A Secret From Croatia

The hallway, which contained two long chairs facing each other, turned noisy with the fast steps of a woman wearing 7cm high heels. He sat next to grandparents who held each other's wrinkled hands. She doesn't know which of them was sick, or maybe the elderly couple were accompanying each other to check their respective illnesses. Meanwhile, in front of the couple, there is a mother, patiently introducing the names of animals on a tab to her toddler. The child asked, is the elephant a liar so that it has a longer nose than Pinocchio?

Mary stretched her legs out while folding her arms, her head propped up against the chair so that she looked up. As she breathed, she tried not to lose control remembering her current fate which was almost soul-destroying. Something she never imagined to hate God. Instead, she looked around the room with teary eyes. During this time Mary always tried to be a good person. Does just one mistake, she doesn't deserve the happiness to live the life she wants?

Mary's gaze returned to the grandfather who this time fed his wife with bread and to the child who had put the tab in the bag, then hugged the mother because he was sleepy. She hadn't felt envious of that sight in a long time. At least God had given Mary a chance to feel that way.

Mary opened the cellphone while waiting for the doctor's practice to end. After all the patients had been examined, she entered the apple-scented room, then sat down in front of Doctor William, a cousin, who immediately smiled when he saw her. They haven't seen each other in months.

"Want a pap smear?" asked the doctor half laughing. His dignified face immediately disappeared when he faced Mary.

"I want to ask for help, Will," replied Mary languidly, while putting her bag and cell phone on the table.

"What's the complaint?" he asked again in a more formal tone.

Mary stared at her cousin for a few moments, convinced that this was the only way out. "Hmm... it's not a matter of illness, I'm ninety percent sure I'm healthy."

Doctor William nodded while frowning. He look at Mary suddenly twist her hand with a worried face.

"So?" thick eyebrows raised sideways.

"I-I don't know where to start. But I beg you to keep this a secret, please don't tell anyone. And please don't stop me, because..." Instead of continuing her sentence, Mary bit her lip and kept looking down.

"Okay, let me guess. You suddenly get pregnant, and want to abort the womb?" William joked again.

"Will! I'm serious."

"Yes, then? Can you just get to the point?" The young doctor was getting more and more curious. Mary, whom he had known since he was a baby, was calm and tough. It was rare for William to see his cousin so restless that his brow furrowed. But he could only wait patiently which only made Mary feel even worse. The sound of the clock ticking on the table seemed to warn that the time was getting shorter.

Considering that the doctor's hours were over, maybe Jay was waited by his wife and children at home, Mary finally got up the courage to get to the heart of the matter. The request slipped from his lips along with the tears that fell. "Will, I want a lethal injection."

***

2 months before

The rumbling sound of five juicers in the kitchen made Vale put the phone to his ear. He leaned back against the cupboard used to store pitchers, drink jars and slender-handled sour glasses while crossing his legs. Her voice was getting louder to match the sound of the fruit being blended while occasionally laughing.

"Okay, I'm leaving now. See ya!"

After stopping the telephone conversation, Vale approached Frank, a chef who was cutting a kiwi fruit very carefully. For Frank, neatness must be prioritized like taste, so that his work looks good looking and appetizing.

"Frank, I'm leaving. Anyway, I'll leave everything here to you."

"Okay, take care. Greetings to Carla and Mary. Happy holiday!!"

Vale said goodbye while waving to several waiters. After passing through the door, she still heard Frank shouting to remind her to bring gifts to which she answered with a thumbs up. Vale walked again while reaching into his bag to look for the car keys, but the first thing he touched were the glasses that were directly placed on his head while smiling at one of the cafe visitors.

Kemami has become a favorite place for out-of-town guests and locals alike. The area is surrounded by high walls filled with vines and various types of flowers to beautify. For drinks, there is a large counter in the shape of a green apple, while the barbeque is in the open in the corner of the garden. Anyone who sees the meat being cooked and smells the thick sauce that is capable of drooling, will feel a loss if they don't taste it.

Vale has been in this business since college, starting with a small counter in a mall. She is very fond of eating and the concept of this cafe has been her dream for a long time. Each menu is made special, not stingy with ingredients for a luxurious taste. Unlike Mary, her best friend is a vegetarian with a very regular lifestyle. Meanwhile, Carla, her other best friend is a workaholic woman. Her daily life is spent glaring at client data and financial charts that makes Vale want to vomit blood.

Three friends, three hobbies and three unique qualities make them one. According to them, friends who have the same hobby will be boring with monotonous stories and can become competitors.

Vale started the car's engine, squeezing the steering wheel, feeling a surge of excitement. They haven't been on vacation for almost five months because of their busy lives. And today, she will pick up Mary, then go to Jakarta to meet Carla. The trio will travel to Croatia for a bachelorette party.

The engine was roaring, Vale put on his glasses, then gasped the car.

The gurgling sound of an artificial waterfall, punctuated by the chirping of canaries, further enhances the natural atmosphere in Mary's backyard. In fact, the main reason for keeping the birds is indeed the benefits of the sound which can calm the mood.

Mary is doing her routine activities on the mat, clearing her mind, breathing free air and enjoying the Dago Pakar breeze in the rainy season while doing bound angle pose – sitting cross-legged with the soles of her feet touching each other. The chatter of his assistant in the front garage slid freely from her mouth incessantly. Maybe she was welcoming Vale's arrival. The sound grew louder as they set foot in a back yard covered in natural stone marble with three inches of grass on either side.

Vale immediately approached Mary to kiss her cheeks.

"You seem to have started a diet, right? You looks slim!" said Mary while looking Vale's body from top to bottom.

"Rite, so that it loo