Antara Darah dan Hati: Dream Reality English Translation

Chapter 8 Part 1 "Telat"

"Go and run yourself a million miles
Hoping that the colors run out
And you go off like that
Get off of my stack
Leave a little window
Get off of my stack"
-
"Lake Michigan" by Rogue Waves Band

POV Lodewijk

The sound of the alarm awakens me who's in a deep sleep. I do not know how many alarms that I've set and I snoozed until finally I saw the clock. My eyes are still blurry but, when I saw it was half past nine in the morning, I was in shock.

I wiped my eyes and sure enough, since the completion of the dawn prayer earlier I had fallen asleep until I saw the clock on my smartphone. Ah, damn it! Living in the Netherlands for two years caused me to forget that here the morning sun rises faster than there. Lodewijk, Lodewijk you really need to change your habit.

I got up from my bed, suddenly I felt dazed, damn it must be that my blood flow was unbalanced so I felt dizzy like this. Huuft, I sat for a moment while sniffing and using a little eucalyptus oil lotion on my neck and some parts of my head then said bismillaah.

I got up, put on my clothes and came out of the apartment room to the parking lot, riding my bicycle while sometimes greeting my neighbor.

"Assalamualaikum, broeder, why in such a hurry?!" asked my neighbor, greeted me.

"Waalaikumussalaam, ja, telat going to court!"

"Voorzichtig!"

"Ja!"

I pedaled my bicycle as fast as possible to find shortcuts through narrow alleys and back streets of buildings based on memories that I have of the ins and outs of this city.

This city has not changed much, including the weather where the sun is almost always behind the shade of clouds. At least today is quite sunny by this city standards so Alhamdulillaah, at least.

My heart was racing along with the pace of my breathing that was increasingly heavier trying to complete the remaining half of the distance that I had to travel to get to court. Damn, I feel so tired, my thighs and calves feel achy. Come on Lodewijk, for Ilhan and Chandra, a little more!

Finally! I arrived at court. I took a parking lot karcis, parked my bike and ran towards the courtroom like a person who is being chased by demons, I felt that I could have passed out at times like this but I'm not allowed to, come on almost there, the door is in sight, push the door with all your might and open it!

Braaak!

I arrived at the courtroom, the eyes of the audience along with the witnesses, the judges, Karim and Ludwig were on to me while I walked quickly with limped legs and panting towards the lawyer's chair and desk.

I heard them whispering to each other then the presiding judge asked me.

"I'm sorry sir, are you the defendant's legal counsel?"

"Yes, hhh... hhh... hhh... that's right. Sorry, I'm late your honor."

"I see your face is quite similar to mr. Ludwig, do you have a kinship with him?"

"Yes, he is my twin." the entire courtroom was immediately filled with whispers.

"Your honor, I'm sure the questions surrounding his relationship with me is enough. Yes, I am his twin but I still know my job as a prosecutor and this is not the first time I have faced him in a trial like this."