[GIANA LEWIS]
"Erica...H-hai..."
Erica peluk saya, peluk erat aa macam dia rinduuu betul sama saya ni. Muka dia betul2 excited nampak saya.
"U...U changed a lot Gee. U look, beautiful. What are U doing here?"
Erkkk...
"Errr..sa baru lepas jumpa kawan. I'm on my way home now. And U, what are U doing here?"
Dari style pemakaian dia, nampak macam wanita korporat sudah, wanita berkerjaya gitu. Terus di tangan dia ada beg bimbit, macam baru balik dari kerja.
"Sa baru habis conference, sa stay sini. Ala..ko mo balik sudah? Ee..kita hang out dulu bah, lama sudah kita nda jumpa kan. Gad. I missed U. Drink?"
"Next time, maybe? I'm not feeling well actually."
Arrghh....
Dalam banyak2 urang, si Erica lah yang paling saya nda mo jumpa sekarang. Well, she's my bestfriend of course tapi dalam keadaan saya sekarang saya nda mo berdepan sama dia. Saya nda mo dia tau macam mana kehidupan saya sejak saya kana buang kolej. It made me look pathetic.
That's why saya berabis nda mo hang out sama dia sekarang tapi dia pula macam insist betul mo bawa saya lepak. Lagi pun saya takut bah si Matt turun cari saya. My gad.
"Alah...kalau macam tu ko ikut sa masuk bilik lah. Mari lah, U can rest in my room." Dia nda tunggu saya jawab pun, terus dia tarik saya masuk dalam lift. Nasib baik level bilik dia nda sama macam si Matt.
Sampai sana bilik dia...hmm...it's a suite actually, with city view, dia suruh saya duduk rehat. Terus dia masuk pi bilik dia.
Makin cantik bah si Erica sekarang. I can see she's living a good life now. Her shoes, handbags, accesories semua branded. Lupa pula saya, dia kan anak urang kaya.
After a while, dia keluar dari bilik pakai short pant sama singlet ja. Dia pi sana mini fridge, dia ambil dua botol air mineral, then dia pass satu untuk saya.
"Do U want anything? I can call the room service." Bilang dia.
"Sokay. I'm good."
"So...wow...berapa lama sudah kita nda jumpa aa? 3....4 years? Time flies o kan. How are U, Gee?"
"Well, life's good...I guess U are doing good too."
"My life has ups and downs, but..yeah..I'm doing good."
Urang kan kalau lama nda jumpa BFF banyak bah cerita kan. Tapi saya nda tau napa bila berdepan sama Erica, saya jadi blank.
Teda yang saya mo share sama dia sebab obviously nothing interesting happened in my life since saya kana buang kolej, and nda kan saya mo cerita pasal life kami dulu2 time masih di kolej kan.
"Err...I heard U got the degree scholarship." Bilang saya.
Mygad Gee, macam teda topik lain kah ko mo cerita ni?
"Yaa...can U believe it?! I was so thrilled when they called out my name. I was like...whoaa...every sem sa tunggu, and at last I was on the top 3 best students."
"Rezeki ko bah tu. So, where did U further ur study?"
"Sa ambil degree di Aussie tapi sa nda guna tu scholarship. Ko pun tau juga kan my both parents can afford me, so I let go the scholarship to someone else."
WTH
Saya berabis study almost 3years just to get the scholarship, but...doi..Erica senang2 let go sama urang lain. Damn. Saya nda tau kenapa tiba2 kan saya rasa sakit hati.
I remembered how she kept babbling about the scholarship, to make her parents proud kunun...Saya nda faham o dia.
"Oh ya Gee. I also heard yang ko kena dismissed from the college kan?"
😐
"So U knew?"
"Ya..all of our friends knew cause everyone was looking for U during the graduation."
😥
"I see...."
"How's ur life, Gee? U must have a tough life kan?"
Saya senyum ja sebab saya nda tau macam mana mo jawab.
"Anyways, let's forget about the past. Ko kerja mana sekarang? Nda sangka o sa bulih tejumpa ko di sini."
"Keja biasa2 ja bah, Rica.."
"Yalah...mesti ko susah cari keja di KK kan kalau teda apa2 kelayakan."
Terus lain2 bah saya tingu dia. Tipulah kalau saya nda terasa dengan apa yang dia cakap. But it was true, spm ja bah saya ada ni bukan macam dia, ada degree oversea. Shit, bikin down oo.
"K la Rica. Sa mo balik sudah ni. Lewat sudah ni."
"Ala...ko mo balik sudah? Belum puas lagi sa hang out sama ko. Oya..jap.."
Dia berdiri dan masuk pi bilik, nda lama tu dia keluar bawa satu keping kad di tangan dia, then dia pass bagi saya.
"My bussiness card."
Erica Jerome
General Manager
Grand Diamond Hotel
General Manager? Wow...
"Thanks Rica."
"Oh wait...maigad Gee, I have this idea!!! Why not ko keja sama sa? I can give U a job in the hotel."
Seriously????
"Me? Sa mana ada apa2 kelayakan ni, Rica. Ko tau juga kan."
"Eee...yang penting ko tau pasal hotel management. Kannn?"
"I-I'm not sure about that Rica."
"Macam ni lah, ko balik ko fikir masak2. Once U made ur mind, call me. If U agree to work with me, ko datang pi office sa, di Hotel Grand Diamond. Just follow the address on the card."
"Okay, Rica. Thanks. Got to go."
"Okay. See U, Gee. Bye."
🌼🌼🌼
It has been 2 weeks since saya terjumpa Erica. Saya balik2 teringat pasal offer dia tu ari. Will it be a good idea for me to work with her?
All these time saya memang mo kerja di hotel, impian saya pula tu tapi of course lah bah saya mau dapat pangkat tinggi2 kan sebab masa saya berimpian tu saya imajin saya sudah ada diploma dan degree.
So, since sekarang saya teda apa2 kelayakan, saya kena start dari bawah. Nda kan terus2 dapat pangkat tinggi2. 😅
"Uii..apa ko termenung ni? Ada masalah kah?"
Terkejut saya tiba2 si Kate pi masuk bilik saya. Sejak dia balik dari Maldives, jarang sudah dia di rumah. Macam ni rumah saya yang punya pula.
"Teda lah. Fikir masa depan. Haha."
"The future? Oh ya...apa cerita oo ko sama Matt?"
😒
Matt....
Since saya lari dari bilik hotel tu, teda sudah dia cari2 saya. Dia ada juga reply text saya, dia bilang 'It's okay. I understand.' Hmmm...he is a nice man, saya heran napa dia mo cheat wife dia.
"Nothing happen."
"Giana...I know something happen. Ko belum ready ni kan? Richard kasih tau sa, si Matt ada perempuan baru sudah. So, I assume ko sama dia nda jadi lah tu kan?"
"Kind of. Sa nda bulih lah Kate. Sa rasa bersalah oo sama wife dia."
"Bukan wife dia tau pun. Lagi pun wife dia teda di sini bah. U just aim for the money, jan fikir selain dari itu."
Saya diam.
I just can't ruin another person punya relationship bah, Kate. Ko faham kah?
Tapi nda juga sampai hati saya cakap, saya nda mo dia kecil hati. Lain urang lain perception bah kan.
"Sa kasih kenal ko sama someone else lah kalau gitu. U prefer yang single kan?"
"Oh Kate. Give me a break."
"What??"
Saya garu2 kepala saya yang nda gatal. Saya mau cari duit tapi saya nda mo guna cara ini.
"Can we discuss later on?" Terus saya berdiri dan keluar dari bilik. Malas sudah saya cakap pasal tu topik.
"Bah yalah. Sa mo keluar ni, jumpa si Richard. Next week dia outstation lagi nanti teda chance sudah mo berasmaradana. Hehe."
😒
"Have fun."
🌼🌼🌼
Beberapa minggu lepas tu, macam biasa saya pi kerja, kadang2 saya ikut si Kate, kadang2 saya pinjam kereta dia. Kasian bah, belum lagi cukup duit saya beli kereta sendiri. 😂
Pasal offer Erica kerja di tempat dia tu terbantut gitu ja. Saya teda kata putus. Hati saya memang mau terima tu offer, tapi saya nda tau kenapa saya nda excited. Serius nda excited. So, since saya teda decision, saya nda contact dia.
Maybe I still need time bah kan untuk fikir pasal tu offer dia. 🤔
"Giana..."
"Ui...Kate. Ko nda keluar kah ni ari? Oya lupa pula, si Richard outstation. Hehe."
Susah bah mo tinguk muka si Kate di rumah kalau time2 hujung minggu, ngam2 lagi teda kerja. Selalu mesti dia keluar dating sama kekasih kaya dia.
"Giana..." Terus tiba2 dia menangis ni, terkejut saya.
"Kateee..napa ko?"
"Sa rasa kan...tsk..tsk.."
"Cool down, Kate. Napa ni?"
"Giana, sa rasa kan bini si Richard tau sudah oo pasal sa."
😨
"What? Nahhh...macam mana pula dia bulih tau?"
"Not sure. Tapi sa selalu dapat text dari unknown number, bagi2 sa warning. Sa takut ni."
Gosh.
Saya pernah bah baca2 news kalau kacau laki urang ni, once kedapatan oleh si bini, anything can happen. That anything might be involve something worst, like...hiring someone to kill you, maybe. Yaiii...
😨
Shit.
Terus saya yang takut ni. Walau pun saya nda buat apa2, tapi saya kan tinggal sama si Kate. Mana lah tau tersalah aim, saya yang kana. Saya lagi ni selalu pinjam2 kereta dia. Mygad.
"Ko mo report polis kah?"
"P-polis? Tiamau lah..malas sa kana soal siasat. Giana, apa sa patut buat ni aa?"
"Ko sudah kasih tau si Richard?"
"Ada sa try call dia tapi nda dapat. Dia teda di KL sekarang, apa juga dia bulih buat."
"Jan main2 oo Kate. Kita nda tau apa bini dia bulih buat. Tapi, let's just think positif k, mana tau bukan bini dia. Maybe salah number."
"No. Instinct sa kuat ni, sa betul2 rasa bini si Richard."
At one point kan saya rasa lega sebab saya nda jadi sama si Matt. Just imagine kalau bini dia tau, I am so dead!
After kami discuss2 kan, Kate bilang dia mo tunggu si Richard balik dari outstation, see if he can do anything about it. Tapi nda tau bila lah si Richard tu balik KL. No choice terpaksalah kami tunggu.
But things getting worst. Kami perasan selalu ada van hitam berparking di luar rumah. Bukan juga depan2 gate lah tapi everyday tu van di tempat yang sama, not too far from the house. Si Kate macam urang gila sudah ketakutan. Dia bilang tu maybe urang2 suruhan bini si Richard pi spy dia di rumah.
Automatik saya pun takut ni. Tidur malam pun nda lena aa sebab takut tu rumah kana pecah masuk. Doii... Si Richard pula nda tau napa nda dapat kana call.
Last2 tu kan....
"Giana...sa rasa sa mo balik kg lah ni."
"Huh? Why?"
"Why? Sa takut bah..nanti kalau si Richard balik pandai2 lah dia kontek sa. So mean time sa rasa bagus sa balik kg."
"Jadi keja ko camna?"
"Nanti sa cuba discuss sama tauke, sa mo minta cuti tanpa gaji. Lagi pun ada juga duit si Richard bagi sa, masih bulih survive."
"Berapa lama juga ko plan mo cuti ni? Nanti sa pula yang teda kawan sini."
"Maybe 2 months, I don't know. Tu laa..sian pula ko saturang. Maybe ko bulih minta tulung sama si Matt."
"Uh-oh...that's not even an option, Kate."
"I'm just suggesting bah. Ko ada kenalan lain kah yang ko bulih tumpang sementara?"
"Sokay, Kate. Jan dulu ko fikir pasal sa aa. I'll see what I can do."
Dua hari selepas si Kate balik kg, tinggal saya saturang lagi sana rumah besar dia. Saya rasa hampir setiap masa saya intai tingu sana luar pagar. Saya ingat bila si Kate teda di rumah, tu van teda lah sudah, tau2 pandai juga muncul ni.
So this one day, masa saya pi kerja, tu van masih ada di luar. Masa ada si Kate dulu pun kalau kami pi kerja sama2, tu van mesti di luar. Tapi kami nda pernah nampak sepa di dalam sebab cermin dia gelap.
Masa saya drive kereta si Kate pi kerja, saya sedar yang tu van ikut saya dari belakang. Doi..punya saya panik. Dalam fikiran saya, mati lah saya ni kana langgar ka apa.
Sampai sana kedai, lepas parking ja terus saya keluar dari kereta. Then tiba2 ada saturang lelaki pakai kot hitam, cermin mata hitam turun dari tu van dan pi approach saya.
"Excuse me, miss?"
"Y-yes?"
"We are looking for Kate."
Oh no...
"Dia teda di sini sekarang. Ada apa kamu cari dia aa?"
Dia nda jawab, tapi kepala dia pusing2 tinguk area kedai. Nda tau apa dia tingu sebab dia pakai spek hitam kan.
"Thank U, miss. Sorry for disturbing." Bilang dia terus dia jalan naik balik pi van.
Suddenly kan saya rasa nda selamat sudah saya tinggal sama si Kate. Maybe betul cakap Kate, maybe tu urang suruhan bini si Richard. Shit. Sampai di tempat kerja bah saya kana ikut. I don't feel safe anymore.
🌼🌼🌼
Sejak tu kejadian, saya sudah buat keputusan mo keluar dari rumah si Kate. And I made another decision too..
📞 Me : Hello. Rica? It's me, Gee.
📞 Erica : Hello. Oh hai Gee...punya lama sa tunggu ko call sa.
📞 Me : Sorry. Sa busy. Rica...er..is ur job offer still available?
📞 Erica : Of course, my friend. Bah bila ko mo datang pi office sa?
📞 Me : Tomorow?
📞 Erica : Bah, ngam. See U tomorow, Gee.
End call.
Yup.
Saya decide mo terima job offer dari Erica. Saya rasa nda selamat sudah kerja sana kedai perabot. Bikin takut bah diurang sudah tau saya kerja mana.
I want to start a fresh now.
I want to stay away from trouble.
Bisuk dia tu, saya pi hotel tempat Erica kerja. Actually saya sudah hantar resignation letter sama tauke. Nasib baik okay juga tu tauke laki bini, nda bising2 pada hal belum sampai 1 tahun pun saya kerja sana.
"Good morning, welcome to Grand Diamond Hotel. May I help U?" Bilang to receptionist.
"Good morning. I have an appoinment with Ms Erica Jerome."
"May I take ur name please, miss?"
"Giana Lewis."
"Wait for a moment."
Nda lama tu, ada saturang staff lelaki pi tempat saya, dia bilang ms Erica sedang tunggu saya sudah sana bilik office dia. So, saya ikut lah tu staff.
TOK! TOK! TOK!
"Yes?"
"Hai, Rica."
"Haiii..Gee...masuk2...take a sit."
Wow...cantik o bilik office Erica. Just like what I've been dreaming since in college. Big room, very spacious, ada ruang untuk leisure lagi sana hujung2 bilik.
"Can I get anything for U? Coffee? Tea?"
"Tea. Thank U."
Terus dia interkom someone suruh hantar dua cawan tea. Nda lama tu masuk saturang perempuan bawa minuman kami. Tu perempuan actually Erica punya secretary, Ms Audrey.
Perfect. Just perfect. Erica ada office sendiri, ada secretary sendiri. I wish I was her. Damn.
"Thanks, Rica for having me here."
"Not big deal bah. Sa sudah cakap kan sa mo offer ko kerja. Anggap ja sekarang ni ko punya interview, but don't worry U already got the job. Hehe. So, ko ada mo tanya sa apa2?"
"What job yang ko offer sa ni? Sory, I should have ask U since our first meeting."
"Sokay. Ko mo job apa? I am the manager here, I can assign U to anywhere."
Terus macam saya speechless ni.
"Any job pun bulih bah, Rica. U already offered me, nda kan sa mo pilih2 lagi."
"Okay. Let's see..." Dia cek2 something di monitor pc dia.
"Sa kasih ko di front desk lah k. Tapi keja shift la, U ok with that?" Bilang dia lagi.
"No problem."
"Good. Next week ko start aa. Nanti sa suruh bahagian HR urus apa2 yang patut. Come, sa bawa ko jumpa VIP of this hotel. 😉"
Saya ikut Erica keluar dari bilik office dia, then kami masuk lift pi level atas. Sampai ja di atas, ruang office sana lagi luas, design dia pun cantik ni.
"Hai, Pat. Ur boss ada kah?" Bilang Erica.
"Good morning, Ms Erica. Ada bah. Masuk lah."
TOK! TOK! TOK!
"Come in." Ada suara lelaki dari dalam.
"Hai dad....morning. Free to talk?"
Dad?
"Oh hai, darling. So far dady free lah ni. Eh, U bring someone?"
"Ya..dad, I want U to meet my friend, best friend, hehe..Giana Lewis. Gee...this is my dad, Mr Jerome, CEO of this hotel."
Aah..So this is Mr Jerome, the owner of this hotel. Erica pernah kasih tau saya pula dulu dady dia ada dua hotel.
"Hai, Mr Jerome. Nice to meet U, finally. Erica told me a lot about U."
"Oh really? I hope she told only the good one. Hehe. So, what can I help U?"
"Dad...sa offer Giana kerja sama kita. Hope U don't mind."
"Job? Is there any vacancy kah?"
"Not at the moment tapi sa suruh dia masuk bahagian front desk. She knows a lot about hotel management, dad..mana tau in the future dia bulih masuk bahagian admin kah."
"Hmmm...U the manager. Dady nda kisah juga. So, Giana welcome to the hotel. We are one big family. Apa2 yang ko nda faham, U can always ask ok. Jan malu2."
He seems like a very nice man. Aah..untungnya si Erica, the big boss is her own father.
"Thank U, Mr Jerome."
"Okay, we are done here. Jom, Gee...we go for a short hotel tour. Bye dad, see U at home."
Lepas kami dari bilik office Mr Jerome, Erica bawa saya round2 hotel dan kasih kenal saya staff2 di sana. Dia bilang just to give me a familiarity of the environment supaya bila saya report duty nanti saya nda blur2.
Then bila semua setel, kami balik pi bilik office dia.
"Thanks again Rica for the job offer. Ko ni kan teda vacancy pun ko bagi juga sa kerja."
"Hehe..ok bah. Sayang bah ko nda kerja di bidang perhotelan, Gee. I know U are good, kalau bukan pasal kes---" Terus dia terdiam.
Well, saya tau bah tu apa dia mo cakap. Mesti dia mo mention pasal kes video saya sampai saya bulih kana buang kolej.
"Sorry, Gee. Cerita lama. I shouldn't bring it out. Just forget it."
"Sokay. I know what are U trying to say, Rica. How can I forget it? I live my life now but whatever happen in the past nda mungkin sa bulih lupa."
"Gee..I am sorry. Past is past bah. Yang penting hidup ko yang sekarang."
Senang oo dia cakap. Dia nda tau apa yang saya alami right after saya kana buang kolej. Mami passed away dan saya struggle cari kerja. Then kalau bukan pasal semua tu saya nda jumpa dan kenal si Miller jahanam tu.
"Yalah. Betul juga. Tapi ko nda bulih ubah masa lalu, Gee. There's nothing U can do to undo it."
Saya diam. Betul o apa dia cakap. Memang saya nda dapat ubah apa yang sudah terjadi bah kan. I hate when she always say the right thing.
"Enough about the past. I want U to forget everything, Ok. Just focus on today and the future. Eh, it almost lunch time oo. Ko mo join sa lunch, Gee? Last time kita nda jadi minum kan."
Suddenly, secretary Erica, Audrey interkom dia.
"Ms Erica ur date is here."
"Oh? Alamak. Okay2. Let him in."
Date?
"Sa lupa pula sa ada lunch date. Why not ko join kami, Gee? Alang2 sudah kita mo makan kan."
"Er..sokay. Never mind, Rica. Next time ja lah."
TOK! TOK! TOK!
"Come in..." Bilang Erica.
Then saya dengar pintu bilik office kena buka di belakang saya, sebab saya duduk membelakang bah masa tu.
"Hai dear." Bilang Erica.
Dear?
When she called 'Dear', saya terus teringat Simon!
Nda kan Erica masih sama dia?
Shit!
**to be continued**