-prologue-
Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? You should, because it’s not just an old saying. It’s actually true. When that perfect job just slipped off your hand, you better believe there is a reason for that. Or how the guy of your dream just slipped away from you. And no, it’s not for the sake of laugh for the Guy upstairs. He’s not that mean. There must be a reason.
Take Adya for example. She was always asking God, why did He always fucked up her life. She had a perfect job as one of the creative mind in a radio. It was her dream job, all that just for her parents to crush it. See, Adya parents are typical Indonesian parents, who demanded their child to have a ‘stable’ job. And the very definition of ‘stable’ according to Adya’s mom is working in the government.
She cursed that job until the day she was sent off overseas for a full scholarship. For the cherry on top of her perfect sundae, she got the chance to prolong her scholarship in the place of her dreams, the United States of America. To sweeten the deal, she got to study in UCLA from all places, the major could be better, but she’ll take Geography any day. After all, her bachelor is Geography.
Ever since she left America to go back to Indonesia after she graduated from high school. Adya had vowed that someday she would be back, because she had loved her adopted home. For three years Adya was living her dreams, living in LA, taking the bus to campus, volunteering in the center after her classes. Life was good for her. Until the one day, the day when her life changes, in a good way, and then bad, and then…worse. But everything happens for a reason right? And the reason is not merely because the Guy upstairs needs a good laugh.
-chapter one-
-present day-
Adya is packing her belongings into a box. She is going back to Indonesia in two days. Her best friend Estelle is helping her out. God knows how much stuff she collected for the past three years.
“I came here with one bag,” she says to Estelle, “it’s amazing to see how much it grew over the years.”
Estelle laughs, her hearty laughs match her figure. She is a chubby middle age woman, came to the United States in her early twenties. She came from Mexico to find better life in the US. Better life she did find. Inspired from her struggles when she first came, Estelle and some of her colleague created a center for the immigrants. Mainly to help them with the children. Immigrants tend to work really hard, and sometimes their children are forgotten. The center help the children with their school works, adjusting to the new environment, and giving them a place to go to after school.
“Mija, you have a lot of stuff here.”
“Well that boxes are going to Salvation Army, unless you want to keep them for the center, these I’d like to ask you to send by mail. Mainly books, and some knick-knacks.”
“And that those boxes over there?” Estelle points out boxes Adya had put in the corner. She had packed those boxes first before she packed her stuff.
“You can give it to him whenever he comes by.”
“Have you told him you’re going home?” Estelle asks her with a concern tone.
“Nope,” she answers without looking at Estelle.
“Child, what is wrong with you?”
“Drop it Estelle,” she warns her.
“No, can’t you see, that kid loves you! I can see through his goo-goo eyes.”
“That’s the point Estelle, he’s a kid, he doesn’t use logic when he made decision.”
“Love knows no logic child.”
Adya doesn’t say a word, she keeps packing her stuff into the boxes. It’s been two weeks since that night, when he walked out n her. It’s for the best anyway. Everything is stacking against them, and with Adya’s luck, they won’t even survive the month. But they did survive the year. They bicker, they fight about everything, he’s a stubborn mule and she’s as pigheaded as an Indonesian girl would come. A tear slips from Adya’s eyes. She wipes it quickly before Estelle notices. It’s for the best, she keeps reminding herself, it’s for the best.
-sometime last year-
“I still can’t believe we were picked, out of all the applicants, we’re the one,” Estelle talked excitedly to Adya. She had been in that mood ever since they got the news that the center is going to spend the day at the set of Second Language, the biggest show at the moment. The show features an English for Second Language teacher Ms. Stark with the struggles of the immigrants kids who came to America. The show was one of its kind that took the struggle of second language kids coming to America, and how an ESL teacher is not only a teacher for them, it goes beyond that.
The center was chosen to visit for their promo for the new season, and today was the day.
“Yes I know Estelle, it’s really exciting,” Adya said flatly while putting on rice-crispies inside their brown paper bag for the kids to take.
“Come on Adya, don’t ruin Estelle’s moment now,” Sheila said to her. Sheila was a little younger than Adya. She came from Russia to study in UCLA. Through Sheila, Adya found out about the center and fell in love with it instantly. She found a place she belongs, whenever she had a bad day, just being in the center would cheer her up.
“Ah, that sour apple wouldn’t ruin this moment, we’re going to meet the dreamy Principal Morris today. I wish I could take a break from marriage for the day, I’m sure Carlos won’t mind.”
“Uh huh, I’d like to be there when you propose the idea,” Adya said to Estelle.
“I was there when she asked last night, wasn’t pretty,” Jorge, Estelle’s brother chimed in.
“Ow shush, you take those boxes and put it in the car Jorge, let’s go.”
“Come on Mateo,” Adya said to a little boy of 6. He just came from Mexico a month ago, still scared and learning the language. She took care of him since the first day he came in to the center, he reminded her of Kresh, her nephew back home.
“I scared,” Mateo said in broken English.
“Ow don’t worry, just stick close with me and Kimmy here,” she gestured to the Asian girl next to her. She was about 5, another one who loved Adya so much. “We’ll be fine, we’ll have a good time.”
“No I mean happy scared,” he said.
“Ow, that means you’re excited.”
“What’s that?”
“Happy scared, excited.”
“Yes that.”
Adya laughed, “Come on let’s go see Miss. Stark.”
They arrived on the set, and the kids went crazy. They had a great time, they took pictures in the classrooms, played with the props, and then the cast greeted them. Adya laughed as she watched Estelle getting all silly when the cast came. Phillip Connor, the guy who played Principal Morris, gave her a bouquet of roses and a kiss on a cheek.
The cast and the kids were playing while they were waiting for lunch, but Mateo was clinging to Adya.
“He’s a shy one isn’t he?” Darren Mitchell, the actor who played Mr. Tony, the music teacher who has a crush on Ms. Stark, came over to Mateo. Adya caught her breath, he caught her off guard. She smiled at Darren, and she could feel her cheek burning. Truth be told, Adya is a fan of Darren, she had been a fan since she saw his video in Youtube a while back. She avoided meeting him because she was afraid she’ll turn into an annoying fanatic. She hoped to God she would not sound like a jerk.
Mateo clung harder on Adya, “Yeah, he just came a month ago, he hasn’t really come out yet.” Adya said half stammering. She was trying hard to maintain her cool. So far, no luck.
“He seems to like you,” he said and gave her his smile.
Adya giggled, which, looking back, she’d slapped herself. “Nah, he just need something to cling on to.”
Darren kneeled in front of Mateo, “What’s your name big guy?”
“Mateo,” he answered quietly.
“Do you like Disney movies Mateo?”
“Yes, Lion King.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Me too!” Darren said in a way making Adya smiled involuntarily. “Wanna help me out man?”
Mateo looked up to Adya.
“It’s okay,” Adya reassured him.
Mateo nodded excitedly.
“You know ‘Hakuna Matata’ right?”
“My favorite song from movie.”
“Rock and roll! Mine too! You want to sing it together?”
Mateo nodded, and Darren took his hand, and Mateo hadn’t let go of Adya yet.
“You go ahead,” Adya said to Mateo. “You’ll be fine, he’s Mr. Tony!” Adya told Mateo that got Darren chuckled.
Mateo went with Darren, while he picked up his guitar. Adya followed them and watch them.
“You know the words right?” Darren asked Mateo.
“In Spanish I know.”
“Even better,” Darren said and adjusting the keys.
Adya watched them play and the kids started gather around. She smiled, it was the reminiscence of one of his fan’s video back in the days, where he sang to the crowd and for the first time realizing that people actually listened to his words. He even did voices of the characters. They played other Disney songs, and the kids were singing along to it. Adya met Darren’s eyes for a moment while he played and she smiled at him and he smiled back. Her heart melted right then and there.
The children started eating lunch, Adya was getting her lunch at the buffet. Without her realizing it, he was in front of her.
“You’re great with the kids,” he told her, again caught her off guard. She almost dropped her plate, “Watch out with that,” he said to her amused.
“What? Ow, yeah, thanks. They’re my savior,” she said trying to recover.
Darren looked at her weird, “From what?”
“Insanity. My day job isn’t exactly fun.”
“Ah, really?” he turned to her in pure curiosity, “And what is it exactly?”
Adya realized he was talking too much, too personal, she stopped herself for a while deciding what to tell him, and decided to tell him the truth. “I worked for the government back home, a planner.”
“Planner like party planner?”
“I wish,” Adya laughed, “regional planner.”
He raised his eyebrow, “That sounds…”
“Boring?”
“No, that’s not what I was gonna say…” he started to defend himself and Adya just laughed. “Ah, you caught me on that one. Well I don’t believe we’re properly introduced, Darren Mitchell,” he extended his hand.
Adya was about to take his hand, when she caught Julia, one of the kid was going to throw something at Kimmy. “Julia no!” she said and starting running to Julia’s table.
Darren caught her arms, “Your name’s ‘Julia No’?”
Adya stopped and looked at him, she couldn’t believe he held her hostage for her name, “I’m sorry, it’s Adya, Adya Sutrisno, now if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to prevent a food fight,” she said and started to go to Julia’s table. She stopped and turned to him, “It’s nice to meet you.”
On their way home, the kids couldn’t stop talking about the day. Mateo kept saying, “I sing with Mr. Tony” to Adya. All in all it was a good day.
Adya walked in the center a week later, it was the first time Adya went to the center after the visit. Her dissertation took up most of her week, but she already faced her advisors yesterday, so today, she was planning to regain sanity.
“Hey there you are,” Estelle greeted her, “You got a visitor yesterday.” She said and winked.
Adya stopped dead on her track, “I have a visitor? Can’t be a police with a parking ticket, I don’t even have a car, and I’m pretty sure I’ve paid Rajeev for the pratha bread last week. My parents are to far and my grandma’s dead. Not one of those creepy freshmen handing in papers right?”
“Aren’t you a smart one,” Estelle snapped at her. “It’s that Mr. Tony from the show, what’s his name….”
“Darren Mitchell?” Adya said and felt her hear involuntarily skipped a beat.
“Yes, him. Omigod, the kids went crazy like Christmas came early for them. I thought it was another press thing for the show, but he came alone, no camera crews. It turns out he’s looking for you.”
“Say what?” Adya’s heart skipped two beats, and her lips automatically formed a smile.
“He stayed a while, said hi to the kids, and play with them. But at the end, it turns out that he’s looking for you, and left his number,” she handed her a piece of paper.
Adya took the paper from Estelle, she looked at his handwriting, how he wrote down his name, how his 8 is slightly slanted, and he added ‘call me’ with a smiley face. She smiled at it, forgetting the fact that Estelle was still watching her.
“And from that silly grin on your face I know you’d call him soon right?”
“Ow shush,” Adya said and carefully tucked in his number inside the book she was reading. She’ll call him tonight, she said to herself.
-present day-
“I have to go now,” Estelle voice breaks Adya’s train of thoughts.
“Okay, thank you so much Estelle.”
“Hey it’s nothing.”
Adya smiles.
“Carlos will come by tomorrow to pick up the boxes, and Jorge will pick up the keys later tomorrow.”
“Great,” Adya says. Jorge is going to take over Adya’s apartment. He’s starting to take classes and her apartment was nearby campus.
“I’ll miss you mija,” she says and gives Adya a hug.
“I’ll miss you too.”
“And if that goo-goo eyes boy comes by, what should I told him?”
Adya stops for a minute, “Tell him goodbye.”
“Dios Mio, you’re hopeless.”
No comments:
Post a Comment