Yatim Piatu

"Here it is, Isa. This is where we were raised, received an education, love, and care – all under this roof. It's where our sisterly bond was formed."

Aisyah explained to Isa. The orphanage, with its plain and simple exterior, didn't boast any remarkable features. The three of them stood ready to enter.

As they stepped inside, a sudden eruption of joyful shouts and cheers echoed from the children within.

"They are here!" exclaimed one of them. In an instant, a group of kids crowded around Aisyah and Nadia.

"Haiii, how have you all been? I've missed each and every one of you!" Aisyah exclaimed. "Aisyah, please play with us again!" one of the kids eagerly asked.

"Of course! That's the main reason why we're here, you silly," Aisyah replied with a smile.

Isa stood there, observing the abundance of affection Aisyah showered upon the children, and the atmosphere of the place was truly heartwarming.

Nadia noticed Isa's somewhat awkward stance and attempted to assist, saying, "Oh yeah, Isa. In that direction, you might find someone who can explain things and provide useful information. He's an old guy, by the way."

Isa followed Nadia's guidance, navigating through the orphanage in search of the elderly man.

"So, you're the guardian of my little daughter, huh?"

the man, undoubtedly elderly, addressed Isa. In response, Isa questioned, "I don't know who you are, but Nadia mentioned that some old guy could give me some context here, and she suggested that person was right in front of me, am I right?"

"maybe we should talk in a more convenient place." the elderly man suggested. Both of them then proceeded to the old man's office, and the first thing that struck Isa was the pervasive and strong smell of cigarettes.

"No kids, never walk into this room. I'm burning my cigarettes here and only here. If you ever dare to light your cigarettes in front of my son and daughter, especially Aisyah, I don't care how strong you are. Prepare to not see tomorrow. You are destroying yourself, but never put someone with you." the old man sternly warned Isa

"You're worrying about something that's going to be impossible to happen. Obviously, I'm never going to do that," Isa reassured him. Despite the warning, knowing the room was designated for smoking, Isa pulled out his cigarettes and lit one up in front of the old man. "Let me get this thing straight. You're also someone who doesn't erase your memory, isn't it?"

"Don't talk to me like you know everything, please. Have a seat first," the old man replied. Isa took a seat and said, "Alright, I'm here to hear you talk, so go for it."

"Is that your original body that you're using now young man? I guess so. That must be so delightful. Well, someone like you may never experience your body getting rotted as time goes by." the old man remarked.

Isa stood there, a perplexed expression on his face as he struggled to grasp the old man's revelation.

"What? Are you saying your own biological body has... rotted? I never knew such a thing was possible with today's technology," Isa exclaimed, disbelief etched across his features. The old man simply chuckled and then expounded, "Oh, young man, take a good look at this world. Despite their belief in an advanced civilization, the quest for a god, they still can't prevent a body from decaying. What a sick joke."

Isa, attempting to make sense of the unfolding revelation, countered, "No, it's not that they're neglecting it. They actively prevent biological human bodies from rotting, enabling people to reside in their biological forms for an extended period. But why, in your case, is your body rotted and unusable? The only logical explanation is... Oh, God. Old man, how old are you? How long has your consciousness been alive?"

The old man fell silent for a moment, taking a drag from his cigarette as he contemplated Isa's bewildered expression. "My age was never relevant, but as you rightly pointed out, I am an old man. And when I say I'm an old man, I truly mean it."

he began, exhaling a plume of smoke. "I just want to convey something crucial to you, and Aisyah is already aware of this: never trust the system."Isa, trying to maintain a skeptical stance, retorted,

"Old man, I'm here for an explanation of Aisyah's background, how she became perhaps the smartest person on this earth, not some conspiracy theory."

"I want you to correct your words first. Aisyah, without any doubt was the smartest person in this civilization, not because of her talent or hard work. It's simply due to how stupid the majority of people were.

Now, I have two answers for you. First, I'm here to tell you the truth: the system was so perfect that the so-called 'entity' could practically grant you anything you wanted without limits. Most importantly, in a fair way without any side effects.

But, just like my body, something was eventually going to come to an end. The most important point is, and I'm almost certain, that the system was made by people. Think about it."

In that moment, Isa felt as though he would gain nothing from his conversation with the old man. Then, unexpectedly, the old man spoke again. "Isa, your daily job is to guard her. It's not unusual for you to have to make tough decisions like for example, killing someone. Does it weigh on you? Does it haunt you at night?"

"Yes, it does. It keeps me up at night. This job, as a whole, is a nightmare. I have to kill someone who want to be killed and some bad guys, But, what if I end up killing innocent people who didn't want to die?" Isa replied, his voice tinged with the burden of his responsibilities.

"Isa, without you and your strength, Aisyah would never fulfill her duty. This world is still full of mysteries, and I'm too old for the job. Someone like you and Aisyah are the right candidates to unravel the many mysteries of our lives. And for that, for protecting my daughter, I say thank you."

The old man expressed with sincerity and gratitude.

"I found myself completely overlooked by those kids upon arrival; all their attention was riveted on Aisyah and Nadia, particularly Aisyah." Isa observed.

"All right, by the way, if you genuinely want insights into Aisyah's past, maybe you can inquire with Nadia, she will give you a bit of information. And yes, you're correct; I take pride in having played a role in raising both of them."

Exiting the room after concluding their conversation and indulging in cigarettes, Aisyah spotted the old man and rushed towards him, embracing him with a sense of nostalgia.

"Ohhh, old man, I've missed you," Aisyah expressed warmly. However, her delight quickly soured as she detected the odor of cigarettes. Distancing herself, she looked visibly annoyed. "Ohhhhh, I'm sorry, my darling. It's entirely your bodyguard's fault. I'm not the one who initiated this. Please don't be angry with your old man!"

The old man's attempt at an apology only heightened Aisyah's irritation, especially upon realizing Isa's involvement. Responding curtly, Aisyah stated, "I know you guys might have a long lifespan, but it's still unpleasant! Humph. I'll join Nadia and the kids then." Growing more agitated, she left them both.

"NOOO, MY DARLING, FORGIVE ME!" the old man pleaded with regret. For Isa, this situation was routine; he had to use his powers daily to discreetly enable him to smoke without Aisyah noticing, even though Aisyah can guessed it 90 percent of the time.

Now, they all endeavored to gather with the kids and engage in some games. Isa finally garnered the attention of the children and was invited to join in the festivities.

Isa graciously accepted, participating in games like football, tag, and various others. The atmosphere at the orphanage overflowed with joy and merriment.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. After a few hours of revelry, Nadia, Aisyah, and Isa prepared to depart, concluding their delightful encounter at the orphanage.

"Please, Aisyah, take us with you!" pleaded some of the kids. Aisyah responded, "Listen, kids, we still can't bring you guys outside. We have some work to do, but we'll take you with us once we finish our job, okay?" The underlying reason for Aisyah's reluctance to bring the kids was the looming threat of the terrorist group. She didn't want to expose the children to danger.

Before departing, the old man conveyed a message to Isa, "Isa, please convey my apologies to Nadia. I hope you can deliver this message for her; I can't do it myself. And yes, thank you for visiting us here." Isa simply replied, "Yeah, sure. I definitely had a great time with you and the kids. I'll pass on your message to Nadia. Thanks for having us."

The old man expressed his gratitude, "Yeah, sure, young man. Again, thank you."

They finally took off from the orphanage, leaving the old man and the kids behind. "Bye-bye!! Don't forget to take us next time!!" The kids shouted. "We will study hard here!! Don't worry about us!"

A chorus of excited voices bid their farewells as the car left the orphanage, leaving behind the old man and the joyful children.

In the car, Isa quickly recalled the old man's message for Nadia.

"Umm, Nadia, the old man gave me a message for you. He said sorry? I'm not sure what he meant by that, and I didn't press him for details."

Isa conveyed the message to Nadia, who seemed puzzled. "Huh? What does he mean? As far as I remember, the old man never made any mistakes towards me... Aisyah, do you have any idea?"

Aisyah, equally perplexed, replied, "I have no clue either. That old man... Maybe he senses his time is limited, and that's why he conveyed the message."

Nadia tried to understand the old man's intention. "Damn old man... Perhaps he anticipates something in the future, so he's seeking forgiveness."

"Nadia, don't dwell on it too much. Maybe it's a past issue he wants to clear. Just accept his 'apology,'" Aisyah suggested.

Nadia, still contemplating, responded, "Or perhaps it's something he plans to do in the future..."

"Nadia, please, let go of these thoughts. Concentrate on the road," Aisyah urged.

"Yeah, you're right. Alright, old man. Whatever mistakes you've made, whether in the past or future, I forgive you," Nadia decided, though the specifics of the old man's actions remained a mystery.

Nadia inquired about their destination, "So, Aisyah and Isa, this is your vacation. Tell me, what's our direction?"

Isa responded nonchalantly, "Well, I will just follow whatever Aisyah wants to go. Simple."

Knowing Isa would follow her decision, Aisyah excitedly declared, "Bali! We will go to Bali! You've already packed, haven't you? If not, we can just buy new things there."

"Don't underestimate me, Aisyah. I am fully prepared. Even if you want to go to another country right here, right now." Nadia replied confidently.

Aisyah turned to Isa, asking, "How about you, Isa? Are you ready, or do you need to pack?"

Isa, showing his lack of interest in fashion, replied, "I don't know what I will bring for this vacation. I have zero taste in the choice of clothes. Maybe I'll just buy new stuff there."

They were now on the toll road heading towards Surabaya, the main city of East Java, a mere 30 minutes away from their current location. Nadia, having undertaken an 14-hour journey from Pati to Bali previously, knew the best routes for this trip.

"Alright, people, just so you know, it's going to be a 12-hour journey. Isa, we'll make a few stops for prayer times if you don't mind," Nadia informed.

"Sure, of course," Isa warmly replied.

"And Nadia, you're familiar with the taste of the 'pantura road,' right?" Aisyah clarified.

"Absolutely, Aisyah. on a New Year, I took that trip just because I was bored and wanted a challenge. Surprisingly, I did it! Although it took me 14 hours on my first attempt when it should have been just 10 hours with a gas stop, not including harbor time. So, for my initial journey to Bali, I needed 18 hours, covering everything," Nadia explained her experience.

"But I can guarantee you guys that this is gonna be faster. I've learned from my mistakes and won't make you guys wait too long, I promise. So, without further ado, let's get this thing started," Nadia affirmed, her demeanor shifting into a more serious tone. The car's acceleration was substantial, nearly causing Isa and Aisyah to express concern, although both were fully aware that a car crash held no danger for them.

They were now heading to the toll road towards Surabaya, the main city of East Java, around 30 minutes from their current location.

As they entered the toll road, Isa continuously looked at the scenery—the fields of rice along their way.

When passing through the toll road gate, Nadia accelerated the car to around 100 km/h. Isa, at the edge of his window, did the usual, enjoying the scenery. Suddenly, on the side of the road, he saw something that didn't make any sense.

A guy, barely clothed, covered in scars, blood, and mud, appeared to be walking with a sad expression. Due to Isa's powers, he could describe the details vividly. But in the blink of an eye, the guy vanished completely, even though Isa used his power. It seemed impossible for someone in that condition to be walking in the middle of the toll road. Isa panicked, thinking it might be a threat.

Nadia and Aisyah, however, didn't seem to notice what happened.

Breaking his own rules, Isa quickly investigated with his power. After looking at the exact same place and rewinding time, he couldn't see anything suspicious, and the guy had just disappeared in time and space.

He returned to his seat, pretending that nothing happened. Aisyah, with her strong intuition, asked Isa, who seemed worried about something, "Is there anything wrong?"

"No, Aisyah. Why do you ask that?"

"I don't know, your face is a little bit..."

"My face is always like this; I promise there is nothing to worry about."