Beg belakang berwarna hitam berisi pakaian dan beg komputer riba aku pikul di bahu kiri dan kananku sambil menunggu ahli pasukanku tiba. Seperti yang telah dijanjikan, hari ini bermulalah perjalanan percutian tujuh hari enam malam kami. Tak jauh pun bercuti, pulau berdekatan je pun. Tempahan tiket penginapan, tiket bas, dan elaun, semua sudah disediakan oleh Profesor Hailey. Sebagai penganjur, kenalah set up semua. Kelibat Georgia dan Prisellia sudah kelihatan. Aku tak gerak sekali dengan Lia sebab dia kena submit report baru selepas report dia kena reject oleh profesor kimia.

"Leana, where's prof?" soal Georgia.

"She's on her way with Daniel." jawabku.

Trevor dan Anderson juga telah tiba berkumpul bersama kami. Semasa sedang menunggu, telefon Trevor pula berbunyi.

"Errmm, guys. Excuse me, I have to get this call. Important. If prof and Daniel are here, just shout out my name, okay. I'll be nearby and close enough to hear you guys shout."

Trevor pergi mencari tempat yang agak sesuai untuk menjawab telefon. Parents dia kot yang call.

Kereta Profesor Hailey mula kelihatan. Daniel meminta Profesor Hailey turun dahulu lalu mencari tempat letak kereta berdekatan. Selesai meletak kereta, tiga beg galas hitam dipikul oleh Daniel lalu menutup bonet kereta.

"So, everyone here?" soal Profesor Hailey sebaik sahaja tiba di hadapan kami.

"Yess, we are here." kata Prisellia.

Sebelum itu, aku teringat yang Trevor tidak ada. Lantas aku jeritkan namanya. Mereka yang lain terkejut.

"TREVOR!!!"

Aku melihat Trevor dari jauh berlari terhegeh-hegeh membawa sesuatu dalam beg plastik. Kami meneruskan perjalanan. Perjalanan enam jam dalam bas ekspres tidak terlalu mengujakan kerana masing-masing terlelap. Daniel, Anderson, dan Trevor duduk di bahagian belakang sekali. Georgia dengan Prof Hailey duduk di sebelah kiri hadapan mereka, manakala aku dan Prisellia duduk di sebelah kanan Prof Hailey. Hanya aku yang terjaga selepas sejam perjalanan. Para lelaki terlelap dengan sangat bising. Ada yang mendongak, tertunduk, dan tegak, dan masing-masing berdengkur. Agak memalukan kerana menjadi tumpuan, tetapi menggelikan hati. Akhirnya, mereka jadi sasaran kamera telefon aku.

Selepas tiga jam perjalanan, kami singgah di tempat perhentian untuk mengisi perut yang kosong. Kami gerak awal pagi, kafeteria tak buka lagi. Sebab tu lah kami yang tinggal kat asrama tak dapat nak sarapan.

"Okay, kids. Who's hungry, can fill up your stomach. But make sure, only thirty minutes or you're gonna go back to the university." arah Prof Hailey.

Daniel tinggal bersama ibunya kerana mereka sudah bersarapan. Trevor pula tak larat nak bangun sebab kenyang dengan snek semasa dalam perjalanan. Jam menunjukkan pukul sembilan pagi. Belum terlambat lagi nak sarapan. Dalam tiga puluh minit, banyak boleh isi dan banyak boleh buang. Takut pula sakit perut dalam perjalanan. Still got three hours of journey ni.

"Ander, you haven't breakfast yet?" soal Georgia.

"No, not yet. I'm gulping along the trip watching Trevor ate his snacks all by himself." kata Ander.

Kami ketawa sambil menunggu makanan masing-masing. Bila lambat sarapan, kenalah sarapan yang hangat dan berair. Jadi, kami berempat order satu jenis makanan, mi sup ayam dua, beserta empat mangkuk kosong, dan bahagi empat, Lia dan aku, Ander dengan Georgia, sebab takut tak habis. Lain lagi yang nak dibuang ke tandas, boleh jimat masa. Lawak lah pula.

"Guys, Prof remind me just now that we've been out for ten minute." kata Prisellia.

"I'm done. Gia, up to you." kata Ander sambil mempelawa sisa sup dan mi kepada Georgia.

"Thank you, Ander. But I'm full already."

Masing-masing selesai menghabiskan makanan. Lalu kami menuju ke tandas dan kembali ke bas. Pemandu bas pula baru keluar dari tandas.

Selepas beberapa jam perjalanan, akhirnya kami telah tiba di destinasi kami. Tak banyak sebenarnya yang boleh aku ungkapkan. Kami luangkan masa sepuas-puasnya kerana memandangkan hujung tahun ni kami akan mambuat haluan masing-masing. Praktikal kami pula akan bermula tiga bulan selepas percutian ni.

Daniel yang kelihatan masih sedih sedang duduk di lobi hotel. Ketika itu, aku hendak keluar untuk membuat panggilan video dengan keluarga aku. Tapi tak sangka pula terjumpa dia dekat lobi.

"Danny? What's wrong with your facial? Are you okay?" soal ku sebaik sahaja duduk di sebelahnya.

"Lea, I'm okay. It's just... Never mind." Daniel menggantung perkataannya.

"It's okay, Danny. You can tell me. I'm here for you."

"Have you ever been dissappointed with something that ever happened in your life?" soalan Daniel membuka luka lamaku.

"Danny, why are you talking like this? Whom are you referring to?"

"Lea, you will never gonna understand what I feel because you've never been in this situation. So, step out of it and mind your own bussiness."

Daniel masih tidak ingin menyuarakan isi hatinya.

"Danny, you asked me if I ever been dissapointed with something, right? I've been through it. I've felt it and it hurts so much. It's killing me slowly deep inside."

Air mataku jatuh bila mengingat kembali peristiwa lama. Daniel hairan dan mula bercerita.

"Hey, don't get offended. I'm sorry if I said something that hurt your feeling."

"No, I'm good. There are no humans in this world, didn't experinced a hard time in their life. Now tell me, what's bothering you. I've seen this face since our meeting about this trip.

Aku mengesat air mataku dan membetulkan kedudukanku.

"Okay... It's mummy. She's on the phone again with my brothers, and didn't even realised that I was there. She didn't even invited me to joined her. I've never seen her laughing joyfully when she's with me. But, when she was in the phone with my brothers, which she can't see but hear, she laugh hardly. Since my dad died, her love towards me faded away. I don't know how to communicate with her now. Maybe because since my dad died, she became a hardworking person to feed us. Until she didn't have much time to spent with me. I was raised and loved by my brothers. I know I shouldn't have to be jealous about it because they were born before me and they know mummy very well. But not me. I need her not as a professor. But as a mother, who knows everything about me. You know what, I almost died due to allergic when she fed me a mangosteen gelatine. She didn't even know what's my favourite meals, when I got sick, what I can eat and cannot eat."

Daniel meluahkan isi hatinya yang selama ini dia pendam Aku hanya mampu memberikan kata-kata semangat. Kekecewaannya terhadap ibunya sangat jelas kelihatan melalui riak mukanya saat dia meluahkan isi hatinya. Tidak lupa juga dia mengingatkan aku untuk menceritakan pengalaman pahitku, namun aku masih ragu-ragu untuk membuka cerita.

"C'mon, Lea. Like you said, you're here for me, I'm here for you."

"Okay, fine. I'll tell you. Before I went here, I was enganged with my childhood friend. A man that I've fallen in love during our tuisyen class. We were about to get married after all my brothers get married. But, things didn't turned out like we have planned. He broke off our engangement and married to someone else. His cousin. Because he felt guilty after left his cousin at the street. His cousin was kidnapped and founded bleed after one day missing. His cousin got pregnant, and because of guilt, he had to marry her to redeemed everthing. That's why I'm here now."

Luka lama kembali terbuka. Daniel mengusap belakangku dan aku cuba untuk menyedarkan diriku dari luka lama. Air mata aku kesat dan aku memutuskan untuk kembali ke bilik. Panggilan video aku buat sahaja di bilik hotel.