Chapter 1: Sending the letter
Even death would not shake Danu's resolve, which had already made a perfect circumference, to take revenge on those who had put him in prison. Even though he wasn't as miserable as the other prisoners. However, holding the title of inmate made Danu feel humiliated.
That afternoon he was waiting for—Rudi—a convict charged with murdering his wife and theft, who was sentenced to twenty years in prison. Over the past three years, Rudi has become his close friend.
He is not in a cell like a normal prisoner. Danu is in the basement, where prisoners who have special influence in the prison where he is currently languishing. Not many can get this opportunity. However, we could say, only Danu used the opportunity he had differently.
There are ten dungeons. Each is similar in size and designed similarly. The area is 10x8 meters, painted the color of salted egg. The facilities provided are sufficient. Sofa, tv, ac, soft bed, coffee machine, cooking utensils, and bathroom in the room.
There was a knock on the iron door. The long-awaited guest has arrived. Danu got up from the sofa and opened the door.
"Sorry, Danu. I had to help out in the kitchen earlier," said Rudi. His eyes were busy looking around Danu's room. This was the first time visiting Danu's special room during their three years of friendship.
Danu invited Rudi in and told him to sit on the sofa. He walked to the coffee machine. "Would you like some coffee?" he asked.
Rudi nodded. He was both amazed and delighted that during his ten years in prison, he seemed to have forgotten what it was like to sit on the sofa.
Danu came with two glasses of superior Indonesian coffee. Civet coffee.
"Please drink it."
Unashamedly, Rudi took a glass. Sip the aroma of coffee first. His eyes closed to enjoy the aroma of the coffee. That's an amazing scent.
"May I ask you a favor, Rudi?" asked Danu.
"I'll do anything for you, Danu," answered Rudi spontaneously. No need to think much to help Danu. During the ten years he spent in prison, Danu was the only person who believed Rudi's words which were considered a hoax by everyone he met. Only Danu could keep him from becoming an accomplice to the bandits in their embrace. Only Danu… treats Rudi like a normal human being.
Danu took notes and pens on the sofa's glass table. He wrote something different on two sheets of paper. After writing, the two papers were put in a plain white envelope, then Danu wrote down two different addresses, then gave them to Rudi. "You know what to do, don't you?"
Rudi nodded. "Of course I know, Danu. Anyway, when you're free later, don't forget to play here often, okay? I will go back to those days again. The time when no one saw me as a human," said Rudi with a chuckle.
However, Danu is not like that. Rudi's words just now tickled his heart a little. It could be said that it was rare for anyone to attract Danu's sympathy. But for some reason, Danu seemed to feel that Rudi, a man who was five years older than him, was tall and thin, had brown skin, was active and helpful, and was friendly to all prisoners, deliberately killed his wife because she refused to be told to cook. The accusation that Rudi received seemed odd to Danu, who is a lawyer by profession. The basic humanity that Danu has, prompts him to treat Rudi like a human, freeing him from the bad treatment he received for seven years.
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"It's finished?" he asked the nurse holding the chest board with the names of the weekly consultation patients written on it.
"Already, Doc. You can rest," she replied cheerfully. After operating on the patient for five hours, Rama could not rest because of the weekly consultation schedule.
Rama opened his desk drawer. He took his wallet and took out two hundred thousand rupiah bills. "For you. At the same time, invite your friends to eat, okay?"
"No need, Doc. Oh, doctor, don't be like this. I don't feel good."
Rama smile. That sweet smile can melt anyone who sees it. "Don't hesitate. Here, take it. I'm sincere. Think of it as a bonus from me because you helped me choose a ring."
"But, Doc—"
"If you don't want to. I entered—"
The nurse snatched the money from Rama's hand. "Thank you, Doc," she said as she sprinted out of Rama's room.
Rama chuckled and shook his head. Embarrassed, but taken too, he thought.
Rama came out of the consultation room to his private room. He walked down the corridor with his hands in the pockets of his doctor's coat. His mouth made a whistling sound. Nurses and doctors and patients he met in the corridor along the way to the room greeted him.
As soon as he opened the door, Rama was surprised by an unpleasant sight. Andi, a man with a height of 165 cm, a slightly stocky build, wearing glasses with large frames sat at his desk with a cynical look. There was anger and disappointment there.
"What are you doing in my room?" asked Ram. He closed the door.
Andi looked at Rama more deeply and cynically before finally speaking up. "You are very outrageous, Rama. So what do you think of our relationship for over twenty years, huh?! Maybe you have more of a woman you've only known for three months than me," Andi said dramatically.
Rama throws a pen from his pocket. "Disgusting you know, isn't it?" Rama sat on the sofa, took a packet of biscuits on the table, then devoured it.
Andi chuckle. He got up from the chair and walked to the sofa.
"Did you decide to propose to Sinta?" asked Andi. His hand reached for the biscuit on the table, his eyes were on Rama, waiting for an answer. The anger that Rama felt earlier turned out to be from the news of Sinta and Rama's marriage. "Sometimes I know from other people that I don't even know who he is. Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"Sorry, I forgot," said Rama lightly.
"Go on, Ram!" Andi said curtly.
The annoyance is not without reason. Andi and Rama have been friends since they were in high school. Everything, whether it's fun or sad, is always shared. Then, at the most important moment Rama wanted to marry Sinta, why was he not told?
"I forget it, Andi. I'm sorry," repeated Rama when he saw Andi's displeased face.
"So—What did you say?"
Rama's office door opened again. This time it was rougher. The nurse who had been given money by Rama opened the door. "You have to go to the ER now, Doc!"