βEh, Yefta. Memeimu ndi?β
βLagi maem, khiu.β Yefta memegang ponsel begitu dekat sampai Yohan bisa melihat helai bulu mata dan alis ponakannya. Garis mata Yefta sama sipitnya dengan Yosua dan Yohan. βHeee, jangan dimaem, meh.β
Ocehan bayi masuk ke dalam suara speaker.
Yosua dan Yohan.
Ponsel Yohan bergetar ketika ia baru selesai mandi. Nama βKoko Yosuaβ muncul di layar, disertai foto profil kakaknya yang sedang menggendong dua anak dengan ekspresi senyum selebar jengkal jari Yohan.
Yohan mengangkat telepon sambil mengeringkan rambut.
Terdengar suara bayi mengoceh dari kejauhan, disusul langkah kaki kecil mendekat. Beberapa detik kemudian wajah Yefta muncul di layar karena Yosua mengubah panggilan menjadi video call.
βAkhiu!β
Yohan langsung mengubah posisi duduknya. Wajah malasnya sedikit hidup.
Mrs. Gou
Three months after Bernadette slapped Yohan, Singapore still felt annoyingly humid.
Yohan told himself it was only the weather.
He was in town for a regional banking forumβthree days, two panels, and a stack of follow-up meetings he did not have the patience for.
Yohanβs colleague excused himself soon after, either sensing the personal history or simply grateful to leave. Marissa asked if Yohan had time for another coffee. He wanted to say no.
He said yes.
Mrs. Gou
Three months after Bernadette slapped Yohan, Singapore still felt annoyingly humid.
Yohan told himself it was only the weather.
He was in town for a regional banking forumβthree days, two panels, and a stack of follow-up meetings he did not have the patience for.
βOh my God, it is you.β She smiled like nothing had happened. Like he was still the boyfriend expected at Sunday lunch. βYou are in Singapore?β
βYes. Work trip.β
βOf course. Always work.β She said it almost fondly.