Suddenly ....
Brakk!!!
All my files fell because I accidentally bumped into someone.
"You walk with your eyes, right?! Why hit me?!" snapped the woman in front of me. I don't know when the woman came, because I don't think there was anyone in the lobby.
"Sorry, Miss, I didn't mean to," I said. In my heart, I don't feel guilty. It's true, earlier I wasn't focusing on walking because I had to look left and right, but that doesn't mean all of this is purely my fault.
This woman who can be estimated to be around her early twenties squinted at me, I don't know what she meant.
"Are you a new employee in this office?" This woman asked.
"Yes, Miss, I'm sorry again, it wasn't on purpose, because I was in a hurry," I said as I put my hands in front of my chest.
She was still looking at me intently, without answering my apology. Feeling uncomfortable being stared at like that, I chose to squat down to pick up the fallen files. Luckily, this file doesn't fly.
I was busy picking up the scattered files, while the woman was still standing where she was. Maybe, after this, she wants to scold me again. If that happens, then I won't be as friendly as I used to be. It's a stupid period if later I categorized as a new employee who has no manners.
After tidying up the files, I stood up again. I saw that she was still looking at me.
"Excuse me, Miss," I said, smiling at her. This smile is just a formality.
I was just walking, the woman spoke again after a long silence. "Wait! I'm not done talking to you yet."
I rolled my eyes, lazy if the matter had to be extended. Without wasting any time, I turned back to face her. "What's the matter, Miss? I already apologized. I accidentally bumped into you, please don't prolong it."
"Who wants to prolong? I just want to ask you," She said a little curtly. "You're Ainsley, aren't you?"
What?
Does she know my name?
From where? This is the first time I've met her.
"Yes, Miss, I'm Ainsley. How do you know my name?"
"Yeah, just guessing," she answered lightly.
Guess?
Is she a psychic, who can guess right?
"Really? If you're just guessing, there's no way you can be that precise, Miss, especially since it's the first time we've met." I, who had wanted to immediately leave in front of her, suddenly became interested in chatting with her.
"You are--"
"Laura! Why are you still here?" The voice of a man who suddenly came stopped the words of this woman in front of me.
Intrigued by the man, I looked back. And at the same time, the man looked at me.
Oh... my gosh!
He?
"Oh, I just ran into her," the woman pointed at me.
Ooh, so the woman's name is Laura. So what does that have to do with ....
"What are you doing here?" the man asked me curtly.
Long time no see, why did he turn out to be like this? He's even more handsome. I hate to see him again.
"I work here. What are you doing here too?" I asked back in a tone that was no less curt.
"Where I like it, it's none of your business!" he said with a sharp look at me. A second later, he turned to face the woman named Laura earlier. "Honey, come on, let's go in." He held the woman's hand, then left me who was still glued to see him go with the woman.
Huh! Why do we have to be reunited with this situation?
#####
"Len, I want to talk to you," I whispered to Alena. Incidentally, the cubicle where I work is next to Alena's cubicle.
"Yeah, just tell me," Alena whispered. Mrs. Indira is not watching, but I'm afraid that the others will also hear about what I want to tell Alena, especially since it's a personal matter.
"I'll tell you later at your boarding house. I'll stay at your boarding house later. But don't tell Tere and Jason, okay?" I said still whispering.
"So what?"
"It's a secret, Len."
"Okay." Alena gave a thumbs up.
#####
"So what do you want to talk about, Ainsley?" Alena asked when we arrived at her boarding house. "You said it was a secret. What's the matter? Seriously, I was curious to know."
"Wait a minute," I said, "hold on, I'm going to have a drink first." Immediately I grabbed the plastic cup that was on the table, then started pouring water from the gallon. "Aah, how fresh ...," I said as the water ran down my throat.
Alena is now lying on her floor mattress while playing on her cellphone. Because the body feels very tired, finally I also lie down beside him.
"Tell me quickly! I'm going to sleep later," Alena urged.
"In the evening like now, you can't sleep, you know! Later you can become a poor person, if not, you can go crazy if you sleep too often in the evening, especially if it lasts for forty days," I said, giving advice. This is what my mother used to tell me when she saw me sleeping in the evening. Well, it reminds me of my mother.
"Yeah, naughty! So hurry up and tell me, so I don't sleep."
I exhaled and began to tell the story. "This afternoon I met one of my exes at the office, Len."
"Ha?! Your ex?" Alena reflexively rose from her lying position. She sat looking at me. I nodded. "Did one of your exes work in our office? How come you never told me, Ainsley"
"Well, I just don't know, how can I tell you." I sat down too. It's not comfortable to tell stories while lying down, but those who are invited to talk while sitting.
"What time did you meet at the office? So where exactly?" It's not Alena if she is not curious.
"In the lobby, when I was asked to make a photocopy of Mrs. Indira," I answered without telling the details of what happened.
"He works in our office too? Or is he just visiting?"
"I don't know, but I saw how he looked, like senior citizens wearing suits. If it's just ordinary employees like us, it seems that it's rare for people to wear suits."
"Fix, Ainsley! We have to investigate!"
#####
The habit I can't get rid of the most is getting up late, like right now. If I'm not menstruating, I can wake up at dawn, but since I'm currently menstruating, I purposely deactivated the alarm that I usually set at dawn.
Worse yet, Alena also wakes up late. As a result, at half-past seven this morning, we weren't ready.
"Len, are you done yet? It's been a long time taking a bath," I grumbled while knocking on the bathroom door
"Just a minute, Ainsley."
####
Finally, after racing against time, Alena and I arrived at the office, even though we were ten minutes late. Fortunately, Alena's boarding house is close to the office, just try it if it's far away, it could be even longer.
We hurried down the lobby to get to the elevator that would take us to the third floor where our division was.
"Pray, Ainsley, hopefully, we won't be scolded by Mrs. Indira," said Alena when we were in the elevator.
"If you're late, what's the punishment usually, Len?"
"Ugh, being told to pray instead of asking for punishment. Do you want to be punished?"
"No!"
Arriving in front of the division room, we didn't go in right away, because from the outside we heard that there seemed to be directions inside, and it wasn't from Mrs. Indira, the head of the division.
"Who, Len?" I asked curiously.
"I don't know, Ainsley, I don't understand his voice."
But why, I seem familiar with his voice huh?
"Ainsley! Alena! Why are you still here? Are you late?" I tiptoed when I heard a female voice from behind me. Suddenly I, and Alena turned around.
"Eh, Mrs. Indira," I and Alena said in unison. Don't forget to smile too.
"We want to go in, Ma'am, but inside it looks like--"
"There is a direction from the CEO inside," said Mrs. Indira who cut me off. "So you're late?"
I nodded then looked down, not knowing Alena. My chest is already inflated, afraid of being given a warning letter in my new status as an employee.
"Okay, because today I'm being kind, then I forgive you. But, if you repeat this mistake, then don't blame me if I have to give you punishment, and also a warning letter."
"Yes, Ma'am," I said in unison with Alena.
"Okay, now you guys come in, but you have to be polite because our CEO is inside."
The problem with Mrs. Indira is over, now Alena and I have to face the CEO, who may be more fierce than Mrs. Indira. It's like getting out of the tiger's cage and entering the crocodile's cage.
What will my fate be next?
To be continued