Christmas story

Claudine Frederik

Tia stepped forward with small, quick steps. She felt rain in the air. A cool wind blew in her face as she lifted her head and furtively looked behind. Except for passing strollers, nobody seemed to follow her.

She had been looking out for Rollie all day long. Rollie, until recently her boyfriend, was giving her problems. Big problems at that. She could not have foreseen these developments when she had fallen in love with him a couple of years back. But, she grew out of the relationship last year and had only found the courage to tell him so last month.

It became an ugly affair she recalled. She should have chosen a more private place, not such a crowded place as the Spice Garden in the basement of Plaza Indonesia. She banned the vulgar picture out of her mind and thought of the recent threats from her former boyfriend. Today he called to say that he would kill her one of these days. Although a sudden fear had gripped her heart she had told him off on the phone.

"Come and try me," she had told him. "You are such a coward, Rollie."

"I will come for you." And with those ominous words, the phone went dead.

From the Blok M Plaza mall, strains of Christmas songs reached her ears. Yes, she thought, it is the time of the year again. It should be a time of merriment, laughter and happiness. She was not so sure if Christmas this time would bring her peace and happiness.

A health problem had darkened the prospects for the festive season. Her doctor had told her that she should not delay the operation later than Christmas. The inflammation in her appendix might burst.

"That would mean a far more serious operation for you," Dr. Junaedi had said.

She pictured herself in a hospital room while relatives and friends were enjoying themselves at Yule time.

The weather had turned into a full blown downpour. Tia's umbrella no longer shielded her from the rain. She found shelter on the side of a school closed for the day. A thin crowd huddled under the side roof, which was sparsely lit by the street lights.

Drenched from the rain, a figure in a sloppy raincoat slid by her side.

"There you are."

Startled, Tia looked up in the face of Rollie. "Where did you come from?" She blurted out in an annoyed tone.

"I told you I would find you wherever you go," Rollie whispered. Tia was speechless. "You didn't think I meant it, did you."

"What do you want, Rollie," she finally said. "I am going to kill you."

"I can report this to the police."

"Go ahead," Rollie whispered on. "You cannot prove it and I will deny it."

Rollie turned around and vanished instantly in the shadowy surroundings of the school.

Tia was truly worried now. Had Rollie been tailing her? She was certain that he had not been following her in the street. Should she report him to the police?

The rain had become a fine drizzle. Tia opened her umbrella and extended her walk homewards. On second thoughts she turned and walked back to Blok M Plaza. She was not at all anxious to return home where she had to fight the demons in her mind alone.

The plaza was bathed in an ocean of light, and the sound of Silent Night echoed through the building in an ear-deafening version.

In the food court on the sixth floor, her choice fell upon a bowl of noodles for her evening meal. The lively atmosphere in the mall had a calming influence upon Tia's mind. Her earlier fears had ebbed away and she was ready to return home after her meal.

Back home, Tia turned to open the front door and pressed the light switch next to it. As light filled the tiny living room her eyes fell upon a letter that had been slid under the door. It felt like a greeting card.

Tia took the card out of its cover and felt fear rushing back in all its force. Mesmerized, she stared at the card. It was a handmade Christmas card depicting Santa holding a chainsaw in his hands over a Christmas tree which had the face of a woman. Her name was carved out in the body of the tree trunk. An unsigned message read Merry Christmas..

Tia did not wait any longer. She headed to the police station near the Semanggi cloverleaf and hoped to meet the right officer who could help her. She was in luck. She met Zen who had just taken over the night shift.

"And you are sure that this is the work of Rollie Gerungan?"

He studied the greeting card and finally said: "No signature or any clue who could have sent it to you. What is Mr. Gerungan doing for a living?"

"He is a doctor. Newly graduated and still looking for a suitable place to work."

"We need proof that he is really threatening you, If you can give us proof we will take immediate action. We should also have a written report from you, Miss. One of our plainclothes man can then quietly observe him and find out if he really plans to kill you."

"He told me that he would do that around Christmas and I am very frightened, inspector. I need protection. I have a right to be protected."

"Calm down, Miss. Of course, you will be protected if you think you'd need it. Where do you live? We will assign detective Subadi to you. He will start right now when you go home if you want. I don't think you will need a guard in the office, do you?"

"No," Tia agreed, thinking of all the people in the office. "How long will this go on?"

"Until we have proof that you are safe and sound, Miss."

Tia felt safe and secure now in the company of the guard Subadi. Back home, she prepared a pot of dark coffee and brought it to the small cubicle that was the porch.

"Oh, thank you Miss .That will surely help to keep me awake."

Inside the phone started to ring. "I'll take that. It may be the chief."

It was the inspector checking if everything was all right.

"From now on I will get the calls for you, Miss."

Safe in the knowledge of having police protection, Tia slept well. Nothing sinister happened in the evening; the next morning, Subadi delivered her to the office. He was off duty now until Tia had to return home

Her assistant, Dian, said that there was a message from her doctor. Dr. Junaedi reminded her that the operation was scheduled for the 23rd.

"Damn," she thought, "right before Christmas Eve."

She dialed a number on the phone. "Doctor, I got your message."

"You have to have a thorough check-up first that will take two days. So, you have to check in on the 21st. Is that all right with you?"

The doctor's message meant that she had only two days left. Her first instruction to Dian was to hold all calls from Rollie. "Just tell him that I am sick."

After settling down to read a novel, the phone rang on the second evening of Subadi's watch. This time it was Rollie although the person did not identify himself to the policeman.

"You'll be alright Miss," Subadi reassured Tia.

The following morning Tia told Zen that she had to enter hospital the next morning. "I think that I don't need a guard in hospital, inspector. Besides, I don't want to attract unnecessary attention."

"Very well, Miss. I will instruct Subadi to take you to hospital and see to it that all is well. Get well soon."

The two days before the operation passed by serene and peaceful. Tia was very calm now. Her affair with Rollie had taken on a remote quality.

It was like an incident that had taken place long ago, like the incidents in her childhood. It could be because of the calming shot they gave her prior to wheeling her to the operation room.

Several nurses moved her onto the operating table. Dr. Junaidi, masked, in a white coat, strode to the table.

"How are you doing Tia?"

She was already falling asleep.

"Doctor," he addressed another person in a white coat behind her. "Take your position."

Quietly, the man stepped into place on the other side. Above the mask, Rollie's eyes smiled diabolically at Tia.

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