Chapter 1 The Disconnected Screen
Morning greeted the world again with its fiery energy. A girl around 22 years old was getting ready to leave for work. Her face was marked with lines of exhaustion, her eyes shadowed like a panda’s. This was all due to mounting work, plus the neighbours who never stopped commenting on her every move, making her mentally and emotionally exhausted.
"Early start today, Lay, so early?" greeted the neighbour to her left, who was arranging snacks on her stall.
"Haha, yeah!" Laysa replied curtly and turned to open her stand's door, not wanting to deal with the conversation that took up too much time.
The neighbour on her right asked the same thing, "So diligent, neng? Is there a special reason?"
"Nothing special, Auntie! Just felt like leaving early," Laysa answered simply.
"Take me away from this world! I am so tired! Laysa hoped" inwardly.
After all her preparations were done, Laysa grabbed her lunch box and started sitting relaxed, enjoying bite after bite. "It's nice to watch a movie while eating! What's a good one?" she muttered to herself.
Her slender white fingers were busy searching and swiping across her phone screen, which offered several movie and drama recommendations, until her eyes landed on one very interesting drama, titled "Son: The Guest."
"LAY!" the scream from the snack seller to her left managed to compete with the mosque's loudspeakers.
"If I didn't have layers of patience, I might be institutionalized. If only I could move into that drama world, how beautiful life would be!" Laysa said, full of complaints and hope.
Laysa exited her stand and hurried towards the snack seller on her left. "What is it, Ma'am?"
"Oh, nothing, just wanted to ask for a favour to pick up my child from school! They got off early, a meeting apparently!" the mother replied, her request as light as her tone, completely without self-awareness.
Laysa took a deep breath and let it out roughly. "I really want to do something illogical right now! So this mother can at least think logically!" Laysa thought.
"Why are you silent? You will do it, right?" asked the snack seller, full of emphasis.
"Listen here, Ma'am! I work, you know, and I'm about to open soon! Can you think logically for a second when asking for help? Before I make your ears and heart sick," Laysa replied with an emphasis in her tone.
The snack seller looked with a cynical and displeased gaze. "Fine then, go!"
"This creature of God seems to be asking for some holy words, because I see she lacks manners," Laysa grumbled in her heart.
When the clock showed eleven in the morning, Laysa opened her stand's cover and started waiting patiently for customers. While waiting, Laysa opened the app again that provided recommendations about the drama, "Son: The Guest." A drama about struggle, friendship, and fighting evil creatures.
"An interesting drama, seems very worth watching!" Laysa muttered before starting to watch.
Slowly but surely, Laysa started getting engrossed in the drama she was watching. Just as she was drawn in, orders started coming in one after another. Luck was on her side; that day Laysa was busy with all kinds of orders and various buyers. As a result, she had to resign herself to stopping the drama she hadn't even watched halfway through.
"Wow! Looks like a flood of orders today! You seem overwhelmed!" said Auntie on the right.
"Thank God, Ma'am! A flood of orders today to celebrate some big day, it seems," Laysa replied.
"If so, you should treat us! Since you have so many orders today! Charity, Lay, charity!" the snack seller chimed in.
Laysa just stayed silent and didn't respond, because she knew that opening her mouth now would only result in bad words for everyone.
"Why are you silent? Answer me! Kids these days truly lack manners!" the snack seller grumbled.
"Oh, you who have no shame! Don't you realize that your behaviour looks like a pest that only bothers other people!" Laysa said sarcastically, already fed up with hearing the nagging constantly.
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet and silent; they were surprised to see Laysa, who usually seemed calm and patient, actually letting out sarcastic remarks.
"And for you, my esteemed Mrs. Wiwi! You say I have no manners? Then what about your daughter who spends her days primping, putting on makeup, and dancing in front of the camera! Your daughter is only 13 years old, but her behaviour is already like an adult!" Laysa added, adding to her sarcastic remarks.
Mrs. Wiwi fell silent, dumbfounded upon hearing Laysa's remarks which sounded factual! Actually, Laysa's heart wasn't entirely relieved, but she chose to end her sentence and start being busy with her own work again.
Once Laysa finished all the orders and buyers started to decrease, Laysa sat down calmly again and opened her phone screen to continue watching the drama that had been paused.
