Caliph

Rais, 2001

Rais woke up in his bedroom the next morning. It was still early in the morning. The sun has not risen yet. It’s all dark outside. Rais felt better than the day before. He decided to start his day earlier.

Rais looked outside. He opened the window and breathed the fresh air from the dawn. Then Rais looked around his room. Though he could afford everything he need for a room like the luxury bathroom, giant TV, and fancy facilities, Rais decided to keep his room as simple as possible. It’s not about luxury, he just needs to move freely in his room. And a lot of things in his room just made him less flexible in moving.

Rais took his workout clothes and went out to his gym. He had been taught to keep in good physical shape since he was a kid. His training room was completed. It contained all exercising equipment like a treadmill, static bike, and also martial arts stuff. Rais made a lot of modern updates since he took over his gym facilities. Machines and modern sporting simulation stuff were added. The gym looked clean because the Hoetomo staff always clean it every day.

Rais implemented his design in this gymnastic room. He made the lifting equipment in front of everything. He needed to work out his muscles at the beginning of his training sequence to increase his speed and lean strength. Rais remembered the football players who has ideal body shapes. Their body was contained by well-trained muscles, then they can run fast to catch the ball.

While training his muscle, Rais’ mind suddenly went to Lambert. He didn’t know where the man that day. Lambert’s name wasn’t on the victim list of 9/11. Rais felt sorry for him. He wished that he talked more to the middle-aged man before the tragedy.

“Good morning, Dr. Hoetomo!” someone entered the room. It’s a man dressed in martial arts clothes. “I can see that you’re already beginning.”

“Yes, just a few minutes ago,” Rais answered.

“Would you like to have a sparring session?” The man asked.

“Sure, in a moment.”

Leo, the man, was a US army. After getting retired, he went to work in Hoetomo Family and became one of their bodyguards. It’s Rais’ father who recruited Leo. Since he joined the Hoetomo family, Leo had learned a lot of things about business. Rais’ father taught Leo to open his own business. Leo, at first, was not sure. He felt old to start a business at that time. But Rais’ father guided him step by step.

Today, Leo has an emerging restaurant business. His restaurant already opened in almost every state in America. Rais’ father taught Leo about the franchising process, and that’s how Leo can expand his business in massive progress in the near time. Hoetomo, Inc., of course, backed Leo’s business with all marketing and branding backup. They support Leo totally in creating a better future for the old man and his family.

Rais was closed enough to Leo. They shared a lot of discussions. At first, they discussed business. Rais gave many pieces of advice about business strategy for expanding Leo’s franchise. Then Rais was interested in how Leo maintained his physical body to still be in a good shape in his sixty-year. After that, it’s Leo who taught Rais about everything. He gave him knowledge about building physical shapes.

Rais was amazed when he found out that Leo can guide him step by step in building a physical body. Leo’s training menu didn’t make a beginner like Rais injured even a little. The man has a modern technique of physical building that he learned for a long time in the US army. It was the beginning of Rais’ interest in creating his gym facility.

Then here they were, entering the fighting facility inside the gym. The facility was covered in mats and has international standards like it will be used for a professional match.

Rais and Leo practiced martial arts one-on-one. During his early time in the US army, Leo experienced extensive training in several fighting techniques. Jujitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, and many things he had learned through his time. After the years, Leo combined many other skills and mixed them into his technique. The technique was so unique since no one had tried it before him. Then Leo taught the technique to Rais. Rais was frightened at first. He had browsed about a lot of martial arts skills but he had never seen that technique before. Leo made an unbelievable improvisation in martial arts. Maybe, he deserved a Ph.D. in that field.

“Have you shown this technique to anyone else except me?” Rais asked.

“Nah, you’re the first one who learned about this,” Leo said.

“Excellent, you must name it and make it your brand.”

“Maybe later. Have you been keeping up your skill while you’re not here?”

“Yes. But I didn’t find a practice partner like you are.”

“I’m honored to hear that. But remember, you don’t have to practice this with me every time. You must adapt with other practice partners.”

“I will do my best.” Rais smiled.

Rais and Leo attacked each other. Leo was old, but Rais didn’t look down on him. Besides, a retired US army who can develop his martial arts technique can’t be beaten easily. And Rais was right. Before he touched Leo, a wind from the old man’s attack had touched his shoulder.

Rais almost fell to the mat, but he managed to get up.

“Good move, young man.” Leo smiled. “You learn a lot.”

Rais balanced himself and prepared to attack Leo again. The old man didn’t off guard at all. He took Rais’ attack directly, then attack the young man again. The two fighters attacked each other until they can’t manage it anymore. No one lost, and no one won. They were equal, but Rais was disappointed. He was the young one, and he felt that he’s failed to beat a sixty years old man.

After that practice session, even though Rais felt his body ached and restless, he still took the stairs on his way down to the basement of his house. Rais turned on the light and took some boxes from the corner of the basement. He opened one of the boxes and read it for a while.

Rais matched the drawing on the paper and looked for a switch that was stated in it. When he found what he was looking for, Rais switched on the key and he found another key. Rais knew what key it is. He switched it too, and an invisible door opened in front of him.

Rais stared at the room behind the door. There are stone stairs that will lead him down to somewhere deep below the basement. After making sure that no one followed him, Rais closed the door and went down.

The room was made years before Rais was born. The Hoetomo family realized that they must aware of any threat. Many revolutions had happened throughout the world. They must not care less about it. They experienced the world war which ended many societies. Then if it happened again, they must be prepared. They prepared bunkers in their houses to make sure that if something bad happened, they have a place to hide.

Later, maybe the Hoetomo family will create a bunker to protect them from the world apocalypse.

Rais discovered this bunker when he was eleven. He rarely went there, but he knew how to use it. On this day, Rais went down the bunker for the first time in years. He found not much down there than a set of rusty things, a big table, and several old lights which maybe can still be used. Rais would add lights and some other equipment to make the place more suitable.

No one knows about Rais’ plan in the room. But he already planned to set up a lab so he could run any experience without anyone being disturbed. Firstly, he would list anything to make sure that the room is fit for his lab plan. He also would prepare risk management so there will be no potential disaster rising from his future lab.

Rais had started carefully planning his lab. He even successfully simulated it in a computer program. Of course, by his wealth and fortune access, Rais will be available to make his lab comes true.

Rais was amazed when he found out that he could build a lab that facilitates him to do many kinds of research. He can do forensic, economics, business, and even political research. Rais loved to solve mysteries in this world. He has a dream to have a portal that made him able to access all information throughout the world.

Though he didn’t have access to CIA files about 9/11, Rais can crack the information from many media sources. No one will think that he would be able to do that.

After 9/11, Rais put special attention on terrorism. He built a prototype of a vehicle that will help him fight those criminals. Rais found his father’s old Aston Martin. Then he turned it into something different.

The old car was produced in the early 50s. It’s still in perfect shape. Rais was amazed at what he can do with this car. He liked it very much. It’s a potential car to be transformed into a deadly vehicle.

Rais asked his father to give the car to him. After his father approved, Rais worked immediately on his plan about the car. He experimented with many designs, improving the lubricants and fuel to make the car turn into something better and faster.

Rais didn’t know yet how this car will help him to fight the terrorist. But he was sure that someday, it will be there for him to make his job easier. Maybe someday, this car will be one of his heroes.

Several days have passed.

On a rainy morning, Rais attended the funeral of dozens of people who were victims of September 11. They were escorted and buried, accompanied by the cries of their family. Many of the victims were just found after the Search and Rescue team finished sweeping the remaining World Trade Center. The bodies were found in many kinds of conditions.

The victims’ families watched the news for days. They wanted to make sure about their loved ones. When they got the news that World Trade Center had collapsed, they hoped that their family who was there didn’t go to work. But the news said differently.

When they lost hope, they just wanted to know that their families’ bodies were found, so they can stop questioning and assuming about their loved ones. After the search was finished and they got their information, they finally can do the funeral. Even though it hurt, at least they can see their loved ones for the last time.

Rais wanted to cry. He wanted to. After all, some of them were his employees. He tried to show sympathy, but no matter how hard he tried, his tears never dropped.

The crowd exchanged condolences then followed by goodbyes. Rais stood next to his father until the entire funeral was over. The sky was slowly covered with clouds. Soon the sunny weather turned into a drizzle.

Pandji Hoetomo, Rais’ father, patted his son on the shoulder.

“This will be a difficult time. I hope you are strong.”

“What do you mean, Father?”

“We have a substantial loss, but insurance will bear it. There will be no financial problems. But there is a greater loss than material.”

Rais remembered the words of the officer who sat next to him after the twin towers.

“You mean, about whom we are?” Rais asked.

Pandji nodded.

“You must know that at this time, we must support one another. We must run our business while recovering our good name.”

“Why do we have to bear it all, Father?”

“During this time, you might not care too much. But we can’t deny it. We are Muslims.”

Rais was silent.

The funeral was over.

Everyone went home, including Rais. He walked through the drizzling rain. He refused when his father’s employee offered an umbrella.

Rais chose to walk through the drizzle, which was getting heavier and heavier and turned into rain.

“Go home. I will tell Mrs. Elvie to prepare lunch,” said Pandji from the window of Rolls Royce.

Rais nodded and waved goodbye.

The remaining people waved their hands at Rais. Whether it was an illusion or not, he thought he saw Malikha among them.

Meanwhile, at the funeral, some people watched the Hoetomo Family. They glanced at them with hatred. They saw Rais the famous son, the genius one, and thought that Rais behaved evilly. They never met Rais, they never met The Hoetomos, but they saw Hoetomo’s name everywhere, every day. There’s no problem with it at first. But after this tragedy, everything will never be the same. Hoetomo is a symbol of a rich Muslim family. From now on, everything will never be the same for them.

In their house, Rais stared at the window in the rain.

“You haven’t been enough with the rain?” Asked Pandji.

“They all died, Father. I was there and watched it.” Rais could not help telling everything about how the people he knew were being killed.

“Rais...”

“I was there, Father, and I couldn’t do anything.”

“Rais, it’s not your fault...” Pandji put his hand on Rais’ shoulder.

“But the world blames us.”

“No, no...”

“They are, Father!”

“Nobody blames us.” Said Pandji.

“I saw it directly.”

“What do you mean?”

“A policeman pointed at me and said that it’s all our fault.”

“What fault?”

“Because we are Muslims!”

“They just don’t know the difference between Muslims and Muslim terrorists.”

“If only I could do something...”

“Stop blaming yourself. There is nothing wrong with you. This all has nothing to do with you. Why do you blame yourself?”

“I’m just feeling sorry. I should be able to do more.”

“So am I.”

“I need a moment to isolate myself. To rebuild me and think about what I have to do to fix this.

“I understand. Take your time.”

But Rais can’t let himself drown in sorrow. He got up fast. He can’t let his family, their company, and the employee suffered. A day after that funeral, Rais went back to Hoetomo, Inc.