Rihan Daniel (4): Me and Alvi

"Already awake?" I lifted my head, shifting focus from the chessboard in front of me to the prison cell. The wall clock is ticking and showing one AM. As my observation, Alvi often woke up in the middle of the night like this.

Alvi remains silent. She just stared at me blankly without further response. There was none a single glint of life behind her pair of black eyes.

"This going to take a lot of time and effort." I thought.

I took initiative to approach the cell and leaned there casually. "Nightmare again?" I purposely used the word 'again', so she knew that I was always watching on her. Care for her.

"Let's get out. It's midnight. No one is watching us." I unlocked the chain lock which wrapped around the prison door and pushed it until fully open. But I didn't go inside. I think the inside is Alvi's private room. I didn't want to look disrespectful in her eyes.

After that, I walked into the small kitchen in the corner of the room opposite the prison door. My hands are busy making two cups of hot chocolate. For myself and Alvi. I put one cup beside me and another on the other side of the table in front of me. The smell of chocolate always makes me calmer, both in heart and mind. Then, I returned to focus on the chess.

Alvi still hasn't moved from her bed. She remained silent and continued to observe at me almost without a blink. Perhaps she was wary and surprised that her guard had opened the prison door for her to come out.

I always wait patiently for Alvi to come out of her own accord. If she's out, it means she's ready to open herself up to me. Things will be easier afterwards.

But that long wait exhaust me physically. Every day I only sleep for about two hours, since during the day I have missions to do and at night until early morning I need to take care of Alvi.

I buried my face between my hands on the table. A minute later I fell asleep in quick. But because I'm used to being alert, the slightest movement makes me react reflectively.

A very strong shock was received by the wooden table because of my act. The black and white chess pieces fell in unison and splattered out of their position. While my hand was seen holding Alvi's arm who was trying to take the cup containing the hot chocolate that I had prepared for her.

Alvi who was startled spontaneously spilled the hot chocolate on my hand. A second later, I let go of Alvi's hand due to the heat of the spilled chocolate. Alvi looked panicked and scared. She wanted to help but there was a lot of doubt in her every movement. She afraid of hurting me.

"I'm fine." I tried to assure. But Alvi still on her panic attack and anxious of my own safety.

"Look, it's okay." My hand deliberately touched her hand. I paused long enough for the girl to be sure she wouldn't hurt me.

"Sit down, I'll make a new one." I coded and half used commanding intonation.

After a month of waiting, I don't want to waste this opportunity. A little coercion might be enough to make Alvi obey. Yet, I'm very satisfied to see her sitting nicely but with a fear and anxiety gesture. Seeing a new sight like this, my heart was quite amused.

"Drink it all." I smiled but still used a half commanding tone.

Alvi finished the hot chocolate like a little kid who dared not argue with her elder's words. To be honest, we are only 3 or 4 years in gap.

"Name?" I asked as opening of our first time conversation.

"Al—Alvi Veenessa Endley." Alvi answered in a very mumble voice. I couldn't hear her word clearly.

"Al… what? Veena?" I repeat in clueless. At that time I really want to curse Auntie Luna and Uncle Rei—Alvi's parents—for naming their daughter with a spelling that were very difficult to remember.

"Alvi Veenessa Endley." Alvi repeated. This time with a clearer pronunciation of each word.

"Oh, Veena." I gave up and just randomly picked a nickname. Honestly, even now I can't remember the spelling of Alvi's name!

"I'm Lucie. Your new guard." I also introduce myself.

And then, a very long silence…

Alvi did not dare to move from her spot and observe me busy with the black and white chess pieces according to their previous position.

"Want to play along?" I offered because Alvi had been observing my hand movements closely.

"I… can't play…." Alvi rejected.

"Do you want to go back inside?" I asked again. In what is meant is into a prison cell.

Alvi looked doubtful but finally she nodded once. I kept busy with the chess pieces and commented. "What's good in there? Narrow and dark. And boring."

"Starting today, every time you wake up in the middle of the night, get out of there and sit here accompany me. This is the key." I immediately put the prison lock in front of Alvi.

Again, she looked startled and wary.

"Don't try to run away from here. You can never get out of this underground labyrinth unless someone out there leads the way." I made it clear so she wasn't hoping too much.

"All you can do right now is live. Then have a hope. Because hope is a magical thing to keep you going forward even though everything looks so painful and torturous." I suddenly said some complicated words.

"What are your hopes?" I asked as continuation.

"Go out and… be free." Alvi answered without hesitate.

I smiled widely. After so many years I can finally show a genuine smile like this. "Then you need to stay alive. Do all you can for your freedom. No one can give it to you unless you stay alive and keep fighting."

Finally, the game on the chess in front of me made a move after four months of idling. Destiny is something we decide for ourselves. So is freedom.