I Love You, Let Me Go

Letter to Ameera

Kamelia and her father were busy for the rest of the day arranging all of the flowers while trying to figure out how to deliver them. Their small motorbike surely would not cut it, so her father figured he should rent a loading truck for tomorrow. Kamelia's best friend Dian, who she immediately called right after Ren Ikeda left, came to help but they ended up spending most of the time gossiping. 

"I could not believe Ren Ikeda came to your shop" Dian giggled still in disbelief.

"I know how much you liked him, you were the first person I wanted to brag to" Lia teased and Dian could not help but laughed at this.

"Lia.." Dian shook her head disappointingly as she continued her sentence, "I don't think you understand how obsessed I am about him!"

"He.. seemed okay" Lia muttered as she continued packing the flowers.

"Oh, right!!" Dian suddenly shouted and it jumped her a bit. Lia then looked at her with a death stare while Dian was unbothered and kept looking so proud about something that she just realized.

"I bet these flowers are for Ameera Barakat" She conceitedly explained.

"Who?" Lia asked in confusion.

"You know... his fiancée.. their engagement has just been announced yesterday and it is all over the news"

"Oh, right" Lia uninterestedly replied, unable to match the excitement her best friend was hoping for.

Discouraged with how Lia just reacted, Dian tried to further explain to her how much of a big deal this thing actually was. 

"Let me explain.." Dian paused building the tension, "Ikeda Group, with their real estate empire, is known for their luxury chain of hotels, while on the other side, there is Barakat Group, which owns several of the most exclusive clubs in Jakarta, and I read it on Twitter that The Barakats are also rumored to be one of the most notorious mafia gang in Indonesia, but no one can actually confirm this"

"You see," Dian raised her hands, "Ren, the future heir, and Ameera, the only daughter, ultimately make this engagement, not just a mere betrothal, it is also business," Dian stated these facts so passionately like her life depends on it. It was easy for Lia to pretend to not care about what her friend just said, but she was starting to get intrigued. 

Dian caught her breath before she continued, "So, with their family uniting, they will inevitably become the biggest conglomerate in Indonesia"

"Interesting.." 

"I'm not done.." Dian cuts her off. Lia was not always the one to talk a lot compared to her friend, so she just let Dian continue.

"Don't you really know who Ameera is?" Mixed in disbelief and disappointment, Dian again asked Lia, who kept letting her down in the conversation.

As Lia shook her head, she confessed, "It's my first time hearing the name.."

"So.." Was it to build tension or exhaustion from talking too much too fast, Dian paused once again before continuing, "Ameera Barakat is an actress, model, and philanthropist. She also has middle eastern blood, so this naturally makes her super pretty already, and not to mention that she is known to be very kind and generous despite her family's rumors. She is by far one of the most perfect human beings I have ever seen in my life, and I am not even trying to exaggerate." She further explained as she presented Lia with Ameera's Instagram from her phone.

Dian's words did not do Ameera justice, she really is beautiful. Her long luscious black hair caught Lia's eyes immediately as she scrolled through her Instagram, Ameera's eyes, with its pupil vividly being dark green, made Lia subsequently wonder if she is Indonesian.

"Are you sure she is Indonesian?" Lia asked and Dian just nodded assuredly.

After hours and hours of gossiping and arranging thousands of flowers, Lia and Dian finally managed to finish everything before 8. Then, it was time for Dian to go home. She exited the shop knowing her way out as she waved goodbye for the last time before leaving with her brother's motorbike. 

Lia and her father lived on the second floor of the shop so when it was time to close, they just locked the door, turned off the lights, and went upstairs. They finished the night with the food she just ordered from Go-Jek, an online delivery app. That day, it was braised pork belly, her father's favorite. Once they finished their dinner, she washed the dishes like usual and went to her bedroom after.

There was only one thing left to do, which was the letter Ren Ikeda requested. So, she sat on her desk and took a piece of blues white paper as she held her ink pen in her right hand. She has quite a bit of a hobby in calligraphy, as well as drawing.  Two skills she had been practicing every other night when she felt like it. She has a thing for art and poetry, but knowing then that this letter would be for Ren Ikeda's fiancée, she grew unsure.

What if she wrote the wrong thing... 

What if she crossed the line.. or what if it is simply just bad

She was confident in her handwriting but with what to write, she was anxious. She recalled again everything that Dian just told her earlier, trying to pretend as if she was Ren who wrote the letter to his love. 

You came to me with a face I have not seen, 

and a voice I have not heard, 

yet I feel like I know you. 

Somewhere between the lines and universe, 

through thousands of flowers, 

there is a sign that echoes you and me.

At this point, she was hesitant to continue. She was writing nonsense, she wanted to tear the paper so bad. She felt like these words does not explain anything about Ren or Ameera. All she could think about while writing this was Laurie, the guy from little women, her most recent man crush and this does not help knowing that he did not get Joe in the end. It was already so late for her to do it all over again, so she just sighed and continued.

From the moment I saw you, I was sure. 

It was the sky that seemed bluer, 

and it was the nights that seemed longer without you. 

Your spirit as much as your kindness...

is the sign I have been looking for.

Now, these might make sense, considering how perfect of a woman Ameera is. Not knowing what to add any more, she finished off the letter.

My Dear Ameera, I Love You

She finally felt relieved as she put the letter in an envelope she then closed with wax for an added poetic touch. She then left the envelope on her desk as she stood up and made her way to her bed.

That night, for the first time in a very long time, she fell asleep immediately. Maybe it was the exhaustion from working or the too-much-talking with her best friend, but that night her mind truly felt at peace.