16. The Drama

"Ela, you were unconscious for almost a week and everyone was looking for you. Besides, you can't go back to the city and go to work because your condition is still weak. You need to get enough rest," Ammar said to me.

"Ammar, where am I? Why hasn't a single person found me? I mean why can't they find a trace of me? Am I still in Lago Village or where?" I wonder why no one managed to find me.

"You are still in Lago Village, at my farm. All of them, couldn't find a trace of you even though they brought sniffer dogs because the dog doesn't like the smell of garlic. Other than that, you are a vampire who likes to move places by disappearing or by running fast. So it's a bit difficult for them to find your footprints.

"Just like your strength in an instant disappears because of garlic. Therefore, you cannot detect human odor. If you can detect human scent that night, you know I was standing near the fence in the garden," Ammar smiled.

I don't know, hearing his explanation made me fall in love with him even more. I can't hate him, even though he trapped me. It is not surprising that because of his intelligence, he became a CEO. It's not surprising, because of his character, he is a great man in my eyes. Not  Superman, Batman, or Spiderman, but an unpredictable man.

I sat smiling to myself. I think there is some truth in what Ammar said, I can't return to the city and work straight away because my condition is not yet stable. I need rest and lots of blood. Apart from that, I also have to look for a thousand reasons for where, where, and what happened to me. So I disappeared for days and didn't come back. Not yet, Layzal will ask me. I have to find a bright idea to deal with them all.

"Ammar, do you have a farm? Does that mean you have lots of cows?"

"Yes. I have cows, goats, horses, chickens, and other types of poultry. But all these animals are meant to be kept, not used as bait for you. Just be careful if you kill all my pets," Ammar threatened me. Then he said, "Later I will go to the cow slaughterhouse and draw blood for you to consume. After that, we go back to town and you have to stay with me."

"Why should I live with you?" I wonder why I have to live with him.

"Because I have a brilliant idea and it can only be done at my house. Besides, by living with me you are freer. You can drink blood anytime and anywhere inside my house. You don't need to play hide and seek anymore," said Ammar.

"What's your idea?" I asked, curious about his brilliant idea.

"Now choose, do you pretend to be sick and have to be treated at my house or do you have a serious injury, then pretend to have amnesia and have to be hospitalized?" Ammar asked me.

For a moment I was silent and thought that it was true that by staying with him I was free. I don't need to play hide and seek when I want to drink blood. Besides, I don't have to bother acting amnesia. Because pretending to have amnesia is too complicated and I don't like complicated things.

"Deal! I pretended to be sick and stayed with you," I shook hands and agreed.

After I agreed, Ammar left me at his farmhouse alone. He went to the slaughterhouse to get blood for me to consume. Furthermore, after leaving the cattle slaughterhouse, he informed the residents of Lago Village that he had found me. He also told the residents of Lago Village, that this afternoon we would return to Archipelago City. Thus, the residents of Lago Village stopped looking for me and felt relieved that I was still alive. After finishing everything, Ammar went home with one big container of cow's blood and we immediately got ready to go home to Archipelago City.

***

Finally, we arrived in the city of Archipelago, precisely at Ammar's house. We immediately went into the house and put all our belongings away.

"Ela, you sleep in the guest room, okay? "Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you that tomorrow your friends will come here to visit you," said Ammar. Then he showed me the guest room which was on the second floor near his room.

"Yes. Huh, tomorrow? I'm not ready," I said while looking at Ammar, hoping he would cancel my meeting tomorrow. But he just smiled with his calm face.

When I saw his calm face, I felt calm and believed that he would be fine. Then I went into the room and cleaned myself. After that, I lay on the bed and pondered. Worried about tomorrow, the day when all my friends and colleagues will come to Ammar's house to visit me.

Ammar did have a brilliant idea, namely that I should pretend to be sick. But the problem is I don't know what the pain is. Whether I had a fever, heartburn, cough or cold, or diarrhea, he didn't tell me first. So, I have to be prepared for his ideas. Because I thought about tomorrow until finally, I fell asleep in my sleep.

***

"Good morning, Ela," Ammar smiled to greet me.

"Morning, Ammar," I returned his greeting and smiled.

"Okay Ela, your friends will come soon. So let's go to our room and get ready!" Ammar invited me into the guest room.

"Get ready for what? That's a roll bandage, for what?" I asked, surprised to see Ammar carrying a roll of bandages and scissors.

"Secret," said Ammar, laughing to himself.

We entered the room and Ammar started to act. He wrapped my body using a roll of bandages and laughed to himself.

"Are you crazy?! Look at me, I look like The Mummy," I felt annoyed because he wrapped my whole body except for my eyes, nose, and mouth using roll bandages.

"Well, Ela you are The Mummy, the difference is you have fangs," Ammar was still laughing to himself.

And I can't believe all this. I was confused about what was my illness, and why was my body wrapped in a roll of bandages like a mummy. I was still lying on the bed and Ammar was happy to see me like a mummy.

"Ding dong ding dong," the doorbell sounded.

"Here they come, Ela...ready the drama begins. Remember you can only answer their questions by nodding and shaking your head. Ok?" Ammar said. Then he went downstairs and opened the door.

A moment later, they were in my room. Layzal, Roni, Leni, and Mr. Jos, were stunned to see me lying on the bed like a mummy.

Layzal immediately headed to the side of my room. He gently held his head and looked at me. Then he asked, "What happened to you? Why did you get to be like this?"

I looked at him, our faces were so close together. If any of them accidentally pushes Layzal's body, we end up kissing each other. I noticed his face looked sad. Apart from that, his eyes were filled with tears as if he was about to cry. His sadness was truly sincere. I wanted to answer his question, but I couldn't.

I couldn't possibly answer by shaking my head and nodding because this is not a "yes or no" question, but a question that must be answered clearly. I was still staring at him in silence, and then Ammar pulled Layzal's shirt. He tried to separate the distance between me and Layzal. After that, Ammar explained what happened to me.

He said, "Okay everyone, let me explain what happened with Ela. At that time, in the afternoon Ela was patrolling near the Lago River. Then she intended to wash her face in the river by standing on a rock. But unfortunately, she slipped and fell. Her head and hand hit a rock, and after falling in the river her foot was crushed by a rock..." Ammar stopped talking because he was interrupted by the four of them.

"What?!" said Layzal, Roni, Leni, and Mr. Jos, simultaneously.

Then Mr. Jos asked, "How did she get her foot crushed by a rock?"

"At that time, Ela was standing on a rock and slipped. Then the stone rolled and hit her feet, Sir. Now, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand now," said Mr. Jos.

"Ela suffered quite serious injuries. But no matter how serious her injury is, you don't need to worry because she still remembers all of us. She doesn't have amnesia. Now with Ela's condition like this, I hope that Mr. Jos will give Ela enough time to rest until she completely recovers," said Ammar, finishing his explanation.

"Yes Ammar, you don't need to worry. I understand that Ela will need quite a long time to recover. Therefore, I will give you one month. But why is she being treated here and not in the hospital?" Mr. Jos asked Ammar.

Suddenly Layzal, Roni, and Leni, their gazes all turned to Ammar. They wanted to know why I was being treated at Ammar's house.

"Because Ela needs special attention. I mean, Ela is better cared for at my house because I work at home more often. This way, Ela will get more attention. Apart from that, it makes her feel more comfortable. If she is hospitalized, she will receive less attention. Because doctors and nurses have many patients, their attention is one in ten. Meanwhile, in this house, it's one-to-one, so it's balanced," said Ammar with a smile.

"Ammar, well done!" I said in my heart.