Time Machine: The Precious Lost

The day changed. The new sun rose. But, it’s still cold, and it’s my second time going there. I was still nerves getting there. And it’s my first day helping him to create the machine.

I stood by his door again, and it’s still unlocked. I was still confused why he did it. I entered the house and came to that room. I still saw the machine standing there. Suddenly, an old man came to me and let me sit in. He told me about the machine and the reason why he built it.

“Just do what I say, okay?” he asked.

“Y-yes, sir” I answered.

“Ok.. Let’s start it!”

Even it’s the first time for me helping a scientist, I worked the hardest. He taught me everything about the theories for creating the machine while I was helping him to clean the place. I still hoped the machine finished so that I could see my family in the past. When I made coffee, suddenly I heard a man shouting.

“FINALLY!! Now I can solve this riddle!! Now it’s almost 80%!!” the professor shouted.

I rushed to him and asked him what’s the matter. The professor only gave his laugh.

“I can break Novikov’s theory, Alex!!” he laughed.

“Novikov?!” I asked.

“Yeah!! That scientist! The one who began a bullshit about time travel! Now, we can finish it, Alex!!” he laughed loudly.

It’s also good news for me. Finally, I could be closer to meet my family again.

“Let’s work for it now! Just continue your work…”

“Y-yes, sir!” I answered.

It’s in cold night, but it’s not as cold as the workplace. The spirit kept us on fire. I hoped the machine would be done faster.

···

I had been there for more than months. Sometimes, I didn’t come home, just staying there and waiting for the next day. I even almost forgot my wife and my son. I even didn’t celebrate the New Year and Valentine with Suzy. Sometimes, I also didn’t pick up Suzy’s call. And I didn’t tell Suzy what I had been doing. I just told her that it was ‘works’. Anything what I said, Suzy still believed in me.

In a cloudy night, I came back home from the workplace. I arrived. Later I saw Suzy on the bed. She’s sitting there and looked like waiting for something.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

“Working…,” I answered.

“Where have you been?!” she rose her voice.

“J-just working… what’s the matter, honey?” I asked.

“I’m just wondering…,” she said. “I’m just wondering where you’ve been. You just looked so busy for several days.”

“A-Actually…,” I said.

“What’s it?!” She asked curiously.

“N-nothing, honey”

“Just tell me, honey… I’m just worried about you… You’ve quite changed…”

I was confused to answer that question. If I’d told her, she might have stopped me. However, I couldn’t hurt her trust. At least, I needed to convince her about this experiment.

“You know about the mad scientist in TV last winter?”

“Who?” she asked.

“The one trying to break the logic of time, honey… This old man tries to create Time Machine, honey…”

“So??” she asked confusedly

“I’m helping him now… At first, it’s a task from the boss… But, I want to focus on this machine…,” I told her.

“B-but, honey…”

“Can you imagine if this machine can really work? I can finally meet my family, honey… can you imagine?” I convinced her.

“B-but, honey… You don’t need that… You’ve got me and Bobby! What’ll happen if that machine can’t really work?”

“Trust me… It’ll work out… Just trust me honey…,” I convinced her again.

“Noo.. Just listen to me… It won’t work… If yeah, it’ll need to get you for a long time honey… What happen to me and Bobby? Maybe, we won’t feel the Christmas together anymore, honey…,” she started to cry

“W-what do you mean?!”

“You got Bobby and me, Alex… I can’t stand this anymore… it looked like you dumped me and Bobby, honey…,” she cried.

I hugged and calmed her. She sobbed to me. It looked like that I was the devil. I realized that I’d left her and Bobby. But, I couldn’t change my mind. I insisted to believe what I’d done.

I stopped my hug and started to convince her.

“Honey, just trust me… I won’t leave you and Bobby even I’m still helping the professor. Just trust me…”

“Okay… Promise me honey? I’ll bring Bobby if you break it.”

“Yeah.. I promise…”

The talk ended. She went to Bobby’s room. I sat on the bed, and finally slept with doubted feeling.

M. Hakim Afrianto

I’m just a-passing-through writer. Still consider many things to be written. Confused in the middle of stars. But, still need to survive. That’s why I’m a-passing-through writer. Need to get more experiences. So, I can become a good writer.