll make a painting for it. I don’t know exactly what final form it will take—maybe a book, or an exhibition, or both. This whole time, people have gotten to know General Pilik through my paintings. But they don’t know what started it all. If you ask me, it’s time for you to come out as the creator of General Pilik and the Alit Brigade.”
Kugy was stunned. “So, we’ll be working together?”
“Little One, you haven’t known it, but to me, we’ve always been working together. The only difference is that now we’ll be walking side by side as well. That’s if you’re willing. It would be a great honor for me.”
For a long time, Kugy said nothing. She needed time to process. Her dreams were so close, so possible. Something she had once thought out of reach had suddenly fallen to earth, right in front of her. And all she needed was the courage to step forward.
When Kugy finally spoke, it was with determination. “Right. When do we start?”
April 2003
It took seven days for Kugy to finish each new installment of General Pilik and the Alit Brigade, which meant that Keenan received a new manuscript every week. Kugy wrote in a notebook, just as she had done at the Sakola Alit. Once Keenan had the manuscript, he had his secretary type it out on a computer.
Kugy spent much of her time in the office thinking about and writing the series. Nasty gossip began to circulate and snide comments were the new norm.
“Well, what do you expect? Kids these days. They do everything halfheartedly.”
“What’s the use of a brilliant mind if you don’t have the professionalism to back it up?
“Turns out prodigies have their expiration dates, too, huh?”
At these comments, Remi’s ears were reddest of all. He knew what Kugy was capable of. If the kid put even a little bit of effort into it, she could finish all her work in the blink of an eye. The problem was Kugy’s attention was being siphoned by something else, and he didn’t know what. In the office she could always be found hard at work at her desk. Yet none of her tasks were being completed.
Remi was forced to confront her.
“Kugy, I can’t ask the client for any more time. They have to shoot in a week. It’s nonnegotiable. But there’s still no storyboard and the main concept hasn’t been pinned down, either. You’re supposed to be the project leader. The decisions have to come from you. When you can’t focus, you leave your team in chaos.”
Kugy looked at Remi with panic on her face. How could she tell him that she still hadn’t done anything at all? How could she say it was time for him to stop relying on her so much, to stop making her a project leader, because she was powerless to keep her energy and attention from being sucked into that whirlpool, that other dimension, the world of General Pilik? When she was in the office, she felt like a zombie. Her body was there, but it was an empty shell. Meanwhile, its contents were elsewhere, doing other things.
“What’s the problem?” asked Remi.
“I’ve been working on a new project,” she said hesitantly.
“A project?” Remi’s brow furrowed.
“I’m writing a fairy tale series.”
Remi let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his face. “Kugy, I don’t need to remind you of your priorities. You’re old enough to know what they should be. What worries me is your inability to separate your professional life and your . . . hobbies.” His tone was sharp. “I don’t want to have this conversation. But you’re being paid to create ad concepts, not write fairy tales. It’s up to you if you want to spend all night at home writing them. But not here. Your job here is to meet your deadlines.”
Kugy had nothing to say. She knew the weakness of her position. It was no use defending herself. Whatever way she looked at it, it was clear she was at fault for neglecting her work.
“So when will the storyboard be ready?”
“As soon as possible.”
“This afternoon, then. Before six.” And with that, the conversation was over.
At five-thirty, Kugy submitted her work to Remi. He flipped through the sketches, looking pleased.
“So, you could do it after all, once you put your mind to it.”
Kugy gave him a watery smile in return.