That evening, they all gathered in the front room. After Rafael gave the residents their medicine, they all fell fast asleep.
Nindy had also seemed lost in thought for a while now. She wasn't her usual cheerful self. Vero had wanted to ask her about it for some time, but she hesitated.
"So what time will they arrive at the airport tomorrow, Doctor?" Vito asked.
"You don't have to be formal when we're not working. Probably in the afternoon, Commander," Rafael replied.
"You don't have to be so formal either, Raf," Vito chuckled, followed by the others.
"I'm going to my room to rest," Nindy said, getting to her feet without waiting for anyone to respond.
"I'll follow Nindy," Vero said, taking her leave as well.
They all stared at Nindy in confusion. She had barely spoken all evening, and they had no idea why.
"Nin, are you okay?" Vero asked when she saw Nindy wiping away her tears.
"My heart is broken, Ver! It hurts so much. I don't know what I've done wrong all this time. Why have I never felt happy?" Nindy said as tears continued streaming down her face.
"Why? Come on, tell me exactly what happened, Nin," Vero urged.
"This afternoon, I felt a terrible pain in my chest. I don't know what caused it, and I had a bad feeling too. I decided to call Dad, and do you know what they said?" Nindy recounted, already sobbing.
Vero could only shake her head. She didn't know what to say.
Nindy began telling her everything.
FLASHBACK ON
"Oh my God, why does my chest hurt? And why do I have such a bad feeling? Should I call Dad just to make sure everything's okay?" Nindy said.
She took her phone from her bag and saw that there was no signal. She decided to go outside. Thank God, there was signal outside.
She immediately called her father. He didn't answer twice, but she didn't give up. She kept calling until he finally picked up.
"Hello, assalamualaikum, Dad," Nindy said.
"Waalaikumsalam," Nugraha replied curtly.
"How are you, Dad? Mom and Heni are doing well, right?" Nindy asked.
"Why do you care about me and my family now?" Nugraha replied, startling Nindy.
"W-what do you mean, Dad?" Nindy asked, her voice trembling.
"Stop lying, Nindy! I know everything. You've lied to me and my wife! You said you were going to Papua for your assignment, but the truth is, you're in Paris with some lecherous old man!" Nugraha said angrily.
Thump!
Nindy choked at her father's words. Tears began flowing without warning. Her chest tightened when she heard her father's voice rise again.
"W-what do you mean? I'm really in Papua on assignment," Nindy replied firmly.
"Enough! Stop lying! Just enjoy your life with that old man! Didn't you decide to cut ties with this family too? At first, I was devastated when you said you wanted to cut ties with our family. But after hearing Heni's story, I became certain that I should let you go! As of this moment, I no longer consider you my daughter!" Nugraha said before hanging up.
Nindy sank to the ground, her sobs filled with anguish. Her heart was utterly heartbroken when she heard her father's words. Her father no longer considered her his daughter. Her chest tightened beneath the weight of this reality. Why? Why was all of this happening in Nindy's life? Couldn't she be happy just once?
FLASHBACK OFF
Tears welled in Vero's eyes as she listened to Nindy's entire story. She felt Nindy's pain too. How could her parents be so cruel as to say something like that to their own child?
"Be patient, okay? I'm sure you're strong enough to get through all of this. Remember, you're not alone here. You've got me, Mom, and Dad, and we'll be your new family," Vero said, comforting Nindy.
"Haha, who am I living for now? I don't have parents anymore. My parents don't consider me their daughter anymore," Nindy chuckled bitterly through her tears.
Vero pulled Nindy into her arms. Nindy let everything out in Vero's embrace. She couldn't bear this. All this time, she had simply stayed quiet and accepted all the way her family treated her.
"Come on, don't cry anymore. Focus on your own life now! Chase the dreams you had to put on hold because your family didn't support you enough. You have to prove to them that you're not what your sister said you were! You have to succeed, Nin, you have to! Make them regret the way they've treated you all this time," Vero said.
Nindy only nodded. She was exhausted today. She wanted to rest and didn't want to think about any of it right now. In the end, they both fell asleep, worn out.
The next morning, everyone was ready in their respective uniforms. Today, aid consisting of medical equipment and medical personnel would arrive in Papua. Rafael was assigned to pick them up, accompanied by five TNI members for security.
Meanwhile, Vito would survey the area where they were staying to make sure everything was safe. Vero, Ranti, Nindy, and several male volunteers were preparing breakfast for the residents and the TNI members.
Nindy was back to her usual bright self that morning. She seemed to have forgotten about her problems for the moment. She didn't want to wallow in sadness. She would let time answer everything.
"Come on, eat up, everyone. Finish your food! Aid from the hospital is arriving today, and starting tomorrow, you'll all undergo various other health tests," Nindy announced, passing along Rafael's message.
Everyone smiled happily. Hopefully, they could all recover from this deadly virus. The children were busy drawing. Nindy had bought them supplies like that so they wouldn't get bored.
Rafael had already left for the airport with the TNI members. Meanwhile, Nindy and Vero were helping the TNI members cook. Nindy was cleaning the fruit Vito had bought the day before. Vero was helping the TNI members prepare all the spices for cooking.
In the middle of her work, Nindy remembered her father's words. Ah! Thinking about it made the pain return. If this was one of the paths leading to happiness, then Nindy would walk it willingly.
Nindy also remembered her scholarship test. That night, she and Vero would take the exam again. Hopefully, she would be accepted to a university in Seoul. Nindy had resolved to pursue her dreams again. She had also decided to settle in Korea. She never wanted to return to Indonesia.
The place that had left so many wounds on her. Nindy would start everything over from the beginning. She also felt lucky to have a friend like Vero, who was always there for her.
"Hey! I've been talking to you this whole time!" Vero shouted, making Nindy jump.
"Astaghfirullah, why are you yelling like that?" Nindy said, rubbing her chest.
"I've been calling you forever. Ask the guys here if you want, but you're the one who's deaf," Vero shot back irritably.
"Really? Why didn't I hear you?" Nindy replied with an innocent expression.
Everyone chuckled at Vero's irritated expression. The two of them were like mood boosters for the TNI members, who were exhausted from their duties.
"Whatever!" Vero snapped.
"You're so weird," Nindy teased.
"Tsk! I was asking if we're taking the exam tonight, right?" Vero said.
"Yeah. I haven't studied yet either. Ugh," Nindy replied.
"Tsk! You don't even have to study. You're already smart, Nindy Nugraha," Vero said, using Nindy's full name.
Nindy fell silent when Vero said her father's name. Could she still use that name? Hadn't her father already stopped considering her his daughter?
Vero realized she'd mentioned Nindy's father's name and felt guilty when she saw Nindy's sullen expression. She cursed herself.
"Um, Nin, I'm sorry," Vero said awkwardly.
"It's okay, relax. Pfft," Nindy replied, sticking out her tongue.
She tried to hide her sadness. She didn't want everyone to know about her problems. She would keep her sorrow to herself.
"Your heart is so strong, Nin. You can still smile even when it's shattered," Vero thought.