THE END OF OUR STORY
Unable to Avoid
Aurora stood in front of the elevator door that opened and did not believe her gaze. “Cracks Cloud?” Aurora looked straight ahead and did not dare to turn her head towards the people who had just exited the elevator. The pull in her hand made Aurora step into the elevator following some of the other friends who entered first.
“Why Au?” ask Saras next to him.
“He? No ... nothing.” Aurora tried to hide her surprise.
Aurora never expected to see the clouds again, in a place thousands of kilometers from their campus.
Today is the fifth day Aurora and Saras begin a new life on this campus. The first week is more filled with introductions to fellow friends, campus facilities and services, as well as an introduction to some of the issues and topics they will receive during the year of college.
Aurora and Saras are two of the five Indonesians accepted into the school on a scholarship to master's degree. They get acquainted at the time of orientation as well as the release of the scholarship recipient's departure in Jakarta. Other than the two of them, the other three were men. Iqbal and Lukas are from Jakarta, and Singgih from Bali. Aurora and Saras both come from campuses in Bandung, but they have never known before because of different campuses and different generations.
The majors they choose are majors that concentrate on development issues in developing countries. No wonder if the participants of the lecture are more from various developing countries in the world, including countries on the European continent.
Their department building is separate from the main building in this school environment. Occupy a 12-story building but their majors are on the last 4 floors containing classrooms, lecture rooms, and other facilities including a library. Aurora and several other friends had to get out of their building if they wanted to go to the cafeteria located in the middle of the main building. At lunchtime like this they have to mingle with students/i level bachelor or other masters who do use classes and facilities in the main building.
On the way to the cafeteria, Aurora was still thinking about what she had seen earlier as she was about to enter the elevator.
“Why is Brother Awan here huh? Is he a student too? How was yesterday the time of the introduction, he didn't exist? Is he late, a different scholarship?
What if I meet you later? Musti, what's that? Does he still know? Ah, there's no way Brother Awan still remembers me. It's been six years, at most he doesn't know anymore.”
Various questions and allegations popping up in Aurora's head made her involuntarily frown and let out a soft complaining voice.
Saras embraced his shoulder while asking, “Why Au? Think what the hell? It's a heavy kayak.”
Aurora who had regained her senses from her daydream turned her head to look at Saras and replied with a small laugh trying to dodge.
“What do you want to eat today. Hungry.”
Saras laughed and lowered his hand from Aurora's shoulder, switching positions with Aurora's arm.
“Live to eat only dizzy. Mostly we eat bread drink milk again. What would you like to eat?”
Aurora laughs at Saras' response. They had discussed this on the third day of eating in the cafeteria. After the first and second day they searched for heavy food such as potatoes, pasta, or maybe rice, the third day they began to take part in lunch with bread and milk as the Dutch people generally. At that time jokingly they agreed that lunch in the Netherlands is a second breakfast for Indonesians.
Upon returning to the campus building, Aurora and Saras immediately headed for the locker to pick up their bags. The introductory lecture will start in 10 minutes and they rush to the classroom, choosing the remaining seats in the middle.
Aurora's mind started to drift in memory of the clouds back. Their last meeting was at the time of Cloud's graduation. After that they had not met at all for about five years. His love for the Clouds has been quiet for a long time and today it is proven that he actually continues to miss the figure of the Clouds. Aurora's daydream came to a halt when today's lecturer entered the door saying, “Hallo. How are you, everyone? My name is Pieter.”
--
The clouds entered the computer room that looked deserted without anyone inside. He chose the empty table at the end closest to the printer table. This empty desk is provided for students who choose to use their own laptop to connect directly with the printer.
This afternoon Awan had an appointment with his guidance counselor, Prof. Arjan, a Dutch grandmother of her mother half Indonesian. Profs. Arjan once told me that his grandmother was born on a tea plantation in Pangalengan, near Bandung. Clouds once responded, Maybe his grandmother's parents were landlords in the tea plantation.
Awan has added some references in his dissertation, and now it's time he went to the lecturer to discuss additional references he entered. After assessing enough, Awan connected the printer cable to his laptop and began printing the writing to be submitted.
Along with the completion of the Clouds tidied up the table and put the laptop in his bag, the sound of people talking into the computer room. The cloud saw several students enter the computer room and reflexively saw his watch which showed the time at 14:50. The clouds rushed out and headed for the elevator to go up to the 10th floor where the lecturer room was located.
Without feeling it has been an hour more Clouds discuss with Prof. Arjanas. There is no fatigue, Awan is actually rejoicing because the discussion goes smoothly and makes him more excited to continue his dissertation. The clouds want to go home soon and plan to stop shopping on the way home. He needs food because this morning only realized that the stock of food began to thin.
Arriving downstairs, the Clouds headed for the bicycle parking lot while removing the key to the bike chain from his bag. Before boarding the bike, Awan upped the jacket zipper and fixed the position of his backpack. Although the cold wind slapped his face, a thin smile was still etched on Cloud's lips because of his success today.
Upon arrival at the supermarket, Awan immediately took a basket and headed to a shelf containing vegetables. While choosing a vegetable that was roughly necessary the next week, his ears caught the voice of a female in a familiar language.
“What do we take, Au? While making a week what?”
The clouds turned their heads towards the sound and choked. Just two steps away from her, her eyes caught the figure of Aurora looking through the rows of herbs on the shelf. The other woman who was the source of the voice stood behind Aurora while holding a carrot in her hand. Cloud had not yet thought, Aurora had turned sideways and was now facing the Clouds! Unable to dodge, their eyes met.
There was a surprised look on Aurora's face, as well as the Clouds. Silent.
Saras realized something was wrong and turned around, looking at Aurora and an Indonesian man who were both silent like a statue.
Clouds are trying to break the silence. “Mmm .. Aurora huh?” The cloud started the conversation and noticed that his voice was slightly blocked in his throat. Aurora could only nod and lower her gaze.
The clouds extended their hands which Aurora greeted slowly. “How are you? College again here?” awan asked while then taking off their hands and smiling.
Aurora tried to keep looking at Cloud who asked her how she was doing, but in her heart she struggled, “Why should I meet now?”
“Good news, Brother. Yes, college again.” Aurora tried to answer as calmly as possible despite being busy arranging her heart.
“Kak lecture too?” Aurora subconsciously asked a question just like that, wanting to find the answer to a question she thought about from noon.
“Iya, take Ph.D. Where did you guys go to college?” The clouds asked as if they had never seen Aurora and her friend on campus before.
“Erasmus, Brother. HMDC.” Majors
“Oh, same dong ...” The clouds put a surprised tone in his words.
“Oh yes, Brother. It's Saras, HMDC majors as well.” Aurora diverts the conversation by introducing Saras to Awan who is greeted by the handshake and the smile between the two, while Awan mentions his name, “Awan.”
The discussion finally continues with questions about when to arrive in this city, where to stay, how many Indonesian students are in the same department, where to shop, and about daily needs when living in the Netherlands.
Clouds and Auroras lived in the same building. The clouds living on the ground floor filled the studio space, while Aurora and Saras lived on the 12th floor. They filled a unit consisting of three rooms, one bathroom, one toilet, and one kitchen space. In addition to the two of them, one other person in the unit is a woman from Thailand named May. The building is indeed one of the facilities provided by their majors to make it easier for students from various countries to get a place to stay before starting their studies.
