"Everything." Antara terdengar dan tidak Dash menutur.Kedua belah tangannya ditongkat ke belakang.Sungguh.I miss this brother figure big time.

         

          Riak wajah Dash direnungnya.Cuba membaca."How was Malaysia treating you?"

 

          "Hell."

 

          "That bad?"

 

          "It's..." Dash melepas nafas perlahan.Dia kembali memandang Aleksandr. "...confusing."

         

          Aleksandr merenungnya seolah menanti dia menyambung kata.

 

          "I've been abroad for ages." Aleksandr dipandangnya "And I've been here for years." Dash menutur rendah.Nafas ditarik panjang. "The only connection to old KL is my family,which ain't much Malaysiana to be frank.And come hell they chuck me back to my so-called home country for the finding root crap....it ain't no killing." Dia mengalih pandangan dari wajah Aleksandr ke tengah laman. "I had no idea what it was when I plunged in headfirst.The culture is so different.People expect different things from back here.It's confusing as hell and the people there are not really helping either.I can't really help being me and there they were....treating me like some experiment-gone-bad-rabid-mutant." Gumamnya rendah.

 

          "Classic case of identity crisis and culture shock?" Aleksandr senyum tawar.

 

          "I see that you've been working your Sociology up to the notch." Dash ketawa hambar.

 

          "No good people there?"

 

          "Just a handful.Nothing like you guys here." Dash mengukir senyum nipis memandang Aleksandr.

 

          "Aww...flattery gets you everywhere,Dash." Aleksandr ketawa sambil meraih bahu Dash. "But I've gotta say I agree with your old man."

 

          "By chucking me back to the Alcatraz?" Kening Dash naik tinggi mengadah Aleksandr yang ketawa kecil mendengar kata-katanya. "Man...you think Prozac craving is healthy?" Dash menjulingkan mata. "You've issues." Gumamnya.

 

          "Home is where the heart is,Dash.It's where you belong no matter how much you wanna deny it." Kepala Dash digosoknya.

 

          "From the months spent there,I think it was made clear that I don't belong there." Dash menjawab rendah.

 

          "How hard did you try?"

 

          "I hate it there,Xan." Dia menggigit bibir bawah. "It was hard adjusting.My family wasn't there.Not much support around.Being different.People talked behind your back,looking at you like you're some dirt under their shoe.Can't do the things I used to do.Having people yelling at you..."

 

          "Who yelled at you?" Tajam Aleksandr memintas bertanya.

 

          "Just some guy.He's the top commander in the military band.Hitler from Hell."

 

          "Did you yelled back?"

 

          "Can't.Or I'll get detention." Dash buat muka.

 

          "Mind giving me his address?I could send a hand grenade to his house."

 

          Dash ketawa. "He's not that bad." Dia menggeleng dengan senyum nipis.

 

          Aleksandr merenung Dash. "O...kay...Don't tell me you're crushing on this Hitler guy. Ujarnya dengan kening terangkat sebelah.Bibirnya mengukir sengih mengusik.

 

          Lipat maut Dash memandang Aleksandr. "That's so uncalled for!" Laju dia menutur dengan mata bulat. "You've been doing to much Human Studies."

 

          "You,my dear,is in denial."

 

          Dash menjulingkan mata. "And you,my dear,is hallucinating."

 

          Aleksandr hanya ketawa. "What's he like."

 

          Dash mencebik. "Both you and him are jerks."

 

          "And you love me." Aleksandr ketawa lagi. "So you love him?"

 

          "Aleksandr....!" Laju Aleksandr disikunya.

 

          "Hey!Cut the violence."

 

          "You asked for it." Dash sengih selamba.

 

          "Some things just won't change,ey?" Aleksandr turut mengukir sengih.

 

          Dash ketawa. "So....tell me about this Eloise girl.

          _________________

Bonjour-Hi

Je m'appelle Aleksandr-My name is Aleksandr

Comment t'appelles-tu ?- What's your name?

D'où est-ce que tu viens ? Where're you from?

Je viens d'Moscow. – I'm from Moscow

Mes parents sont Russians. –My parents're Russians