My name is Maira

- I Go -

***

My trip to Jakarta tonight, was not a decision I made yesterday afternoon.

But this has been my consideration for the past two months.

It took me a month, for my parents finally let me go to Jakarta.

I also tried to convince alan if my decision was round, but until this morning, alan was still reluctant to let me go.

Dimas objected, as soon as I expressed my wish.

Dimas asked me to work solo, but I explained to dimas that I was curious about Jakarta, and wanted to feel what it was like to work in the capital.

I also assured dimas that I would not change my heart for him.

I promised dimas, once my curiosity was fulfilled, I would go straight back to dimas.

This departure of mine, also because I still have doubts on dimas, I still cannot accept the existence of zahra around dimas.

I need time to receive the zahra around dimas.

Only nia is the most happy, when I say that I will follow nia to Jakarta.

Rani and Mia feel betrayed when I say that I am leaving, while Kiki supports me, because he will also return to Kalimantan.

The plan was, I would stay with nia and her family for a month, until I could finally find my own place to live.

Aunt Rosa objected to my plan, auntie rosa asked me to stay at their house while I was in Jakarta.

Mom also put me to aunt rosa during my time in Jakarta, because I was quite worried.

According to my mother, the association in Jakarta is very free, mother does not want me to fall into bad things, so mother asked me to stay with nia, she said, because there are nia parents who will look after and watch over me.

A month ago, I also applied for a job in several offices in Jakarta, and next week I have an invitation to interview from three companies.

I started to feel tired from crying too much.

Then I chose to rest, because the new train will arrive in Jakarta at around five in the morning.

Nia's been calling me since the afternoon, if she's gonna pick me up at the station.

Just now that I wanted to close my eyes, the train crew came to offer me a meal, but I refused, they then gave me a pillow and a blanket to rest on.

During the eight-hour drive from jogja to Jakarta, I just slept.

I just woke up after one of the train crew woke me up, because soon the train will arrive at the gambier station.

Then I saw my blackberry, and there were five missed calls from dimas, as well as three calls from nia.

I chose to call nia first, and she asked where I was when she answered my phone.

I then told nia that in ten minutes the train would enter the gambier station.

Nia then said that she was waiting for me on the stairs with her father.

After I closed the phone to nia, I called dimas, but dimas did not answer.

Finally I just left a message to dimas, saying that I have arrived in Jakarta.

I then chose to put my blackberry back in my backpack.

The train stops at the gambir station along with the morning adhan.

I got out of the carriage after making sure none of my belongings were left behind.

My feet were just one step down the train, but I was immediately stunned, then I walked towards the seat.

The towering monument with a golden flame ornament on its peak, became my first sight as I got off the carriage.

Jakarta greeted me with the sound of the Adhan and also the monument of monas that shone so brightly.

The reflection of the yellow lights around the monument monas, and Jakarta is still dark, making the monument monas look like a candlelight in the middle of darkness.

I then remembered that Nia was waiting for me.

After looking at the monument with a glance once more, I then dragged my suitcase down towards the exit.

"Raa", cried nia, as soon as she saw me coming down the stairs.

Nia and om rusman came straight for me.

I put down my suitcase, then I kissed om rusman's hand, and hugged nia.

Nia then helped me, brought my suitcase, and om rusman helped me carry the rest of the stuff I brought.

On the way to nia's house, om rusman asked if my trip was tiring, I just answered more tired crying before the train left.

Rusman laughed at my answer.

"Not in the apartment", I asked nia.

"No ra, ordinary house", answered nia.

"Well, I want to live in the apartment" I replied.

Om Rusman then asked nia to invite me to stay at the apartment, when the apartment was not in the lease.

Jakarta still looks empty, all the way from gambir to tebet, probably because it is still late.

The streets are also quite stretchy, but may change as the sun begins to rise, and congestion will again decorate the entire street.

Aunt Rosa came out of her house as soon as she heard her father's car go into the garage.

"Welcome to Jakarta ra" said aunt rosa while hugging me.

Aunt Rosa then invited me into the house, and showed me the room I was going to occupy.

The room I was staying in also had a bathroom in the room.

"Your room also has a bathroom in it", I asked nia.

"Yes, all the rooms have bathrooms in them" answered Nia.

After I took a shower and changed my clothes, I still saw nia sitting on my bed while playing her phone.

"You changed the blackberry" I asked nia again, in a cheerful tone.

"Yes, now I'm using an android", replied nia cheerfully.

Nia then showed me her new touchscreen phone.

*

For one week at home nia, almost every day I was alone with aunt rosa, because om rusman work in the morning, and also nia leave in the morning because it has started work.

Nia's house is a two-story house with five rooms.

There are three rooms above, and two rooms below.

In the lower room, there is a guest room, and also one room located behind the kitchen.

The room was used by the nia family's domestic assistant for rest.

His name is bi minah, his age is about fifty years, he has been working with his father, since thirty years ago.

He started working since his father was still single, he initially worked for parents om rusman, but parents om rusman asked aunt minah to come with om rusman, once om rusman married.

According to nia, the house he lives in now, is a house that was once lived by om rusman and his first wife.

The room that I and nia occupy, is also the room of the children om rusman from his first wife.

Although bi minah used to serve the first wife om rusman and his children, but that does not make bi minah become haughty on aunt rosa and nia.

Bi Minah remains friendly, even very attentive to nia.

I have also been present for interviews at three companies that have invited me.

Two of the three companies accepted me, I was confused as to which one to choose.

I then asked for her opinion on Saturday, when she was off from work.

I explained that the provider company asked me as a marketing admin, and the finance company asked me to be an advisor.

The salary offered by finance companies is greater, and also the benefits that I can receive are more attractive.

While at the company provider, I can accept take homepay less than two million.

Nia advised me to take in the company provider, because even though the salary is small but the risk is not large.

While in the finance company, the risk is great, if I make a mistake.

After thinking for two days, and finding out about each company, I chose to take a job at a finance company, because after all, I had come a long way to Jakarta, of course I want more money.

Nia then took me to monas the week before I started working.

Too bad, we get to monas is already quite noon, so we can not go inside to see Jakarta from the end of the monas.

We then just take pictures, and eat meatballs outside the monas fence.

Dad used to take me and alan's sister to monas, but when I was three.

There are no memories that I can remember from my trip to Jakarta first.

I can only know that I have been to Jakarta, from a photo album that I saved well.

***