Autumn In Kent
The Man Who Should Be Shunned

‘You know him, Em? He recognized you, didn't he?’ ask Puti on the way home.

‘I don't know them. And vice versa. He just mentioned a random name,’ replied Emma.

Buty doesn't believe that answer. Emma is not an easy name to guess. Didn't Emma enter the apartment confidently and choose the right door? Emma knew exactly who was coming out that door. But why should Emma pretend not to know her? And if Steve is able to recognize Emma in that costume, then Steve really knows Emma.

‘Is he your ex?’ Chase Puti.

‘Of course not,’ disprove Emma. ‘I don't have an ex. My guy was just one. Nick.’

‘Lantas? Who is he?’

‘He's a guy you should stay away from. I will show him to you so that you will be vigilant. Don't go near him, Put.’

‘Emma, my heart is still broken to pieces, I don't want to get close to anyone. I don't want to have another guy,’ said Puti.

‘You're wrong. You should find a new guy soon. Much as. If you need to date all the Kent guys. Except her.’

☘️

November 2nd.

At eight o'clock Puti walked to the Management Building. It turned out that Steve was already in the lobby enjoying a cup of coffee that he immediately put on the table as soon as he saw the arrival of Puti.

‘You need to copy before you go?’ Steve offered.

‘I just got a coffee on my unit,’ reject Puti.

‘Machiato Latte here is the most delicious se Ohio, Puti,’ persuade Tim, bartender who heard Puti's rejection. So this chick is happy machiato latte, Steve notes inwardly.

‘Later in the afternoon I stopped by here, Tim,’ promised Puti before he got out of the lobby with Steve.

In the parking lot, near the car that Steve's door opened for him, Puti was riveted. While most college students drive Chevrolet, Ford or Japanese cars, the car Steve drives is a red 911 Porche. Cars that have just been launched with a bandrol of 90 thousand dollars. More than a billion rupiah. No student would ever walk around in such an expensive car. Especially KSU students.

‘Porche 911 to see an ophthalmologist? Wow, very classy,’ comments Puti when Steve is already in and sitting in front of the wheel. Hearing the criticizing tone in Puti's voice, Steve smiled, complete with his dimples.

‘Only the best for you, Puti,’ he said lightly.

They're heading to an eye clinic in downtown Kent. A clinic established by several ophthalmologists. Puti was treated by Dr. Conneally, an ophthalmologist who had passed the age of sixty. His entire hair was gray and his face described his policies and experiences. Puti is sure this doctor will examine him carefully.

After Puti goes into the examiner's room, Steve leaves to go to university and promises to pick her up.

‘No need, Steve. I can go home by myself by bus,’ Puti feel disinclined.

‘No. Don't go home before I pick you up,’ Steve denies. ‘Doctor please make sure this beautiful girl does not come home before I come,’ her message to doctor Conneally.

‘Don't worry, Steve. I guarantee you until you come, the examination is not finished,’ said Dr. Conneally while laughing. Princess smile. The doctor could joke, he thought. The longest eye examination will only take half an hour. Going back to college takes longer than that. Getting out of this clinic is an easy job.

The Puti estimate was far off. His eye examination not only lasted half an hour, but for hours. Start with a reading test. Then his eyes were filled with fluid. Read test again. Retrieved again. Read test again. A nurse checked her blood pressure and took a blood sample.

After that, Dr. Conneally examined Puti's eye ability to distinguish colors. Distinguish the convexity, the concavity. Then Puti's eyes were illuminated. When Puti was tired of doing a series of examinations, doctor Conneally dripped his eyes with a very painful drug. At that moment, Puti could see nothing.

‘I can't see,’ complains Puti anxiously.

‘It's okay, Puti,’ doctor Conneally calmed her down. ‘You rest first. If you can see again, call me,’. ‘Suster, please take Puti to the room,’ doctor Conneally orders her nurse. In a wheelchair Puti was taken to a room and told to lie down.

The examination is not completed until there. Once Puti can see again the examination was continued. Puti's eyes are dripped with another fluid that serves to enlarge the pupils of his eyes. With pupils as big as his eyes black, Dr. Conneally began to examine. Another officer picked up Puti's eyeball X-ray. Puti did not think. What's all this checking for? And when will this check be over?

When Steve came to pick me up, Puti's eye exam wasn't completely done. A nurse was measuring her big and black eyes.

After the measurement was completed, Puti was told to take a short break while waiting for the results of the photo examination.

‘How?’ asked Steve to take a seat next to Puti's seat.

‘This is all because of you. If you don't force me to change my glasses, I don't have to go through this series of crazy checks, ’ said Puti exasperated. Steve laughed lightly.

‘I brought lunch for you,’ he said after his laughter subsided. ‘I don't know what your favorite food is so I just bought a hamburger.’ Puti now has a turn to laugh. Steve looked at him confused.

‘I've eaten, Steve,’ Puti explained. ‘Did you not know that this clinic patient got a lunch ration?’

‘Sit, Puti,’ doctor orders Conneally smooth. Puti.

A moment later the doctor Ceneally mentes Puti with letters.

‘Puti, have you lost your total vision?’ tanyakanya.

‘Earning,’ Reply Puti hesitate.

‘How many times and when?’

‘Two times. About a month ago. But after that never again,’ Puti story. Doctor Conneally nodded his head and sat down.

‘All checks have been completed,’ he announced. ‘The size of your glasses I sent to the lens section. You just choose the frame and color of the lens. But I advise you to choose a clear lens. Your eyes are too beautiful to hide behind dark glasses,’. Puti smiles.

‘Doctor, I want to know the results of my eye examination,’ asked Puti because she did not hear doctor Conneally's comments after learning that she had lost her eyesight.

‘Not so good,’ replied doctor Conneally.

‘Can I be more specific?’ chase Puti is not satisfied. Doctor Conneally was hesitant.

‘Well ...,’

‘Only a matter of time is not it, doctor?’ Puti helping.

‘You mean?’

‘My eyes are no longer hopeful. At any moment I can experience total blindness. Correct me if I am wrong. ‘

‘Where did you know?’ ask Dr. Conneally and answer Puti's questions. Puti tried to laugh. And his laughter sounded so discordant.

‘Then, my eye doctor once said that little by little I would lose my vision and then it would be blind. At that time I laughed at him because I thought he was just scaring me to wear glasses. But after a month ago I experienced ... my vision was lost, I started to think about his words,’ Puti story.

‘Puti, do you think you know the cause? I'm sure this is not a hereditary disease,’ asked Dr. Conneally.

‘Ya, I might know,’ replied Puti doubtfully. ‘Perhaps because of the accident.’

‘What accident?’

‘When I was a kid I had a heavy accident. The bus I was riding was hit by a train. I have bleeding in my brain, if not wrong. Could the accident be the cause?’

‘Yes, could be the cause,’ murmured doctor Conneally.

‘Is it not curable, doc?’ tanya Puti was full of hope.

‘I'm not sure, Puti. All I can do now is slow down the process. The drugs for that you can later take in the pharmaceutical department. They have prepared. But I guess I'll check more carefully the photos of your eyes. When I find something, I'll call you. It would be even better if you want to exercise control two months or once a month. And do not forget to contact us if you have difficulty with your eyes,’ doctor Conneally ordered.

‘Thank you, doctor,’ said Puti while getting up. Doctor Conneally drove him to the front door. Steve who saw their appearance was approaching soon.

‘It's all done?’ tanyakanya.

‘Yap,’ replied doctor Conneally steady. ‘By the way, Steve why do you rarely come home?’

‘I'm facing a big project, doc. Ever heard of the hundred thousand dollar home design competition organized by Gloss Housing Company? Well, I intend to win it. Must work hard for it,’ replied Steve.

‘Hopefully successful,’ replied doctor Conneally while patting Steve on the shoulder as if a proud father for his son's achievements.

After saying goodbye to Dr. Conneally, Steve and Puti went down to the lens section. In this section there are thousands of frames from thousands of modes and colors. Puti looked at the frames at a glance without intending to pay more attention more carefully.

An old woman, the same age as Dr. Conneally showed up.

‘Have chosen the frame you want, dear?’ tanyakanya. Puti shook her head.

‘Ehm .. I don't need new frame. All I need is the lens,’ said Puti while removing from his bag the frame of his old glasses.

‘You don't want to change frames?’ ask Steve.