Ride on Time

Chapter 26

"You think he has reached yet?" Misao kept asking.
"Misao, it's only been an hour," Kumiko groaned. "Malaysia is seven hours away! How can he be there by now?"
"I don't know... super jet?" Misao shrugged.
"Misao, he took a normal commercial jet, not a... super jet. How can you expect him to reach so fast?"
Misao sighed and took her phone out. She had already saved Shri's number in her contact list and was still waiting for him to call.
"This is one of the only times I'm actually seeing you use your phone," Kumiko snorted. "You rarely even charge it, leaving it around and barely remembering its existence."
"Yeah, but I always make sure I have credit so that this number doesn't expire or something," Misao pointed out. "I use my phone, Kumi, just not as much as you do."
Kumiko shook her head and turned the television on, watching the news. Misao suddenly shrieked, pawing at Kumiko as if she saw a ghost.
"Why, why, what is it?" Kumiko asked, concerned. "Is everything alright?"
Misao pointed a shaky hand to the television that displayed the image of a crashed aeroplane. Kumiko gasped too but calmed down upon reading the headlines.
"Misao, this is the Korean flight that crashed that day," Kumiko sighed. "See? Remember it took off from Tokyo and crashed because of the crosswinds?"
"No... Shri!" Misao exclaimed, sobbing.
"Misao, everyone survived," Kumiko pointed out. "They were just showing the remnants of the plane to say that the last survivor is fine and out of the hospital. Also, Shri wasn't even in that flight, he was already in Japan at the time. Why do you have to overreact?"
Misao slowly looked up at the screen. She heaved a sigh of relief and wiped off her tears. "Oh... it's that Korean flight that crashed because of bad weather..."
"Yes, and all three-hundred something of them survived," Kumiko said again. "Don't worry, Misao. I'm sure Shri will call you soon. Okay?"
Misao nodded, wiping snot off her nose. Kumiko couldn't help but laugh and feel sorry for her at the same time.

"Hard lah this airport," Shridhar complained as they walked out to the main entrance of KLIA to get a taxi. "So far must walk, for sure taxi also expensive if wanna go back to PJ."
"Why they cannot just leave the Subang Aiport alone?" Suganthi sighed. "Nice what, that airport? Easier also."
"They close down already," Shri said, hoisting his bag onto his shoulder as it slid down. "Pa, faster take taxi lah, shoulder paining."
"Pity the Subang Aiport," Shruti sighed. "So much easier to take flight from there. Nearer also for us."
They hailed a taxi and were soon driving off to Petaling Jaya. Shri felt at home, breathing in Malaysia's air once again after weeks. He heaved a sigh and leaned towards the window, watching the road unfold before the red and white painted Proton Saga Iswara. The streets of Kuala Lumpur were bustling with people, the newly built Petronas Twin Towers standing tall with all its eighty-eight floors.
"Pa, what got in the Petronas Towers ah?" Shri asked. "Look like empty only?"
"It is," Shridhar said. "They haven't open. Tallest in the world, it seems?"
"Wow..." Shruti said in awe. "I wanna go there one day. Shri, wanna go?"
"Aiya, for what lah," Suganthi said in a low voice. "Nothing also inside there. Not yet open also."
"Aiyo, when open we go lah," Shruti groaned and whispered. "Why you always assume I wanna go now ah?"
They ended up speaking in Tamil since the taxi driver kept giving them suspicious looks.
"Why is he looking at us like that?" Suganthi complained. "Be quiet and don't talk much."
"He's looking at us as if we're talking about him," Shridhar added from the front seat. "We must always be careful with people like this."
Shri snorted and just continued looking at the streets of KL, admiring the capital city of his motherland.

"Finally, home!" Shruti cheered as she slumped down on her favourite couch. "Ah... after two weeks!"
"I wanna go and bathe first," Shri said, making his way towards the stairway. "Very tired."
"Ah wait lah," Shruti groaned. "I wanna sit first."
"I never ask you," Shri smirked as he went upstairs.
Shri closed the door and quickly took his phone out. He made sure it had enough credit to call before he left for Japan but wasn't so sure now.
He turned it on and sure enough, there was some left till the end of the month. Shri heaved a sigh of relief and took out Misao's details from his wallet.
Shri painstakingly dialled the number and pressed the phone against his ear.

"Here, eat," Kumiko put a bowl down in front of Misao. "And no, it's oyakodon, not gyūniku."
Misao put her cellphone down and grabbed her chopsticks to eat. Only within a few mouthfuls did her phone finally start ringing.
"Who is it?" Kumiko asked, seeing her friend's confused expression.
"It's Shri!" Misao gasped and picked it up. "He- Hello?"
"Hello?" A male voice answered on the other end after a slight delay. "Is this... Hara Misao?"
"Shri?" Misao instantly said. "Shri, is that you?"
"Yeah. How did you know?"
Misao snorted. "A foreign guy on the other end who knows my name and still has a little trouble pronouncing my name, besides, I saved your number."
"Fine..." Shri laughed. "I just landed in Malaysia, by the way. Just got back from the airport."
"Oh thank goodness," Misao said, relieved. "I was scared, the news just now... a Korean flight crashed recently..."
"Wasn't that... quite long ago? I remember watching it in the news when... when we newly arrived in Japan. Misao, why?"
"I dunno, Shri, I've been pretty jumpy ever since you left, not knowing if you have landed. I didn't even wanna eat, only now because of my roommate." She smiled at Kumiko.
"Well, no need to worry now that I have landed. I'm gonna go take a shower now, how about I call you again before bed? I'll write to you too, and I'll send you that book you wanted."
"Sure," Misao smiled. "I'll call you too, now that I have your number. After all, these calls come expensive now, don't they?"
"I'm honestly not sure... this is the first time I'm calling overseas with handphone... anyway, bye. I'll talk to you soon."
"Bye, Shri. You must be tired after that long flight."
Misao hung up and heaved a sigh of relief as she put her phone down, finally having the appetite to eat.

So I did some research and got some stuff about Malaysia back in 1998. Back then, the main airport was the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang Jaya, commonly known as Subang Airport. This was before the establishment of KLIA, where Shri and gang lands after their trip to Japan. The Subang Airport was to be closed. Well, I guess it didn't work because it still stands today as a domestic flight hub in Malaysia. You can take flights there to go anywhere you want in the Peninsula of Malaysia. It's actually quite high-tech now and really nice too. It kinda surprises me to know that it was seen as rundown and outdated back then. The first time I went there, I actually gasped in awe lol. It looked more like a mall than an airport, not gonna lie. It's actually quite good, if you ask me, and that's why Shri's family is complaining about it lol.
Also, as for the Petronas Twin Towers, commonly known as KLCC or Kuala Lumpur City Centre now, was actually the tallest building in the world back then in 1998 right up to 2004, surpassing the Willis Tower in Chicago back then. This record was broken by Taipei 101 and then by the Burj Khalifa. It still stood as the tallest building in Malaysia up until a few years ago when the Merdeka 118 was built. I've personally never been to both but I couldn't help but feel awed by this lol.
But yeah, notice how they say there's nothing in it? It was newly built at the time and wasn't opened until Merdeka Day 1999. So yeah, I'm guessing it just stood empty for about a year like that lol.
Also, the Merdeka 118 is in the same situation as the KLCC was back in 1998, standing tall yet unlaunched.

-KLIA is short for Kuala Lumpur International Airport. I think I've mentioned this in the previous chapter, but just doing so again.
-PJ is short for Petaling Jaya. You'll be seeing lots of this place as most parts that take place in Malaysia happen here.

And one more thing. The Kuala Lumpur International Airport is not in Kuala Lumpur.

It's in SELANGOR! I think it should be called the SIA, Sepang International Airport.