Blog Ini Dipindah Ke Situs Lain
Read Users' Comments (0)
Still, My Desired Love
A few years ago, when I was in Australia for
a student exchange program, I experienced something that had always been my
desire. It was like a dream, but it was for real. Well, you know, it might be
called a cliché one, but it was what girls always wanted. Anyway, what I got at
the first time was not that exciting. Not exciting.
I was placed in University of New South
Wales which was so big and awesome. The first time I stepped into it, I truly
stood in awe. Stop right here. Dear audience, notice please, I didn’t drool, I
was conscious enough to be seen by those handsome boys in a good look and not
to be underestimated by the fabulous girls.
I came into the building and I looked for
the class I should attend that day. I didn’t want to be late, for I had sort of
traumatic feeling for being late. As I found the class, I came into it and sat
in an empty seat. There were only five or six students there that morning. I
glanced to my favorite blue wrist watch and realized that it was only six.
“My school habit is still glued inside of
me,” I chuckled.
Being bored for I had nothing to do, I left
my bag on the seat and went away from the class. I took a walk around the
campus. I thought that I’d find something interesting. I met a group of
students having a chit chat in a quite loud voice. It attracted me to approach
them, but I hesitated. However, as I passed them by, one of them called me to
come.
“You don’t belong to this campus, do you?” a
girl talked to me with a wry smile.
I stopped three steps before them. “You know
it,” I said. “It is my very first day.”
I felt something bad. With the wry smile she
gave and the sharp stares from the other students to me, I was convinced to
leave this group as soon as possible. I heard a story of a newbie bullied by a
group of horrible students. I didn’t want to experience that. Ever.
“I’m sorry, I think I should go back to my
class right now. I don’t want to miss it,” I turned back and walked away.
A boy chuckled and stopped me walking. “You
shouldn’t be so diligent here. Let’s have fun!” he said sarcastically. “You’re
like a poor girl wanting to be success.”
I turned back again and smiled at him. “At
least I am not the one who is destroying my future by consuming my parents’
wealth,” I said confidently right in front of his face.
I hated someone who could only boast of the
wealth belonged to their parents and underestimate others. That’s why I told
him so. I wanted to make him shut his mouth. I’m sorry, God for my words, I thought.
“How dare you!” he pulled my shoulder and
was trying to do something bad to me but another boy stopped him.
“She’s just a newbie, Howard!” he told him.
“And a girl!”
The one who was called Howard starred at his
friend. “How could you stand for her? You’re my friend! How dare you!” he
yelled.
I didn’t want to see any fighting. I should
do something. “Hey! You guys are friends. Don’t fight. I’d better leave now,” I
said and walked away.
“Wait! I’ll go with you,”
I didn’t want to care of it since I thought
it could be a trap of which he could take me back to that group and they could
bully me. I didn’t want to know who he was either. I just walked as fast as I
could. However, he ran after me.
“Sorry for that. Actually he’s a nice mate.
He’s just having a problem,”
“And he released his anger to a very new
student – I mean an exchange student like me!” I muttered.
He was smiling. I knew it though I didn’t
see him directly. You know, I have sixth sense, umm kind of. Just name it.
“I’m Liam, anyway,” he told me. “If you
want to know.” He added, as I didn’t introduce myself in return.
I was in front of the class and I came in.
He did as well.
“Stop following me,” I said.
“I didn’t. It’s my class,” he passed me by
and sat in his seat which was placed right behind me.
I didn’t care of him anymore. I just wanted
to stay focus with all the things here because I wanted to bring a good report
in a paper when I went back to my lovely country.
Months went by. I always had the same class
as Liam did. It was so weird, odd, strange, what else could explain this? At
the first, I thought, should I do an investigation for this? Should I? Ah, no,
no. I would waste my precious time being here. I needed to focus. Celine, focus your mind. I kept saying it every time I stood in front of a mirror,
not only at my boarding house but also the campus toilet.
It was the fifth month I lived in Australia.
I enjoyed many things there, including meeting a new group of five girls
consisted of various races, so that I could learn many cultures, many slangs
which made me so confused, and many other things. However, there was a little annoying,
terrible, pathetic rock in my glossy smooth path which was getting bigger each
day.
“Theresa, could you please help me to do a
little research? Since you’re the native one in our group, I need to know the
way how Australian produce words. Please?” I pleaded. I had asked some friends and they
refused by saying that they had no time, now she was my last option. I hoped
she would help me.
She shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t. I
have an appointment with my boyfriend,” she replied.
What? Boyfriend? Is he so important that you could put aside
your friend who helps you along this time? You even told me that
he’s not a good guy! I
complained inside my heart.
“Please Theresa, you’re my last option and
then no more,” I pleaded again.
“Oh darling, I believe you can do it without
me. Trust me you’ll find the way out soon,” she stroked my head and smiled. “I
need to go now. See you later.” She stood up from the park’s bench and left.
I nodded upon my knees with a thick book as
the prop. If I didn’t have anyone to be the model for my research, I could
never be able to give the right and certain statement in it and finish my
report. God, help me, I cried inside my heart.
“I don’t think she is your last option,”
someone sat beside me.
“Hi, Liam,” I greeted without moving. I kept
being on my position. I knew it was him. His voice, his presence, his perfume
aroma smelled familiar for me each day.
“I heard you need someone to help you for
your research. What can I do for you?” he said.
I caught a word ‘heard’ which made me
realize something. “Wait up. ‘Heard’? What do you mean with ‘heard’? Are you really
following me all this time and listening to what I say and discuss with my
friends?” I accused him without thinking.
He looked shocked and paused. He didn’t say
anything.
“Why didn’t you answer me, Liam?” I raised
my voice’s tone.
He looked down to the grass and then to
somewhere far in front of him.
“Many girls expected being a Cinderella who
could be the one whom a famous, handsome, charming prince fell in love with.
Well, except me. Let me tell you, Liam, it is neither fun nor wonderful for me.
You know, since the first time, it was really annoying that you seemed trying to
know everything about me deeper in many ways. You were even crazier when you finally
knew my complete name. You asked your friends to help you or even the lecturers
to pretend that something happened then drove me to you or the canteen men with
their weird Asian foods to impress me. I don’t know what you are trying to do.
I heard many times about Australian boys chased Asian girls like me because
they only wanted to have fun,” I expressed my complaint in a really long
utterance. “Well, dude, you’re chasing the wrong girl. I’m not that sort of
girls who could be used and thrown afterward. I’m different. I’m special.”
Since that day, I kept avoiding meeting him.
In every turn, byway, aisle, I even tried not to pass him by. Meanwhile, at the
class, I tried not to see him in the eye. He didn’t do any efforts to be closer
to me as well as he used to do. It was great but I also thought that I might have
hurt him. A little guilty feeling occurred in my heart, but I took it for
granted.
It was July and winter. The temperature was
so low. It was only 5˚ C. I did really need to get used to it. Thank God my
campus bought me some thick coats and winter-hat so that I could warm myself
when I was out of the building. I couldn’t imagine how people here could stay
alive with this cold weather.
There was a Winter Feast at the campus. You
know, I already had some friends I was used to hang around together so I planned
to stay with them along this night. We did really many fun things together and
bragged about girls’ stuffs until Liam came standing on the stage in front of a
large number of students and he said that he would sing a song for a girl he
liked. I couldn’t tell you more, ‘cause absolutely it was about me. My friends
made jokes about me too. According to my investigation, Theresa was the one who
told Liam everything to make me closer to him since I knew she was his cousin. I
just gave them wry smile.
At the moment, I still felt guilty actually.
Sarcastically, I made him get rid of me, of my life. How bad I was. Speaking
frankly, being without him for two months – believe it or not – I felt losing
something. I didn’t want to lie, I confessed it to myself. I thought, in front
of him, I would feel ashamed for my deed. I decided to stay outside until he
finished it, or maybe going back to my boarding house was a better option.
I almost went out from the room but then his
wonderful voice stopped my step. I didn’t dare to turn back and look at his
face. You know, I felt I got two different feelings that night. One was feeling
guilty, but one was, umm, unclear. I just stood there listening until it was
finished.
“Celine,” he called out my name through the
microphone when he saw me who was about to go out.
From the stage he ran to approach me. He
apologized for his weird behaviors and other things made me annoyed. It was
true. I was like in the desert having him around me. I was very popular because
of his prince-charming status anyway, but at the same time, students made jokes
about me.
“For the jokes you received, I didn’t do it
all. It was the effect for the things I did along this time to you which – I
confess – were on purpose. Honestly, to harm you is the last thing I would do,
or rather, would never happen. From the very first sight, I only want to care
of you, help you in everything, and see you smile every time,” I’m listening to
his long utterances. “You are special to me.”
I recalled many things happened between me
and him. When I was in trouble finding for the materials I needed in classes I
had, nobody would help me, but him. When I was sad, and I needed my girl
friends only to stay beside me, he was the one who came and encouraged me. He
even could make me laugh instantly – it was still annoying knowing that he
could, though. When the other students made jokes about my Asian race, he was
the one who told everybody that most of the source of natural beauty came from
Asia. He did such wonderful things I had never realized before that it all was
so sweet and precious to me.
“I beg your pardon, Miss Celine Putri,” he
knelt before me and held out a real blue flower. “For the sake of my love, and
all the annoying things I did to you – but all was the expression of my love to
you,” he cleared his throat, “would you be the one who stays beside me for
eternity?”
I chuckled with tears. Then I knew the other
feeling I got was ‘love’. “It’s only three months left I’ll stay
here,” I said.
“Fire purifies gold,” he told me. “If distance is the
fire and the gold is our love, you know what it will be.”
I remained quiet for a while. Smiling from ear to
ear. “Absolutely yes,” I said.
“What, yes?” his eyes rolled showing
confusion. He frowned. “If you accept me, you should take this flower.”
“You didn’t tell me to do that, so I didn’t
do it,” I told him but then I took the flower. “You have to know better what I
like since you are my boyfriend. I prefer doll to flower.”
He stood and embraced me tightly in front of
those students. They shouted and clapped cheerfully for us, including Theresa and
Howard who showed me with a gesture that they were a couple as well.
“You still need a model for your research,
right?” he asked.
I chuckled. “I will keep you for hours,
days, months to work hard until I finish my research,” I replied.
“I’m willing if you ask me to stay for the rest of your time,”
Since that day, I became his girlfriend,
even when I was in my own country. We met every time we got holiday. I came to
Australia or vice versa, he came to my country. We spent five years in our
relationship until we got married. Yesterday.
I ended my testimony in a TV program “Still,
My Desired Love”. Claps and loud cheering surrounded the atmosphere at the
studio. I burst out with tears while my husband who is sitting among the
audience, is smiling at me. Thank you God for giving me a wonderful husband.
Pemeran Utama - A Short Mixed Bilingual Story (Final)
Verona - Natalie
Kedua
sahabat itu bergandengan tangan saat keluar dari kampus setelah menyelesaikan
seluruh kuliah mereka hari ini. Mereka berjalan menuju teras samping dan duduk
disana sambil menikmati angin sepoi-sepoi.
“Lagi
seneng, dapet Beasiswa Djarum nih,” Verona menyenggol sahabatnya.
“Praise the Lord, penelitianku untuk ngembangin
bahasa Inggris di panti asuhan diterima,” kata Natalie senang.
“Aneh ya?”
kata Verona.
“Aneh?”
Natalie tidak mengerti.
“Iya aneh,”
sahut Verona. “Waktu kita pisah, kita malah nemuin pasangan masing-masing.”
Natalie
tertawa. “Kamu nggak nyambung deh. Anyway, aku sama
sekali nggak ngerencanain itu lho, Ve,” katanya. “Aku aja nggak nyangka.”
Verona
mengangguk-angguk. “Emang aku juga nyangka kalo selama ini ooh-ku udah buat
rencana-rencana itu?” katanya lalu tertawa juga.
“Berarti aku
bener kan kalo you deserve the best kayak siapa
namanya? Ricardo?”
Verona
mengiyakan.
“Tuh bener
kan. Asal percaya aja Tuhan sediain yang terbaik buat kita,” kata Natalie.
“Tul betul,”
Verona setuju. Ia mencubit pipi kanan Natalie.
“Ih, jangan
nyubit-nyubit dong,” keluh Natalie.
“Oh ya,
Daniel kapan mulai jadi volunteer disini?”
Verona mengalihkan pembicaraan tanpa mempedulikan keluhan Natalie sebelumnya.
Natalie
mengelus-elus pipinya yang dicubit itu. “Besok mungkin. Soalnya dia balik ke
Amerika cuman dua minggu untuk ngambil barang-barangnya plus ngabarin om tantenya,” jawabnya. “Tapi dia udah
nyampe disini kemarin malem. Jadi habis ini aku sama dia mau makan siang
sama-sama.”
“Kalo gitu,
kalian barengan aku sama Ricardo aja,” sahut Verona senang. “Kita lunch bareng. Setuju?”
“Setuju
lah,” Natalie tersenyum. “Tapi pulangnya minta tolong Ricardo anterin ke
rumahku ya.”
“Ah, itu sih
gampang,” kata Verona dengan yakin. “Kalo gitu aku kabarin oh Ricardo, kamu
kabarin Daniel.”
“Sip,” sahut
Natalie lalu mengambil handphone-nya dan
menelepon Daniel.
Di kisah
ini, siapakah yang menjadi pemeran utamanya? Well, tentukan
saja sendiri, siapa bagimu yang merupakan pemeran utamanya. Bagiku sebagai
penulisnya, semuanya pemeran utama, karena aku yang membuatnya. Haha. And I like them all, including the quote, ‘Nothing can
stop love’. J
Pemeran Utama - A Short Mixed Bilingual Story (Chapter 9)
♫ Natalie ♫
Hari-hari
berlalu dengan cepat. Sesuai dengan ancaman Cindy, Natalie mulai menjauh dari
Daniel. Ia paling merasa malas untuk bermusuhan dengan orang lain. Pikirnya,
daripada perang terjadi, lebih baik ia yang mengalah.
Dari hari ke
hari, setiap kali Daniel mendekatinya untuk meminta bantuan, ia selalu
menghindar. Layaknya sedang berada di medan perang, ia berawas-awas kalau-kalau
musuhnya, Daniel muncul. Karena itu, ia jauh lebih sering untuk berada di dalam
kamar dan menyelesaikan catatan-catatan untuk penelitiannya. Ia merasa lega hal
ini bisa menjadi alasan yang sangat baik untuk tidak bertemu dengan Daniel.
Larangan mutlak untuk laki-laki memasuki kamar perempuan.
Setelah
semalam-malaman Natalie tidak dapat memejamkan matanya karena suara-suara
berisik katak dan jangkrik yang tidak biasanya mengganggunya, pagi pun tiba.
Ini adalah hari terakhir ia ada di panti asuhan ini. Karenanya seluruh peserta
dibebastugaskan dari segala pekerjaan apapun untuk menikmati hari terakhir
mereka di panti.
Sekitar
pukul tujuh pagi, saat semua peserta berada di luar kamar dan berolahraga, Natalie
justru kembali lagi menghadapi buku jurnalnya dan menambahkan sedikit catatan
setelah membersihkan tempat tidurnya. Ketika ia catatannya hampir ia
selesaikan, tiba-tiba terdengar pintu kamarnya dibanting dengan keras. Ia pun
berpaling dengan cepat ke arah pintu kamar yang dibanting itu. Ia melihat Cindy
berdiri di ambang pintu dengan wajah gusar.
Natalie pun
merasa terkejut melihatnya, tapi ia tetap berusaha tenang. Ia menutup buku
jurnalnya dan duduk menghadap Cindy yang kemudian datang mendekatinya.
“Kamu tuh
ya! Ngeselin banget !!!!” ia berteriak pada Natalie
sambil menunjuk-nunjuknya.
Natalie pun berdiri
di hadapan Cindy. “Bukannya aku selama ini udah ngelakuin apa yang kamu mau?
Aku udah nggak deket lagi sama Daniel sampe aku selalu ada di kamar supanya
nggak ketemu sama dia? Udah ada kesempatan banyak banget kan seminggu ini untuk
deketin Daniel? Udah bilang kamu suka sama dia belum?” katanya.
Cindy
berteriak melengking dengan keras. Lalu ia terduduk di lantai dan menutupi
wajahnya dengan kedua tangannya. Ia menangis tersedu-sedu.
Merasa
bingung, Natalie duduk di depan Cindy. Awalnya ia ragu untuk menyentuhnya, tapi
Natalie memberanikan diri dan kemudian membelai lengan Cindy.
“Kenapa
Cindy?” tanya Natalie. “Aku ngomong salah sama kamu? Aku minta maaf kalau
perkataanku salah.” Ia bersikap lapang dada kalau-kalau Cindy akan meneriakinya
lagi dan menyalahkannya atas hal yang sebenarnya tidak ia mengerti.
“Aku udah
berusaha deketin Daniel,” Cindy terisak. “Awalnya dia nggak bisa dideketin tapi
akhirnya bisa. Tapi waktu aku udah mulai ngobrol sama dia, bukannya bahas
tentang aku atau dia sendiri, dia selalu ngomongin tentang cewek lain.”
“Cewek
lain?” gumam Natalie. “Aku ngerasa dia belum punya pacar deh.”
“Terus waktu
kemarin malam, pas aku ngelakuin apa yang kamu bilang ke aku untuk nyatain
perasaanku ke dia, kalau aku suka dia,” Cindy terisak lebih lagi, “dia nolak
aku.”
Natalie
membelai punggung Cindy. “Cindy, jangan nangis gitu,” ia berusaha menghiburnya.
“Dia bilang
dia udah suka sama orang lain,” lanjutnya. “Dia tuh suka sama, sama─” tanpa
menyelesaikan kalimatnya, Cindy berlari ke luar dari kamar dan meninggalkan
Natalie.
Merasa
bingung dan seperti tidak bisa mengatakan apapun, Natalie duduk termenung. Ia
tidak mengerti dengan sikap Cindy. Sebentar-sebentar, ia bisa menjadi musuh, sebentar-sebentar,
ia seperti seorang anak kecil yang menangis dan marah karena permintaannya
tidak dipenuhi.
Natalie
menggaruk kepalanya. Ia tidak mau berurusan lagi dengan Cindy dan masalahnya
dengan Daniel itu. Masa bodoh lah sama
mereka. Aku punya urusan yang lebih penting untuk ada di panti ini. Dapet
beasiswa! pikirnya dalam hati.
Ia pun
memutuskan untuk kembali pada buku jurnalnya. Ia mengambil pulpennya dan mulai
menulis lagi. Beberapa lama kemudian, seluruh kegiatan, aktivitas, dan hal-hal
baru yang ditemukannya di panti ini yang ia ingin jadikan sebagai bahan
penelitiannya pun sudah tercatat dalam buku jurnalnya. Ia pun membereskan
alat-alat tulisnya dan memasukkan semuanya ke dalam tasnya.
Natalie melirik
jam tangannya. Sudah pukul 7.24 pagi. Sebentar lagi sarapan pagi disiapkan.
Seperti yang sudah dilakukannya sebelumnya, ia selalu datang lebih awal untuk
sarapan agar tidak bertemu dengan Daniel.
Sesuai
dugaannya, ruang makan sepi. Tidak ada orang satu pun disana, tapi sarapan
sudah siap tersedia. Dengan cepat ia mengambil sarapan dan menghabiskannya. Saat
ia akan kembali lagi ke dalam kamar, ia berpapasan dengan Daniel.
“Natalie, wait,” Daniel menahan tangan Natalie
saat ia akan pergi menghindar.
“Excuse me. I need to go to my room now,” Natalie berusaha
melepaskan tangannya dari genggaman Daniel.
Tapi Daniel
semakin erat menggenggam tangan Natalie.
“Daniel,”
“Oh, you still remember my name after a full week you
prevented from meeting me! Praise the Lord!” kata Daniel.
“It’s not funny,” kata Natalie ketus. “Let go off my hand.”
“But it’s true that I’m glad to know this,” bukannya
melepaskan tangan Natalie, Daniel tetap saja menggenggam tangannya. “I’m just wondering, why did you avoid to see me suddenly?”
Natalie
tidak menjawab. Ia hanya memandang jauh ke arah lain dan berusaha untuk tidak
melihat Daniel.
“Natalie, please asnwer me and don’t just be quiet,” pinta
Daniel.
“Don’t you realize that there’s a girl who likes you?”
“Who?”
“Oh goodness, you really don’t know?”
“Did you mean Cindy?”
Natalie mendengus.
“Yes! Cindy likes you! Don’t you know that? Don’t you
remember she told you that she liked you?” serunya. “I don’t want to dispute with her. I avoided to see you
because I want to give her more space, more chance and more time to be with
you!”
“I do remember that, Natalie,” kata Daniel pelan. Ia pun
melepaskan genggamannya dari Natalie. “You don’t
have to shout at me like that.”
Natalie
menjadi sadar bahwa ia telah bersalah dengan berteriak pada Daniel. Tapi ia
terlalu gengsi untuk meminta maaf. Tanpa sepatah kata lagi ia berjalan
meninggalkan Daniel menuju ke kamarnya.
Natalie
duduk terkulai di atas kasur tipisnya. Ia termenung memikirkan perbuatannya
pada Daniel. Ia merasa sangat menyesal. Ia kejam sekali padanya dengan
membentaknya. Seharusnya ia bicara baik-baik padanya dan menjelaskan bahwa
Cindy menyukainya.
Sehari-harian
Natalie pun duduk di tempat yang sama sambil membuka internet melalui handphone-nya karena novel impornya tertinggal di rumahnya.
Tanpa tujuan, ia asal membuka berbagai situs yang berisi artikel yang akhirnya
tidak ia baca.
Peserta
perempuan lainnya sudah berulang kali mengajak Natalie untuk berjalan-jalan
atau melakukan hal lainnya setiap kali mereka masuk ke dalam kamar. Tapi
Natalie selalu menolak ajakan mereka. Lama kelamaan tanpa sadar, karena merasa
suntuk, akhirnya ia tertidur dengan posisi bersandar di dinding. Cukup lama ia
tertidur dengan pulas karena malam lalu ia tidak bisa tidur.
Tapi
tiba-tiba saja ia dibangunkan karena ia merasa tubuhnya diguncang-guncang. Ia
membuka matanya dan melihat Daniel ada di sebelahnya.
“What are you doing here?” Natalie merasa terkejut. “You must know that boys are not allowed to enter the
girls’─”
“Don’t talk, just come with me because there’s a big fire!” Daniel
memutus perkataan Natalie.
Natalie
benar-benar terkejut. “Fire? Where is the fire?” tanyanya dengan ketakutan.
“We don’t have time! We have to go out now!” Daniel pun
menarik tangan Natalie dan menggandengnya keluar dari kamarnya.
Dengan
penampilan Natalie yang agak berantakan karena baru saja bangun tidur, ia dan
Daniel berlari ke lapangan belakang panti. Di tengah-tengah lapangan, mereka
berhenti.
“I don’t see any fire or smoke, Daniel. Where’s the fire?” tanya
Natalie. Jantungnya masih berdegup kencang karena merasa cemas. “And why there are only us? Where’s the other? Have they
already been saved before you found me?”
Daniel
menggenggam kedua tangan Natalie. “Your
hands are so cool,” katanya dengan agak sedikit terkejut.
“Of course. It always happens when I am anxious of something,” sahut
Natalie. Ia melihat ke sekelilingnya lalu kepada Daniel. “You haven’t answer my question.”
“Questions,” Daniel mengoreksi.
“Yes, that’s what I meant,” sahut Natalie. “Hey, just answer. Where’s the big fire like you have said?”
Daniel
menarik kedua tangan Natalie dan meletakannya di depan dadanya. “It’s here. There’s a big fire here. I really can’t
extinguish it,” katanya seraya memandang Natalie lekat-lekat.
“Don’t kidding me, Daniel,” Natalie masih merasa cemas
sampai ia tidak mengerti perkataan Daniel.
“Listen,”
Natalie pun
memandang Daniel.
“there’s no fire in the orphanage,”
lanjutnya. “There’s only a big fire of my love
for you, here in my heart.” Daniel erat menggenggam kedua tangan Natalie.
Natalie
menelan ludahnya. Ia hampir tidak percaya akan perkataan Daniel. Ia tercengang mendengar
pengakuan Daniel padanya.
“How about Cindy?” Natalie teringat kembali.
Daniel
menggeleng dan tersenyum. “She won’t care
about me or you anymore,” jawabnya. “I’ve
talked to her.”
“That’s true!” seseorang berseru dari
belakang mereka.
“Cindy?”
cepat-cepat Natalie melepaskan tangannya dari genggaman Daniel.
“It’s impossible to make him stop talking about you,” Cindy
berjalan mendekati mereka. Ia menyentuh lengan Natalie. “Thank you for being nice even though I was so rude to
you. You’re a really nice girl, and you deserve to have him. On the contrary,
Daniel will be so lucky to have you.”
Natalie
mengerutkan alisnya. “Ini beneran Cindy yang tadi marah-marah sama nangis di
deketku?” tanyanya. “Kenapa jadi kayak malaikat penolong? Baik banget?”
Cindy
tertawa. “Makasi nggak ngomong pake Inggris tentang ini. Tapi iya ini aku lah,”
katanya.
“What are you girls talking about? Talking about me?” tanya Daniel.
“No, it’s girl’s stuff,” sahut Cindy. “Now, my business is over. I need to go now. Can’t hold to
get some rest. Bye.” Ia pun pergi tanpa menunggu respon dari Natalie
maupun Daniel.
“Is it clear enough for you? Is there another barrier to
be taken away to let me love you?” Daniel mengalihkan perhatian
Natalie.
Natalie
tidak menjawab. Ia menggigit bibir atas dan bawahnya bergantian.
“Nate,”
“No, there’s no more,” kata Natalie, wajahnya terlihat
tidak ceria.
“So, why do you look so hesitate and unhappy?” tanya
Daniel. “Is it because you don’t like me? Or
you like somebody else?”
Natalie
menggeleng. “No, it’s not that,” sahutnya.
“So what?”
“Our meeting ends tomorrow,” ungkap Natalie.
Daniel
tersenyum. “Who said so?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your campus needs a volunteer to be a lecturer,” kata
Daniel.
Natalie
memiringkan kepalanya “How could you know that?” tanyanya.
“Umm,” sesaat Daniel menahan perkataannya.
“Daniel, c’mon. Don’t make me so curious,” Natalie
mendesaknya.
“Well, this whole week, I’ve searched any ways to stay
longer with you. It was so hard. But finally, I figured out that one of the
participants is your senior. I asked him
anything and I found that I can be a volunteer in your campus for a year,” Daniel
menjelaskan panjang lebar.
“You really did that to be with me?” tanya
Natalie seolah tak percaya dengan usaha yang Daniel lakukan. “But you’re kidding to be a volunteer for a year. Maximum
time to be a volunteer is only 6 months.”
“Nothing can stop love,” kata Daniel mantap.
Natalie
tertawa kecil. “I’m dreaming,” katanya.
“Aww! It’s hurt!” Ia mengeluh karena Daniel
mencubitnya.
“It means you’re not,” kata Daniel.
Natalie
tertawa. “I mean, I’ve been dreaming for this
for the whole time,” ia meneruskan kata-katanya yang sempat terputus.
Daniel
mengacak-acak rambut Natalie. “I love you, Nate,” katanya
lembut.
Bukannya
membalas perkataan Daniel, Natalie celingukan ke sekeliling kanan dan kirinya.
“Hey, I told you that I love you. Why don’t you say to me
the same in return and not watching something around you?” keluh
Daniel. Ia menyilangkan kedua tangannya di dada.
“Where is the other? Why, I don’t see anybody around here.
Where are they? Why this place is so quiet? Why there are only both of us here?” tanya
Natalie seperti menembakan peluru-peluru yang banyak dari senapannya tanpa
henti.
“Why don’t you just ask me to do something you want and
not asking those questions unstoppably, Natalie?”
“Because I know you’ll do everything I ask you,” sahut
Natalie cepat. Ia tiba-tiba jongkok dan merapikan tali sepatunya. “I love you too and I’m so sorry I have shouted at you.” Lalu ia
berdiri lagi.
“What did you say?”
“You know it,” kata Natalie cuek untuk
menutupi rasa malunya. Ia beruntung karena kulitnya tidak mudah memerah, jadi
tidak terlalu terlihat bahwa ia malu untuk mengungkapkan perasaannya.
“Say it again,”
Natalie menggeleng.
“Not before you asnwer all of my questions,” katanya.
“Do you remember all?”
Daniel
menghela nafas. “I should not talk about
this,” ia
berbisik pada Natalie. “But okay, if it makes
you say you love me. They are hiding behind us and they are planning to make a
surprise for you, that’s why there are only both of us here. So when they make
surprise you have to look surprised.”
Natalie
tertawa kecil.
“I’m the smartest student. I’m good at memorizing,” Daniel
seolah menyombongkan diri.
“And I love that smartest student who is good at
memorizing,” sahut Natalie cepat.
Daniel pun
memeluk Natalie dengan erat. Saat itu juga, petasan-petasan terdengar meletus
di samping mereka.
Tanpa ia
sangka, tapi seperti permintaan Daniel, Natalie terkejut. Petasan-petasan itu
membuatnya takut.
Kemudian,
teman-teman Daniel, seluruh peserta camp dan seluruh
anak-anak panti asuhan menampakkan diri dan bersorak riang.
Natalie
menjadi lebih terkejut lagi. “Daniel,” ia
tertawa tidak percaya sambil memandang Daniel dan sekelilingnya bergantian. “I don’t believe this. You make me like in a movie. Feel
that I’m a princess now. But princess who wears jeans. How could you arrange this?” Ia tertawa
lagi.
“Nothing can stop love,” Daniel kembali mengulang
perkataannya.
George
datang bersama Henry, Phoebe, Miriam dan Renee. Mereka mengelilingi Daniel dan
memeluknya dengan serentak. Sementara itu, Natalie berdiri sambil tertawa
melihat mereka.
“I’ve known this since you and Natalie were in the side of
the river,” kata George mantap. Lalu mereka tertawa bersama-sama.
Saat
menikmati pemandangan itu, Natalie berpaling ke belakangnya karena ada yang
menarik-narik bajunya. Rupanya ada Siti dan Ami berdiri di belakangnya dan
tersenyum. Masing-masing mereka menyodorkan seikat bunga indah berwarna pink
dan putih padanya.
“What’s this, Daniel?” Natalie berpaling sejenak padanya
dan kemudian kembali lagi pada Siti dan Ami. Ia berlutut di depan mereka untuk
menyamakan tinggi tubuhnya dengan mereka. “Makasi ya Siti, Ami. Kalian baik
banget.”
“Kita disuruh
kak Daniel kok,” kata Siti dengan polosnya sambil tersenyum.
Ami pun
menyenggol lengannya. “Jangan ngomong dong. Bilang aja dari kita,” ia berbisik.
Tapi Natalie mendengarnya.
Natalie
tertawa. “Nggak papa, aku juga udah tahu kok,” katanya.
Siti menjulurkan
lidahnya pada Ami, dan Ami juga balas menjulurkan lidah.
Natalie
berdiri dan berbalik dari Ami kepada Daniel dan teman-temannya. “You,” ia tertawa. “How
could you do this? I can’t really believe that you do this. It’s like a
fantasy, you know. I can’t say anything.”
Daniel
melangkah ke depan mendekati Natalie. “You
don’t have to say anything, but three,” katanya.
“Three?” Natalie memicingkan sebelah matanya dan
memiringkan kepalanya.
Dengan
jari-jari tangannya, Daniel membentuk huruf I-L-U. “I Love U,” ia mengeja. “It’s an
easy thing to say.”
Natalie
menunduk sambil tertawa. Tangannya menyokong dahinya dan menggeleng-geleng.
“Any more questions to make you say you love me?” goda
Daniel.
“No,” sahut Natalie. Ia menegakkan kepalanya. “I will say everytime you want, ‘I love you, Daniel.’ I love you, and I love you, and I love you. And Daniel,
thank you for forgiving me, for loving me, for being someone that I will love
forever.”
Daniel pun
memeluknya lagi. Semua orang yang ada disitu pun bersorak dan membuat suasana
yang tadinya sunyi menjadi sangat riuh.
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)
Banner Exchange
