My trip back to the place I was born was truly memorable. Six long years I have been away, many things have changed, Jakarta has become more modernized. Although, there are still poor city dwellers living by the murky canals, with zinc rooftops right above their heads, their only shelter from the scorching sun and the rain. Their shabby homes are enough to protect their family from the ever hungry mosquitoes at night. During daytime, the family members will go to work, even mothers and toddlers. The head of the family would earn the most money by working on the roads selling newspapers or helping cars to cross a jammed junction. The mothers and toddlers would stroll down the rocky, damaged road waiting for the red light. Once it is on, they would make their way, begging for a small donation from the rich road users. They can only survive from the sympathy of these people. Even with 100 rupiah (about 5 cents Singapore currency), they will gladly accept it and so they go again to the next car. They will stop begging once the green light is on. They will step aside, waiting for the next red light. Both mother and toddler are exposed to the dusty winds and the poisonous exhaust gases from the vehicles but that did not bother them. Then there are roadside sellers who barely earn a profit from the goods they sell. During a good week they would gain about 10,000 to 30,000 rupiah (about S$ 2-6). Even though modernized, Jakarta is also a poverty stricken city; many from outside Jakarta gambled all their money just to come there in order to look for jobs. Jakarta is already densely populated yet people still want to come there hoping to find better life. With these negative images of Jakarta, most people would probably be thinking that happiness cannot be found. Well, that is a wrong perception. Poor they may be, but they have strong determination to survive and even help you when you need directions or find places to repair your vehicles in the most remote areas. The less fortunate people there are not easily stressed; you can see it brimming in the children’s eyes telling that we are happy with what we have. Even with torn and tattered clothes, without proper foot protection and without proper meals or even modern technology, they are still able to smile, feeling good about themselves. Unlike big stars in Hollywood, with expensive cars, grand and comfortable homes, they still cannot find happiness in their lives.
Six long years, I have lost the people whom I once called friends. I recalled when tears rolled down my cheeks when I was on the plane bound for Singapore. I recalled those faces I recognized, those fine moments we have had, those joys and laughter, those time when we were together as friends. I was thinking that I will miss those precious things bitterly. But I managed to meet one of my good friends who I lost. Perhaps she might be reading this. My rendezvous with her make me revisit the good old days once again. The good old days that I am holding on to, the past that is sweet to remember. This is just the beginning of reliving my past, my childhood days I sorely missed. How time flies that we now are young adults, pursuing our dreams, taking separate paths but I am glad I got to know these friends, to meet them when I was younger, knowing who they all were. All I can do is smile fondly as I slowly remember our time together which was not bound to the chain of sorrow or regrets. I wanted to meet them all at the reunion on 15th January 2005 but it looks like fate will not allow me to. Even so, I wish I could meet them someday…only if fate will allow me to. These memories will be missed but not forgotten.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Thursday, December 02, 2004
The Promise
This is the final part, the last piece of puzzle that concludes the story, “The Promise”.
The hero and the heroine went to the orphanage where the hero was brought up. There, they found a place with wide grassland filled with flowers. The heroine dreamt that she could not find the hero even having travelled across mountains and towns. So, the hero promised her that he would be there. He would be there so that she would be able to find him.
They headed to the future where the final battle took place. When it all ended, they made their way back to the present. But the hero is missing. Only the hero and the heroine were still trapped in the future. The hero found himself in a dark room, emptiness surrounded him. He called out loud, “Rinoa, where are you? Can you hear me?” There was no reply. He knew that he cannot return alone. Then his surroundings transformed into a dry plain, no trees just cracked grounds. The hero walked aimlessly. After a long journey, his legs soon became weak, he was exhausted. He dropped to the ground bottom first. He reached out his right hand when he noticed a white feather. It landed right into his palm. He recalled the ballroom dance, the heroine’s smiles, the rescue at sorceress memorial and vertigo soon occurred. Everything started to spin, the heroine’s face that he remembered soon began to distort. Little by little, his memories began to wane. And when it has struck its limit, the hero blacked out with his tears left behind soon dried up.
The heroine then came into the picture, walking towards the fallen hero. She knelt beside him asking him to wake up. However, the hero did not react nor reply. Her fear that he was gone grew stronger; she lifted his head, shook him several times and kept asking him to open his eyes. Again, he did not respond. She finally cried as tears flowed down her cheeks. Just then, the surroundings began to transform again. This time, it had become into the place the hero promised he would be. The heroine smiled faintly when she looked at the fallen hero with her tears still rapidly flowing. They had returned to the present with the help from the power of love.
The heroine was back at the place where she met the hero for the first time. This time, she was star gazing and when she noticed the fallen star like she saw back then, she turned, lifted her index finger and smiled. The hero replied her smile. If the last time they were interrupted by fireworks, this time, it did not happen. They wrapped up the moonlit night with romance and sweet love. It was their first kiss.
It all started with a smile, a dance, followed by a hug and ended with a kiss. And in the end, the heroine did not return the hero’s ring because it has become part of her. This is just the beginning of a new chapter for the hero and the heroine…
The hero and the heroine went to the orphanage where the hero was brought up. There, they found a place with wide grassland filled with flowers. The heroine dreamt that she could not find the hero even having travelled across mountains and towns. So, the hero promised her that he would be there. He would be there so that she would be able to find him.
They headed to the future where the final battle took place. When it all ended, they made their way back to the present. But the hero is missing. Only the hero and the heroine were still trapped in the future. The hero found himself in a dark room, emptiness surrounded him. He called out loud, “Rinoa, where are you? Can you hear me?” There was no reply. He knew that he cannot return alone. Then his surroundings transformed into a dry plain, no trees just cracked grounds. The hero walked aimlessly. After a long journey, his legs soon became weak, he was exhausted. He dropped to the ground bottom first. He reached out his right hand when he noticed a white feather. It landed right into his palm. He recalled the ballroom dance, the heroine’s smiles, the rescue at sorceress memorial and vertigo soon occurred. Everything started to spin, the heroine’s face that he remembered soon began to distort. Little by little, his memories began to wane. And when it has struck its limit, the hero blacked out with his tears left behind soon dried up.
The heroine then came into the picture, walking towards the fallen hero. She knelt beside him asking him to wake up. However, the hero did not react nor reply. Her fear that he was gone grew stronger; she lifted his head, shook him several times and kept asking him to open his eyes. Again, he did not respond. She finally cried as tears flowed down her cheeks. Just then, the surroundings began to transform again. This time, it had become into the place the hero promised he would be. The heroine smiled faintly when she looked at the fallen hero with her tears still rapidly flowing. They had returned to the present with the help from the power of love.
The heroine was back at the place where she met the hero for the first time. This time, she was star gazing and when she noticed the fallen star like she saw back then, she turned, lifted her index finger and smiled. The hero replied her smile. If the last time they were interrupted by fireworks, this time, it did not happen. They wrapped up the moonlit night with romance and sweet love. It was their first kiss.
It all started with a smile, a dance, followed by a hug and ended with a kiss. And in the end, the heroine did not return the hero’s ring because it has become part of her. This is just the beginning of a new chapter for the hero and the heroine…
The Rescue of Heroine
The fourth part is rather short but it displays the one of the most heart-warming event, “The Rescue of Heroine”. Back on earth, as predicted, escorts have arrived to take away the heroine. The hero tried to stop her but the heroine decided to surrender peacefully. The hero could only watch her being taken away. He returned to the ship, sat down with his hand crossed and bent his head facing the floor. His friends arrived and scolded him for letting the heroine go just like that. With a few words of encouragement, the hero realized what he should do. He was not going to give away someone important to him in exchange of the world’s safety. It was selfish of him but sometimes love is blind.
They arrived at the sorceress memorial where the heroine was held captive. They stormed into the restricted faculty and the hero managed to enter the room where the heroine was kept while his friends helped to delay the guards’ advance. The hero quickly took out his sword and slashed the glass enclosure where the heroine was trapped in. The heroine was thrown out of her ‘cage’ and the hero caught her in his arms. This time there was no stopping them from hugging. Deep inside her heart, the heroine was glad that the hero came to her rescue. The hero hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go. The hero may not have told his feelings for the heroine but his let his actions show how much she meant to him. Once again, the hero rescued the heroine but this time it was not for duty or obligation, it was for love. He wanted to tell her how much each minute without her presence caused him much misery. How her smiles comforted him, how her voice filled his days with hope.
They arrived at the sorceress memorial where the heroine was held captive. They stormed into the restricted faculty and the hero managed to enter the room where the heroine was kept while his friends helped to delay the guards’ advance. The hero quickly took out his sword and slashed the glass enclosure where the heroine was trapped in. The heroine was thrown out of her ‘cage’ and the hero caught her in his arms. This time there was no stopping them from hugging. Deep inside her heart, the heroine was glad that the hero came to her rescue. The hero hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go. The hero may not have told his feelings for the heroine but his let his actions show how much she meant to him. Once again, the hero rescued the heroine but this time it was not for duty or obligation, it was for love. He wanted to tell her how much each minute without her presence caused him much misery. How her smiles comforted him, how her voice filled his days with hope.
Stranded in Space
This is the third part after the sunset walk, “Stranded in Space”. The heroine was left stranded in space after a huge explosion at the lunar base where the hero met his long lost sister. Somehow, the hero managed to escape with his sister and his other friends. The hero decided to save the heroine even if it means risking his life. He left his escape pod in search of the heroine. Meanwhile, the heroine’s life support was running out. Perhaps, the impact caused by the explosion had triggered her consciousness. She felt lost, drifting endlessly in space. She began to feel hopeless and thought that she was going to die, drifting away without saying goodbye to her friends. And so, she passed out again, this time the oxygen supply had run out.
The hero found the heroine just in time and caught her in his arms. The heroine’s back- up life support was restored. She opened her eyes to see the two rings attached by her necklace drifting in front of her eyes. One of them belongs to her, the other is the hero’s which she has borrowed from. She then realized that the hero had come to her rescue. The two drifted together aimlessly until they found a stranded spaceship.
When they were inside she asked, “Can you give me a hug…a tight one?” He asked why and she replied, “I need to know if I’m alive.” They spent sometime talking to each other, and the hero said, “We still need to figure out how to go back.” They headed for the pilot’s seat when they received a signal from earth. The air station on earth managed to locate the ship’s location and piloted the ship to return safely. All the two can do now is wait.
The heroine felt happy that they were going to see everyone again but she knew everything would change upon her return. So she approached the hero and sat on the hero’s lap. She said that she wanted to remain this way, “To me, you give me the most comfort.” “I just want to stay this way for a while longer.” She mentioned. She hugged the hero, putting her head on this shoulder. Soon, after much persuasion the heroine returned to her seat next to the hero. Just then, a voice was heard. “Is sorceress Rinoa there?” The hero was stunned. He looked at the trembling heroine. He switched off the radio and knelt beside the heroine. It was the hero’s duty to terminate sorceress but he said, “I would never do that. If you really are a sorceress…I would be your knight to protect you.” The heroine broke down into tears and cried on his shoulder. All the hero can do is to spend the moment with the saddened heroine. The heroine knew that she would be put into deep sleep when she returned and she would never see the hero again.
This was the hero’s decision to protect the sorceress, disobeying his duty to save someone important to him. He knew that many would hate a sorceress but he would be there to stand by her.
The hero found the heroine just in time and caught her in his arms. The heroine’s back- up life support was restored. She opened her eyes to see the two rings attached by her necklace drifting in front of her eyes. One of them belongs to her, the other is the hero’s which she has borrowed from. She then realized that the hero had come to her rescue. The two drifted together aimlessly until they found a stranded spaceship.
When they were inside she asked, “Can you give me a hug…a tight one?” He asked why and she replied, “I need to know if I’m alive.” They spent sometime talking to each other, and the hero said, “We still need to figure out how to go back.” They headed for the pilot’s seat when they received a signal from earth. The air station on earth managed to locate the ship’s location and piloted the ship to return safely. All the two can do now is wait.
The heroine felt happy that they were going to see everyone again but she knew everything would change upon her return. So she approached the hero and sat on the hero’s lap. She said that she wanted to remain this way, “To me, you give me the most comfort.” “I just want to stay this way for a while longer.” She mentioned. She hugged the hero, putting her head on this shoulder. Soon, after much persuasion the heroine returned to her seat next to the hero. Just then, a voice was heard. “Is sorceress Rinoa there?” The hero was stunned. He looked at the trembling heroine. He switched off the radio and knelt beside the heroine. It was the hero’s duty to terminate sorceress but he said, “I would never do that. If you really are a sorceress…I would be your knight to protect you.” The heroine broke down into tears and cried on his shoulder. All the hero can do is to spend the moment with the saddened heroine. The heroine knew that she would be put into deep sleep when she returned and she would never see the hero again.
This was the hero’s decision to protect the sorceress, disobeying his duty to save someone important to him. He knew that many would hate a sorceress but he would be there to stand by her.
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