It was the first night the healthcare teams had spent in Papua. The night air here was fairly cold. There was no sound from televisions or passing vehicles. Only the crickets kept them company.
"It's really cold here, huh?" Nindy said to Vero.
"Yeah, and I only brought one jacket," Vero replied.
"I have a jacket if you want to wear it," Nindy offered.
"Yeah, maybe later," Vero replied.
After that light conversation, they fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Then the deep voice of a man broke through their reverie.
"Good evening," the man said. It was none other than Vito.
"Oh, Commander," Vero said in surprise.
"Sorry if I startled you," Vito said, feeling awkward.
"It's okay, sir," Nindy replied.
"May I join you?" Vito asked.
"Of course, sir," Vero and Nindy replied in unison.
They were sitting on a long bench that the soldiers had deliberately built for resting.
Silence. No one spoke. They were all lost in their own thoughts.
"Where are you from, Nin?" Vito asked Nindy.
"I'm from Indonesia, Commander," Nindy replied.
"Don't call me Commander when we're talking like this," Vito said, uncomfortable with the title.
"Oh, right. Okay, Vito," she replied.
"Are you in college?" Vito asked again.
"Yeah, I am," Nindy answered shortly.
Nindy wasn't in the mood to talk. Something was weighing on her mind. She was thinking about the direction her life was taking. Hopefully, she had passed the scholarship test the other day. After registering, Nindy and Vero had immediately been faced with a test that would determine whether they passed or not.
"Nin, hey, Nin," Vero called, shaking Nindy's arm.
"Huh? Yeah, what's up?" Nindy asked, startled.
"What are you thinking about? Vito's been calling you," Vero said.
"Sorry," Nindy said with an awkward grin.
"What are you thinking about, Nin?" Vito asked.
"I'm just thinking about whether I should continue studying medicine or keep being a volunteer like this," Nindy replied, gazing up at the sky.
"You want to study medicine?" Vito asked.
"Yeah. She used to dream of becoming an internist, but her family didn't approve, so all she could do was become a volunteer," Vero explained.
Nindy fell silent. What Vero had said was true. For some reason, her parents had always forbidden her from pursuing her dream. Thinking about her family made Nindy heartbroken.
Nindy closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. She needed a clear head if she wanted to decide what step to take next.
"Excuse me," said one of the TNI members.
"What is it?" Vito asked.
"Sorry, Commander. Four children in Tent Four are crying because they refuse to take their medicine. Their parents are exhausted from trying to persuade them, and we've tried too, but they still won't take it," the TNI member replied.
"I'll handle it," Nindy said.
Nindy walked toward Tent Four, followed by Vero and Vito. Some of her colleagues were already there, but they had also failed to persuade the children to take their medicine.
"Achil ga au bum bat it, sniff sniff," the little boy said in his lisping voice.
"You want to get better, right? Then you have to take your medicine," Rafael said gently.
"Nda au it, waaah!" The little boy's crying grew louder.
"Here, give it to me," Nindy said.
Tent Four was indeed somewhat larger than the other tents. It housed around eighty people. There were also many TNI members stationed there to keep watch because the residents in this tent often suffered seizures.
Nindy walked over to the little boy and sat down beside him.
"Hey, buddy. Why are you crying? Hmm?" Nindy asked gently.
The boy tilted his head up, occasionally sniffing.
"Nda au num bat it," he said between sobs.
"What's your name?" Nindy asked, stroking the boy's head.
"Cil," he answered.
"Achil, ma'am," corrected a middle-aged woman who was probably Achil's mother.
"Wow, that's such a pretty name," Nindy said with a smile so wide that her eyes disappeared.
The boy stared at Nindy without blinking. He looked at her with his mouth hanging open.
"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" Nindy asked.
"Ta kak ana lang," the boy said.
Nindy didn't understand and looked around, hoping someone would explain. Seeing Nindy's confusion, the mother chuckled.
"He's asking where your eyes went," the woman replied.
"Hahaha, that's what happens when she laughs—her eyes disappear. And when she cries, her nose gets long like Pinocchio's," Vero said.
"No-cho," Achil said.
"Yeah, Pinocchio. So Achil can't cry anymore, okay?" Nindy said gently.
"Cil nda au num bat it," Achil said.
"Come on, kids. Come closer to me," Nindy invited.
The children immediately moved closer to Nindy. Achil himself climbed straight into her lap. Nindy and the others chuckled.
"Listen to me, okay? My little friends are sick right now, and when you're sick, you can't play, right? Do you want to play?" Nindy asked.
"Yes!" they answered in unison.
"Then if you want to play, you have to take your medicine first so you can get better quickly. And once you're better, we'll all play together. How does that sound?" Nindy asked.
They fell silent, not immediately answering Nindy's question.
"But the medicine tastes bitter," said a girl who was about six years old.
"Medicine is supposed to taste bitter. But after we take it, we'll get better—as long as we take it regularly," Nindy explained.
"Okay, how about this? I have candy. Whoever takes their medicine gets a piece. How does that sound?" Nindy asked.
"Achil wants some!" Achil answered eagerly.
"Me too," said the little boy, followed by the others.
Everyone smiled as they watched Nindy interact with the children. Nindy asked Vero to get the candy from her bag. The children lined up neatly in front of Nindy.
Achil refused to let go of Nindy's hand. Whenever Nindy moved, he asked her to carry him. Nindy was happy to carry his tiny body in her arms.
"The candy's here. Now line up nicely, okay? I'll help all of you take your medicine," Nindy said gently.
The children shouted excitedly when they saw the candy wrappers on the table in front of Nindy.
One by one, the children took their medicine with Nindy's help. She immediately gave a Kaki candy to each child who had taken their medicine.
Achil took his medicine too, then asked for two Kaki candies. Nindy happily gave them to him.
"See? You're all so smart. Tomorrow, when you're told to take your medicine, you have to take it, okay?" Nindy said gently.
"Okay, big sister!" they answered in unison.
"It's already late, so you all need to rest. Don't play anymore, so you can get better quickly," Nindy advised.
They all nodded and immediately ran toward their respective parents.
"You're amazing, Nin. You managed to persuade the children to take their medicine," Rafael said.
"You all could've done it too. You just have to be patient. They are children, after all," Nindy replied.
Vito smiled secretly as he watched Nindy. He had been observing the way she spoke to the children, and she was incredibly gentle.
"Oh, by the way, is there a supermarket or something like that around here?" Nindy asked.
"There is, ma'am. It's an hour away. Is there anything we can help you with, ma'am?" asked one of the TNI members there.
"Could you take me there tomorrow? I want to buy snacks for the children, and I also want to get some stationery to keep them from getting bored," Nindy said.
"I'll go with you tomorrow," Vito offered.
"Thank you," Nindy replied with a smile.
"Damn, she's adorable," Vito thought.