Chapter 1 : The Crying Skies of Malaysia

Fadhlan

Kuala  Lumpur, Malaysia

Warmth. That is the missing piece in Fadhlan's life for the past 3 years in America. Not that the warm weather of Malaysia that was obviously absent in the month of November almost every day because of the rain. But it is the long absence of the warm people in his life that made his life " warm", his family. 

The sky was doing great in portraying Fadhlan's emotion being all tar-black in colour, gloomy enough until one could not tell the time either it is morning or evening without a ticking watch. Large grey cottons filled the sky, it was a traffic jam for the clouds. People from the park ran for cover under the iconic building of the Petronas Twin Tower as the clouds unburden itself trough spatting out their beads of water. It was a bath, and Fadhlan could hear through his eardrums that it sounded similar to the buzzing of a swarm of bees.

"Hahahaha....Great, how am I suppose to go home now" - Fadhlan laughs in frustration. 

He quickly dials up a complicated number and lands the phone screen to his left ear as the uplifting ringtone song of Katy Perry, "Never Really Over" plays. 

"Hello this is Khai, I am currently in vaca due leave a sweet message, thank you." 

"Dammit Khai out of all 7 days in a week this is a weekday ! " - Fadhlan said 

annoyingly while dialing up another number.

"Hello Hariz ?" - Fadhlan said with a mischievous voice.

"Where is your Assalamualaikum"- Hariz replies, softly while sipping his green tea after a mass lecture all evening on Immunology for the past 4 hours.

"Waalaikumussalam, hey can you hear my voice the line is not that clear ! Hello ?"

" You do realise this is the first call you had ever made with me after the past 3 years, have you arrived at K.L.I.A. ? " - Hariz continues to sip his hot tea. 

Hariz is practically 10 years older than Fadhlan and a dear cousin, working as a lecturer at the National University of Malaysia and teaching the youth at the Faculty of Pharmacy. 

"Can you give me a ride home ?" - Fadhlan bit his finger, anxious. He knew it was awkward at some point to call someone that he mistreated 3 years ago before he flew to America for his studies.

"Fine, where are you now ?" 

"I am at the Petronas Twin Towers, rode a Grabcar from K.L.I.A. to here, I bought a few books from Kinoyunika bookstore for mom. Hello ?"

Hariz ended the phone call right after Fadhlan addressed his location. Well, what goes around comes around. Besides, ending a call suddenly is rude, but it is not that harsh compared to what happened 3 years ago, Fadhlan thought in his heart, while starring at the crying skies of Malaysia.