JUMPING HIGHER
I MET SARAH

The day that had been hot changed to cloudy. The dark covered the sky and the wind blew a little hard to blow the dust that formed a small vortex like a sandstorm against the speed of my motorcycle. Even so I continued to move among the vehicles that filled the Surabaya road. But the water point came faster than expected. Very quickly the small water points like fine needles were changed into heavy rain. There was no choice but to find shelter. I steered the motorbike to a row of shops and pulled over with a nearly soaked body.

One by one motorcyclists who were caught in the rain pulled over and took shelter in the store's headquarters. Ah, Surabaya street, Chinatown area that in its history was named Cantonese road. When I was a kid, my dad always asked me to buy shoes in this area. Because indeed the streets of Surabaya and surrounding areas are shops that sell shoes before finally losing prestige with the emergence of magnificent shopping centers studded in the city of Medan. Stay in the street area of Surabaya itself and deserted. I call it an old town even though its appearance is not as old as the buildings in the Kesawan area. There is still an ancient building, the house of Tjong A Fie. Papaku said Tjong A Fie was a Chinese merchant and conglomerate of his era and was also known as a philanthropist and contributed a lot to the development of the city of Medan. Then across the street, not too far from the oriental-style house owned by Tjong A Fie, there is a Tip Top restaurant where the hangouts of lords and Dutch noni of old. The architecture of the building is still original and the word papaku where burning bread is still using the oven relics of the past and the fuel using wood is not listtic. History and memories are expensive to throw away. What always reminds me of Papa is, he likes to take me around Medan and tell me about the history of this city. When I ask, you can always answer, papa, then he smiled and admitted that when he was my age he was also often taken by grandfather around the city of Medan and told the history of what is stored behind a building or streets in this city. I seemed to be thrown into the past, while it was still raining with a rush, the wind was blowing through the cold. Suddenly I remembered papa. How are you, handsome man?

The rain still fell presenting a curtain of water that obscured the view. I shivered as the wind blew and hit my wet body. Suddenly a motorcycle came and pulled over. A woman sitting on the porch came down and ran towards the store. When he was near me, I immediately gasped. Sarah?! I looked at him with mixed feelings.

"How are you?" I greeted him and tried to calm my feelings.

Sarah did not answer and the man who was piggybacking on her came closer, shaking off her wet clothes. I don't know who he is. Maybe Sarah's schoolmate or her new boyfriend. I don't know ...

"Ca, sori yes I should have brought a car, but who knew it would rain today?" said the guy was friendly.

Sarah pulled the man's arm and moved away from where I was standing. Something stabbed me in the heart all of a sudden. The man called Sarah, Ca. Only the special people in Sarah's life call that. The wind blew again adding to my body's bite. For all this, did you sacrifice life? Aw, Bono. You are a loser!

I picked up my phone and typed in a message:

Who is he, Ca?

Message I sent. Hopefully Sarah's mobile number is still the old one. I've never called her again, but I hope she hasn't changed her number. Messages were sent. Thanks, God!

I looked at the woman who broke my heart. He took something out of his pocket. Must be taking a cell phone. Read and reply to my message, Ca. Hope in my heart. Thankfully, it seems he read and replied to my message. I saw Sarah push her phone keypad.

The reply message went to my phone :

A message from Sarah I replied :

Why did he call her, Ca?

Sarah replied to my message :

Indeed why?

I sent you a reply again:

Your boyfriend?

My message was answered by Sarah:

Don't ask anymore.

I keep my phone in my pocket. Done already. There is nothing to remember, let Sarah be the past and occasionally reappear in memory. Go who go. My heart was frozen, hard as a rock. It is good to love not whole soul. Even if he turns away there is still another love where the heart is anchored.

The rain subsides slowly, leaving drizzling rhinos. Rushing me from the store and driving a motorcycle passed leaving the streets of Surabaya full of memories. About papa, about a little history of this city and now the memory is extended with the presence of Sarah with a man in the afternoon wet by the rain.