That morning, the hospital was relatively quiet. In one of the examination rooms, an elderly man sat on his hospital bed, staring at the test results the doctor had just handed him. His name was Herman, a retired general who had spent decades serving as a soldier before entering retirement. His hair had turned white, but his posture remained straight, and the sharpness in his eyes still resembled that of a military commander. Standing beside the bed were his two sons. The eldest, Bayu, was a senior police officer holding the rank of Police Commissioner (Kombes Pol.). His younger brother, Anton, was a Colonel in the Indonesian Army. Both of them had been watching their father seriously, especially after the shocking incident that had happened the day before. The doctor looked through several sheets of medical results before letting out a small breath. “Mr. Herman, to be honest, I’m quite surprised by your test results today.” Herman immediately looked at him. “Surprised because my condition has gotten worse?” “Quite the opposite. Your heart condition has improved significantly.” Herman fell silent for a few seconds. Then a slow smile appeared on his face. “There.” Bayu and Anton immediately looked at him. Herman raised his chin proudly. “I told you. Your father is still strong.” Anton sighed. “Dad, you had a heart attack yesterday.” “That was yesterday.” “And you’re still in the hospital.” “That’s because the two of you are worrying too much.” Bayu stared at his father flatly. “Dad, you almost collapsed on the street because you secretly went out to buy Padang food.” Herman immediately fell silent. The room became quiet. Anton looked at his older brother. Bayu looked at his father. Herman finally cleared his throat. “It wasn’t Padang food.” Bayu raised an eyebrow. “Then what was it?” “The trip.” “The trip to the Padang restaurant?” Herman slowly nodded. Anton immediately rubbed his forehead. Ever since Herman’s heart condition had worsened, his two sons had become increasingly strict about his diet. Fried food, coconut-milk dishes, fatty meat, and all the other foods Herman loved had been severely restricted. But to Herman, those restrictions felt like punishment for a retired general who had suddenly lost the right to decide what he wanted for lunch. “From now on, you really need to watch your diet,” Bayu said firmly. Herman nodded. “Cut down on oily food.” Another nod. “You also need to avoid coconut-milk dishes.” Another nod. “Don’t eat carelessly.” Herman continued nodding. “And don’t sneak out just to buy food.” Herman’s hand, which had been resting on the blanket, suddenly stopped. Bayu narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong, Dad?” “Nothing.” “Why did you stop nodding?” Herman looked toward the window. “My neck hurts.” Anton struggled to hold back his laughter. “Your neck only hurts when you’re being told not to sneak out?” Herman turned toward him sharply. “Are you my son or an interrogator?” “Your son.” “Then stop interrogating me.” Bayu finally laughed. Although they often became frustrated because their father was so difficult to control when it came to food, both brothers deeply loved Herman. Since retiring, the old man had become increasingly careless with his diet. He constantly insisted that he was still as strong as he had been during his military service, while his aging body clearly demanded more careful treatment. The doctor then continued explaining Herman’s condition. “For now, we’ll still need to conduct further examinations. But there’s something very interesting. Your heart is in much better condition compared to your previous examinations.” Herman listened carefully. “How much better?” “Your heartbeat is much more stable. Several indicators of your heart function have also improved. Overall, your condition now looks significantly healthier.” Herman raised both eyebrows. “Like when I was still an active soldier?” The doctor smiled. “More or less.” Herman immediately looked pleased. He turned toward his two sons. “You heard that?” Bayu nodded. “Your heart is healthy.” Anton nodded as well. “Good.” Herman narrowed his eyes. “Then why do both of you look unhappy?” Bayu took a deep breath. “Because whenever Dad starts feeling healthy, you usually start causing trouble.” “I never cause trouble.” Anton immediately replied, “Yesterday, you ran away to buy Padang food.” “That wasn’t trouble.” “Then what was it?” Herman thought for a moment. “A tactical error.” Bayu immediately burst out laughing. “Oh, God…” Herman laughed along with him. But once the laughter faded, his expression gradually became serious. He remembered what had happened the day before, when his body suddenly weakened and his heart felt as though it could no longer keep up. He also remembered the young man who had come to help him. That young man had given him something. Afterward, Herman’s condition had somehow begun to improve. Herman looked at his two sons. “Bayu.” “Yes, Dad?” “Find the person who helped me yesterday.” Bayu immediately became serious. “Rian?” Herman nodded. “Yes. Rian.” Anton stepped closer. “What do you want to do, Dad?” Herman looked at both of his sons, his expression filled with gratitude. “I want to thank him personally.” He paused for a moment. “And I want to know how he managed to help me until my heart condition improved like this.” Bayu nodded. “All right. We’ll find him.” Herman leaned back against the bed, looking calm. But a few seconds later, he spoke again in a casual tone. “Bayu.” “Yes?” “When I’m allowed to go home…” Bayu immediately became suspicious. “What?” Herman smiled innocently. “Can I have some rendang?” Bayu stared at his father without expression. Anton slowly turned his face away, unable to hold back his laughter. “No.” “Just a little?” “No.” “Just the gravy?” “No.” “What if I wash the meat first?” “DAD!” Herman burst into laughter, filling the room. For the first time in a long while, both of his sons saw their father laughing without a care in the world. But beneath the laughter, one thing had already been decided. They would find Rian.

Chapter 24 — The General Who Ran Away for Padang Food