Chapter 57: Chapter 57

The seven-hour trip back to Singapore was like a trip to the moon. Her eyes were puffy, her nose was red and her face no longer radiated enthusiasm. She couldn’t even make it through the dinner with Dashtan’s family. All the happiness she felt instantly disappeared. She did not hear Adeline’s repeated calls because she left her cell phone in the room.

Upon arrival in Singapore, Dashtan rushed Rakia to the hospital where doctor Pedro worked. At that time Mr. Reynaldi was being treated in the ICU after undergoing surgery. Rakia met Doctor Pedro as she arrived at the door of the ICU room where her father was being treated.

“How is Dad?” asked Rakia in a hoarse voice after crying all day. Doctor Pedro let out a long sigh as he looked at Rakia with an anxious gaze mixed with trying to be strong.

“The team of doctors have tried their best, hopefully a miracle can make him open his eyes again.”

Doctor Pedro’s words only made Rakia’s mood worse, sinking to the deepest point. She burst into tears again, Dahstan stood by her side just in case. He hugged the woman and tried to calm her down.

“Can I come in? I want to see him.” Rakia asked between her tears. Doctor Pedro nodded. Rakia got up from Dashtan’s embrace, she wiped the tears from her face and eyes with her hands, but it was not enough. Dashtan took out his handkerchief and gave it to her wife. Rakia accepted the handkerchief and immediately entered the ICU room.

“I want to know Mr. Reynaldi’s full condition, can you tell me?” Dashtan asked doctor Pedro.

“Come here, let’s talk in my office.” Doctor Pedro agreed to Dashtan’s request and the two men left the doorway of the ICU room. Meanwhile, Rakia sat quietly in a chair on one side of the bed where her father lay. She cried again when she saw a number of medical devices trying to sustain her father’s life. The sight seemed tragic to her. She had never seen her father in such a sad and fragile state.

Rakia tried not to cry out loud, but the tears just kept coming and coming. She couldn’t utter a single word, her brain was paralyzed and all she wanted to do was cry.

Meanwhile, in Pedro’s doctor’s office. The two men were having a serious conversation.

“I will oversee the legal process, the culprit cannot be allowed,” Dashtan said with anger bubbling inside him. Doctor Pedro nodded.

“I didn’t expect him to go through something this tragic. A few days ago, he came to visit the house and said goodbye to me and Adeline to leave for Egypt before he would go to the Tigris for the excavation to be done on your father’s land,” Doctor Pedro explained.

“Is there a possibility that he has amnesia? Considering the impact he sustained was quite fatal.” Dashtan assumed but hoped it wasn’t true.

“There is a possibility, the trauma to his brain is quite serious which is why he is in a coma and no one knows for sure when he woke up,” explained Dr. Pedro.

“We have to explain this to Rakia as well, I’ve also told Adeline about Reynaldi’s true condition. I hope you can quickly assist the police investigation into this incident.”

Dashtan nodded with his gaze staring at the edge of Pedro’s desk with a half-empty stare. He had one more thing to think about. After listening to doctor Pedro’s detailed explanation, Dashtan returned to the ICU room to see Rakia. The woman was sitting on one of the benches near the ICU room.

“Let’s go home, you need to rest,” Dashtan said in a low, soft voice. Rakia nodded as she wiped away the tears that had been flowing non-stop. It was as if her faucet was broken. On the way back home, Rakia fell asleep because she was too tired, both physically and mentally. Dashtan carried her body in front of his when they arrived home. She carried Rakia’s body to his room and laid it on his bed. He took off her flat shoes and covered half of her body with a blanket.

He took a seat beside Rakia’s body and looked at the woman with all the feelings raging inside him.

“Should I let her go later even though her father’s condition might not improve?” The question flashed through his mind and other questions came but only one made it harder for him to decide what to do next.

“Will you be able to face it alone?” The question came out as he looked at Rakia’s face that looked peaceful in her sleep. He wiped away the tears that still remained on Rakia’s face using the back of his thumb. Dashtan sighed as he looked down then moved from Rakia’s side, leaving his room for his workspace. But when he was in front of the door to his room that he had closed, his gaze fell on the piano that he had not played for some time. He went over to it and sat down on the bench in front of the keys. He began to play Chopin’s Nocturne op. 9 Number 2. The sound echoed through the empty living room, with only the furniture watching the man play. He just wanted to soothe his heart, and playing a few notes on the piano did just that.

Rakia woke up with an unpleasant dream, as she woke up she faintly heard the sound of the piano. She rubbed her face and tried to recognize the room she was lying in.

“Dashtan’s room,” she muttered now fully aware of where she was. She pulled back the covers and got out of bed, curious as to the whereabouts of the owner of this room. She opened the door slowly, and the sound of the piano became clearer. She saw her husband sitting at the piano and playing. Rakia chose to lean against the door frame and folded her arms in front of her body. The tune was able to make her enjoy the atmosphere for a moment. She was reminded of the sadness she felt a moment ago, but the tune made her try to stay strong in the midst of the situation. Dashtan seemed to conjure the silence and coldness of the night into something she needed to neutralize the sadness she felt through the tune she played.

After a while of just being a spectator, Rakia decided to approach Dashtan with slow and silent steps. However, the man was aware of her arrival. The lights from the pool area provided just the illumination needed. At least, she could still see Dashtan in a fairly close radius.

“Are you awake?” asked Dashtan after he finished his song. Rakia just nodded with a faint smile. Dashtan pressed one of the piano keys once and the lights on the ceiling grid of this room lit up, providing enough lighting for the two of them. Rakia was both surprised and amazed, she stared for a moment at the ceiling grid of this room that emitted light.

“Come, sit with me,” Dashtan invited Rakia to do so.

“Play one song,” Rakia asked in a hoarse voice after crying.

“About?” Dashtan turned to look at Rakia. She thought for a moment and then said, “River flows in you.” Hearing the choice of tone, Dahstan smiled and played the note Rakia wanted. Rakia’s soft smile was etched as the note flowed perfectly, she leaned on Dashtan’s shoulder and watched the man’s fingers play gracefully on the piano keys.

By the time the note was perfectly played by Dashtan, Rakia was struck by drowsiness and yawned. Dashtan chuckled as Rakia yawned like a lulled child.

“Come on, you need sleep, do you want to sleep in your room?”

Rakia shook her head in response to Dashtan’s question.

“In your room, I want you to keep me company.”

Dashtan took a deep breath and then exhaled. He complied with her wishes and carried her to his room with bridal style.