JQueen_
If Cia's first love was a pair of pink shoes that were too small and made her heels bleed,
If at nine years old, Cia learned that "anger" is a privilege only for children who are wanted,
If in middle school, Cia cried into chili sauce so people would think it was just too spicy,
If in high school, Mama only came for five minutes just to say, "Be strong,"
If every Eid, her ketupat always tasted salty from being scolded,
If the man who proposed to her turned out to be good at lying,
If the kind one only dared to doubt...
Then, who will redeem every lonely January 1st?
Who will finally tell Cia: "It's enough. You don't need to be more. You, as you are, are already enough."
Cia holds no grudges. She just understands pain. So she promised herself she would never hurt anyone.
But there's one thing Cia still doesn't understand: when will it be Cia's turn to be happy?
In Pontianak, there's a girl who celebrated her birthday alone by a water jar.
Who kept a pink hijab next to bloodstained shoes in a cardboard box.
Who wore her graduation gown with no one waiting for her.
Her name is Cia. And this is the story of how she wins.
Without needing anyone to wait for her.
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Originally written in Bahasa Indonesia on Karyakarsa. Support the original version.