Merlinda (Ranging Back)
Before the Farewell (Jerry)

Meili's hand shook, as her fingers began to move typing each letter on the keybord touch screen on the phone screen.

" I've just arrived" he wrote, then sent her with a pounding heart. He was so embarrassed when he did, but he also felt so missed at that time.

" Am I too careless", he murmured, when he read the message he just sent, especially because there was no reply from the message, but it was not until a minute, but not yet, when the message was sent.

" What are you doing, Jerry ? ", he wrote it again, and again sent the message.

But more than two minutes had passed, Meili also had not received a reply.

He became a little upset because of that, then immersed his flat object in a pillow.

" It was you who asked me to tell you", he said grumbling.

The body is tired of reacting in bed. Restoring the drowsiness that had been restrained along the way to the Mansion, and slowly, his blue eyes began to close. Leaving behind his unrequited message by Jerry. Wrong, he did not dare to send a phone call to the man. So just wait for the message to be answered immediately, and hope that the man first calls her.

But he became disappointed, then fell asleep.

~

Somewhere else.

At the same time, Jerry had just opened his eyes, after more than eight hours he had fallen asleep.

He took a deep breath before opening his eyes, and realized he woke up earlier today. The clock on the nightstand told him, seven o'clock is the least time he met.

And today, he fell asleep with the amount of rest that the body should need.

It was very difficult for him to fall asleep for eight hours. But today, he did. It was as if his limbs were giving understanding.

His brain did not make him think, and his eyes gave him drowsiness. Only, his heart could not cooperate. Letting himself still miss even though his eyes were closed. But even so, his sleep was so good and he felt very calm.

He has an hour left for him to relax, before eight he has to hurry to the office and meet one by one his clients today.

He sat on the edge of his bed, facing towards a large window with a panoramic view of the morning sea of Bali. The green color of the sea water, was soothing that morning, making it calm. As calm as he was yesterday. He smiled when he remembered it. Warmed up by Meili's former embrace, still felt to this day.

He remembered. Yesterday, at exactly the same hour as today. He drove his car to the airport. This morning he was in a hurry to get to Jakarta.

Before that morning. Green sent him a message, telling him a news story that made the whole day uncertain. Made all his work almost abandoned, even before the news. His mood was not in a good condition.

Since then, the last time he left the Bulgari hotel. That night until the next, he never felt calm. He continues to be haunted by jealousy, and feels defeated by the circumstances and reality that he must accept. The woman he loved had a lover.

Since that day, it has never gone so well. Everything's messed up, as messy as he feels. But right then and there, he never passed it counting the time. Counting every minute of the remaining time the woman he loves is in Indonesia. He was troubled, and he missed, even greatly. But, thinking back to the last time they met that night, it made it all go away. His longing must be sacrificed, in order to keep his heart. Meili already loves another man.

At seven that night, he got a message from Green. Ask him why he never came. There, he tells her that tonight they're having a party for Elin's farewell, before she leaves for New York.

Jerry read the message calmly. The logic still goes well, not to give up with the determination of his heart. To survive is not to meet women, who have given such a deep longing, in him. At that moment, his mind and heart were still working together.

And he ignored Green's message. Go back to work and finish the one that was once neglected because of his mood yesterday.

At four o'clock in the morning he woke up from a sleep that was not good and it was the umpteenth time he woke up tonight. Only this time, he was moved to look at his flat object, and he found two messages from Green there.

" You really didn't come Jerry. Though last night you met Meili. Tomorrow morning they are back in New York ", wrote the first of the messages sent by the woman. And at that moment, his heartbeat was pounding erratically. His heart began to break, more chaotic than the night he left the Bulgari hotel.

" Ten o'clock in the morning they leave. I hope you won't regret Jerry ", Green wrote, in both messages.

And at that time, his logic no longer went well, especially his heart. The determination of his heart was made chaotic, when he imagined the woman would really leave. He no longer cared about his feelings. In his mind just wanted to see the woman's face, see for the last time, before leaving.

He didn't really expect much, that's all. And that's enough.

After reading Green's last message. Soon he was looking for an online ticket purchase application. Unfortunately at that time, all airlines that flew to Jakarta at the time before Meili's departure, all were full passengers. There was not a single seat left for him and he grew even more disoriented.

" Please God", he cried out in despair.

At that time, he had lamented why he was not as rich as the Vernandes family who owned a private jet or, like the woman he loved and simultaneously, he became discouraged. Meili is too hard to reach. Their castes are too much different.

Although they have been betrothed, but Jerry must realize the reality. It doesn't guarantee anything, if Meili loves another man. The marriage was made, in the past, by both of their mothers. It's unrealistic to expect that.

And suddenly a notification pops up on the screen of his phone, one of the airlines, offering him one passenger seat. He was so afraid, for a second he was late, that he would truly regret it.

No matter the flight, it must transit to Surabaya first. All he knows is that he must have arrived in Jakarta before Meili left.

At the airport, Jerry runs towards the Vvip room, which is where passengers from private planes wait. He immediately guessed Meili would definitely be there. And he didn't have time to call Green or Amel, or maybe the woman herself, to ask where he should go.

Alroji in his hand already showed less than five minutes from ten. He really had no time left, other than running so fast to get to Meili's place.

He began to loosen when his eyes found members of the Vernandes family, but after he became disoriented, Meili was not there. Not one of them found any members of the Remkez family, not even Elin. He began to despair at his steps, even though he was still running. And Green was the first to notice his presence.

" Hurry Jerry, Meili's still there" Green said. And the steps that had been desperate, now back excited. Stepping as fast as she could to get to the door where Meili had gone, in front of where Amel's husband was now standing calling the woman's name. And his footsteps stopped at the right time, as soon as the woman turned to him. At that moment he was grateful. Looking back at the woman's face, looking at her blue eyeballs. Made himself so lucky. Even if only for a moment.

His heart was wide, when he saw the woman stepping towards him. Not just walking but running. As soon as possible to get to her front. Just like he did.

He was more surprised when the woman hugged him. Hugged her so tightly that she could hear her heartbeat ringing. It was more than he expected.

" Why did you just come now huh ? " say the woman. His heart warmed up instantly, his smile expanding. It turned out that his presence was in wait, and unfortunately he did not know it from a few days ago. And now he regretted it, even very much.

The feeling soared so much that he grabbed the woman's body, "excuse me" he said.

He heard the woman, turning to apologize to him. But it doesn't matter. The feeling of regret for not seeing her earlier was far greater than the upset on the last night they met.

And her heart again beat abnormally, as she heard Elin's husband exclaim to the woman in his arms. He was back agitated, it meant their embrace was about to end. And he would never see that woman again. Maybe it will only happen if he is lucky.

" I'll finish Jerry" said the woman.

Deg

his heart was pounding more and more erratically.

" Wait for me to come back" he added. At that moment, he almost cried in the woman's arms, but he endured it with great difficulty.

" Wait for me ", repeat again.

At that moment, he could no longer say anything. His heart was too happy and he was lucky. Soon the Great One answered his hope.

On the kiss of the woman's forehead, then poured all her feelings there. His longing that he had been enduring, his sadness at knowing the fact that she loved another man, and his overwhelming happiness today, were all poured out at the time. At the top of the head of the woman he loves, "hold your promise to return" he asked. And the woman nodded, then their embrace ended.

" Well to see you again" he said again. At that moment it felt like begging for the woman to stay, for the woman remained in his arms. Everyone did not know how he grasped the woman's fingers to not be separated and only the woman knew.

But he must realize the truth. Some people were waiting for the woman and she had to leave. Finishing something that has been promised to him, and for that he must be willing to be separated by distance.

She wanted to cry when she finally took her hand off.

" Give me the news after you arrive ", only that sentence was spoken from his lips at that moment. When in fact he wanted to say many things, even wanted to beg for the woman to keep her promise.

" I must be waiting for you Meili" he said, who had not spoken on his lips.

" See you" that's the last word she said from her mouth. Before they finally got separated. And Jerry returned to the island of the Gods, he no longer had a good reason to stay in Jakarta. The woman he wanted was no longer there and all the work was here.

Recalling the events of yesterday, made his longing soar on the woman, and he became reminded of her request.

In the gap was a flat object that he had not touched since then, and his eyes widened when he found two messages there. A message from the woman he so missed. Again he regretted why he was always late to realize it.

Only at a glance he read the contents of the woman's message, then he could not delay to hear her voice, even if he was confident, at that time, had been given a video call, video call, but he still held it.

He was upset when his call, had not received an answer, "was he angry", he murmured unsettled, but after that his worry disappeared. The woman's voice was heard, though hoarse.

" You sleeping ? " he asked with smiling lips. A moment of silence, he got no answer.

" Gosh ", squeal then from across, "you still there Jerry ? ", the woman asked worriedly, like darkness. And his lips smiled back because of that. Hearing his voice, made him so anxious.

" I just opened my phone" she told me.

" You're not really with another woman" and Jerry almost laughed at that.

" Huh?, are you sure you're not with another woman" she repeated. Jerry licked his lips. He hates being accused, but from that woman, he really likes her.

" I just woke up Meili, here in the morning" she explained. And a moment back in silence, the woman sounded like she was counting, "meaning now, there at seven in the morning", she muttered in Jerry's ear, and again the man smiled. This morning, her lip line was too easy to curve.

" Where are you ? " ask the woman suddenly.

" In my apartment" he answered briefly. And after that he was surprised, the phone in his ear suddenly rang. And after seeing her, he found out she had changed the phone call to a video call. He was not confident before he answered the call.

" Hand your rear camera" the woman said. Although confused, Jerry did it, "for what ? " he asked, still pointing the camera phone to every corner of the room.

" I just need to be sure you're not lying" the woman replied, and she immediately laughed. It's funny to hear his honesty, "Now I really have no doubt that Indonesian blood flows through your body" he said. Hearing that, Meili's eyebrows intertwined, "you're exactly like an Indonesian woman", she said. And then he really laughed.

" Why are you laughing ? ", asked Meili in surprise.

" I'm so happy to see your face" Jerry replied honestly.

Blusshs

Across the screen, Meili's cheeks were already blushing instantly.