(Message notification sound)
In the middle of typing a response to a client's email, I got a little distracted. But I quickly refocused. Just a few words left.
Okay. Done. I grabbed my smartphone and checked the incoming message. It was from Sinta.
"Hope it helps, Mas."
Turns out she sent me a poem. I read it briefly.
"Wow, wow. Are you mocking me, or what?" I immediately replied. Sinta was still online.
"No, Mas. I sent it so you'd wake up and find your soulmate. Haha ð"
"Ha ha ha ha. Alright, thanks."
"You're welcome, my dear brother ð."
Classic Sinta. I don't know whose poem she sent. It had the author's name on it, but it didn't ring a bell. Still, it was a good poem. I understood the intention behind the words. I only understood, thoughânot fully accepted. If I did, that "wound" would've healed millions of minutes ago.
"Meow..." Sherly, who had been lying on the wool carpet, suddenly jumped onto my desk.
"What's up, Sherly?"
"Meow... Meow..." She meowed toward the classic wall clock with Roman numerals. Half-past three in the afternoon.
"What is it? The clock's moving fine."
Then Sherly meowed softly toward the balcony.
"Do you want to go outside? Go for a walk? Alright. Let me get ready. You sit tight and don't knock anything over."
It's been almost a month since this fluffy creature has been with me. No word from her actual owner. I can't exactly inquire, either, as I don't have a contact number.
Honestly, I don't know much about Sherly's owner, an elderly woman about twenty years older than my mom. We only knew each other through polite greetings and brief chats when we happened to share an elevator. No deep conversations. We'd never even visited each other's apartments. But somehow, she trusted me to look after her beloved cat. She handed Sherly to me right after I finished my morning workout. No time to step insideâjust passed Sherly to me at the door and left. I hope she's alright.
"Sorry to trouble you, dear. I need to visit my husband's grave alone."
"It's no trouble at all, Ma'am. I'm happy to have company at home."
"Well then, please take good care of Sherly for me."
***
This time, I took this mackerel tabby to Mall Park, in Kuningan. It's a bit far from my place. I didn't feel like biking, and I didn't want to drive through traffic, so I opted for a motorcycle ride-share. It's easier to weave through traffic and use back alleys as shortcuts. Plus, it lets Sherly see more of the surroundings during the trip.
Once there, I stopped by a supermarket inside the mall, bought a cup of hot chocolate in a paper cup, and found an empty bench. I took out my headphones and let Sherly out to roam freely while I tuned into some soul-soothing music on YouTube.
This Mall Park is outdoors, designed as a bridge between two main buildingsâone side lined with restaurants, cafes, and a cinema. Open skies, a central fountain, lush plants, marble benches, and visitors. Most of them are office workers, understandable as the area is surrounded by office buildings.
Is it busy? I see around twenty to thirty people. I can hear snippets of conversations around me, but I don't mind the noise. In fact, this atmosphere has a unique charm for me. I turn up my headphones until I can't hear them anymore, creating a bubble of silence amidst the noise. Don't worry, my headphones have high-quality noise-canceling, so they won't hear what I'm listening to.
I look over at Sherly. She's fascinated by a butterfly. Beautiful. Its wings shimmer black and blue. Alright, time to close my eyes and enter a state of thetaâtranquility.
***
Someone's shaking my knee. A woman with a cup of coffee in her left hand is shaking my knee. But I can't see her face. Gradually, the shaking grows more intense.
I slowly open my eyes, curious to see who this stranger disturbing my nap might be.
"Keiko?!"
I blurt out, startled. She's not unfamiliar. If you've been following my story from the beginning, she's a painter. She gave me her first painting for free about forty months ago.
"So you do remember. I wasn't mistaken."
Looks like I slipped too deep into my subconsciousâpast the theta state into delta sleep. I glanced around. It was already dark. Sherly was snoozing right beside me. I checked my watch. 7:07 PM.
"Shasiburidana, Keiko-chan."
"Shasiburidana,...?" She seemed not to know my name. But then again, I'd never told her.
"Wisnu. My name is Wisnu."
"Long time no see, Wisnu-san."
***
A meeting is always a beginning.
But a farewell isn't always an end.
For those bound by memories.
Beautiful, happy memories.
Bittersweet, longing memories.
Your tears, your laughter, your smiles, your sadness.
My tears, my laughter, my smiles, my sadness.
They colored our time together,
Filling the blank pages of our story.
Until one day, you left, breaking promises
For a promise you deemed more certain.
Leaving me alone
To fill thousands of blank pages by myself.
I won't forget.
And I can never forget.
But I must close this chapter
After countless days facing solitude.
I'll embrace the peace of every memory
So my life won't be spent in dreams.
You're happy.
I, too, want to be happy.
-Diana-