A Sulawesi Romance

Chapter 16

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

For those who might not know him, his name is Boat Tara Tipa. He is currently playing the lead role in the BL series "Golden Blood" where his role is the bodyguard and potential love partner of Gun 😭 I'm sorry, Mark, but I promise Gun will go back to you when the series is over!

Third Person POV

Soon the workday came to its end and Berkah went to Mr. Siwat's office to turn in the key to the Supplies Room and the key to his living quarters. Mr. Siwat in turn handed Berkah his last paycheck and thanked Berkah for his efficient service. He also assured Berkah that he could come back to the villa any time if he wanted to work at the villa again. Berkah thanked Mr. Siwat and told Mr. Siwat that he believed that Gun could handle very well the responsibilities that he would be taking over from Berkah.

Berkah then went over to the Supplies Room where Gun was busy making an inventory of all the stuff inside.

Gun stopped what he was doing when he saw Berkah enter the Supplies Room.

"Have you come to say good bye?" Gun asked Berkah.

"Not really," Berkah replied. "I have come to ask if you would like to come with me."

"I'm sorry, Berkah, I have just started working here," Gun replied. "But we can keep in touch, you know. I have your contact number and you have mine. You can call me any time. I hope I can do the same."

"Of course you can," Berkah said emphatically. "In fact I would like you to call me every day."

Gun smiled. "Thank you," he said. "I will definitely keep in touch.

"Don't you want to come and see me off?" Berkah asked.

"Sure," Gun replied, getting up from his chair and walking towards the door.

Gun accompanied Berkah all the way to the lobby and then walked down with him to the street where there was a taxicab already waiting for Berkah.

"Oh, by the way, I have turned over to Mark the key to the SUV that we use when have to go to town to buy replenishments for the Supplies Room," Berkah informed Gun before walking over to turn the handle of the taxi's door.

"Wait," Gun said. "Shouldn't we at least have a goodbye handshake?"

"I'll do better than that," Berkah said and grabbed Gun by the waist and hugged him tight.

"Gun!"

Berkah and Gun turned in the direction of the voice.

It wasn't any one that Berkah knew but Gun knew the person. It was his stepfather. It was the man that his mother married whom Gun considered was not old enough to be his stepfather. Gun would never understand how his mother could marry someone young enough to be her son. In fact he was only two years older than Gun. How could Gun ever consider him to be his stepfather.

Gun knew why his 'stepfather' was here. Gun was sure that his mother had asked him to track Gun down.

"Stay away from me!" Gun yelled when his 'stepfather' started walking towards him.

"Who is he?" Berkah asked Gun.

"He is my mother's new husband," Gun informed Berkah. "He is the reason that I ran away from home."

"Your mother wants you to come home now, Gun," the 'stepfather' said, trying to reach for Gun's arm but Gun moved away and stood behind Berkah.

"He doesn't want to go with you, sir," Berkah said, stepping in front of Gun protectively.

"I don't know what your connection is with my stepson, but I want you to mind your own business," the 'stepfather' said menacingly to Berkah.

But Berkah was unfazed.

"He clearly doesn't want to go with you, sir," Berkah repeated. "He is old enough to make decisions for himself. Please leave him alone, sir."

"Step away from Gun right now," the 'stepfather' ordered Berkah. "I don't want to hurt anybody but I will be forced to if Gun doesn't do as I say."

Just at that moment Mark appeared.

"Gun! I have been looking all over for you! What are you doing out here?" Mark looked from Gun to Berkah and then to the stranger who seemed to have been involved in a conversation with Gun and Berkah before he had come upon the scene.

Gun's 'stepfather' held out his hand to Mark.

"Hi, I'm Mr. Tipa," he said. "I am Gun's stepfather. I have come to bring him home. His mother has been very worried about him. We have been looking all over for him."

Mark accepted the 'stepfather's extended hand and shook it lightly.

"I am Mark," he said. "My father owns this villa where Gun is currently working."

"I am pleased to meet you," Mr. Tipa said politely. "Can I collect Gun's belongings now so that I can bring him home to his mother?"

"I'm afraid that would be Gun's decision, not mine," Mark replied, eyeing Gun very closely to watch Gun's reaction.

"I don't want to go home," Gun said emphatically. "I want to stay here with you, Mark."

Suddenly Mr. Tipa grabbed Gun's arm and started to pull him towards a waiting car.

"Sir, I will be forced to call the police if you don't let go of my employee," Mark said firmly, already pulling out his phone from his pocket.

Mr. Tipa gave Mark a condescending smile.

"Actually, those men who are sitting inside my car are police officers," he said. "They are ready to help me out if Gun makes it difficult for me to take him home."