Naughty December (english version)

6. Berlin For Shaila

     The festival has just started. In the first minute, the festivities took place, and the enthusiasm and quality of attention of the guests caught the attention. A tent of food stalls lined the outside of the main area of the festival taking place. Yoanna seemed in a hurry and tried to be careful with the camera she rented, while trying to keep Shaila from being run over by people during the winter party. For Yoanna, this is a special thing because she has only been in Germany for about two days, but this exotic country has indirectly welcomed her. Yoanna did not get tired every time she answered dozens of questions from Shaila, about everything she had just seen, because Shaila was a child with high curiosity.

     The watch in her hand indicated that it was noon. Yoanna was choosing the place she would take as the object. And only for about two minutes, Yoanna was astonished by the situation in which people and festival icons mingled like history and time.

     "Kima, take care of Shaila for a while!" Yoanna was in a hurry but still managed to crouch down to meet Shaila's face.

     "Honey," Yoanna stroked Shaila's black hair. "Superman's mother and aunt will be here soon. Kima is here with you!"

     Shaila refused, shook her head as she grabbed Yoanna's neck for a hug. However, seeing a tent that sells a lot of Shaila dolls finally relents, and chooses to take Kima to where she wants to be. Yoanna is also not far from there.

     In the place where the crowd of Yoanna fell. She and Thalita took positions, enjoying their party, and Yoanna chose to climb the fence as a barrier between the road and the field. Yoanna really likes crowds and, indeed that was her target for taking pictures. She was completely unaware that someone had stolen her face through the camera. Yoanna is still engrossed in shooting activities. Sometimes Yoanna takes pictures to find out the expressions of people at festivals.

     Yoanna's preoccupation was caught on surveillance cameras from inside a special room where Jee immediately recognized Yoanna's face. At that time, Jee ordered his men to block the exit of visitors with the aim that Jee did not lose track of Yoanna. And because Jee felt surveillance through the camera was not enough, Jee ran outside to where Yoanna was.

     He didn't care about Lucky's screams because, now that Jee had lost his sure way of thinking, he still continued his stride into the crowd looking up, so his sight caught Yoanna. And Jee, who was a little angry, continued to reply to his cell phone, which vibrated because there was a call from Yasmin.

     "What's wrong, Mom?" Jee answered, as if he wanted to end the call immediately. "Why didn't you give Aloysia permission to go to the festival? You don't have much respect for me. Did you leave Aloysia for Berlin?" said Yasmin from the cordless phone.

     s**t! Not important. "I'll call you later. I have something important to do. Bye... I love you." Jee turned off his cell phone as nothing managed to disturb him this time.

     From a distance, an acrobatic show. Jee is back on alert and is still looking for where Yoanna is standing. Jee circled the special entertainment area but still failed to find Yoanna, then Jee walked backwards to reach the crowd, at which time the screams of people added to the anxiety. Until the next minute, Jee still couldn't find Yoanna, but he was not someone who gave up easily, until finally the search was successful and Jee saw a woman with shoulder-length hair engrossed in the atmosphere.

     Fifty meters from where Yoanna was standing, the woman was still engrossed in the camera. Jee thought he had found something he had been missing for a long time. The smile of thin lips without lipstick, thick eyebrows with the piercing gaze of a Yoanna, the Asian face that had bothered Jee for so long. This time, releasing the owner of the lantern was no longer destiny because Jee immediately ran away, so Yoanna couldn't run away anymore. However, Jee's steps were stopped when he accidentally bumped into a little girl. As if cursing himself, Jee supported Shaila's body.

     "Hey, are you okay?" asked Jee in German. Shaila rubbed her elbow in pain from the impact. She wanted to cry but was too scared when Jee noticed her.

     "Is anyone hurt? Are you okay?" Jee turned to face Yoanna but couldn't bear to leave Shaila.

     "Say, honey! Are you okay?" About Yoanna was forgotten as Jee looked into Shaila's eyes and kept tracing her face. Jee checked Shaila's forehead and most of her limbs to make sure there were no injuries.

     "You yourself hm? Where is your mother? Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person! I will help you find your mother. Are you lost?"

     Jee's question got no answer, because Shaila didn't understand what Jee was saying. But Shaila's eyes started to tear up and she looked everywhere for her family members. Maybe Jee should use some other way to calm him down when Shaila starts crying.

     "Hey, don't be afraid honey! I'm not a bad person. Just say it! Are you feeling sick? Or do you want something? Please, don't cry!" For the first time, Jee found a gaze that seemed to hug her heart.

     Yoanna's problem no longer builds Jee's ambition, because the little girl who can only rub her pretty face has taken up all of his thoughts. Weird. Jee felt calm around Shaila until Jee's hand tried to protect and hug Shaila.

     "Mommy..." Shaila moaned while biting her thumb. What Shaila said could answer Jee's question. After understanding the spoken Indonesian, Jee let go of the hug and wiped Shaila's tears with his thumb.

     "Oh, I don't know if you don't understand my language," Jee felt sorry when Shaila repeated the 'mom' call.

     "Where's your Mother? You're lost? Don't be afraid, there's Uncle, sweety!" Jee persuaded Shaila to stop crying.

     Taking the time to forget about Yoanna's existence, Jee seemed more interested in Shaila. Jee's steps give seduction and the lure of toys, but Shaila still refuses. But Jee kept on persuading, until finally Shaila's gaze fell on the stuffed leopard on display in the doll vendor's tent.

     Instead of accepting, Shaila still has a fear of Jee. However, the beautiful color of the big doll's eyes in Jee's hands made Shaila wail, wanting to be understood without words. Until Jee's final seduction by thrusting the doll up to Shaila's neck, putting a smile on both their faces, Shaila started to get along because of Jee's attractive persuasion.

     "Now, let's get acquainted!" Jee held out his hand. "I, um..."

     "Uncle Superman." Shaila cuts off Jee's words.

     Jee's brows knit together. "Um... Uncle Superman? Ah, okay. It's okay, honey! Now, tell me what your mother's name is! So Uncle will be easier later." Shaila remembers and goes back to looking for Yoanna and the others. But the crowd seemed deserted because Shaila was afraid to be left alone.

     "Hey, what's your mother's name? Let Uncle help find her."

     "Yo...." Shaila faintly tried to explain but stopped. Then Jee got up to take Shaila to the safest place, but from a distance Kima's screams made Shaila scream. Suddenly, everyone looked towards Jee and Shaila.

     "No," Kima snatched Shaila from Jee's hands. "Are you alright? Sorry. The event there was so much fun, that I left you. I'm so sorry!"

     From all directions, the eyes of the visitors stared at Jee. It made Jee realize that everyone was judging. "Hey! What are you looking at? I'm not a pedophile!" When Jee was about to leave, suddenly Shila's hand touched Jee's arm.

     "Thank you, Uncle Superman."

     Superman. A famous superhero of his time, Jee immediately wanted to hug Shaila again, but Jee had to find Yoanna's whereabouts until finally Jee's hand froze on Shaila's face for a moment.

[...]

     The sun began to fade into the golden color of the Berlin sky. Almost all visitors feel tired because they have to queue at the exit. No single woman can get out without going through an attendant who is none other than Jee's errand boy. Thousands of young women queued for their turn as officers confirmed the same structure on a sketch of Yoanna's face.

     Fatigue has settled in the mind and energy. Yoanna deliberately comforted Shaila and Yoanna looked conscious of a big leopard in Shaila's arms.

     "Can I ask you something?" very carefully Yoanna spoke to Shaila.

     "Ask what, mom?" The gold color in the doll's eyes has always been a favorite of Shaila.

     Yoanna also caressed the doll's eyes. "Who did you get this doll from?"

     "From Uncle Superman." Shaila loudly replied nonchalantly.

     Because the queue was still long, Yoanna busied herself with 'Uncle Superman' from Shaila's mouth. At least children always have imagination. That's what Yoanna has in mind.

     "Uncle Superman is very nice, Mom. He carried me too, you know!" Shaila's imprinted smile revealed Jee. Not! Yoanna immediately pulled Shaila into her arms.

     "But, are you okay? He didn't hurt you, honey?" Shaila shook her head but Yoanna was still worried. "Listen to me! Never accept gifts from strangers, honey!"

     "But why, Mom? Uncle Superman is not a bad person, he likes to help people."

     Yoanna's mind started to get restless. Without responding to the queue rules that were indeed very long at the time, Yoanna asked Thalita to find the emergency exit. Until finally, Kima gave an idea where there was a broken gate and that could be passed by forcibly breaking through.

     It was Yoanna's job to be on guard so that everyone left the crowd first. Yoanna had a bad feeling about the man that Shaila was talking about. It could be a kidnapper. So that Yoanna had to leave a long line, but her action was caught by the guards and Jee's men immediately gave chase.

     From the balcony where Jee was staying and not far from the festival area, that's where he saw Yoanna managing to escape from her men. Slightly angry, Jee accepts the failure of his attempt to find the owner of the initial Y on the lantern. But Jee managed to remember the license plate of the car Yoanna rented.

     "Failed Jee?" Lucky asked, half wanting to laugh, but he wasn't happy either.

     Jee is furious. But what to do because time is so cruel because it has freed Yoanna, what he does is hindered again by circumstances. But he immediately ordered his men to find a place where the car rental was.