7 Days With Althara

Prologues

Althara took me to Caffe at Bogor Peak. Caffe became my favorite place to watch the vast sky with a sprinkling of stars that felt so close to our heads. This cafe also presents a magnificent view with city lights that twinkle below.

21 May 2014. It was Althara's birthday. All Althara wanted was to spend time with me until midnight. Exactly the same as her wish in the years before her, she forbade me to give her nothing but my time.

“Kayaknya I want to try the department of molecular gastronomy deh” said when Althara asked me where I would continue my college.

“Let me learn to cook and simultaneously research the chemicals from the food I make right?”

Althara laughed at hearing that.

“Kalo you ? Why would you want to move to University?”

I asked when I remembered that Althara had said she wanted to move out of her college.

“I want to move majors”

“Why? Not his Virtual Communication department is already in line with your potential huh?”

He tried to think of something with eyes that could not be separated from the scene before him.

“I want to try the department of Boga”

I held my laughter when I heard her words that made me unsure.

“Where is possible?”

“Maybe aja”

“No will be possible Althara, you make cakes for mothers aja gosong where you can enter Tata Boga”

“Yes because it's , I want to learn, so I can always make cakes as good as made by mother right?”

I raised my one thingis, seeing her overconfidence.

“Where can you make cakes as well as made by mother ?”

“Bisa”

“I ga sure”

“Kalo I really can how?”

“Prove first”

“Kalo yes I can make cakes as delicious as made by mother I want you to do a thing”

“What?”

Althara seemed to be thinking of something, her gaze so empty that it was clear she was thinking of something.

“I want you to never change”

He made me shut up, re-did his wish

“Only it?”

Because I think it's too easy to do.

Althara twisted her body and sat down swiftly before me, she held both my hands and looked me in the eyes so deeply.

“Alhena. I want you to never change, stay like this, with the same feeling and remain the Alhena I know no matter what happens”

“Alright” answer me with a smile.

“Appointment?” Althara raised her right pinky.

I smiled and greeted with my pinkie

“Janji”

I'm so happy when we make a promise like this, because we've never once denied it. I love Althara so much, I want her to be the last of my life. And I also felt that Althara had the same feelings as me.

I always laugh when I remember that I used to hate her so much, never even thought by me to be able to love her. But now that things have turned around, Althara, who was so cold that I knew her, is now so warm and loving. Now he's a man who's always worried about my condition. He is always attentive to everything I do.

The next day I woke up feeling worried. Althara didn't call me that day, her phone couldn't be called. I was thinking that maybe he was busy with his lectures.

In the afternoon I tried to call him again, but still his number could not be contacted. I started to worry, I tried to contact his parents, it turned out the same number can not be contacted. The same night, he still could not be contacted. I started looking for him by asking his friends, and his friends did not know althara's whereabouts.

I tried to contact him through social media, but not in his discussion.

The next day I tried to find out Althara by coming to her house. And I can't believe the house is empty, they're not all home.

I'm still thinking positively, maybe Althara and her family are going on vacation but maybe she hasn't had time to tell me.

The day went by, Althara was still out of touch, and she was getting frustrated. He just disappeared. He got me in a state of worry, why is Althara like this ? Why did he leave without saying goodbye? What did Althara do ?

The questions kept spinning in my mind. It made me so upset, so worried, and so broken.

A few weeks have passed. Althara completely disappeared, she no longer gave me any news. He didn't call me, he didn't explain what really happened.

I started my new life on campus. Now I turn into the quiet Alhena, no longer as cheerful as I once was, the Alhena who is now the closed Alhena. Not happy to hang out especially close to men.

Althara managed to drive me almost crazy, she kept me in a state of guilt. Did I make a mistake with him?

Do I look less at loving her?

or is he hiding a big secret from me?

“Alhena you have to try to open with your friends, you try to get along with them, you have to forget your past, you can't get rich gini keep loving”

My mother, who was always worried about my situation, always asked me to live my days as before. I tried but I couldn't. Every corner of Bandung city that I went through all that reminds me of Althara who always took me around Bandung with his motorbike. It makes me sad to remember all the good memories with him. It's hard for me to forget all the happiness I've been through with her.

1 year passed.

I can no longer live like this. There was no encouragement for me to continue my studies.

“You sure you want to jakarta?” Ask Papa.

I nodded my head weakly.

“If you want, we can make Caffe here for you make business dear”

“Pah , I want to be there, this is my chance to be able to learn foreign food business, I do not want to waste this opportunity”

Though my heart says something else, my biggest reason is not that. The restaurant was indeed the place where I learned to cook Italian cuisine, and a few days there I felt a sense of tranquility. And it turns out that the owner of the restaurant asked me to work there to see my potential so good and quick to respond.

And I finally left Bandung after two years of turmoil in my heart.

I'm trying to forget Althara. And dumped all his sweet memories here and started my new life in Jakarta.

I hate you Althara.