Clutching a small handbag to her chest, her reflection in the gleaming silver doors, Ishtar waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive.
And with a final desparate lunge, she rushed her mini suitcase inside, just as soon as the silver doors slid open. Leaning against the wall, she inhaled deeply, eyes at the numbers above the door which were blinked rapidly. She could almost hear her heartbeat echoing in her ears.
The elevator soft hum drove her into a couple of doubtful thoughts.
"No way...! That deep voice on the phone... it spoke in my ear with the tone that is so much familiar! I felt so connected to it that I never wanted it to stop talking."
In a contradictory and confused state, Ishtar sighed:
"Am not thinking straight anymore. Perhaps I'm just daydreaming."
As she was still battling in her thoughts, the elevator stopped before it reached her desired destination. Her heart racing higher again, quickly, she pretended to scratch her forehead, trying to block her face with a hand palm so that she doesn't get easily identified, just incase the silver doors slide open for security operatives.
Lucky for her, when the doors slid open, outside awaited a chubby mother and her seven kids, carrying the infant in arms. So playful and talkative, the other six kids quickly squeezed between the narrow gap and occupied the elevator like a swarm of bees. And before the door sighed shut, with a polite approach, the cubby excited mother requested Ishtar to help with carrying the youngest.
"Can you give me a hand?"
The infant's eyes were widely open, innocently observing the whole situation inside like he had an idea.
Ishtar with a welcoming smile, she opened her arms.
"Sure...!"
The jolly mother smiled a thanks you.
Gorgeously smiling, the cubby mom turned back outside to fetch two items of carry-on luggage, inside.
At the moment, just like birds in the morning, the sharp continous noise from the six kids was the order of the elevator. In a blink, these kids had turned Ishtar's little roller suitcase into a play toy, and other surrounding her like flies. Well conversant with the stubbornness of her children, the woman lifted a gaze on Ishtar and threw a smile _ the kind of smile that got Ishtar stuck in between complaining and understanding.
"They are just kids," the smile said.
Unwillingly, with her big heart, giving a plastic grin back at the fertile cubby mother was the only option as the elevator slid its way down, subtracting hotel levels to reach the ground floor. At this particular moment, the mother of seven flexed her hand muscles to ease from the hectic work as her baby still enjoyed the comfort in Ishtar's arms.
Ishtar, amidst carrying the infant so warmly in her arms, the baby's scent penetrated her nose deeply. As if under a spell, sluggishly her eyes closed and her grip on the infant tightened, strongly on her in the chest like a treasure she never wanted to loose. All of a sudden, flash images began to play within her head.
On and off images of a cesarean section performed on her: down on a hospital bed with sweat all over her tired face _ a new born cries as its placed on her chest by gloved hands stained with blood. Different masked faces of men dressed in white gowns surrounding her _ an emotional smile grows on her face when she holds the newborn passionately on her chest.
The cubby relaxed mom had not noticed yet but as soon as she turned her eyes up at her,
"Young lady, can I have my baby back?"
Already drowned deep in the sea of flashing images, Ishtar never heard the woman asking. Keeping a passionate grip on the infant, Ishtar's face had began to drip wet and now, she was breathing so deep and fast. Scared, the cubby woman grabbed her infant out of Ishtar's hands without a second thought, barking aggressively:
"Are you ritualistic? Let me have my child back!"
Suddenly jumped out of emotional flashes, she released the infant to the mother whose face was frowned so bitterly. Indeed her life were her children. Startledly, all the kids shut up and lifted up their eyes on Ishtar.
Politely, Ishtar apologises:
"Sorry!"
But, without any response, the cubby mother quickly gothered her kids at one corner not to stand anywhere close to the strange young lady, Ishtar.
After all, everyone on the road has their own devil to put on chains.
Sooner than later, it was high time for the elevator to hit the ground floor _ Ishtar's point of exit. Her tension arose. Warnings from the voices on the call earlier still rung a bell clearly in her head.
And before the silver doors slid open, with a palm she cleared the little sweat off her face, put her eyes behind shades again, gripped a handle of her mini suitcase. Her high heels began to stomp the floor out of the elevator.
Her heart racing in time with her hurried steps.
She glanced over her shoulder and at both sides, panic flickers in her eyes as she spots uniform officers on all sides pushing through the area, their faces so focused. Immediately, she changed from her initial direction to the bathroom side, successfully dodging officers' eyes. But her get-away was not yet secured. Inside the female lavatory, she fought to calm her racing thoughts. She had to think fast _ a plan that could save her. Out side, within the Grand Regency Hotel, the police had already closed in, but Ishtar was determined to escape.
Desperate to evade capture, she devises a meticulous plan to change her appearance.
Using her skills in makeup and cosmetic design, quickly she opens her mini suitcase and begins to transform her self into a elderly woman. She applies heavy foundation to create a wrinkled appearance, uses special effects makeup to accentuate her sunken cheeks and adds grey hair extensions styled into a frizzy bun. To complete the look, Ishtar dons oversized glasses, a floral dress, and orthopedic shoes that disguise her youthful figure.
Finally, she walks out of the hotel bathrooms.
Amidst the tension, Ishtar navigates through unexpected challenges before she leaves the hotel premises, from fending off curious onlookers, who questioned her identity to avoid encounters with police officers who had flooded the whole hotel reception, right from the entrance.
She spotted a young man, well dressed in an officer outfit and went straight near him. She faked a cough and put a hand on her chest to attract his attention. The young officer duped into thinking that the old woman needed to be assisted, he rushed in to render a helping hand.
"Sorry granny!"
He helped with the mini suitcase, softly held on her with a kind touch, and accompanied her through a swarm of law enforcers, some inside and others occupying the entrance, upto outside the hotel.
"Um granny, is your chauffeur aware that you're checking out?"
The young officer added:
"Probably he should be here by now!"