Chapter 3

"Did she really say that?”

Angel nodded as an answer to Daisy’s question. She can’t also believe what Teacher Sara said to her. She keeps asking herself if she want to leave this island. Of course, yes. Why would she say no? If there’s a chance, she would immediately grab it. She really wants to leave and go back to the place where her heart belongs. She wants to go back to the place where make her happy, to the place where she can’t feel fear, to the place where she’s free to do what she really wants. And this freaking island can’t offer her happiness and freedom.

“What’s the reason why she wants you to teach?” Daisy asked again when they reached the big rock on the shore and they sit there. “Well, I know you’re knowledgeable enough, I can’t deny that. But I smell something fishy why she suddenly offers you that.”

“That’s what I’m also thinking and I even asked her that.”

That’s the question that keeps running in her mind while she’s talking to Teacher Sara. What if there’s something behind to that offer? What if Teacher Sara are afraid to continue teaching the children? Or what if Teacher Sara has a problem? But there’s nothing pops in her mind that may become a reason of her fear. There’s nothing to fear about.

She just shrugged her shoulders and focused her attention to the sea that currently waving her. Well, if that teacher has a problem, I hope she can deal with whatever it is.

"What if—"

She immediately looked at Daisy who currently looking at her fingers and pretended to be thinking something. Now she’s curious. She just hopes that Daisy is currently on her mind now. She’s a hundred percent that Daisy is thinking magically. Here we go again with Daisy’s over acting.

"And what are you thinking?”

"What if Teacher Sara is a lost princess like the Island Princess and then her parents found her, so they asked Teacher Sara to stop teaching.” Daisy’s eyes widened when she said her idea to her and then smiled as if she had said something really sensible. "What do you think, Gel? That would be possible you know."

She let out a deep breath. Why am I talking to this woman? She just cupped her forehead while shaking her head. No matter what, Daisy can’t stop her wild imagination. Now she regrets that she let Daisy read her fairytale book. Maybe, her friend still in her mind.

"You know what”, she said and exhaled, “much better if you stop reading fairytale book.”

Her friend laughed loudly and took out of the bag the of sweet potato she had put in it and gave it to her.

"You're so serious, Gel. But what I said isn't impossible, right? Teacher Sara is really beautiful; it's not far from being a princess. Her skin is so white. It's like Rapunzel's skin, right? I’ll just eat an apple, maybe I'll see my prince—"

"You’re crazy, it wasn't Rapunzel who ate the apple. It was Snow White."

Daisy laughed so hard. "Oh, I just forgot. It's Rapunzel who just slept with a prince."

My God, she said in her mind and just ate the sweet potato that her friend gave her.

Ever since she arrived on the island, Daisy became her companion. Daisy with her smile sounds like she doesn’t have a problem and it helps her to accept everything. Accept her faith.

"Angel," Daisy called her when she didn't join her crazy ideas. "Are you okay? I've been asking you for a while now, but you're not answering me."

She just scratched her hair. "Oh, I’m sorry. What is it again?”

"Nothing." She even pouted which made her laugh. "You're always like that. You’re not listening to me."

She just laughed and looked again at the sea with calm waves. This is what she likes about the island, the sea.  When she's stressed and doesn't know what to do, she hangs out on the beach. She whispers everything to the waves and it's as if the waves listen to her and join her crying.

"How about you, Daisy, don't you any plan to leave here?" she asked her friend who was still eating.

"What do you mean? Leave?"

"I mean, to leave the island and go to the city."

"You know," Daisy said but still continued to chew. "If I can, why not?" And again, Daisy bites the sweet potato in her hand. "But I don't want to leave my grandpa. Do you think I don't want to experience what I read in the book? Of course I would love to. It's just that, it's impossible for me. Grandpa can't leave this island, because his memories with Lola are here.”

She let out a deep breath. After all, even though she might be in Daisy's situation, she also can't leave her grandfather just for her own wishes.

"What is there in the city that is not here on the island, Gel? I don't know if I already asked you this before."

She smiled as the memories flowed in her mind. There's a lot that the city doesn't have here on the island. Their island is really low budget compared to the place where she grew up. When she arrived here, it was very difficult for her to adjust. She doesn't know how to live in a place without electricity.

She doesn't know how to live in a place with no internet, no cellphone, no computer, no gadgets that she used to before. If she hadn't brought a book yet, she didn't know if she would be able to handle it.

"There’s a lot," she answered Daisy. "But I can only say one thing. There is civilization there."

"Civilization?"

She nodded. "When you live in the city, you never think about coming back here."

"Is the city really that beautiful? I want to go there—"

She immediately faced Daisy and held her hand. "Once we've saved up loads of money, let's go to the city, shall we? We'll get out of here—"

But suddenly her friend hit her and just laughed at her. "Crazy, when are we going to have piles of money, anyway? Even if we work and work, we won't be able to have that kind of money. You still owe Manang Cora you haven't paid yet." Her laughter grew even louder, which makes her annoyed.

"I’m just dreaming, is it bad?”

"No, but you shouldn't dream high and maybe we won't be able to reach it. Even if all the hair on our bodies has turned white, we can’t still make it. In short, it’s impossible."

Daisy laughed again but she just rolled her eyes and frowned. No matter what happens, she will definitely leave this place. She wants to go back to a place with electricity and even more she wants to finish her education.

But suddenly she stopped thinking about her dreams when there was a sudden noise not far from them. People approached the place where the motorboats lined up. They also had a motorboat back then, but when his parents disappeared, they couldn't do anything but sell it to their Captain. She really didn't want to agree but she also didn't want siblings starve to death.

"What's going on?" Daisy asked her as if she can asnwer. "Why are they messing around?"

She didn't bother to answer. She stood up and patted his leg.

"Come on, let's see," she said to her friend as if she didn't want to stand up to gossip.

"A dead body!" shouted a woman running towards the house. "Someone is dead! Help, guys! There’s a dead body!”

"Dead?" they spoke at the same time.

Her friend quickly stood up and ran ahead. She was the one who wanted them to look there but she was left behind. She just ran and left the bag that her friend was carrying earlier. It seems that gossiping is more important than the food that Daisy brought.

When they arrived, everybody was curious. She squeezed through the crowd to see if there was a dead body. When she was in the middle in the crowd, she saw a man with a torn t-shirt and bruises on his face and arms.

"Is he still alive?" asked the person next to her.

She quickly approached the man and checked if there’s still a pulse.

"He's still alive," she said. "Call Mang Kanor so he can be treated immediately." She refers to Daisy's grandfather, their herb doctor on the island.

She looked up at the man's face. Even with a bruise, its handsomeness is still obvious.

Who is this man?