Chapter 10 - A Thousand Years

Part 1.

"Hana...I'm back..." Hans berjalan ke ruang dapur dan made himself comfortable on the bar stool. He pour himself some coffee..

"Cepatnya...abang dah balik?" Hana bertanya.

"Yup, I just drop Tika off at her place and I will pick her up back in 45 minutes.", explained Hans and took a sip of his coffee.

"Abang can I asked you why is the concern about her safety? Hana tengok you are over protective of her. She also mentioned the reason she put up a night here due to safety reasons....is there anything I should know about?", Hana was curious about this safety issue.

Hans seolah-olah berat ingin bercerita sebab dia tahu Hana mesti akan bercerita kepada mom and dad. "Ok, kalau abang cerita can you promise me not to tell mom and dad unless it's a matter of life and death?" Hans pinta Hana berpegang kepada janji.

"Wow abang you are scaring me...it's sound so serious...."...telahan Hana.

"A bit but we hope it will be under control soon." jawab Hans.

"Ok, I'm listening....I promise unless it concerns life and death." Hana promised.

"Alright (sambil meneguk kopi lagi)....... Tika was engaged to Ghazz when I met her 2 years ago. At that moment, when I met her I felt I am alive again. I think of her most of the time. Day after day I find myself falling for her....", Hans memulakan sejarah cintanya.

"So Ghazz ni your friend yang selalu lepak kat rumah kita dulu, yang drive Porsche tu ye. I didn't know he was engaged?" Hana wants confirmation.

"Yeah, that Ghazz. I met Tika occasionally after that with Ghazz presence and one day I was supposed to meet Tika at her house. At the time Ghazz was away and last minute change in plan we were supposed to meet up in East Coast. On Ghazz instruction she needs to pass a few items belonging to Ghazz through me and drive me to the airport. I'd changed my plan and instead met her at the airport and I was late too.  When I saw her, she was not impressed by my tardiness. I know she was pissed off with me. Later that night I received a text message from her and she said she was very upset  with my attitude......that is how it all started. I replied apologizing. On and off we text each other but just asking how things are and small talks, nothing much.....Then things went silence....."

"Oooohhh then what happened? " Hana wants to know more

"In order to be close to her I shifted to Cyberjaya with hopes that one day I will bump into her. I know she works here and lives close by....", Hans smiled.

"Wah abang ni,....pandai ye....smooth......", Hana clapped her hands full of excitement.

"Kalau mahu seribu daya...And God is great....3 weeks ago I bumped into Tika at Starbucks and I invited her for a drink. She was more than happy to obliged but left about an hour or so....lepas tu I go crazy and I want to see her everyday. But I need to back-off since she was still engaged to Ghazz. Ghazz is my friend and I tak mahu ruin their relationship as well as my friendship with Ghazz. Well at least that's what I thought the situation is....." Hans menerangkan dengan panjang lebar.

"So Kak Tika is engaged to be married to Ghazz then....?" Hana excited nak tahu cerita seterusnya.

"She was, actually Ghazz broken off their engagement 3 months ealier but he later begged Tika to take him back. Theirs was an arranged marriage by both family because of business joint venture. Ghazz tend to lose out a lot when he called off the engagement. Ever since he has been haunting Tika to accept him back in her life. Obviously Tika refused as we are seeing each other."

"Pheww...dasyat sungguh kisah cinta abang ni....penuh drama....so what's going to happen next?" Hana ingin tahu sambil dia memandang khusyuk ke arah Hans.

"The plan is for us to get married soon as possible. I want her to move in with me so that I can protect Tika.".

"Abang jangan jadi hero tau. You don't know what Ghazz is capable...., do you think he knows both you and Kak Tika are planning to get married?"

"I doubt it but she is obviously terrified of him. I can see that whenever her cellphone rings. She keeps on giving excuse to me such as don't know who's number or wrong number......"

"Kesiannya Kak Tika...maybe she should change her number." Hana felt pity.

"Remember ya you promised......?" Hans wants Hana assurance.

"Iya, only in the matter of life and death baru cerita ini pecah....", Hana promised.


Part 2.

Aku bersiap-siap secepat mungkin kerana aku tak mahu berada di rumahku lagi. Aku takut Ghazz akan datang semula menggangguku. Aku bercadang untuk put a night or two di hotel sementara krisis aku dan Ghazz selesai.

Tepat 45 minits Hans datang semula dan aku tergesa-gesa mengunci pintu dan terus masuk ke keretanya. Mata aku liar memerhatikan sekeliling . Tingkah laku ku yang agak pelik disedari oleh Hans.

“Tika what’s wrong?" Hans bertanya dan memegang tanganku.

"Hans, boleh kita ke police station? I wanna make a police report. Ghazz was here after you left earlier. It seems he has been waiting for me the whole night. I am really scared of him Hans. He threatened to hurt me. He was so violent and kicked the gate several times…." aku bercerita dalam ketakutan.

"Ok. It is not safe for you to stay here. We’ll go and make the police report and go back to my place. Hana is still there and we’ll discuss what to do next. Didn’t I asked you to call me kalau ada apa-apa?" Hans said.

"I didn’t because this is my problem and I do not want to get you involved."I explained.

"Babe I am already involved. Don’t you see?"Hans membalas.

"I tak mahu dia target you next or even Hana….Please put me up a night or two at the hotel."pintaku.

"Hotel? No you are not staying in a hotel. You’ll stay at my place. For now it is the safest place for you." Hans insisted.

"But Hans…." , aku membantah.

"No buts…Tika. You listen to me. I will make all arrangement and we will be married by tonight. In that way both of us are legally married and we can stay together. I will take care and protect you." Hans felt in this situation it's the best time they both get married.

"Married? Malam ni….? You are crazy Hans? What about my family? Your family?....Mereka mesti nak tahu why and what’s going on."aku membantah.

"They will understand….."Hans gave me his reassurance.

Aku terdiam. “No Hans I don’t think that’s practical…."

"Babe ini bukan masa nak fikir pasal practical atau tak. Babe…look at me…do you trust me..? Do you trust me or not?" Hans bertanya.

"Yes, I do….", aku a bit heistant tapi menurut kehendak Hans.

"Alright. We’ll  pack up some of your things and leave immediately." arahan dari Hans.

Kami masuk semula ke dalam rumah. Aku dan Hans mengemas beberapa barang keperluanku and load them in Hans car. Tiba-tiba aku terasa rambutku ditarik kuat. Alangkah terkejutnya aku,……

Ghazz!

"Let go of me Ghazz, let go of my hair….", aku cuba melepaskan diri dari Ghazz.

"You think I’m stupid? You are coming with me....., saayaaannngggg........", Ghazz menghampiri tengkuk aku seperti seekor binatang kelaparan.....terasa seperti tengkukku di gigit......suara Ghazz amat menyeramkan.

"No…(struggling)….Hans, help me…." aku menjerit.

Hans keluar dari rumahku dan meluru ke arahku."Ghazz…..! leave her alone."

"Well, well, well….Hans. Apa khabar…..? Sambil memegang tanganku Ghazz menyalakan sebatang rokok.

"You rampas tunang aku tau…..and I want her back!" Ghazz berlagak seperti seorang gangster.

"Dia bukan tunang kau lagi…..you left her, you broken-off your engagement with her….now I am asking you nicely to let her go Ghazz.", tegas Hans.

Ghazz dropped his cigarette. "Hans, you dengar sini….kalau aku tak dapat Atikah no one else can have her. I told her do not mess with me sebab I can hurt her bad, real bad….that she will regret it her entire life."

"Come on Ghazz, why are you acting this way….(Hans mula menghampiri Ghazz and menghulur tangannya utk menyambut aku)", tapi Ghazz lebih pantas.

"Spark...(mengarah temannya) kau ambik betina ni. Masukkan dia di dalam kereta." Ghazz mengarah temannya.

Aku pinta, "No…Ghazz please don’t do this. Damn you Ghazz….". Satu tamparan hinggap ke pipi aku. Aku terhoyang-hayang lalu terjatuh.

Hans cuba mendapatkan aku….tetapi dia dihalang oleh Ghazz. Ghazz memegang sepucuk pistol. Berlaku pergelutan dan di ikuti  satu das tembakan. Aku nampak Hans dan Ghazz jatuh dan selepas itu aku tak ingat apa-apa yang berlaku.

Part 3.

5 minutes later......

Ma,...got blood. Call ambulance ma....go...go...call....

Ok ok....

"Sir, sir are you ok? Got blood....my mother calling ambulance....wake up, wake up sir....open your eyes...." 

"Arghhhh I think I’ve been shot…….", Hans merintih kesakitan.

"Ok,ok, I take you to the hospital now."

Part 4.

Suasana di hospital agak tegang. Hans terpaksa menjalani pembedahan untuk mengeluarkan peluru di bahu kanannya. Ahli keluarga Hans semua ada di hospital termasuklah suami Hana, Jackson. Madam Rozario yang memang menganggap Hans sebahagian dari keluarganya walaupun sudah bercerai dengan Marianne juga ada di hospital. 

Doctor Joseph sedang berbual-bual dengan pakar bedah yang baru keluar dari bilik pembedahan. Dia mengangguk-anggukkan kepala dan berjabat tangan. Doctor Joe jalan menhampiri  keluarga Hans....

"Tan Sri dan Puan Sri, Hans selamat menjalani pembedahan. He will be okay and should recover well. It was lucky that the bullet entered his right shoulder. If it hit the lungs a huge possibility his lungs will collapse. It will take longer to recover. Jangan risau. Let's concentrate on his recovery. He needs all our support. I do not want him to be traumatized by the incident." terang Doctor Joe.

"We have a witness and he has made a police report. I have a copy of the report with me. Tan Sri,...here,...the police report", tambah Doctor Joe.

"Terima kasih Doctor Joe, terima kasih. I will call a friend of mine in the police if they can help us to trace the culprit.", and they shook hands.

They proceeded to the ICU room....Puan Sri rushed by her son's bed and started to cry as she saw her son's condition. Wires hanging all over as she looked around his bed. She stroke her son's head and kissed him a couple of times.

Tan Sri stood next to Puan Sri consoled her.

"Sudah la Kate, kan he's going to be okay?"

"I know....but being shot? This doesn't makes sense..." Puan Sir bersuara.

"Dad,...can I have alook at the police report?, Hana bertanya.

"What does the report says, Hana? Read it out loud....", insist Puan Sri.

Saya, Jeffrey Ho, No. kad pengenalan no. 960606-10-4398. pada pukul 3:50 petang saya terdengar pergaduhan dari arah rumah jiran saya, Cik Atikah. Saya nampak ada seorang lelaki berkaca mata hitam sedang memegang Cik Atikah. Dia mengeluarkan pistol. Lelaki tersebut bergelut dengan seorang lagi lelaki tinggi dan berjambang. Kemudian saya dengar tembakan dan kedua-duannya jatuh. Bila saya dan emak saya keluar rumah saya nampak seorang lelaki memandu laju kereta Porsche. Saya nampak Cik Atikah terbaring di dalam kereta. Saya nampak lelaki tinggi tadi berdarah dan memanggil ambulans. Kereta Porsche itu selalu berhenti di luar rumah Cik Atikah. 

"That's it...", Hana berkata.

"What's going on Hana....do you know what's going on? Hana...? Talk to me!" sergah Puan Sri.

"Hana cuma tahu apa abang told me....(Jackson memberi arahan kepada Hana untuk berterus terang), since this is a matter of life and death...ok, I promised abang not to tell but I guess I have too now.....", Hana break her promised to Hans.

"Hana, jangan main-main! This is serious...!" Tan Sri pula bersuara.

"Alright...., alright...., don't push it......Abang is dating Kak Tika. Abang was on his way to pick up Kak Tika because they are planning to meet both of you. They want to ask for your blessing because they planned to get married soon. But ada problem, ex-fiance Kak Tika, Ghazz is his name wants Kak Tika back.......Oh my God, does this means Kak Tika was kidnapped by Ghazz??" Hana terduduk dan mukanya pucat.

"Urggghhh....sakitnya…..Tika? Tika?....." suara Hans mengerang..

"Mom, Dad…..abang dah sedar…..", Hana bingkas bangun dan menghampiri katil abangnya.

"Hana pergi panggil doctor....", arah Puan Sri. Hana terangguk-angguk dan menarik Jackson keluar bersamanya.

"Ya Allah syukur Alhamdulillah….Hans…can you here me?"panggil Puan Sri perlahan.

"Tika? Is she here?", Hans berbisik sambil ingin bangun.

"Hans…don’t push yourself….you’ve been shot and you need lots of rest.", jelas Tan Sri cuba menenangkan Hans.

"Doctor please my son is awake." Puan Sri meminta doctor tolong memeriksa anaknya.

"I need to know if Tika is alright…." , and Hans passed out....

"Abang we have not heard anything from her. What happened abang?.....". Hana bertanya dan ingin penjelasan dari abangnya....

Credit to Christina Perry and You Tube

Saya akan berikan suntikan supaya Encik Hans boleh berehat. Dia kehilangan banyak darah. Saya harap keluarga Tan Sri berehat dulu ya. It is a trying period now for your family. I seriously suggest Tan Sri balik dulu and come back tomorrow. Hans is stable but still fragile. He is in good hands here.

"Ok doctor, thank you...we are also trying to put all pieces together. Kami sendiri terkejut." explained Tan Sri.

Part 5.

Tan Sri tiba-tiba bersuara, "Hana tell me everything. Hana!"

Hana pun menceritakan pertalian Abang Hans dan Kak Tika........

"Have we informed her family?, Tan Sri bertanya pada Hana.

"Seriously Hana tak kenal siapa family dia. I only met her this morning." Jelas Hana.

Tan Sri made a phone call, "Ramlee datang rumah saya now! Saya ada kerja untuk awak."

Hana kecut perut.....