Stop her! Can't he do that?!
(TRAVELING)
It was early in the morning, where 25 employees for 5 groups- were already waiting for the next instructions from the chief leader. There were 5 women from the number.
Their early journey was postponed and they had changed it to the next day. The head quarters had ordered to rid-off the old 4x4 trucks. The company bought ten brand new 4WDs of Toyota 4Runner TRD 500.
The employees who had work long enough with the company were looking at the new 4WDs with their mouths dropped! Never in their life would dream to drive such a brand new car in that remote area.
The off-road vehicles were parking in one line in reversed parking. They started to admire the amazing figures and the smell of the brand new vehicles. They touched the solid bodies, checked the engines, check the interiors and checked the tyres
"Am I dreaming? Lately the company was so generous. What is actually happening?"
Uncle Bob fixed his eyes on the car and gently touched the front lights of the 4WD. He was the one of the driver. The expert driver of the off-road trails. Uncle Blues also was one of the driver. He knew the trails along the forest.
All of them knew how to read the topography of the land and the river before they decided to across the land or the river.
"You're right man. The company was showering their money to us here. I even brought my family to People's Town. They even built the houses for the employee with family. I never expect to see my kids growing here man! It's right here! "
Exclaimed Arthur who was also working with the company for almost half of his age. He was married in his late 40s because he was working in that remote area, no woman would dare to accept his proposal in his own town until he married to one of the foreign woman which he got from marriage agency.
His wife was with his family back in his town until the new regulations and good facilities implemented recently. Then his wife with two kids moved with him after five years living separately.
When Leona heard their conversations, she remembered previous time at the quarters of the company when she had her internship a year back then. The company was not allowed other than the employee to be in that compound. Even their own family could not enter the premise. They would meet at the Carpentry Park and spent time there.
"Ouch, it was so harsh…" She said in her heart.
Since she had never been in that condition where family would come and visit her. She did not aware of the situation.
"It would break my heart to let my family standing from the gate to wait just to see me." A heartache sudden onset her. Lately she became so easily touched and easily felt sad.
She remembered her video called with Andrew last night.
She was missing him badly. He was doing his worked while he video called her in his reading room. He had white wall with a big frame of paint behind him.
The paint was pretty absurd in striking coloured of red,yellow, white and dark. In the middle of the paint there was a man in dark was standing alone with his hands slightly open as he was releasing his power.
Every time she looked at the paint, she could not help it but asking him the meaning of the paint though it was pretty obvious for her to read the the paint.
"What was that man doing?" She asked while she grabbed some orange juice in her refrigerator.
"What man?" He looked up at her in the screen of his smart-phone and then stopped reading the documents on his table.
"That man." she pointed and he looked behind. He saw the painting and then he smirked.
"Power and wealth I think."
He said without pausing with his smile on his face. He continued to check the documents. He actually was thinking to stash away the document but that documents were needed to be faxed right away that night.
"I have another version of what the man was thinking actually."
She put her smart phone on the kitchen shelf and she began to heat the pan. She took out a small tray of eggs and a small bowl of rice from the rice cooker. Then she took out a knife and some garlic. She minced the white garlic on the chopping board. Then she cut some chicken meat an tuned it into small slices.
Andrew watched her silently and recorded the video call. He was actually already completed the reading not long ago and had signed the documents. After that he signaled his assistant, Mr Lee, who was waiting in-front of him for half hour ago, to collect the document. After that Mr Lee left the house.
Leona fried some plain egg rice and prepared some side dishes from local dish, fried anchovies and fried some fermented vegetables of Ensabi (1).
It was a popular dishes of in People's town. The taste was crunchy and sweet and sour as they fried it with garlic, anchovies and add some sugar in it.
After she cooked everything she gathered all of her dishes on the table. She showed it to Andrew through the screen. Fried rice, fried anchovies and fermented vegetable of Ensabi. The food looked so delicious. He wished he could be there and had their dinner together.
Suddenly the bell door was ringing.
"I'll be right back." Andrew said to Leona and planted a kiss to her on the screen.
She just smiled and nodded. He walked to his front door, there was a man wearing a white shirt from Mygirl's Restaurant. He then chuckled and shook his head with surprised.
Andrew was indeed totally surprised. He was really hungry at the night while watching Leona preparing the food on the table.
Leona had made some order for Andrew from Mygirl's Restaurant earlier. The delivery man just smiled and passed him the food to their regular customer . The restaurant was situated not far from the Carpentry Park.
Andrew lived at the 8th floor of the most expensive apartment in the town. It was designed for the big families members of Moonchild's and it was heavily guarded. It had only one tall building consisted 50 floors. Above of the building was a swimming pool and a lounge. There also equipped with gym rooms and every sports for the family were available there.
Outsider could not go inside unless there was a prior notice to the guard which then they would allow anyone to come in.
For the delivery man to come in, Leona had called the guard in the first place and gave him the password ~a phrases~ the delivery man verbalized the phrases to the guard then he was able to go in.
"He is short and he is cute!"
The guard was a bit annoyed but the phrases was indeed correct. He grumbled in his heart cursing Leona for teasing his height.
Last time the phrase Leona used was - about the mustache!
"Long long dark mustache only belong to you!"
He could not complained as that was the only way his Lady boss could do to send something for the big boss.
Let's come back to Andrew and Leona '\(' c ')/'
Andrew took the food carrier and opened them slowly in front of Leona who was ready to eat behind the screen. The food was Chicken thigh steamed and only yellow rice. There was also a soft soy bean pudding and some fried anchovies.
They ate the dinner together in a different place but still in the same zone of time and sky.
The dinner ended with night kissing.
Before Leona went to the bed, Leona upheld Andrew in her prayer. She started to believe again in her God since she started to attend Sunday Service at People's Town. The church was opened one month ago. The pastor was new and served them in the new settlement.
~Morning~ The departure to the deep forest~
Leona came back to her sense. She composed herself and force herself for not thinking of Andrew so much. She was in the vehicle with her team.
The drivers pressed the oil pedal for a few minutes. After provoking each other with the sound of the engine, the drivers eventually released the brake and set off into the forest.
After they were gone suddenly their Manager M.r Loh came and called upon Leona.
"Why are you looking for her?"
The last group was asking. They were late because one of the staff needed to attend some matters at the office earlier and it just completed.
"She is going to transfer to the main office and must go there by today!"
"Her team already took off half hour ago." Arthur explained to Mr Loh.
Mr Loh just able to shook his head. He headed to the office and explaining everything to Mr Lee- Andrew's Personal Assistant."
"Boss, she already gone for the expedition."
"Stop her! Can't he do that?!" His husky voice was a bit tremble and harsh.
Mr Lee returned to the phone.
"Go get her. Stop her from getting far." Ordered Mr Lee in his cold voice.
Mr Loh's face turned dark. He hurriedly went to the communication tower and called the team with a radio.
(1)Ensabi- Kasam ensabi is a fermented vegetable pickle made from an indigenous cultivar of mustard greens (ensabi) and is traditional to the Iban community.