A Sulawesi Romance

Chapter 37

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

Third Person POV

"You're in luck," the airline reservation staff behind the airport counter said to Boat. "The next available flight to Jakarta is an hour from now."

It was drizzling when Boat stepped out of the airport but the rain did not dampen his spirits. He was eagerly looking forward to seeing Gun again and bringing him home where he belonged.

Boat's heart rate picked up once more as he climbed the stairs to the lobby of the villa resort.

He went straight to the receptionist at the lobby and told her who he was. He informed her that Mr. Siwat was expecting him and requested her to page Mr. Siwat to come to the lobby.

"Mr. Siwat, you have a visitor at the lobby," the receptionist said on the villa paging system. "Mr. Siwat, you have a visitor at the lobby, sir," the receptionist repeated.

Because she did not specify which Mr. Siwat had a visitor at the lobby, father and son Siwat came to the lobby to see who their visitor was.

Mark stopped in his tracks when he saw Boat but Mr. Siwat kept on walking purposefully towards Mr. Tara Tipa.

Mr. Siwat extended his hand to Boat. 

"Thank you for coming at short notice," Mr. Siwat said.

Boat accepted Mr. Siwat's handshake.

"Not a problem," Boat responded.

As if just waking up from a dream, Mark slowly walked towards his father.

"Did you orchestrate this, Father?" Mark asked in an accusatory tone.

"Wasn't this what you wanted, Mark?" Mr. Siwat asked his son. "I was just trying to help you."

"Is Gun even aware of this?" Mark asked his father, again in his accusatory tone of voice.

"Wait, wait, wait," Boat spoke up, starting to get confused. "What exactly is going on here?"

Suddenly Gun walked into the lobby pulling his suitcase with him. His eyes grew wide when he saw Boat.

"Why are you here?" Gun asked Boat, hostility very much evident in his voice.

"I was informed by Mr. Siwat that your employment here has been terminated and that you don't have enough money for your trip back to Bangkok," Boat informed Gun.

"But I wasn't planning to go back to Bangkok!" Gun said, his voice raised high enough to get the attention of the receptionist and two guests who had just walked into the lobby.

"Why don't we all go to my office to try to get things worked out," Mr. Siwat suggested.

"No!" Gun refused outright. "Like I said, I'm not going back to Bangkok!"

"Where are you going, then?" Boat asked.

"None of your business," Gun replied, starting to walk towards the exit.

Mark ran and grabbed Gun's wrist.

"My father is right," he said to Gun. "Let's clear our misunderstandings in his office."

Gun tugged at Mark's hold and freed his wrist.

"My employment here has been terminated," Gun said coldly. "There is no reason for me to stay here. Don't offer me my job back. I have found a new place of employment. I have to go now. My new employer is waiting for me."

Mark and his father stared at Gun in disbelief. How could he find a new employment that fast.

Mark and Mr. Siwat and Boat stood and stared helplessly as Gun walked out of the villa and stepped inside a waiting taxicab.

Suddenly Mark had an idea. He ran to the parking lot and jumped into his car. He quickly maneuvered his car into the street and started to follow the taxicab that Gun was riding in.

After half an hour of following the taxicab, Mark was getting more and more curious as to what kind of employment Gun had found for himself. He still could not believe that Gun could find a new job within the same day that his employment at the villa had been terminated. 

Mark started to wonder if both he and his father had acted hastily by terminating Gun's employment at the villa. Now he could not blame Gun for being upset with him and his father.

It was just a little over an hour when he noticed the taxicab slowing down beside a mini supermarket.

Then it hit Mark when he saw Berkah standing at the curb waiting for Gun to arrive.

Not bothering to turn off the engine of his car, Mark just put it on park gear and ran out of his car and sprinted across the street.

Berkah saw him and immediately moved to block him from reaching Gun.

"Go back to your car, Mark," Berkah ordered Mark. "I don't want any trouble. Do not interfere with Gun's decision. He is no longer under your employ. He has no more obligations towards you and the villa. Now leave before I use physical force on you."

Mark stayed where he was. He watched as Gun lifted his suitcase onto the sidewalk.

"Gun?" Mark called out, not making a move toward Gun because Berkah was holding him in place.

Gun did not look at Mark. Gun lowered his head, his eyes fixed on his suitcase, his brain in deep turmoil.

"Are we really over, Gun?" Mark asked softly, his voice quivering uncontrollably.

Gun did not answer. It was Berkah who answered for Gun.

"Go back to the villa, Mark," Berkah said. "Yes, you and Gun are over."

Then as if to drive home his point, he added, "If there was even anything between you in the first place."

Suddenly, another taxicab arrived and stopped in front of the mini supermarket.

"Gun!" Boat called out as he stepped out of the taxicab.