A Choice

Chapter 9

Out of a sudden, Erdie Vio woke up from his drowse. He realized he was being in a train. He looked out of the window. He saw a row of green mountains with the white clouds as their background scenery. The train was heading for Kuala Lumpur in its high speed. The hot and sunny sunshine broke into the train from the windows. Erdie Vio felt a little bit hotter although the air conditioners were working.

"Why are you sweating, Die?" asked Sabrina Marcelina staring at her sweetheart with her frowning forehead.

Erdie Vio gulped the rest of his mineral water. He was still gazing outside the windows.

"Bad dream again…" said Sabrina Marcelina with her skeptical tone. "You must be dreaming about Erwie Vincent and Erick Vildy again."

Erdie Vio was now smiling delightedly.

"Dreaming about the past when three of us were suspecting one another and finally that was what broke us apart. Until this moment, Rin… Until this moment I haven't been talking to Erick and Erwie again."

"But, I think it wasn't one of you who's killed Stella Kuangdinata, Die. It was obvious that Stella Kuangdinata's murder wanted to make three of you suspect one another and at last he could break you apart."

"And you think now he's got his success?" uttered Erdie Vio still with his gazing out of the window.

"That's not certain yet. Do 3E… Do 3E… Do 3E break up already now?" asked Sabrina Marcelina again.

"Of course not… Of course not…" answered Erdie Vio quickly, "but, that's my point of view. I've got no idea about my two brothers' points of view."

"They must want some kind of reunion as well, Die… I know well those two brothers of yours," muttered Sabrina Marcelina.

"Although we aren't the real biological siblings?" uttered Erdie Vio slightly doubtful.

"Sometimes, the real biological siblings tend to have less kinship and brotherhood among them compared to you who are merely foster brothers. I'm dead certain when you've made up again later on, three of you are inseparable until your old ages."

"You're so sure, aren't you?" Erdie Vio still looked doubtful.

Sabrina Marcelina nodded her head steadily. Out of the blue, the train driver in front honked the horn very long and loudly. Sabrina Marcelina was astonished at once. She instantly covered her ears and her scream was stuck in the middle of her throat.

"What's going on?" Sabrina Marcelina began to be panic.

Erdie Vio had got an uncomfortable intuition. He stood up from his seat. Because the carriage he was sitting was the second after the locomotive, he could see clearly what was happening inside the locomotive and what was in front of the train. Instantly his two eyes got bigger and bigger seeing another train was also running on the same railway and it was heading to their train! It seemed that their train driver had been honking the horn with the loud and deafening noise, but the train in front was still seen running with the same high speed.

"Hah! What's the matter? The train in front was heading towards us!" shouted Erdie Vio beginning to be panic.

Sabrina Marcelina screamed at the top of her voice. The other passengers began to be panic and ran here and there. Because the doors were still closed and the train was still running, there was not a great deal they could do.

"Within minutes, we'll crash to the train in front, Die! Run backwards, Die!" Sabrina Marcelina started to pull her prince's hand.

Erdie Vio looked at the circumstance surrounding him. It was impossible to run. In short time, the train would turn to a shipwreck. All were screaming and shouting, including the staff and the captain. The doors connecting the carriages were too small and were merely fit for one person. The passengers could not pass by and were stuck at the doors because everyone would search for their own safety and security.

"They're stuck at the doors! It's impossible to run to the carriages behind! Except we jump out of the train through the windows! What should we do, Die? How is this?" Sabrina Marcelina's voice was trembling. She clung to her prince's right arm tightly.

Erdie Vio squinted his eyes for a while. No other choice! There's no more other alternative! I must use that power! I must use that power although Erick and Erwie aren't here right now!

A pair of Sabrina Marcelina's eyes got bigger. Instantly, her mouth gaped widely seeing that there was a green light popping out from her prince's hands.

"Cover me, Rin… Cover me… Don't let those people behind there see there's a green light popping out from my hands," mumbled Erdie Vio.

Sabrina Marcelina nodding quickly. She took out her big and long shawl and twisted it around her body. Now, she was seen being twisted inside her own long and big shawl, so that she was slightly bigger than usual and she could cover her sweetheart's figure behind her who was trying to stop the two trains which were going to crash at each other.

The instant and sudden screeching of the brakes began to be heard. Everybody was pushed forward. Sabrina Marcelina felt quite strange insofar as she and her sweetheart were not pushed forward. Nevertheless, due to her big and long shawl, nobody realized that the whole Erdie Vio's body popped out his green light. Everybody was pushed forward – some fell headlong to the floor and screamed painfully.

The green light from Erdie Vio's body began to go through the carriage door, to the locomotive and finally it went out of the train. The green light started to twist around the train coming from the opposite direction. The loud screeching of the brakes began to be heard again. Erdie Vio squinted his eyes. There was a lot of perspiration on his forehead, face, and neck. His clothes were also drenched in his sweat.

Sabrina Marcelina kept praying in her heart. She could do nothing more besides wiping away Erdie Vio's sweat with her shawl.

Second by second passed by. The train was felt to apply its brakes out of a sudden. Everybody kept silent in their own places, clinging to the people or the things around them. The strong force forward was really felt. Everybody did not dare to let go their clinging.

At last the two trains stopped, spacing approximately ten centimeters between two of them! The train driver was seen wiping away his perspiration and sighing in relief in the locomotive. There were some other passengers sobbing continuously as they had been safe from the death. There were some other passengers sighing in relief. Yet, the death and frightening atmosphere was still covering and surrounding the whole train. Nobody dared to stand up instantly, partly was still afraid of the frightening circumstance, party was still trying to neutralize the shaking and tempestuous souls.

Erdie Vio's green light began to be dimmer and dimmer. Sabrina Marcelina knew that suppose it had not been as hazardous a situation as it was just now, Erdie Vio would not have used his power. She knew what would happen to Erdie Vio when the green light from his body went out totally. She was quite right. Erdie Vio constantly lost his consciousness and his body collapsed into Sabrina Marcelina's hug. Because of her prince's heavy body, Sabrina Marcelina was not able to stand up again. She had to sit down on the floor. She was sitting down there until there came some help from outside the train.

"What's happening to your lover, Miss?" asked a middle-aged woman who could stand up at this moment. "Is he okay?"

"He's okay, Madame… Thanks… He passes out as he's a little bit shocked. After being taken to hospital and being injected there, he'll be alright," said Sabrina Marcelina with her appropriate answer every time Erdie Vio passed out in front of the public after using his queer and mysterious green light.

That middle-aged woman nodded her head. Some security and rescue officers from the nearest station were seen coming and approaching the two trains which would almost crash to each other. The doors of each carriage managed to be opened. At last, the passengers, including Erdie Vio and Sabrina Marcelina could smell the fresh air again.

The investigation about the causes of the accident was under way.

***

Kuala Lumpur, 11th April 2018

Slowly, Erdie Vio felt that he was still in the middle between his dream and the real world.

"Why do you select this song, Erdie Vio?" asked one of the judges who had just listened to his song.

"That's one of the songs which my brothers and I composed when we were in our senior high school," said Erdie Vio with his broad and charming smile.

"So, how about the music and its players?" asked another judge.

"At that time, we were cooperating with some quite famous musicians and a recording company in Jakarta."

"Oh, I see…" the judges nodded their heads. Only by looking at his outfits, the judges knew that Erdie Vio was coming from a wealthy and prosperous family. Yet, they did not ask why a rich and wealthy boy like Erdie Vio would love to be an entertainer.

"There are some parts which you didn't sing just now, Erdie Vio," said another judge. "Then, the message of your song becomes partly-told and we become confused what actually you'd really like to say from this song. May I know why you didn't sing it wholly just now?"

"Those are the parts sung by my two brothers. This song is suitably sung in trio due to its quick tempo and rhythm. Because my two brothers aren't here, I couldn't sing their parts perfectly and just now, I decided to let those parts blank."

The four judges kept nodding their heads. To Erdie Vio's last answer, they had got their own calculations and considerations.

Erdie Vio sighed his long breath again. That was the first time he stepped his feet on Singapore and joined an audition.

The dream slowly faded away. Erdie Vio opened again his eyes. This time he realized he was in a room of the hospital. He saw an infusion syringe on his right wrist. He looked at the left side of his bed. His clothes were put on a chair there. He was slightly shocked. He lifted up his blanket a bit. He only wore his undies which he wore on the train few moments before.

Sabrina Marcelina stepped into the room with her light steps. Realizing that her sweetheart had not got dressed, she stopped her steps and turned her body to another direction.

"Oh gosh, Die…! Why haven't you got dressed?" yelled Sabrina Marcelina.

"With my hand condition of being injected like this?" protested Erdie Vio. "Furthermore, who asked you to take off my clothes like this? I only fainted owing to using that queer and mysterious power. You've been really impatient to see it, have you?"

Erdie Vio's eyes were seen ogling here and there naughtily. Sabrina Marcelina was a little bit irritated while stomping her feet on the floor for several times.

"It wasn't me!" Sabrina Marcelina screamed softly. "It was the doctor and his nurses who took off your clothes because they were all drenched. You were perspiring continuously when you were taken here, Die. It wasn't me!"

"Yeah… Yeah… Yeah… I know… I know… Only kidding… Don't be upset, Rin…" said Erdie Vio with his grinning smile. "How can I get dressed if you don't give me my new clothes from that suitcase?"

"Yes… Yes… I'll give them to you…" said Sabrina Marcelina taking out a pair of dark blue pants and a dark green T-shirt from the suitcase.

Nevertheless, when she was walking towards Erdie Vio, she stumbled over one foot of the chair put beside Erdie Vio's bed. Consequently, Sabrina Marcelina fell precisely onto Erdie Vio's embrace. For the next few seconds, both of them froze stiffly and did not know what to do.

Sabrina Marcelina slowly lifted up herself from her sweetheart's hug. She gave the clothes to their owner. Erdie Vio was staring at his clothes with his confusion eyes and gaping lips.

"So, with this hand being injected, do you think I can get dressed on my own?" Erdie Vio smiled naughtily this time.

"Hah?" this time, Sabrina Marcelina was seen being struck by electricity at her place. "So, it's me who have to help you get dressed?"

"Oh, okay then…" said Erdie Vio pretending to be upset this time, "Okay… No problem… I'll call the beautiful nurses outside there to help me get dressed."

"Okay… Okay… I'll help… I'll help," said Sabrina Marcelina finally, giving up into his prince's nosy game. "But, with one condition… You must close your eyes, will you? Only until everything is done, can you open your eyes, okay?"

"Yes… Yes…" said Erdie Vio pretending to close his eyes. Whereas, without his princess' knowing, he opened his eyes little by little.

Of course, getting dressed with one hand being injected had to be done with a unique and special way. The tube of the infusion was first put into the sleeve of the T-shirt, and then followed by the hand being injected by the infusion syringe. Afterwards, the T-shirt could be worn like usual. Here, Sabrina Marcelina was seen swallowing her own saliva for several times. However, she was still a normal girl. Oh, gosh…! When he was still in his junior and senior high schools, I remember he used to be very skinny. Why can he be so tall, athletic and robust only in a few years of time?

Putting on the pants was much easier. Nevertheless, this was the heaviest challenge which Sabrina Marcelina had to pass by. Sighing her breath deeply, she patted Erdie Vio's feet. Erdie Vio lifted up his feet. The pants were put on and quickly pulled up. In merely a few seconds, the pants had reached the butt. Sabrina Marcelina merely needed to pull them up slightly higher again to cover all the restricted areas making her hot and cold at the same time.

"If you don't lift up your butt, how can you wear these pants perfectly?" asked Sabrina Marcelina trying to be as calm as possible.

"Oh… Sorry… Sorry… I forgot... I forgot…" said Erdie Vio laughing for a while.

When the butt was lifted up, the pants were worn perfectly. Yet, this time Erdie Vio intentionally put down his butt back to the bed very quickly. His princess' hands still clinging to his pants were also pulled downwards. Consequently, in the same morning, Sabrina Marcelina fell onto the same hug twice.

"The old people in the past used to say, if you hug the same girl for more than once in the same morning, you have to marry the girl, Die. Have you ever heard that?" uttered Sabrina Marcelina a bit coyly this time. She knew that this time Erdie Vio intentionally made her fall onto his embrace, like what was happening when she stumbled over the foot of the chair a moment before.

"Okay…" said Erdie Vio and this time without any jokes. He was still hugging and caressing his sweetheart's head. "This time, I'm serious, Rin… If you want us to get married, after my contract ends here, we'll return to Indonesia and beg for our parents' approval."

Sabrina Marcelina lifted up her head and stared at his prince deeply.

"Will you… Will you… Will you be mine fully and wholly? After today, will you promise me that Stella Kuangdinata won't stay in your mind anymore?" asked Sabrina Marcelina staring straightly and deeply to her prince's eyes.

"She's my past, Rin…" said Erdie Vio holding his sweetheart's chin. "Meanwhile, you're my present. How can I stick to the past and ignore my present, Rin…? How can I do that?"

Sabrina Marcelina seized her sweetheart into her embrace.

"I don't care, Die. I've reckoned this as your promise to me. We'll get married and have our own little happy family."

"And whatever comes, you'll always support me, won't you? Whatever happens, you won't leave me alone, right?"

"No… Never…" said Sabrina Marcelina shaking her head steadily. "We'll always be together, Die… Always together… Inseparable…"

Erdie Vio landed an intimate kiss to his princess' lips. He tightened his embrace. This is the so-called present. What I've experienced with Stella Kuangdinata has changed to a past. There are things that are better left alone… So many questions out of the control… I don't want to know how this is going to end. Because knowing all those, it won't stop the rain from coming down again. That's the past… I don't need that superstition, fortune telling, and all the future magic… For this unpredictable life of mine, I don't need all those… I just require one thing – my own faith within myself…

***

The night had come again to the whole Kuala Lumpur. Driving his rented car, finally Erdie Vio and Sabrina Marcelina arrived at Bukit Bintang. In the middle of a large field, they saw a group of youths practicing their dragon dance. Erdie Vio smiled broadly when he saw Gilbert Yuwin among the youths. Gilbert Yuwin was his friend in the college back in Medan. Gilbert also ever joined the Eternal Solidarity team. Nevertheless, when seeing 3E start their own solo careers, he decided to move to Kuala Lumpur and search for a job there. Two months after exploring here and there, finally he was hired as a primary school Mandarin teacher in a private-sector general public school.

One of the players was practicing his movement in playing the dragon pearl. Because he had not been really professional yet, the pole of the dragon pearl fell off his hand and it nearly hit his own head. Spryly, Erdie Vio caught the pole of the dragon pearl.

"If you haven't been very keen on it, just turn it around with a medium speed. The longer you practice, the better you can turn round this pole. As the time passes by, you can start to challenge yourself to turn it around with the faster and faster speed," said Erdie Vio turning around the pole from the very slow to the very fast speed.

The group of youths clapped their hands watching Erdie Vio's performance in playing the dragon pearl. Gilbert Yuwin lifted up the pole of the dragon's head. He gave a kind of gesture to the other dragon's body and dragon's tail players to lift up their poles as well. He winked his eye to the drum and the four dragon dance background music players. Shortly afterwards, the music was played. The dragon's head and its body started to dance approaching the dragon pearl.

The pearl kept dancing and turning up and down with the slow, medium, and finally to the quick movements. When the dragon entered the number-eight movement, the dragon's body would form a number of eight. It kept dancing with the slow movement. The dragon pearl would also dance in the slow movement.

teo teo chi teo… teo tang… teo… cer… teo tang!! teo teo chi teo… teo tang… teo… cer… teo tang!! teo teo chi teo… teo tang… teo… cer… teo tang!!

chi tang… chi tang… tang!! chi tang… chi tang… tang!!

Sabrina Marcelina thought that the large dragon gong player started to be overwhelmed connecting her beating to her friends' beating rhythms. Sabrina Marcelina approached her. With her own hands-gesture, she gave the young girl playing the large dragon gong the correct rhythm so that her large dragon gong could ring harmoniously with the other three instruments. Slowly, the large dragon gong started to be harmonious with the other three instruments. The background music of this movement began to sound nice in the ears.

The dragon started to turn round and round in 360 degrees teddy bear movement. The dragon pearl was also seen turning up and down with its high speed.

The background music turned to the quick rhythm as well. chi tang chi tang chi chi tang… It was nonstop and very quick… The large dragon gong and the large dragon cymbals players began to feel overwhelmed. At last, the two players' beating mixed each other and became one. The background music became not harmonious again.

Sabrina Marcelina tried to fix both of them again. The hands-gesture was given. When the dragon and the pearl entered the third set, the background music started to be harmonious.

The dragon folded its body and paid its respect. The dragon opened up and stretched its body again. tang tang… chi chi… takk!! The dragon began to enter the final post. tang tang… cer… tang tang… cer… teoo!! chepp!! The dragon pearl stopped – the dragon's body stopped – and the background music stopped as well.

"Sister… Thanks very much… Thanks very much for your teaching just now," said the large dragon gong player.

"If you hadn't been here, the background music would have been very messy," said the large dragon cymbals player.

"That's okay… Not really… I just help what I can. Perhaps you guys haven't got accustomed to it. Practice makes perfect. Just beat the instruments as frequently as possible. When you've got accustomed to it, it'll be much easier," said Sabrina Marcelina snapping her smile.

Actually, Sabrina Marcelina would approach Erdie Vio, but because she saw her prince chatting with his old acquaintance from Medan, she decided to have a chit-chat first with the four girls playing the dragon dance background musical instruments.

"Here, what are you actually, Bert?" asked Erdie Vio, still with full-of-spirit and enthusiastic smile.

Gilbert Yuwin offered him a canned drink.

"In the morning I teach Mandarin of primary school level in a private-sector general public school. In the evening I join this Real Knight team. Besides dragon dance, there's also lion dance on the poles. Coincidently, tonight we're having our dragon dance practice. Next week, we're filling up a big company's anniversary at Bukit Nanas," answered Gilbert Yuwin.

Erdie Vio was seen returning the dragon pearl to the player.

"Continue the practice first on your own, Little Brother…" said Gilbert Yuwin to the dragon pearl player. The player took back his dragon pearl and joined again with the crowd of his peers.

"Why have you got some chance to visit me here? Aren't you having your shooting schedule at the moment?" asked Gilbert Yuwin again.

Erdie Vio kept silent with his straight gazing look to the front.

"Being bored already with the entertainment world? In fact, the entertainment world isn't your real identity, is it?" uttered Gilbert Yuwin.

"I used to think that the field of entertainment belonged to me. When that happened, and I quarreled with Erick and Erwie, I thought it was better to be an entertainer. Having my own stage… Singing my own songs… Playing my own dramas… And even, writing down my own stories and filming them…"

"And now…?"

"Now… Now…" Erdie Vio was seen attempting to find the suitable vocabularies about his circumstance at the moment. "Now, when I'm thinking and thinking again… Perhaps at that time I was craving for being an entertainer, not because of the entertainer itself, not because I wanted to be famous, or because I wanted to prove myself to the world."

"Then?"

"Perhaps… Perhaps it was because at that time I was craving for leaving Medan, leaving my own home town, and leaving all the grief and sadness behind," said Erdie Vio snapping his smile again.

Gilbert Yuwin gulped his canned drink.

"Therefore, don't ever close a door, lock it, and throw the key away. Perhaps someday later, you'll be back again. Yeah, I'm certain you still have the key with you. You can still return."

"That's my confusion at the moment. I wonder… I wonder what I'll be saying to 2E when I meet them again. Will they accept me like they used to do?" Erdie Vio sighed rather long this time. He was tired, confused, and slightly frustrated simultaneously.

"Not having tried yet, how can you know the result?" Sabrina Marcelina's voice was heard from behind. She was seen approaching them from behind.

"Where have you been, Rin?" asked Erdie Vio snapping his smile.

"Coming back after searching for the late evening cold air," said Sabrina Marcelina. "How do you do, Bert? Just the same as Erdie, feeling like home here, and still not wanting to go back to your home town?"

"If Erdie returns, I'll return as well," said Gilbert Yuwin slightly kidding.

"Please! Don't load all the burdens onto my shoulders please!" protested Erdie Vio being seen a bit upset.

"What are you here, Bert?" asked Sabrina Marcelina.

"Teaching Mandarin for primary school. You? What are you in Singapore?"

"Being a cashier in a coffee house. Suppose I didn't have a job there, and I didn't say I'd like to search for more experiences overseas, I'd have been pulled back home by my dad and mom since three years ago. Why is there a person, who's so stubborn, who's not been talking to his own brothers for five years? Just fancy that, Bert…"

Gilbert Yuwin burst into his laughter, "Now, you're having a break, aren't you?"

"Yes… Wanting to accompany him to have a chit-chat with you here," said Sabrina Marcelina with her naughty smile.

Gilbert Yuwin patted Erdie Vio's shoulders lightly, "So how is it, Die? Three E are ready for their reunion, aren't they?"

Erdie Vio sniffed for a while, "Whether 3E will have their reunion or not, that doesn't depend solely on me. You have to ask the other 2E."

Gilbert Yuwin and Sabrina Marcelina looked at each other with their skeptical eyes.

"It's been a long time I've not seen 3E's performance in their songs and dances, Rin…" said Gilbert Yuwin meaningfully, "It's been a long time as well I've not been watching them in one same dragon dance attraction."

"Neither have I… Until five years, isn't it?" said Sabrina Marcelina trying to offset Gilbert Yuwin's words-game. "Since last year, I've been telling him, Bert. There's something unfinished back in Medan. We must return. But, there isn't a great deal I can do. The male protagonist doesn't want to listen to me."

"What on earth is that something unfinished?" Erdie Vio kept scratching his head which wasn't actually itchy.

"Of course, it's Stella Kuangdinata's death, Die," said Gilbert Yuwin gently.

"Do you want 3E to be slandered over and over again for the crime which actually they don't commit?" continued Sabrina Marcelina.

Erdie Vio was brooding again.

"In fact you really want me to return to Medan, don't you?" Erdie Vio was seen slightly grinning at the moment.

"We want 3E to meet up again, so that they can make up peacefully again," said Sabrina Marcelina. Gilbert Yuwin nodded his head steadily.

"But my contract is until the end of this year," said Erdie Vio still with his defense and justification.

"If that so, in January next 2019, we'll return to Medan," said Sabrina Marcelina relaxingly.

Again Erdie Vio kept scratching his head.

"Gosh! I'll turn stiff and don't know what to say when meeting Erick and Erwie later on. It's been five years I've not been contacting them. It's been five years…" said Erdie Vio slightly nervous.

"That's easy. The important thing is you meet up first with the other 2E. What to be talked, what to be discussed, when you've met up, those can flow naturally," said Gilbert Yuwin nonchalantly.

Erdie Vio snapped his lips. He still had got more than half year ahead to prepare himself about what to be talked when he met up with his two brothers – after five years being separated.

The late evening cool breeze blew for a while. All kinds of feeling mixed one another within Erdie Vio's edge of mind.