"But Aunty don't worry, Dave will keep this a secret from Mom," he added and it managed to make Naila chuckle.
"Then I am very grateful to you, dear," replied Naila.
"Erm," Dave nodded, his eyes only fixed on the side of the road they were about to walk.
Naila did not respond anymore, was silent and there was no discussion between the two of them, only the sound of footsteps echoing each other filled the atmosphere. Following the directions the middle-aged woman had said earlier, Naila then turned at a crossroads, along with her footsteps, the sound of passing vehicles grew louder, and that made her a little excited.
Only a few minutes later, finally, a sigh of relief escaped from between her lips. Now they are out of the complex and are on the edge of the highway that looks shady. Trees lined up neatly along the road, their thick leaves managed to block out the scorching sun.
"Come on, honey. We're looking for a drink," said Naila again who didn't know how many times it had been.
"Auntie, why hasn't Dave seen the man in black who's been following us all this time?" Dave asked after looking back.
"They're taking care of something, honey. Don't think about them okay? It's not important," Naila replied.
"Okay, Auntie," Dave said with a small nod.
Along the sidewalk that looked very leafy, they walked leisurely, as if they were not worried about anything. Even though sweat had filled several parts of their bodies, the breeze that blew managed to reduce the feeling of heat and heat that filled them. Naila occasionally glances across the street just to look for the presence of a mini-market or a supermarket that might they pass by.
Several passersby occasionally turned their heads in their direction.
Walking about a few minutes, she finally found a traveling ice dealer who happened to be stopping to unwind on the edge of the sidewalk. Without waiting long, Naila immediately approached him.
After looking closely, it turns out not only ice but also some snacks and bottled drinks.
"Excuse me, sir," Naila said ahead and that managed to make the man turn to her. He looks very old, maybe around fifty? His skin was a little dark from the sun, and there were wrinkles everywhere, even so, he still looked energetic and had great stamina, at his age, which should require him to rest at home, it does not become a barrier for him to continue looking for a mouthful of rice, all because of the harshness of life in the city.
"Uh yes, Miss?" replied the old man.
Naila then bought two bottles of drinks and some snacks. After that, she did not go straight away but chose to sit next to the merchant along with Dave. Occasionally talk to each other.
"Let's rest here for a while, shall we, dear?" Naila said turning to Dave who had just finished drinking half the contents of the bottle. It seems that the little boy is thirsty.
"Okay, Auntie," Dave nodded.
"So when will my mother come, Aunt? Does my mother know we are here?" Dave asked again, causing Naila to immediately stop her activities, which seemed to want to open the bread wrapper.
How could she forget to tell Anna that the two of them had escaped the guards' guard?
Naila immediately reached into her bag and pulled out her cellphone from there.
"Wait a minute, honey. Auntie will call your mother first," said Naila while looking for Anna's contacts on her cellphone screen.
Those who were spoken to just nodded, her eyes couldn't be separated from Aunt Naila who was busy with her cell phone.
With a sense of trepidation, the girl slowly dialed the contact that had entered her view. Hearing the 'tut' sound which indicated that the call had been connected, instantly her heart beat faster than before, her blood rippled, and her hands trembled slightly. If the heart had legs, it might have jumped from inside Naila's chest.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, Anna, who was standing behind her bedroom window, was suddenly startled by the vibration caused by the flat object in her hand.
Seeing the name of the contact who called her, suddenly her breath caught without her realizing it.
"I managed to get Dave away," Naila replied directly, her voice whispering.
"Really? So where are you now?" asked Anna immediately, her heartbeat that had been fast before was now accelerating.
Naila then mentioned her position, "I don't know exactly, but it's still in downtown J," she answered.
"Okay, find a safe place and wait until I come," Naila said, her voice a little lower than before.
"You already have a plan?" asked Naila.
"Yeah, hopefully, this will work, otherwise I don't know what will happen next," replied Anna.
"Okay. Be careful, stay calm, and don't be rash. We will wait for you, Anna," said Naila.
"I'll send you our location when we find a safe place," she added.
"No, do not do it."
"Why?"
"Never contact me first from now on, because I don't know when Elena or anyone else will appear. I don't want to attract their suspicions," Anna explained.
"Then? How?"
"Wait for me to call you first," replied Anna.
"I'll try to contact you once every two hours," she added.
"Okay, it's up to you."
"Um, how is my son? He's not crying, is he?" she asked.
"I never even heard him complain Anna. Your son is very smart and obedient too. He is next to me now, eating a snack," Naila replied and at the same time heard a sigh of relief from the other side.
"Alright, I entrust my son… to you, Naila. I beg you to take good care of him before I come."
"For that matter, don't worry. You focus on your plan, don't think about anything else."
"Okay, thank you again, Naila," said Anna from the other side, her voice suddenly turning hoarse, like someone who was holding back tears.
"You're welcome, I'm glad I could help you, Anna. Take good care of yourself," replied Naila.
"You and Dave too. Give him my regards, tell him that his mother will be here soon," said Anna who was already sobbing.
Hearing the woman's voice, Naila took a deep breath. "Okay. Then I'll end the call."
"Yes."
And after that, the call ended.
"What did my mother say, Aunt?" Dave asked right after Naila took the phone away from her ear.
"She said, Dave just wait, honey. Your mother will follow as soon as possible," Naila replied while stroking the boy's hair.
"Okay, Auntie. I will wait for my Mother."
While on the other hand, the man who was next to them was silent.. Although the conversation of the two figures sitting with him sounded a little strange, he just ignored it.