To The Man Who Broke My Heart
18. New Episode

If moving on meant that I had to move out of town, I would do it with pleasure.

****

Good morning, Jekardah!

Ah, forgive my excessive attitude.

However, I can't stem this excitement any longer.

This morning I woke up in a new room with fatigue still hanging from my eyes. How not, I deliberately took the last flight to Jakarta after the previous day spent time with my teletubbies friends in Padang as a form of farewell event.

A week after graduation, I returned home and Papa then told me about the conversation he had with Om Seno, his best friend who lives here. Om Seno wants me to help Aunt Meli, his wife, in their corporate foundation. He explained that this was a good opportunity, the possibility of developing my potential was available to a greater extent, and other persuasive things were needed to persuade me to accept the offer.

Little did he know it didn't take that much to convince me to go far away from that city.

I know what Papa and Om Seno said is true, it's a good opportunity. Then why don't I just try? Aye, right? Most importantly, there are one thousand three hundred kilometers between this city and Jakarta. The chance to cast off Harris' shadow was also definitely there. The possibility of moving on will be even greater. After all, all the memories of him won't continue to chase me this far, right?

I gotta get out of there.

Therefore, I accepted the offer without a second thought.

And, here I am now.

Mbak Inah, a young woman who was assigned by Om Seno to maintain the cleanliness of her house located in the Cempaka Putih area of Central Jakarta, turned out to have prepared breakfast for me. I greeted him with a little guilt. Yesterday he stayed up all night to wait for my arrival.

After our conversation, Papa immediately contacted Om Seno and arranged all my needs here, including house and transportation. Om Seno offered me to occupy one of his houses complete with a car taken care of by Mbak Inah. He is the son of Om Seno's trusted housekeeper. Being too old, Bi Darsih returned to his village to rest and sent Inah as his successor. The foundation office is also not far from here, it is still a complex. It takes about fifteen minutes on foot.

It's a good start.

I finished the toast with the peanut butter chocolate that was prepared. “Mbak, Mbak Inah also lives here right?” I opened the conversation.

The woman, who was only a few years older than me, stopped washing her dishes and replied. “Previous, anyway, not, Non. I live in a rented house behind the complex here. Every day I go back to clean the house. But, Mr. Seno said from now on I will accompany Non at home. My room is the very back of it, Non.”

“Fieh. I was worried, Mother. Seriously. You must not feel good alone in a new place like gini. If there's Mama Inah here, I'll be a friend of hers, "i'll breathe a sigh of relief.

Ma'am Inah smiled. We continue the light conversation by discussing ordinary things like age and origin of each. Daei the conversation I found out that Madam Inah was two years older than me. Waw. Very lucky indeed. There must be some things we can discuss together.

“Be careful, yes, Non. Good luck for the first day!”

****

That's what happens in love. You are not only required to accept the good and bad existence of a person as a whole, but you must also be able to release the whole of him if that person no longer wants to be together. Love cannot be forced. Nor is it ideal to treat love as a covenant. You only have two choices; stay here or leave. Both are equally heavy. Accepting the existence of the wrong person or mengikhlaskan the departure of someone who feels so right.

****

7.05 AM.

I was standing in front of a two-story building. In front of him there is a signpost; YAYASAN PEDULI ANAK AND EDUCATION. OUR HOME. UNDER THE AUSPICES OF SUSENO ENTERPRISE COMPANY.

It feels surreal but so real at the same time.

The sound of the car horn surprised me, although the sound was actually not too loud. Only my mind wandered for a while. After I turned to face the offensive object, Om Seno smiled from behind the steering glass. “You're early in the morning already dumbfounded, Ra?” Om Seno then disembarked after parking his car in the office yard.

I approached him and shook the hand of the middle-aged man I considered my own father. It's been a while since we visited him and his family last time. And, ah. I really miss that call. Only Om Seno and Aunt Meli are the ones who call me "Ra", not "Kay" as the house people do.

Om Seno patted my shoulder gently. “You must be really excited to start working, huh? This hour is at the office. At the very inside there's Mr. Parmin, our office's OB." The man who was more or less the same stature as Papa, tall and somewhat full-bodied, was chuckling. "Yuk, in. You can look around first before Om knows all employees.”

I'm nodding. "Okay, Om." We're in Kalakian stepping inside.

After listening to the story of Om Seno, I came to know that actually this building used to be the home of Om Seno as well. However, because his children were already grown, Om Seno and Aunt Meli chose to live in an apartment that was considered more practical. Then, this house was transformed into a foundation office.

There are five rooms that are all converted into workspace section heads, while the main room becomes the office of the chairman of the foundation, Aunt Meli herself. Some rooms are still maintained functions such as kitchen, television room, and reading room, while in other parts almost all there are chairs and work tables.

The feminine voice of someone called my name and I turned around. I found the Aunt Meli we were waiting for finally coming. He and Om Seno did leave in a separate car because Om Seno had to leave for the office after this. He stopped by the foundation's office just to welcome me. The woman who looked so young for her age walked up to me with her arms wide open. I returned his embrace. “Tante is so happy that you are finally here.” Aunty Meli kissed my left and right cheeks.

“I'm also happy to finally be here, Auntie. By the way, thank you very much for the offer Om and Auntie. I'm really grateful to be able to get this really good opportunity.”

“You've already considered your own child. So don't be smart about using a thank you show." The two middle-aged couples exchanged looks and laughed. " Yes already. We will continue the story later, yes. The others are waiting for you in Aunt's room. You will meet your new friends here. Yuk.” We also walked to the second floor.

I'm moving on to a new episode in my life.

To be continued ....