Selasa, 31 Desember 2013

[Short Fiction] Sunrise in Japan

Walking upon the streets within Chiyoda near The Palace perhaps is normal for an overseas tourist. Though, this occasion is slightly different this time.

I have been planned to visit Akihabara for hunting a rare material I can use later in my future project. As I heard that the item is sold in a store, where locates between 3 animation franchise markets. To make it worse, today’s 31st December and the stores are supposed to be closed earlier in preparation for communion prayer tomorrow. At that moment, I have no option but to visit the Fuji, southern of Tokyo this late evening.

As I travelled throughout the southern of this big city, many people seemed to enjoy themselves. There are some, for example, who lit up a stick that ignites a spark, or enjoying a bottle of sake wine singing their favourite songs. That’s because tonight’s the 64th Song Contest which shows numerous renowned singers, ranged from bubble-gum pop to theme songs, competing each other. I dunno what would be the price if either Red of White Team won this match. But I’d best to rush than watching other people having fun as I didn’t get enough time for that.

Step on the feet of Fuji feels much different today. Maybe due to winter breeze greeting me as the sky is cooler and quite adaptable for me to live in. Climbing upon the hills ain’t seem easy as I have an average strength and I didn’t do exercise very often. There are a few also who climbed as well, but they have immersive endurance and overlapped me.

I finally made onto the summit of Fuji by the time at 5 AM. As I walked the summit, I see the blinding yellowish light stroking the very eyes of all climbers. This is the first day sunrise of the year, the new hope, the man’s resolution to be achieved this newly year. Those are what I can understand from the people here talking about it. As for me, though I don’t seem to celebrate like the others do in evenings, I prefer to walk on my own adventure to being stagnant in vicinity. Why bother holding your own desire to go outside where you have your only chance to shine, mate? As I see the sun rising above its horizon, I may have thought the World has ended its lifespan, yet the circulation of human dynamics carried on through the time I’ve spent. We maybe forgot what mistakes we had in yesteryear, but our willing to move on is still there inside our hearts. This is how “ganbarimasu” expression means about, right?

Anyway, Happy New Year everybody. I pray for your tranquillity and more prosperous as well as your closeness to your beloved ones. Aamiin.




Senin, 30 Desember 2013

Memento

Hujan yang dingin nan gerimis mengatur suhu ruanganku yang memang setiap hari pengap karena banyak sekali barang dan baju belum kubereskan. Benar-benar suasana kosan seperti begini dah…

Sudah jam 12 malam, 25 Desember. Kidung-kidung “Silent Night” dan “White Christmas” berdendang di sepanjang jalan Flinders selama Aku didalam studio flat lantai 39. Sedikit spacious iya, namun ini dikarenakan Aku beruntung mendapatkan flat tersisa setelah sebagian besar terpakai untuk mahasiswa lainnya.

Oh iya, saatnya membuka kotak kiriman dari Jakarta. Seringkali kuminta untuk mengirimkan satu boks “Tolak Angin” untuk ku-share dengan teman satu lantaiku yang sering mengadakan sesi “Let’s Play” PCnya.
Didalamnya ternyata lain isinya.

Adalah sebuah mainan pajangan yang pernah kupunya sejak aku masih SD, seingatku sejak aku mengenal Digiman lewat alat seperti “Tamagochi” aku selalu meminta agar dibelikan sedikitnya satu saja. Satu tokoh ini, “evolusi perubahan” tingkat “Mega” yang menjadi favorit di kartun Digiman Adventure, ialah mainan yang dikirimkan. Bukan Gendum, Ngamen Keder, ataupun Super Sempak, melainkan satu figure Digiman yang pernah kubeli di Hongkong beberapa tahun lalu. Kenangan yang indah ya…

Dibawahnya tercarik surat yang lusuh tertimpa mainan tersebut. Dari ibuku!

“Anandaku.

Ini adalah surat yang kesekian kalinya kunasehatkan kepadamu. Semoga kamu tidak lelah mendengarkan nasehatku dan bias dicamkan dengan baik.

Aku mengirimkan kepadamu mainan yang pernah kita beli di Hongkong beberapa tahun yang lalu. Mengingatkanku kepada pengalaman kita disana selagi tersesat di jalan Wan Chai mencari makan malam diluar, akhirnya ke kedai mi yang kecil. Keesokannya kau pernah menumpahkan segelas the milik pedagang pernak-pernik di pasar dekat hotel, hingga kau menangis mengaku tidak sengaja. Untunglah penjual itu baik dengan kita. Apakah kamu masih mempunyai sifat “nyampluk” tanpa disengaja disana?

Anakku, telah lama aku belum menerima kabarmu disana. Ingatlah bahwa aku tidak ingin apa-apa darimu. Hanya sebuah artikel tentang dirimu tentang kebaikanmu kepada sesama ataupun pencapaian sudah cukup. Ibu dan bapak mengikhlaskanmu untuk meneruskan sekolahmu hingga kau bisa menjadi orang yang tidak cuma menghargai uang tapi hati nurani.

Semoga kau sejahtera disana. Kudoakan selalu kepadamu.

Ibu

NB: Aku sudah bisa menggunakan internet, kapan2 kita telepon, ya?”


Telepon. Maksud ibuku adalah Skype-an. Sepertinya apa yang telah kusalurkan akhirnya menghasilkan manfaat juga…

Namun yang penting adalah mainan dari bingkisan ini! Sebelum aku menginjak kelas 1 SMP, aku sering bermain dengan figur ini untuk menyita waktu menunggu waktuku belajar. Selalu aku membutuhkan teman yang bisa mendampingiku sewaktu aku kesepian ataupun menggalau menunggu rapor.
Oleh itulah, kutaruh disamping figur Danbo yang kudapat dari Jepang dan menjadi penyemangat hidupku sekaligus memento dari Ibuku.

Terima kasih, Ibu. Walaupun engkau telah uzur, Ibu tetap mengingatku dan masih menjadi tempat sandaranku dikala ku menangis ataupun marah. Ampuni anakmu yang kurang ajar ini hingga aku mengerti makna kehidupan yang sesungguhnya…


Terima kasih Ibu. Terima kasih sekali.


Rabu, 25 Desember 2013

A Scheme, Treasure Map, and A Weird Steel Barrel

"Well, mate. I guess this is the only best you could do to impress me much. But I'd say you ain't serious this time. How do you think those Spaniards would know we're negotiating over the rum, which you always have? Hell, not even a rat would fallen to this trap!"

The blabber of my superior seemed to me as a joke. I wanna go for this plan, though many would disagree and tend to mocking me. Well I gotta let this slide for now...

Returning to my cabin, I took off the robe, owned by a man I killed, before a piece of paper struck out from the pocket. It's a piece of sketch showing a point towards the place marked with red cross. Maybe a treasure lied beneath the rock would be there? I'll go find out to that island immediately.

As we finished digging upon that island, inside the crate there's a weird device made by steel, not the usual drum we often use for storing our rums. Inscribed as, "To Keyko, the real Yamato Nadeshiko I loved", the writing gives me creeps yet curious who is this about.  The moment I inspect the weird small barrel comes a hissing sound that opens it.

A very strange map, maybe blueprint, describes many complexity along with weird grass symbols upon each street. The red circle about the corner of the map leads somewhere. "Maybe this bloke accidentally buried the wrong crate?", as I thought aimlessly.

Just as I began to leave this island, bells rung all over the hull. "Captain Kenway, a convoy with 4 Men O' War comes this way!! Hurry, take the wheel!", Adewale, my quartermaster, warn me with haste. I rushed and climbed to the steering wheel, facing towards an armada of pirate hunters.

While I'm not certain who is this person burying this weird treasure, maybe this map would lead me to the legendary treasure every pirate dreams about.

Or perhaps I just hang it on the cabin's ceiling. A good souvenir from nowhere is damn rare in here, though.


Senin, 23 Desember 2013

[Short] The Present

It’s been days I’ve laid on the hard, wet bed since the last time a stranger carried me to a nearest hospital. Smells of medicinal alcohol, beeping monitor, intravenous injection each 12 hours, everything I see here is horrible. Though I admit this place’s food wasn’t disgusting enough to get it digested.

The middle-aged white coated man who assessed me a while ago answered my question of “What’s happening to me, Doctor?” “Well, Sir. I have to explain to you humbly that your life expectancy would be soon degraded, as we’ve found there’s an enlargement on the left side of your heart based on the chest X-Ray photo we’ve taken. The ECG furthermore adds our suspicion on the left ventricular hypertrophy, an abnormal enlargement in the heart’s left ventricle caused by many factors, though this is just our prediction. So, is there anything you would like to discuss with us, dear Sir?”

“I can’t even think what am I going to do now, Doctor.”

“I see. Anyway, did you feel your arms still numbed or maybe you felt headache at the moment?” The man adjusted his spectacles as if he’s scheming something.
“I’ve seen it worse way back before I got here.”
“If it’s so, then thank you. Your enzyme test result will be here very soon. We advise you to not moving too much and perhaps relaxing yourself very often. Farewell and fast recovery to you, Sir. And, oh, we’ve contacted your family as well.”

Relax myself. Hmm…perhaps I gotta reminisce days back the time I bought her a present to my beautiful wife to be.

I remembered when I spent my two-year personal savings for buying her a present. At that time, I can’t even think enough what present would be the best to give to her. My colleagues from my past office suggested me to buy some materials I can use instead of spending expensive, fancy items. I agreed the idea as well.

As I gathered things I needed, I began working on the ‘present’. The moment I finished it I got depraved as I worked the whole 3 days. This is the moment my chest went like crushing something. The show must go on, however.

Just as I arrived to send my package the chest pain suddenly appeared again, which I can’t even hold it. That was the moment a post officer immediately called an ambulance and rushed me away to this hospital. Along with that box.

Eventually, I had the parcel I’m going to send. Though, I can’t even imagine if she sees me in this condition tomorrow. This shoe I made for her maybe lighten her heart and I hope she wear it every day she’s going to school as a homeroom teacher. It’s not as vibrant as Hermes’s but the way you see this pair of shoes shall prove that even rain won’t separate us. It’s the vow we made that keeps us ever connected.