Thursday is a good day to go AWOL

Yesterday afternoon, I went someplace with only my hosts' knowledge. I did what I did and that night before sleeping (at 2.30am) I checked my messages and there was my roommate asking me where I was and whether I was going to come home. I never replied. There was also work messages and since all my work stuffs were in my Note that I left at home, there was nothing productive in replying anyway. So I didn't.

Next morning I did what I did. Kemal was going to deliver the day's lunch of chicken rice that I ordered for the housemates so I had to go back around 1pm to receive it.

"Why don't you just ask your housemates to get it instead?" Host asked.

"Well I didn't tell any of them where I went. It will be weird to suddenly call them to ask for favour."

"You told no one you're here?"

"Aa. Roommate asked last night but I didn't feel like answering."

"You're bad."

The host meant it seriously, but I merely grinned. Yes, so I am. "I like to go AWOL sometimes. I'll do it again anytime."

"Hmm," host was definitely going to lecture me but seemed to realize I wouldn't change either way. "If it was me, I wouldn't be worried. I know well of your idiosyncrasies and that you can take care of yourself. I'm sure you will sleep somewhere safe."

---

I went back with lunch and was attacked by one of the housemates. "Where were you last night?"

"Somewhere."

"Why didn't you tell us you weren't coming home? You never not tell when you're not coming home."

"Hmm."

"Did you go to Rai's?"

"Why is it important where I was?"

"Bet you were at Umair's. You always hang out with her."

"I have other places too. Nisa's, Ara's.. Ara has new kittens. Smokey gave birth."

"Really? How many?"

Successfully threw her off. I was a bit touched that she cared when others had adapted to my idiosyncrasies. But I can't be on the radar all the times, I want to disappear sometimes too.

I had my lunch and went online. There was news of a 14 years old boy who went missing in Gombak. He is a special-need kid who loves to go off on his own without any ID or phone and he will always come home or check-in from somewhere the same day, but this time he didn't. His family filed a police report and spread the word via social media. We don't have Amber Alert like in the US.

They found him 15 hours later at his relative's home in Putrajaya. Apparently he went there the day he went AWOL but no one was home, so he went somewhere else and came back the next day. He really made people worry this time because he took a longer time to check-in. I bet they'll fashion a GPS tracker in his belt or button badge or something because there will be a next time.

I can relate to him. You can't beat that feeling of just going off and disappear without a care for anything except yourself. Selfish, I suppose. Reckless, maybe. Careless, not. So long you don't make people dead worried of you thus this type of activity should only be reserved for the responsibles (oh the irony) or for those who have a certain safe AWOL period.

I once asked the host how many days for my absence before they send a search party after me. I don't remember the answer, but it was probably around 3 or 4 days absent from class and home. With my family maybe 2 days because I normally check-in with them through various online means minimally every other day. Mom will probably write on my wall asking for my whereabouts if I completely went offline in two consecutive days.

Just so you know, I wear a necklace with my name written as a pendant. Mole on right temple and left shin and a scar on the upper right eyelid.