The Day I Met You

A day after my 26th birthday. It was a beautiful long road with beautiful views on both sides; hills with colorful houses on my right side and sea with mountains afar. The sun shone brightly, but the ambiance was very soothing with calming and fresh ocean air blowing my headscarf. Sailing boats were covering the ocean, making the scenery even more flawless.

I was passing through the red famous bridge and it was near lunchtime. We were going to eat one of the most talked-about local cuisine, grilled tuna collar. The collar of tuna is the part where the fatty, juicy meat with a high level of Omega 3 is located. In sushi restaurants, it is called hamachi kama, one of the most favorable parts for its richness in taste. The cooking method made the outer skin have a crisp texture yet tender on the inside. The freshness odor of newly catched tuna, the bittersweet taste as the result of grilling, the sprinkle of lemon juice water, freshly picked coconut water as dessert, matched with the beautiful scenery outside. How to not feel in love with the warmth of East Indonesia?

Yet it was not as good as it was supposed to be.

I still felt air sickness from a 3 hours non stop flight boarded before the sun rose. The saved Spotify playlist could not even save me from the situation, not to mention the microwaved pizza I brought as my super early breakfast made me feel even worse instead. Trying to pose my favorite position during a flight; landing my head on the window as I see the white clouds outside could not cure it at all, still.

I used to really like long trips, call it by train or airplanes or land travel. 

One more day of my business trip. Trying to follow the vibes that my coworkers bring by tasting all the local delicacies; starting from klappertaart to Manado porridge, all of them were just so bland for my tongue, resulting in unavoidable queasiness to my tummy.

I used to be excited with culinary trips, moreover with traditional foods with variances of flavour.

I spent my last day of business trip on Manado by counting down the hours to my departure back home. And the flight home was worsening my condition that I felt fever all over my body as I landed on Soekarno-Hatta airport although my temperature was normal. I just want to be home, meet my husband soon, and have full rest all over the weekend.

- o O o -

Deep inside, I knew something happened in me.

My head was full of questions but I was afraid to find the answer. I was afraid of disappointment. was afraid of letting go of something that I even did not have yet. 

But then, I took the courage to meet you.

The next time I met you, you were captured as reflective white parts on the black screen and I saw you as the most magical thing in the world.

How could something less than a centimetre have a heartbeat?  How could I fall in love with you at first sight when I saw you? How could you be so small, not bigger than my thumbnail, be so lovely that I cried? How could you be so small yet really impactful that you change our life in instances?

On the day I met you, all the nauseous and sick feelings suddenly moved away and turned to indescribable feelings.

On the day I met you, I knew we - me and my husband, were the chosen ones to have this tiny creature as a carrier of happiness and represent His trust to us.

On the day I met you, I promised to take care of you and sacrifice my life for you all of my life.