The Midnight Radio
Episode 31

I chuckled as I walked slowly down the sidewalk to the radio station as I suddenly recalled the incident yesterday afternoon just after I snapped at the impassioned girl who was embracing Bang Win from behind.

Bang Win looked at me without even blinking. He seemed surprised at my barbaric behavior and harsh language. Fortunately, at the right moment, Kang Utep walked into the studio and explained everything that the outline was, I could see invisible creatures.

"Hey!" I cried when I saw the figure of a schoolboy standing under a tree. I know who he is because of the sky blue sweater he wears.

The boy just looked at me flat and made me decide to step foot in his direction. "Not yet to come home?" my question is right in front of him.

The boy nodded.

"It's very much you here."

The boy nodded.

"Well, if you're in it, I want to go in first" I turned around. Just as he was about to step up, the boy called.

"Tea?"

"Naon?" I answered back to turn. I don't know why I feel like there's something she wants to say. After looking at my watch and realizing that the broadcast time was still long, I invited him to sit on a long bench in the parking lot close to the security guard post.

"Why call?" I asked who only responded to the boy by looking down.

"Eh, by the way, you why haven't you been 'home'? He said he wanted to go home" I asked again.

"Neither can go home, Tea. Don't know why" he replied.

I wooed to see if there were people around us before continuing to ask. I don't want to be suspected of losing my sanity by talking to myself. "Why do you keep going under the tree?"

"Ngga tau, Tea. I wanted to go home but again I came under that tree."

"Is there anything you want to take with me?" askaku. I don't know what's wrong with me and dare to ask that question.

The boy nodded slowly.

"Well, what did you want to say?" I'm getting pissed.

"Oxu's? What else?" ask Bang Win suddenly.

I looked at him quietly and walked over. "Talk to the boy under the tree."

"What was the accident?" ask Bang Win. I'm nodding.

"Something's weird, Bang. The boy said he wanted to go home, but didn't know why to this day it's still here, standing under a tree." I looked up at the boy sitting down and did not find him. Apparently, the boy was already back standing under the tree.

"Wait a minute" said Bang Win towards the highway. I shrugged my shoulders and went into the building.

***

"Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, Inoxu was present again to greet the listeners all from the second floor studio The Story of Midnight 12.08FM Radio Rebel Bandung. Tonight, the Story of Midnight will come up with a new format. So, if usually the source will call to the studio to share the story, from now on, myself or Adul who will read the stories around us. Real or not, I return it to all listeners. One song from

Romi and Eren with My Life Complement request from Eva Silmi will be the opening Story of Midnight this time. So don't go anywhere and listen."

I turned off the mic and took off the headphones as Gia and Remi approached my desk.

"Seriously, Xu? Can you see the devil now? Not scared?" ask Gia. Before the broadcast, I told the two about what happened. Unfortunately, because it was time for the broadcast, our conversation was interrupted and now they came to me to find out the continuation.

"Seriously, just below I met the child who died when it hit. Sit down together, but not for long."

"E*dan! Si Xu ibego now!" fun Remi.

"Continue not to be afraid anymore?" ask Gia.

"Ngga, yesterday after meeting a few times, but strangely enough, there is no fear at all" I replied.

"Woooh!" Gia clapped her hands. "Father, Rem. Si Xu was already a charmer," he said chuckling. The two then returned to their respective desks while I prepared to return for the broadcast.

"Welcome I say to the new listeners. That's my Life's Complementary song requested by Eva Silmi. Now I'm going to read you one story that went to the Midnight Story team" I took a deep breath before continuing.

"Hello Inoxu Tea, my name is Ava. I attended a High School not far from where Inoxu Tea works. I live with my mother and sister. My brother is different from my father. When I got married, I had one child, and after I married my father, I was born.

My mother is a career woman. He left at dawn and returned at night. So everyday, I spend a lot of time just with my sister. My sister is a person I admire. I love him and hope that someday he can repay the good he has done.

Because we were alone at home, he replaced our mother to take care of the house and take care of me. Making food, helping with tasks, to take me to school. I personally feel closer to my sister than to our mother.

Until that morning. Morning where I heard for the first time if all this time my brother objected in taking care of me. He almost screamed in front of our mother's face and didn't know if I was stealing his hearing. What I heard broke my heart. It turned out that my sister hated me all along and questioned why my mother distinguished us. It was then, I realized, what my sister had done all this time was not because she loved me but because she was ruled by our mother.

With an angry face, he drove me to school. Many times the car we were driving almost hit another vehicle because he was driving recklessly all the way to his destination. I usually get off in front of Rebel Radio Station, then cross over and walk around a bit to get to my school.

But that morning, everything was different. My brother came down and said if he would accompany me across. Because it was too early in the morning, I refused and said that the traffic was not too crowded. Finally, he wanted to get back in the car and said he would go back home to get ready for college.

I saw him walking towards the car, and was already walking to cross when a strong push was felt on my back and threw me forward. The reason is, at that time through an employee bus that drove quite fast because of the condition of the road that is still quiet. No doubt, my body got hit, got under the bus and got run over."

I covered my face for a while trying to hold back my tears. No one knows but Bang Win and I if this story is the story of a child who always stands under a tree.

Before the broadcast, just moments before Gia and Remi came, Bang Win came back without me knowing where he was going. Something he said shocked me to the point of losing the mood to speak.

Bang Win who heard my story about the boy who always stood under the tree turned out to go towards the tree and found if there was a cctv attached to a pole right next to the tree. The owner of the cctv is a fabric store located next to this radio station. It is not easy, because according to the store owner, the cctv has long been untreated. That's why, when the police asked about the cctv recording on the day of the accident, they abandoned their intention after hearing an explanation from the store owner because they thought the cctv was no longer working.

In a short time, Bang Win was able to see the recording and decided to go to the police station because it was clearly visible in the recording if what was experienced by the child was not an accident. The boy was pushed rudely by the person who drove him to school who was none other than his older brother.

"Well, sad plus serem ya listeners all, the story of Ava." After a moment of silence, I continued the broadcast.

"I'm confused as to what to say. Yes already! The completion of Ava's story and one song from Britney Spears with Criminal, Asa Zumara's request will be the closing story tonight. Inoxu and team please leave, see you in other stories. Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh."

I turned off the mic, took off my headphones and cleaned up my stuff quickly. Through whatsapp, Bang Win said that he had returned from the police station after delivering the cctv footage.

"First yes, Xu!" pamit Gia and Remi when we arrived downstairs. I nodded and waved my hand.

"Where, Bang?!" my many.

"Nobody did. Tightness in cctv if he accidentally disfigured the boy. The police are again investigating the case before calling the boy's brother."

"That's really bad brother," I said softly.

Bang Win just looked at me with soft eyes. "Burning bread? The richness of your mood is no longer good," asked Bang Win thrust his hand to hold.

I nodded and walked slowly with him out of the building. Not long into walking, I saw the child who was sheltering under the tree waving hands at me before finally disappearing.

"What's up, Oxu?" ask Bang Win.

"The boy is saying, Bang! It's 'home' time?"

"Maybe" replied Bang Win. He looked back at me deeply and at a glance I could see a worried expression. "Don't interact too often with 'them'. I'm afraid you're why-why. It's as if before I can really take care of you."

"Yes," I nodded and began to pull his hand back to walk after the man ruffled my hair slowly.