Saturday

By next month, I won’t be hearing ships honking their horns three times in the middle of the night

I won’t be seeing betel nut husks scattered on the pedestrian road any longer

I won’t be spending my afternoon swimming in the pool by Youtefa Bay

I won’t be breathing the fresh air and having summer breeze touches my skin.

By next month, I’ll be on the plane that takes me back home to Jakarta.

And God knows how hard it is to face the truth.

Moving out to Papua has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

The place in fact, healed my heart.

The one that’s been numb for years, intoxicated by the deadliest venom of the hustle and bustle of Jakarta

My heart has turned bitter and Papua soothed it.

When I first arrived, I was trapped in my 'city' mind.

I don’t’ trust people. I’m cold to them. I thought that when people do you a favor, they must expect something in return, or at least, have a hidden agenda.

But then, I learn about true friendship

And I found out that such thing called unconditional compassion does exist

In this place, I learn to put my feet on the ground

I met people and faced conditions that make me realize that life isn’t all about wanting something, or owning the latest gadget, or living the lavish lifestyle, but simply about how to be useful for others.

I met people who have a heart of gold

I met the best housemates in the world, whom as if tied by blood, do take care of me wholeheartedly

I am experiencing beautiful things.

Here, life is much way simpler and basic, but I feel at peace,

I feel content

I feel more human

And I’m happy

And what makes me irritated is the fact that I’ll be departing to Jakarta sometime soon.

It’s not that I don’t wanna go back home -which meaning has become vague recently-,  but I guess I’m afraid that I’m going to lose the serenity of life that I have collected for these past months. And when it fades away, I’m afraid my heart will gone bleak all over again.

But as I ponder over and over, I know that I shouldn’t be thinking of bad things. There’s no need to be panic because everything’s gonna be okay.

Now I just can’t imagine the moment  I bid goodbye to my housemates, wishing them the best of luck.

That day, we will travel on our own separate path

And I doubt there should be a chance we’ll ever meet again

.............

Have you ever wished the world to stop spinning, so the time would freeze?

I’ve been praying for that to happen even though I know it’s impossible

Probably, as one of my best friend said, things are better (and sweeter) this way.

So the piece of this memory will stay eternally in my brain, and someday  I will recall it as the greatest thing that ever happened to me.