—a Polaris Musim Dingin after story.
“Akari-san!”
Perempuan yang baru saja memanggil namaku bergegas menghampiri. Roda koper putihnya berderak melintasi aspal yang tidak rata. Belum ada setahun sejak terakhir kami berjumpa, tapi rasanya sudah lama sekali aku tidak melihat Nishijima Misaki.
“Maaf, kau sudah lama menunggu?” sambutku sambil membantunya menggeret koper ke sisi lain jalan.
Misaki menggeleng, kemudian tersenyum sangat lebar. “Kyou-san tidak ikut?”
—a Polaris Musim Dingin after story.
“Jadi, kau memutuskan untuk berhenti?”
Ryuji terkekeh, kemudian terdiam untuk beberapa saat sampai aku memeriksa ponselku untuk memastikan kami masih tersambung. Dia baru kembali bersuara ketika aku memanggil namanya kembali.
“Iya. Lucu juga, ya? Kukira setelah aku mendapatkan pekerjaan, aku akan bekerja di sini untuk waktu yang sangat lama,” ujarnya dengan lesu. “Tapi kau tahu, Akari-san? Beberapa minggu yang lalu aku bertemu dengan salah seorang teman lamaku, dan setelah mendengar tawarannya bergabung dengan perusahaannya, kurasa aku akan mengiyakannya.”
Continue reading “Setelah Musim Dingin Berlalu (2)”—a Polaris Musim Dingin after story.
“Akari?”
Aku menoleh ke arah Kyouhei, yang baru saja selesai memasukkan piring-piring ke dalam lemari. Dia berdiri termenung di sana, membelakangiku. Aku pun berhenti menyapu lantai Shirokuma Bistro dan menghampirinya dengan penasaran.
Originally written for a prompt submitted by @autumn5kye
Originally written for a prompt submitted by @eunicesoe.vics
Continue reading “Seesaw”Based on a writing prompt submitted by @eunicesoe.vics
A scientist conducted an experiment with two caterpillars.
They are of the same species, and roughly the same size and age.
He fed one of the caterpillars with only the best quality leaves. He made sure to control the lighting and moisture level of the ecosystem to promote growth. And before long, the caterpillar transformed itself into its chrysalis form, bidding its time while undergoing metamorphosis.
Continue reading “A Butterfly Needs to be Loved”When the last of the raindrops smothered the wailing earth that day, she thought everything had been lost. No, not in a bad way. In fact, she was content. There was no better day to celebrate—yes, she decided to celebrate it rather than grieving over it—her loss than today. After all, she had come all this way and lost too many things to even count with her mind.
Hari itu hujan turun dengan deras.
Seperti hari-hari lainnya ketika kota Jakarta diguyur hujan, orang-orang mulai sibuk memikirkan bagaimana cara mereka pulang. Bagi yang rumahnya jauh, mungkin mereka akan mengkhawatirkan jalanan yang ramai. Bagi yang rumahnya dekat dengan kantor sekalipun, hujan bukanlah sesuatu yang menyenangkan. Continue reading “Skenario Pertemanan Optimis”
Hello everyone!
This excerpt is something I wrote back in 2015, but have been neglecting ever since. Part of the reason was that I didn’t know where to take the story; I didn’t think of the premise or concept when I started writing it. Unfortunately, the gullible practice turned out to be so interesting and I ended up saving the draft on my computer, only to forget all about it later.
I haven’t decided on what should I do with the story. Should I abandon the project, or should I attempt to finish the story? Do let me know what you think about it! 😉
***
Mobil yang membawa kami pergi dari Jakarta hari itu melaju dengan sangat perlahan. Aku masih bisa melihat awan yang berarak di langit biru saat itu, seolah segalanya baru terjadi kemarin. Diriku yang masih berusia sepuluh tahun mengintip dari kaca jendela mobil, melihat gugusan bangunan yang mungkin tidak akan kulihat lagi untuk waktu yang sangat lama.
I remember you said that you liked the decorative pins on my hair.
You told me I looked beautiful in that teal colored one-piece dress,
and that putting on makeup made me much more vibrant; much more alive.
I remember taking off the decorative pins,
tearing away the dress,
wiped off the makeup, and stared directly into your eyes.
“How do you love me now?” I asked.
You stammered, trying to find the words you lost.
Maybe that’s why we couldn’t work it out together. It’s not because we didn’t love each other enough, or because one of us wasn’t trying enough.
Maybe it’s just because you never looked at the real me properly.
Behind the decorative pins on my hair, the beautiful teal colored one-piece dress, and the vibrant makeup, I was just an awkward girl, trying her hardest to be just enough for everyone.
“Do you still love me now?” I remember repeating the question.
Alicia Lidwina 2017
Alicia Lidwina 