May 3rd 2015, eight days earlier.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon . I was cleaning up my bedroom while Dad was playing his piano, for the last time. Then Dad called me from our living room. "Anindya.. Anindya.. Come here". Then I came to him. I sat down and his first sentence was, "Do you have someone special right now?" And I said, "Hahaha no Dad, I don't. Why you suddenly asking me that question? It's strange". He knew I lied because I was in long distance relationship, but he said, "You have to find someone to be with you. Go out and find that guy. I totally support. You're not a kid anymore. Be on a date with a gentleman and have a romantic dinner with him so you don't have to spend your satnight with mom and I again". It was not the first time Dad asked me to go on a date but I was still confused. What kind of father who 'force' his 17-years-old daughter to have boyfriend? Then I said, "Dad, I'm just enjoying my single life. I just want to be focus on school first. And I don't think I'm ready to be on a date". And we spent our afternoon with father-and-daughter-conversations, in English of course. Dad gave me lots of advices, what-to-do and what-not-to-do as a grown up woman, 'boyfriend/future husband' talks, and so on. Dad told me he was kind of worried about me. Not only because I didn't have boyfriend and too enjoyed my single life, but also about my future. He said he wanted to see the man I chose to accompany my days. It didn't mean something serious but Dad just wanted to know what kind of man I love to be with me. Dad also criticized me and I knew he did it to make me a better person in the future, even I dropped my tears that time.
After we had very long conversation, we realized it was already dinner time. His health just suddenly went down and he told me "We will have dinner tomorrow at Abhayagiri (our favorite restaurant-red). So please dress well and tell your siblings aswell. Just five of us. I want to gathered and have a quality time with my wife and my kids. And we will talk so much things. No gadgets allow". Then he went to his room and slept.
Those conversations turned out to be my LAST conversation with my dad... And he never spoke again ever since. Not to me. I'm glad I might the only one who had very long conversation with him, for the very last time.
-Putri Anindya Shavitri-
