I WOKE UP TO THE SAME USUAL MORNING. I jumped out of the bed and quickly go to the bathroom to do some toilet business and wash my face, cause I had already took a shower a few hours ago. Yeah, my sleep wasn’t really a sleep; I may call that loosing consciousness for a blink. I look at myself in the mirror and noticing that I haven’t shaved for days. My beard has grown quite bad. I look homeless. But since today is a special day, I decided to shave just incase the airport security officers will arrest me for having different look from my passport photo.
Guess what? I’m flying to Amsterdam today, and for the real deal you may already guessed it right; is that I’m going to Leiden.
I didn’t apply for a scholarship but since I have some savings and my family has already agreed since years ago — I applied myself for the Master degree in Leiden University and majoring in Law. And I should actually make everyone believes that I fit as a Law major student by shaving my homeless ass beard today.
It’s been three years since Raskal moved out of my apartment. It has been quite lonely sometimes, but he still comes for checking out on me or either just hanging around. Sometimes we stopped to grab some coffee while talking about what’s going to happen ahead, and what are our plans to make it happen. Jiro and Kael had come to visit too back then, but we surely got too busy and the last time mommy issue hanged out was after the day I graduated for my bachelor degree while they were also preparing for their thesis. Whereas Lydia is completely a sucker for thesis, she struggled a lot in university and hopefully graduating soon, and Juli is completely head over heals for Jiro while enjoying their campus life together, no pain no gain. And lastly, Hanna, she is the actual ‘alergic to thesis’ but then graduated right after I did, she’s still awesome as ever.
Time surely passes so easily, huh?
The toaster’s chunked is taking me back to the present. I quickly took my bread and spreading butter all over it then eating it in silence.
After a while, I am ready to go. I brought all the documents in my bag and checked whether there are any electricity was left on, cause of course I don’t want to set my beautiful apartment into a room of fire. Then when everything was completely checked, I drag my suitcase with me as I finally leaving the place where I usually found myself in.
I took a taxi and directed the driver to Soekarno-Hatta Airport. And I finally have some moment to relax myself. These past few years had me exhausted, confused, and depressed. By I was in eight semester, I really couldn’t do anything except focusing my goal to graduate, and it really went smoothly. My thesis got quickly accepted, and I really did find my way to go to that city again. The city where I don’t know whether if she’s still there.
Lydia told me everything after a year when she finally got the permission to. She, Ollaine, was still in Leiden after I went back. The Leiden University’s alumni that was found shot was her father. The father that neglected her. Luckily her father was saved and got some treatments in the hospital, with Ollaine that stayed alongside the treatment with him. Once her father got better, they talked about everything that happened in the past. Her father apologized to her and told that he was actually had a company that was going on a bankruptcy and one of the employee that her father owed a salary was hiring someone to stalk Ollaine everyday which her father had to stop. So her father followed her all the way to Leiden to only watch her from afar, cause he knew that she hated him for not being there when she was a kid. After some talks and tears, she decided to have peace for herself and forgave her father.
I was glad to hear that, and more surprised to see the picture of her dad who was actually the old guy I met while I was having a campus tour for myself back then. From how he talked, I knew so well that he has such a big love towards his daughter. And after that, I never really heard of her.
As I opened my eyes, the driver told me that we had already arrived then I quickly apologized cause I didn’t heard him calling me for about twelve times.
I drag my suitcase and go straight to the passenger assistants to check in my tickets and baggage. Then go to the Starbucks to grab a coffee while waiting for my boarding time. I scrolled through the instagram for a while and got bored. I had stop from playing with girls too, I made some clear boundaries and some of them left but some of them also stayed. I enjoyed making friends, I kept on touch with some of my senior and they actually gotten really successful by years. I’m hopefully too.
Fifteen minutes before my boarding call, I suddenly got a call from Lydia. They are saying that they are here. I got excited for a second, but I need to keep my cool because they are probably sad that I’m leaving.
After the moment I saw a group of people waving while coming towards me, and I know so well that it must be them. So I quickly waved my hand back with the best smile I could give.
When they get closer, I am actually getting emotional. I don’t know what does this feelings called but — leaving them and being separated even more than a month will make me really homesick.
“Hayo mau nangis, ya?” Said the girl with two pigtails, Hanna. She does really know my weakness by just looking at my expression, serem. “Apaan dah lu, kagak tinggi-tinggi juga udah jadi sarjana,” I said to her.
“Akhirnya pergi haji juga ya pak. Jangan lupa cium Hajar Aswad,” this time the guy with tanned skin, Jiro, come towards me and puts his arm on my shoulder. It’s been a while since I got annoyed so I smack his forehead.
I take a look on Raskal and realized that he was making a proud-dad expression to me, and it successfully makes me laugh and the good thing is that he still is the same person I knew from high school. Julie brought me some presents and told me to open them when I am getting homesick, which I probably gonna open them all the time when I get there.
“Lu abis cukuran ya, Jon?” Asked the bleached haired guy, Kael.
“Iye ngape?”
“Cakepan.”
“Walah iya dah yang blondie,” I replied as I laughed knowing the fact that this guy dyed his hair just only to grant his girlfriend’s wish, and where he did.
“Jon,” Called Lydia who is a little quiet today. I let Jiro’s arm go and come closer towards her. “Kenapa Lyd?”
“I actually had something for you. But I don’t know if she could make it or not..” She said.
“She?” I asked her in confusion.
Lydia nodded and suddenly I saw a girl running towards us with a bouquet of flower in her hand. She’s panting so hard when she gets here and so I told her to catch some breath. And yeah, she’s the girl I met in Leiden. She’s here. She’s…. Ollaine.
While she was catching a breath, I found myself holding my breath. She gets even prettier. I also saw the boys looking at her by awe. She apologized for coming so late and handing the bouquet to me. “Congratulations!”
Still the same tone of speaking. Her raspy voice that I missed by years. I was too stunned to speak. I don’t know how to respond whereas I accepted the bouquet quickly. “Thanks.”
She’s standing in front of me, with the same scent I really like. Her hair is a little shorter, It seems like she has been cutting it. Her expression is really subtle and just so I realized that her eye smile looks really cute when she laughs with my friends. I got too focused on her every details that I seem to forgot that she is actually here. She’s here.
I unconsciously open my hand and pull her into a hug. Everyone was shocked and so did myself, then I quickly let her go. “Sorry, I — I just really want to do that.”
Rather than being annoyed, she just smiled and laughed. “You are just never seem to change, Raphael.”
Raphael.
Lydia told everyone to leave us both for a bit. Then I thanked her by making a ‘thanks’ movement with my mouth and she winked at me and replied with ‘good luck’.
“So how long have you been here?” I asked.
“A month,” she answered.
“And… why are you here?”
“Oh, so I can’t?”
“No! It’s just really surprised me. I’m happy you’re here. But I thought that you were staying with your father?”
“Well not anymore, Raphael.” She smiled as she punched my shoulder a bit. I laughed.
“I-,” just before I could finish my sentence, I heard my boarding call and looked at my watch for a second. I only had five minutes left before my plane will actually fly. I had never imagine that a five in my life would be this important.
I turned my head back to Ollaine, and I see her weirdly smiling. “Why?” I asked.
“That’s your call, right?” She asked back. I nodded.
“You should go now, then.”
I hesitate. Lydia and the others are giving me a code to hurry up. But looking at her, I realized, what should I hurry about?
“Okay then,” I replied. “I’ll see you for the next three years, I guess?”
She nodded with a smile. “Here’s my new number,” she writes her number on my wrist. “Don’t forget to text me once you’re arrived.”
I looked at her about to laugh. “Oh, so you’re the one who’s making a move now?”
“Just shut up and go will you?”
I laughed.
I drag my suitcase as she walks with me to the others. Lydia is having a tough annoyed expression. I guess she waited for me to confess to Ollaine, so I only laugh at her. I said some farewells. Then start walking back to the gate while waving towards them.
A confession should never be in a hurry. I would tell everything to her once I’m back. And by her expression, this time, I know she will be the one to wait for me.
So, see you in another three years, Ollaine Jansen.
— After Ending, END.
