Palembang, August 2003
It had been one year since Haden never returned here. He had also decided to stop out of college. At the end of last year, I started my KKN activities in a village in one of the districts here. Since then Haden and I couldn't contact each other because I didn't get a signal but after I came back, I still couldn't reach him.
"How? He still can't be contacted, huh?" I asked Dika.
"Uh-uh. Maybe he doesn't use this number anymore," Dika sighed.
"Why doesn't he tell us, huh?"
"I'm also confused and worried."
"Well, maybe later he will contact us."
"But it's been a year already, Nes."
Since he never contacted me again, I always tried to forget my feelings for him, but I never could. Every time I sit on the rooftop, I always think of him. Every time I got to the bus stop after the class, I always thought of him who was always waiting for me here. I didn't know how he was. I really missed him.
"Don't you eat?" Yonna asked while standing in front of my room.
"I am still full."
"Okay. But, if you don't eat because you think about Haden, don't do it."
"No, I don't."
I woke up in the middle of the night. I saw my bedroom door was still open and my room lights were still very bright. I saw Haden walking towards his room. I stepped on my feet just to be sure whether it was really Haden. However, after arriving at his room, there was no one and it was just my imagination.
"What are you doing here?" Dika said it surprised me.
"I saw someone like Haden come into his room earlier."
"Maybe ...."
"What??"
"Nothing. It's just your imagination. It's better if you sleep again and continue your dream."
"Is Haden still unable to be contacted?" Lyla asked me.
"Yes, he is."
"Um ... his family can't be contacted either?"
"Uh-uh. His number is no longer active. After he contacted Mrs. Sari said that he wanted to stop out of college."
"Maybe later he will come back again."
"Yes, hopefully."
I was in the sixth semester. I also never returned to Yogya again, because I was busy with my college affairs. I was also pursuing my studies so that I could graduate as soon as possible and return to Yogya.
"If I come back to Yogya later, do you think we'll meet again or not?" I asked Lyla.
"Um, people say the world is small. Maybe we'll meet again later. But, it might take a while. Don't you want to find a job here?"
"I really want to. I'm comfortable here too. I also felt like I was Palembangese. But, we know that as far as we go, we'll be back to our home."
"Why am I sad, huh? I am very happy to meet you and other friends. But, you are right. Home itself is the place where we return to. Hopefully we can meet again later."
"How come we already talked about goodbye, huh? After all, we still have quite a bit of time to spend together."
In less than one year maybe we will finish our education. Dika will finish his studies soon and go back to his hometown.
