contemplation

Pengalamanku Terjatuh di Sukamahi

9:41 PM

 Sukamahi, 24 Desember 2021

Aku bersiap-siap di kosanku untuk berangkat kerja. Pagi itu aku terbangun sekitar pukul 6, lalu aku bergegas untuk berdoa, mandi, dan berpakaian. Kulihat jam di handphone-ku sudah menunjukkan pukul 06.45, jadi aku terburu-buru memakan roti untuk sarapan, minum, lalu keluar dan mengunci pintu kamar. Kujejalkan kakiku ke dalam sepatu lalu berlari kecil ke luar kosan. Jam di handphone menunjukkan pukul 06.55. Sinar matahari langsung menerpa wajahku, membuatku menyipitkan mata karena silau.

Hari itu tepat sehari sebelum Natal dan keluargaku sedang pulang kampung.

Hush, pikirku. Bukan saatnya untuk memikirkan itu. Berangkat ke kantor agar tidak terlambat lebih penting untuk dipikirkan saat ini.

Aku bergegas menuju motorku yang kuparkir di depan kosan, duduk di atasnya, dan membawanya melaju menuju kantor. Estimasi perjalanan dari kosan ke kantor memakan waktu sekitar hampir 30 menit. Perjalanan itu membawaku melintasi berbagai lokasi, dari kompleks perumahan ke jalan raya luas menuju daerah pabrik.

Pikiran bahwa besok sudah hari Natal dan aku tidak akan bersama dengan keluargaku kembali terlintas di benakku saat membawa motor ke kantor. Aku tidak benar-benar sedih, tidak, tapi aku tidak bisa berbohong bahwa aku tidak kesepian. Natal jadi satu momen keluarga yang dulu tidak begitu aku sadari hingga sekarang. Apalagi lima bulan terakhir ini terasa begitu berat kujalani di kantor. Lima bulan yang benar-benar menguras mental dan emosiku. Seandainya saja aku punya cuti...

Aku mengusir pikiran tadi dengan bernyanyi sambil mengendarai motor. Tidak ada gunanya mengasihani diri sendiri. Kecepatan motorku awalnya normal ketika baru keluar kosan, lalu melambat karena sedikit macet, kemudian menjadi lebih cepat ketika melewati jalan yang lebih lebar. 

Saat itu aku sudah berada di daerah Sukamahi, hanya tinggal 10 menit lagi sampai ke kantor. Di depanku ada mobil yang melaju agak lambat daripadaku, dan aku melihat ada celah di sisi kanannya untuk kuambil. Kuarahkan stang motorku ke kanan untuk mendahalui mobil di depan dengan kecepatan yang lebih tinggi... hanya untuk menemukan bahwa sisi kanan jalan tersebut tidak rata dan motorku persis melaju menuju lubang kecil di jalan itu.

Brak!!

Hal berikutnya yang kuketahui adalah aku berada dalam posisi setengah merangkak dan setengah terkapar di jalan, motorku terjatuh di sebelah kiriku. Jalan itu adalah jalan menuju daerah pabrik di mana banyak truk dan kendaraan lainnya yang sering melaju kencang. Refleks aku menoleh ke belakang untuk menerima takdirku.

Tapi tidak ada orang tuaku di sini.. apa kata mereka jika nanti mereka kembali dan mendapati anak perempuannya sudah tidak ada lagi?

Mobil di belakangku melaju semakin dekat dan mataku tertuju pada roda-rodanya yang berputar.

Ya Tuhan, aku berserah kepada-Mu.

Atau apakah ini akhirnya, Tuhan, setelah sekian lama aku menderita?

Roda-roda mobil itu terus berputar, namun melambat dan perlahan-lahan berhenti. Mobil itu berhenti beberapa meter tepat di belakangku.

Aku menghembuskan napas lega yang langsung digantikan dengan kernyit kesakitan karena nyeri di siku kanan dan kedua lututku. Orang-orang sekitar langsung membantu, ada yang menolongku berdiri dan ada yang membawakan motorku ke pinggir jalan.

"Kamu gapapa? Masih bisa bawa motor 'gak?", tanya seorang bapak yang membawa motorku ke pinggir jalan.

"Iya, Pak, gapapa. Cuma luka sedikit, saya masih bisa bawa motor, kok," jawabku sambil melihat kondisi siku kanan dan kedua lututku. Siku kananku nyeri tapi sekilas tidak terlihat terluka karena tertutup jaket, namun lutut kiriku terbuka dan berdarah; ternyata kain celanaku sobek karena bergesekan dengan aspal saat jatuh. Lutut kananku tetap tertutup kain celana namun terasa nyeri sekali.

"Hati-hati, Neng, di sini banyak lobang. Pelan-pelan bawa motornya ke kantor," kata bapak itu.

"Iya, Pak. Makasih banyak ya, Pak!" seruku sambil menyalakan motor dan mulai melaju pergi melanjutkan perjalanan ke kantor.

Kubawa motorku menuju kantor dengan perasaan hampa. Bingung. Kosong. Tidak ada jantung yang berdegup kencang. Perasaan yang sama yang kurasakan selama beberapa bulan belakangan ini di kantor.

Kalau mobil tadi tidak berhenti di belakangku, apa yang akan terjadi ya? Apakah semuanya akan lebih baik?

Sampai di kantor, aku menjalani pemeriksaan oleh tim K3 kantor dan lukaku dibersihkan oleh mereka. Aku disarankan untuk pulang jika tidak kuat, tapi aku memutuskan untuk tetap bekerja sampai tuntas hari itu karena ada persiapan penting yang perlu kulakukan. Sampai Malam Natal hampir tiba dan aku terburu-buru pulang untuk pergi ke Gereja dekat kosan.

Gereja penuh sesak, namun aku berhasil mendapatkan satu tempat duduk untuk beribadah di dalam Gereja. Sedikit terlambat, namun aku masih mendapat kesempatan untuk mengikuti penyalaan lilin dan mendengarkan khotbah. Aku menatap lidah api pada lilinku dengan sendu.

Aku tidak bisa memproses apa yang terjadi hari ini dengan benar; pikiranku terlalu penuh dengan segala hal yang selama ini terjadi dan harus aku hadapi. "Kenapa?" adalah pertanyaan yang tak kunjung kudapatkan jawabannya.

Kenapa, Tuhan?

Kenapa harus sesusah ini?

Kenapa aku jadi menangis hampir setiap hari?

Kenapa teman-temanku hidupnya lebih enak dariku?

Kenapa ini semua harus terjadi?

Kenapa tadi pagi aku harus jatuh dari motor?

Kenapa tadi pagi mobil itu berhenti di belakangku?

Kenapa aku harus sendirian di Malam Natal ini?

Tes.. tes.. tes.. air mataku jatuh di ibadah Malam Natal tanggal 24 Desember 2021.

***

Aku memang tidak mengingat khotbah yang dibawakan oleh pendeta di sana, tapi perenungan di Malam Natal itu adalah awal bagiku untuk memandang pada Tuhan. Keesokan harinya, di hari Natal, aku melihat ada satu playlist di Spotify-ku yang pernah kubuat di tahun 2020. Playlist itu tidak pernah kuputar sejak beberapa bulan setelah kubuat. Aku melihat salah satu lagu yang kusimpan di dalamnya berjudul Overcomer yang dinyanyikan oleh Mandisa. Aku pun memutar lagu itu.

You’re an overcomer Stay in the fight ‘til the final round You’re not going under ‘Cause God is holding you right now You might be down for a moment Feeling like it’s hopeless That’s when He reminds You That you’re an overcomer You’re an overcomer


Lagu itu yang menemaniku menjalani pekerjaan selama beberapa hari ke depan hingga akhirnya aku tidak dilanjutkan bekerja di sana. Banyak hal yang kualami selama menuntaskannya, terutama emosi dan mentalku yang tidak stabil. Aku melewati berbagai tahapan duka akan perpisahan dan penyesalan, tapi aku menjadi lega karena mendapatkan jawaban terbaik dari Tuhan.

Namun anxiety akibat "dipaksa" bekerja dan berbuah di bidang yang ternyata bukan passion-ku sangat menyiksaku walaupun aku sudah tidak bekerja di sana lagi; aku benar-benar tidak tenang saat membuka berbagai website lowongan kerja. Gemetar, takut, bingung, semua jadi satu. Masa depanku gimana, Tuhan? Aku harus gimana? Orang tuaku sudah menanyakan rencana selanjutnya mau bagaimana, tapi aku sama sekali tidak tahu. Yang aku tahu, aku terlalu lelah dengan segalanya dan aku ingin berhenti saja.

Konselorku menyarankanku untuk beristirahat selama sebulan dan merenungkan visi yang ingin kucapai di masa depan. Karena anxiety itu sangat menggerogotiku, aku mengikuti sarannya. Sebulan penuh aku tidak mencari lowongan kerja apa pun, bahkan ketika orang-orang memberikanku tawaran lowongan kerja karena tahu aku baru saja diberhentikan, aku tidak menghiraukannya. Sebulan penuh aku 'mengizinkan' Tuhan mengambil alih semuanya.

Sebulan itu Tuhan membukakan banyak hal bagiku: betapa berdosanya aku, betapa aku tidak seperti orang percaya di kantor itu, betapa banyak berhala yang orang-orang sembah di tempat kerja, dan berhalaku sendiri pun Tuhan singkapkan. Aku merasa malu dan bodoh sekali ketika menyadari hal ini, namun puji Tuhan, kasih karunia Allah cukup bagiku. Aku dipulihkan seutuhnya.

Setelah bergumul akan panggilan hidup, aku pun mulai mencari pekerjaan lagi. Puji Tuhan, Ia mencukupkan segala yang kubutuhkan. Bulan berikutnya, Tuhan memberikanku pekerjaan baru di tempat yang cukup terjangkau dari rumah sehingga aku tidak perlu menyewa kos. Jam kerja di tempat yang baru ini pun sangat sehat untukku. Tuhan memberikanku posisi di mana aku bisa mengaplikasikan ilmu dan pengalaman yang kudapatkan di kantor sebelumnya sekaligus bisa mengeksplor ilmu yang waktu kuliah dulu sangat kusukai namun tidak kupelajari secara mendalam.

Aku terjatuh begitu dalam di Sukamahi, tetapi tidak ada lubang yang terlalu dalam yang tidak bisa dijangkau oleh Dia. Ia datang dan mengulurkan tangan-Nya padaku. Aku menerima uluran tangan-Nya dan Ia mengangkatku, membersihkan luka-lukaku, merangkulku dan membawaku tinggal bersama Dia menjadi manusia baru di tempat kerja yang baru. Ia bahkan memberikan pelayanan baru kepadaku beberapa bulan setelah aku bekerja di tempat baru, di mana aku bisa melayani mahasiswa sambil belajar firman Tuhan. Sesuatu yang kupandang sebagai bagian dari rancangan Allah yang mempersiapkanku untuk panggilan hidup di masa depan.

Melihat ke belakang, aku menyadari bahwa penyertaan Tuhan sebenarnya sangat nyata selama aku di kantor itu, aku saja yang tidak benar-benar percaya dan tidak peka menyadarinya. Aku terlalu berfokus pada masalahku dan membandingkan diriku dengan orang lain hingga lupa bahwa aku punya Allah yang sejati. Sejujurnya, kupikir tidak ada alasan bagi Allah untuk menyelamatkanku yang tidak tahu diri ini. Tapi nyatanya, Ia tetap datang dan menyelamatkanku.

Beberapa pertanyaan "Kenapa?" di Malam Natal tahun 2021 sudah terjawab bagiku: Tuhan ingin aku mengalami sendiri siapa Dia dan ingin aku benar-benar mengikuti Dia dan melayani Dia dengan talenta yang Ia karuniakan. Aku terkadang masih bertanya-tanya mengapa Tuhan menghentikan mobil itu agar tidak menggilasku dari belakang. Sampai sekarang aku pun masih belum mengerti sepenuhnya, tetapi aku menyadari bahwa itu semua karena kasih. Karena kasih, Allah menyelamatkanku dan meneguhkan imanku. Karena kasih, Ia merancangkan masa depanku. Karena kasih, Ia mempersiapkanku untuk melakukan panggilan-Nya meskipun aku sama sekali tidak layak.

Aku percaya, Allah yang sama yang menyelamatkanku dari kecelakaan di Sukamahi juga akan menyelamatkanmu dari apa pun masalah yang kamu hadapi saat ini. Ia sanggup mengangkat, membasuh, dan memulihkanmu menjadi manusia baru yang utuh kembali. Karena, Ia mengasihi aku dan kamu.

feels

Your Favorite Shade of Gray

2:31 AM


Dear you,

I still remember the moment when you took me to your grandparents's place at the countryside on last holiday. I remember you held my hand tight along the way. Your hand was strong but astonishingly soft and warm. You never let go of my hand and stroked my fingers several times. Every time you did that, I always looked up to you to find you staring right into my eyes softly, and your smile was spreading wide on your face. I thought I could spend my life forever just by looking at you.

We arrived at your grandparents's home and they hugged you tightly. They turned to me and shook my hand enthusiastically, beamed with pleasure. Your grandma was so happy that she almost jumped right into me. You laughed, the most beautiful laugh I've ever heard.

Oh, how I miss hearing that laugh coming out from your mouth.

Every morning you would woke me up and took me outside, to the mountain, to fetch some water. I always enjoyed it, that feeling when the wind blew on my face, tickled my neck that made me shiver a bit. Then you would come and took my hand, led me wander through the dark trees. I challenged you to race to the stream and sometimes you let me win intentionally.

We filled our buckets and then took some rest in a hut not far from the stream. The hut was too high for me that you had to help me to get into it. That day we sat side by side, my hand in yours. I moved my dangled legs back and forth and you stared at the sky. We were waiting for the sunrise.

"What's your favorite color?" I suddenly asked you.
You smiled and said, "That's weird."
"Weird?" I was confused.
"Yeah, you know, we've been together for almost three months but you still don't know about my favorite color," you grinned at me.
I blushed. "Well, you've always been the mysterious one."
"You are totally right about it," you chuckled. "Yours is kind of bluish, isn't it?"
"Is it?" I teased you.
"A mix of blue and green, I bet. In other word, turquoise." you said it calmly.
"How do you know that?"
"Your pupils dilate every time you see that color," you said. I raised my eyebrows. "Kidding," you laughed, "you tend to choose that color every time you buy your things."

My eyes must had widened a bit because I could see your pleasure. "I didn't know you noticed such a small thing," I tried to cover my amazement.
"Only about what I like. Or who," you teased me.
"Like me?" I fluttered.
"Do I like you?" you tried to look like a fool.
"No, you don't. You don't like me. Because if you liked me, I would punch you in the face," I crossed my arms. You laughed again.
"You are right, your ladyship, I don't like you," you said. You didn't say anything for a moment. I bet you did it for a dramatic effect. "I love you."

I was so dumbfounded that I couldn't say anything. You took my hand and pulled me closer.
"There is no pretending. I love you, and I will love you until I die, and if there is life after that, I'll love you then," you quoted Jace Herondale from City of Glass.
I burst out laughing. "Did you just quote?"
"Did I?"
"I didn't know you read The Mortal Instruments! You said you don't like reading books," I laughed harder.
"I only said I do not prefer books. Doesn't mean that I hate it," you smiled.
"Well, boy, you won. I acknowledge it," I said, my cheeks burnt because of laughing.
"I know. Because that's what I do, you know, winning." you said, pompously arrogant.
"How very kind of you," I smiled, and you leaned closer to me and my heart was beating faster..

...and then the roosters began to crow. The sun was about to rise.
"That's it!" you suddenly averted your face.
I was so confused and surprised and a bit disappointed. "What?"
"My favorite color. Look," you pointed at the upstream. I turned to the side he pointed. Then I saw it, up in the sky.
"Gray?" I asked. "You like gray?"
"Not gray, exactly. Right before the sun rises there’s a moment when the whole sky goes this pale nothing color—not really gray but sort of, or sort of white—"
"—and I’ve always really liked it because it reminds me of waiting for something good to happen," I finished it. "You quoted again. I like it."
"Of course you like it, because it's me," you gave me that teasing smile. "I agree with Lena Haloway. I'm in love with this shade of gray."

I watched you staring at the sky as the sun started to rise. The breeze blew your hair, revealing your forehead. "But now it's fading. It's sad that it only lasts for a very short time," I said.
"That's why I adore it. When you realize that something only lasts for a brief time, you will cherish it even more," you smiled softly and then turned to me. "You will be grateful for every chance that are given to you. You won't take it for granted."

In that time I could see a glimpse of sadness and pain in your face. Somehow I thought I saw you in a super excruciating agony. Somehow I just wanted to cry and help you. I wanted to take some of the pain you were carrying on your shoulder.

I know nothing lasts forever. Nothing, even us. That's why you always gave your best in every chance given. That's why you always tried to enjoy your moments; because you didn't know what would happen next. That's why you never squandered anything you got. That's why I adore you, my dear, a lot.

My dear, I love you so much. You know that I was always afraid of you leaving me, but you promised me that you would not do it. That's why I could let you go to any place you want. But this time, I just can't. You failed to keep your promise, my dear, but I know I must get over it.

In this little turquoise box, I keep you safe. I hope you don't mind keep seeing my favorite color that you had guessed correctly on that day. But now it's time to get you out of it. I know you must have been so bored in it.

My dear, I'm so sorry you can't get your favorite gray. I'm sorry that you only got this ash gray.

The roosters start to crow. The tinge of your favorite gray break the sky. I strew your ash into the stream.

feels

Help

6:31 PM



I am standing still in front of my tall mirror. I stare at my reflection from the tip of my head to the tip of my feet.

And then I start crying.

It's not beautiful, though, both of my cry and what I see in front of me. I cry like a mix of a horse and a child whining. It sounds so horrible, but I can't help it. I try so hard, forcing my mouth to keep silent but my throat keeps betraying me. I end up biting my tongue as hard as I can so that no voice is out of my lips. My blood quickly rush through the wound.

And my eyes, my eyes, are no longer can hold my tears. It's like something has wrecked the sluice in my eyes; the tears keep flowing and running down my cheeks. I blink and blink and blink, hoping it can stop the flood, but nothing's changed. I can't stop, I can't, but I really want to.

I can barely breath. My nose filled by snot and mucus, it slowly but surely tortures me. My throat tightened, leaving me gasping, struggling for oxygen. It feels like a giant hand squeeze up my stomach that I almost throw up. I feel so scared, panic, insecure that I sweat so much. I'm afraid my heart is about to explode.

Is it true?
Is it true that pain is beauty?
Is it true?
Is it true that no one cares?

My hair, my face, my body,
what did they do?
Did they do something wrong?

Should I gather all money to afford every single trend?
Should I starve myself for the sake of beauty?
Should I strain myself doing some extreme exercises?
Should I get some surgeries to "fix my face"?

Should I? Should I?
No. I know the answer is no.

Then why do I feel so empty? In this crowded place, why do I feel so distant? Why do I feel so anxious, trying to mingle with these people? Why do I keep worrying about how they see me? Why am I afraid of "being not pretty enough"? Why am I afraid of getting left behind?

Too many why.

I'm sick.
I'm scared.

I take a lipstick on the dresser. It is the lipstick that I bought with all of my allowance. I take it and come back in front of the mirror.
Help, I write.

Then I punch it and punch it, over and over again, until it shatters all around me.
Help, I cry.

feels

The Unfairness of Your Hydrostatic Pressure

8:57 PM


In Physics I learn about hydrostatic pressure, a pressure that an object gets for being in a certain liquid and at a certain depth. It is equivalent with the density of the liquid, the gravity, and the height of the fluid above the object.

I am the object and you are the liquid; the fate somehow threw me into you. I nudged your surface and you let me come in, swimming through your mysterious fluid. I tend to go deeper and deeper, eager to explore every single side of you. Unfair, I think, that you can shroud the whole me while I am merely touching a little part of you.

But as the physics law about hydrostatic pressure states, the deeper an object goes into the liquid, the greater pressure the object gets. I can sense your pressure against me when I try to swim deeper into you; rejecting me to go further into your life. You tend to keep your walls around you, restraining me from seeing your true self: your soul. A soul that I am sure is utterly beautiful, no matter how damaged you think you are.

This hydrostatic pressure is blocking me from your depth. It suppresses me from every direction, preventing me to find out more about you. Every single part of me is trying to fight it, but sadly, your upward force is much stronger. You push me away from your life; from the depth that I was in to the surface where I am totally just another stranger to you.

Now I am floating in you, not sure if I should try harder to dip into you or just waiting for a miracle to get me taken away. The only thing that I can wish is you aren't able to dissolve any solutes. Because if you are, your density will be increased and so will your pressure against me.

(and so will the distance between me and you).

feels

My Dearest Nucleons

10:42 PM


We are like an alkali atom. You as the nucleus and I as the electron.
You, with the positive charge from the protons.
Me, with all my negativity.

You, still, stick in your place at the center.
Me, spinning on my axis, either clockwise or counter-clockwise, orbiting you.

You, distinctly obvious; your position can be identified precisely.
Me, lost in the clouds; no one would ever know where exactly I am.

The electromagnetic force attracts me to you, but sadly, my dearest nucleons, your nuclear force is much stronger than our bond. You can gather your protons and neutrons all by yourself, while me without you is just an insignificant matter.

Ironic, isn't it, or what do you call it about how easy is our electromagnetic force to get broken down, compared to your nuclear force? How insignificant is losing an electron, compared to ejecting the nucleons? Losing an electron just changes the charge of our atom, while ejecting the nucleons results nuclear decay, transmuting the nucleus, turning our atom into another atom. An electron, at the end, doesn't really matter at all to the nucleons.

Tragic, isn't it, that it takes no energy to get closer to you: in fact, the electron releases some energy to get closer to the nucleus. But it takes an enormous amount of energy for the electron to go farther from the nucleus, especially the one which was so close to it. Unfortunately, I don't have that much energy, while you, still brutally attract me with that electromagnetic force. I have tried, for a million times, crawling out from this force, yet also for a million times I failed miserably.

I am trapped, here, in the clouds of uncertainty, spinning, moving, and orbiting you. I am unstoppable, unpredictable in this bizarre thickness of the probability of quantum mechanic laws. You compulsively imprisone me in this trajectory, just to keep our atom stable rather than really wanting me to stay.

I am tired of all these things, my dearest nucleons. I am sick of repeating my orbit over and over again. I wish someday, a positive ion will get close to us, drawing me away from my obligation to keep orbiting you.

Or better, I wish you will get unstable so I can watch you tearing apart, losing parts of yourself decay, one by one. Because we know, my dearest nucleons, that it's all about stability.