the paper boat
1
The road turning
There was no reason to leave Amsterdam on summer. This was the best time for biking around Leidseplein and Dam Square while enjoying sunshine that was an annual heaven for the dwellers. He just still wanted to seat in the edge Blomendahlwith canvas and portrayal tool, or enjoying koffieverkeer din a café at 9 Straatjes starting from morning until evening with hissketch book.
While emptying the last line of his book from a shelf which hanged beside bed mate, same question since the last week repeated on his head: my age is just eighteen, but why I feel so tired for these all?
The door in his back was rattled.
“Nee , Keenan, Don’t burden your suitcase with the book! Let your Oma sends these all to Jakarta.”
Keenan showed smile, he canceled cleaning away his books. His heart was disturbed. Hisgrandma’s saying seem like he would never come back to this home anymore.
Keenan knew that this situation was gonna be happened. The miracle was the only cause that can cancel hisreturn to Indonesia.A few years ago, Keenan hoped and prayed for a miracle will come but it wouldn’t.Only once in his life, hearing his Mom praised hissketches that he sent, without giving any additional utterance that imply his could stay any longer in Amsterdam, accompanying his grandma who was fighting to not be sent into an old folks’ home because reputed too old to live alone. Painting alone in a bench nearby Vondelpark, growing up became a painter as many found in this city.
The miracle that Keenan had had, having a date of expiry. It was only for six years. His parents quarreled one week before finally deciding that was Keenan, their elder daughter, allowed to go abroad. Isn’t his Mom was born and livedhere as a painter and at last he went to Indonesia and stopped being a painter? Keenan doesn’t know what the problem is. How come, his parents, the source of talent that flows in hisblood, want to stop what runs in hisblood?
Dad worried about if Amsterdam would pep up the art in his daughter. Why do you scare? Keenan once asked. It is because of your brain is too clever to be a painter only, his dad replied. Finally Keenan repeatedly asked himself. Should he start to “sabotase” his marks in school to make his father believing that he was wrong? But luckily, before it happened, Mom and Dad agreed that he would study in Amsterdam for six years only.
More than two thousand days passed, and Keenan felt that six years was as quick as his wink.
“Maybe be this is what you should bring, vent ,” Grandma gave two books 2500 LatihanSoal UMPTN, “just learn these in the plane!”
“Ok Oma.” Keenan took those thick books and planned to leave them under his bed after Grandma left. “I wait you in dining table, ok.” That old woman stood up, clean away her crepe paisley-dress, tightening her hairpin in her thick and gray hair, she smiled. The wizened of her face didn’t reduce her beauty. My grandma has much resemblance with Mom. Keenan was suddenly yearning after his mom. It mad his return to Jakarta wasn’t such a nightmare anymore.
“Omahas cooked?”
“Bruinebonensoep and kaasbrodje , as what you oderred, Omakannietferget , vent. Oma keeps a promise.”
The first night he came to this home was a winter and the heater was in damage.Oma cuddled and in fold him with a thick blanket. They both kept staying in the sofa. They waited for morning. The first time they felt so close like a best friend that watched over each other.On that night, Oma promised won’t cry if Keenan must go back to Indonesia, and Keenan did same without knowing how hard to keep that promise.
Keenan had a look at his Grandma that walking up into dining room. She always kept smiling, seem like a friendly. Her footstep was still steady although it became slower in the last year. From a door gap which wasa little bit opened, Keenan saw his grandma tidying up the table cloth. Grandma sat on her seat by seeing on the red-bean soup in the front of her. Although it was not clear, Keenan could see his grandma eyes shed tears. Quickly grandma wiped them away from her eyes.
Keenan closed his door; the room appeared to be blurring. He many times tried to close his eyes, but the tears couldn’t stop falling down.
Jakarta, July, 1999 …
The girl with a small body never stopped moving, sometimes jumping, even her feet kicking the air,whereas her activity was only packing the books into a cardboard. The girl kept dancing.
She used earphone, the song was “new wave”, her brother’s collection. She just graduated from Senior High School last month, but her favorite songs were same with a person who graduated from Senior High School last 15 years.
Everyone said that theKugy is only an up-to-date from the outside but inside she is out of date.Kugy always ignored the people that lecture her. She was proud of herself. She kept saying that, excepting the fashion, 80s are cool and genius.
“Karma-karma-karma-karma-karma Chameleon ... you come and go ... you come and gooo ...” Kugy shake down a book while she was looking at above. She fighted to not look at the mirror because seeing her shadow only made she been horselaugh. How bad! She whispered. She was amazed.
From the outside, her young sister, Keisha, knocked the door. After a minute, Keisha wasn’t patient anymore, she started hammering on the door.
“Kugy!Woooi! A phone call for you!”
There was an adult voice from the behind, “Kak Kugy”, with a stress on it.
Keisha saw to her mother. Her Mom never felt bored to remind her to call her old sister with “kak”. Unfortunately, Kugy’s behaviors made her become not suitable to be called as “Kakak”.
The door in front of Keisha was full with stickers. Kugylooked at Keisha with one half of her earphone hang down.Kugy been opting asking her mom rather than answering the telephone. She looked at her mom and asked“Mom, what about if I change my name become Karma? It’s still begun with K. So, it won’t break ourfamily’s rule.”
Keisha also saw her mother with a despondently gaze by saying, “Look Mom, she is strange.”
Her mom shrugged the shoulders while continuing reading. “Having five children has confused to call the name correctly, moreover when one of them changed the name, how complicated! Just change it later, after I’ve got old, senile. So, it won’t influence much. Karma, even Karno, it’s all up to you!”
I was amazed Keisha. She just realized where Kugy’s strange behaves come. By using excessive British accent, Kugy answers the telephone. “Karma Chameleon speaking. Who’s there?”
A minute passed, the answer upon the other side, “Gi, I’m Noni. Who else will call you? Queen of England?”
Hearing Noni’s voice, Kugy’s eyes was suddenly glittering. Noni was her close friend since she was born. She was the only who has waited the longest for Kugy’s advent in Bandung.She wantedKugy arrived soon. Noni was an overbusy when knowing thatKugy’s will come to Bandung, seemed like a committee of government authority reception. She prepared everything, looks for a rent house, prepared for pick-up service, and instead made a list of the order of the first week. In short, Noni was its busy section.
“So, will you come? If won’t, I will give your room to other.” Noni’s voice was screeching piercingly. It replaced Boy George voice which was toning down in Kugy’s ears.
“Calm down, madam Noni! Legalization my STTB to school hasn’t be done yet.”
“Ha. Everyone did it several centuries ago.How bad!”
“It’s impossible. STTB just arose in my brother period in school….”
“When you start packing, Gy? The books that you have, just sent them to Bandung by package, you don’t need to bring them by yourself. Eko has a small baggage only.Your books won’t enoughto get there. You just need to bring the cloths, ok. Train ticket has bought or hasn’t? It has been sold out.Regrettably, you should buy it to the calo , sadly for the money.”
“Non, you are much talkative than my Mom while in three in one, seriously!”
“I don’t care what the problem is, next week, you gotta arrive in Bandung! Before using it to pick you up, Eko’s car has been serviced in car shed. It’s to prevent the trouble that may happen on the way to railway station. We will go to shop center to buy your needs after your coming. About your room, I’ve cleaned it several times. All are well settled.”
“But, you are also diligent as diligent as my servant while in three in one.”
“Mad!”
“Churlish is also!”
“Yes, you are!”
“Ish, how terrible I am!”
Noni was suddenly laughed. “Why do you bane yourself?”
“I feel so, why do i?” Kugy was laughed too.“To economize your energy, you’ve helped me much, and I know that you are sick of these. You handled Eko and his Fuad which often striking.”
“Correct, I prefer to choose go dating with bicycle rather than that yellow Fiat.Fuad is more often strike than kombi makes new generation.”
“Ahaha, it’s in serious condition! It will be better if Fuadcouldbe born, you may be a Fiat breeder.” Kugy laughed like a drain.
Komba and Kombi was a couple hamsters belonged to Noni and her boyfriend, Eko.This couple never stopped giving birth till then Eko and Noni had had a new profession as hamsters’ seller.
“Well, text week I wait you in Bandung. Don’t forget: STTB, KA (KeretaApi )ticket, packing, package your books, the umbrella that once you borrowed, my jins jacket, it’s still with you, isn’t it? And then ….”
Kugygave a slip her telephone from her ear. She waited Noni’s voice becoming soft by changing TV channels.
“Gi, have you noted all? Kugy?”
Kugy got the telephone hurriedly. “Yap, I’m handling! See you next week!”
While the telephone ended, Kugy bubbled with laughter by herself. This one best friend was amazing indeed. While her family even wasn’t busy with her going to Bandung for studying. Noni settled almost everything well and sincerely. Since both of us were children_ everybodysays, Noni seemed like taking care of her young sister_ beside we both are in the same age.
Noni, an only child and Kugy, coming from a big family, were best friend which keep in touch since they were in the kindergarten. Their fathers worked in the same company and the relation between each family has been good since first meeting. They were always appointed for the same jobs unconsciously.
Noni and Kugy grew up together and lived in the same site. They moved from one city to another city almost in the same time: Ujung Pandang, Balik-papan, Bontang, and last was Jakarta, when in senior high school. In that year, it’s the first time the both were separated. Noni’s father got pension and choose to spend his life in Subang while Kugy’s father kept staying on Jakarta.
Although Noni seemed adult and tidythan Kugy, but honestly Kugy had strengthand Noni didn’t have. Kugy has known what she wants since she was a kid and for what she liked, Kugy would change amazingly.
Her decision to choose Sastra Major was as the result for reaching her dream to be a fairy tale writer. Her choice to study in other city was the result of her fantasy to live and stand alone.Out of her behaviors which were completely spontaneous, Kugy has planned her futureripely. She knew the reasons behind all of her actions, and she was serious in achieving her dreams.
Starting from elementary school, Kugyhas started saving money. All of her saving was used for buying fairy tale books. Starting from “cergamstensilan” until the most expensive classic fairy tales, she had. Her invest being increased well.She rented those collections and the positive impact was the books increasing more and more. Cap it all, Kugy became the only and the youngest owner of colportage in her complex, and the grumpiest too.Just like the predator in the jungle, she chased on the “naughty” payments with her mini cycle till the payments gave her book back, she wouldn’t stop chasing.
Kugy would be serious in doing a job which could help her in reaching her dream.Kugy was the chairman of magazine redaction in her school. She dares to chase public figures whose come across her for being interview with a nimble and professional trick. The information she got, wouldl be written in as serious topic formed article. She wouldfollow all kind of writing contests in the magazine diligently.Kugy would do it hardly and seriously. She would fight a lot to get the victory. Incredibly, Kugy had known the jury usually used in contest and she had known what is liked or disliked by them too.
Not all of people think fit of fairy tale writer was a dream.Kugy has known about this too. Day by daykugy had realized that the dreams which were going to be fit must be the dreams that could give a big incometo the life. Being a tale writer wasn’t one of them. This was the cause that supportedKugy to be enthusiasm in reaching her dream. She wanted to give evidence that she could stand alone from the books and the writings.
In her room which was combining with colportage in up stair. Kugy arranged the beams of her dream. One day, she wouldn’t be a tale’s collector anymore. She would write her own tale although its way was so complicated.