Love in a White Jasmine(Lisa T) Javanese children have a sharp mind nowadays. They know how to be good in front of others, especially when they are in front of their friends who have different sexuality. They know how to get many friends. They recognize who’s their friend and who’s their foe. And, usually, when they reach the 10th, or when they are sitting on 4th grade of school, their minds are opened so wide. They see about love and life.

In an elementary school in a village, a new year of education was started. Students were happy to enter their classes, especially the 4th grade of school students. They were so busy searching their seat and their bench mate. But, in the middle of the noisy and untidy circumstances of the class, a girl was sitting alone on her bench.

She was Nayla. She sat so quiet on her seat, alone, without looking for bench mate at all. She looked emptily at the blackboard, which was about 3 meters away in front of her seat. She was lonely. She had not too many friends around her.

Suddenly, a boy came and sat beside her in rush. He made his own noise. Unintentionally, he disturbed Nayla’s loneliness.

Nayla looked at the boy, curious. The boy was busy with himself. He didn’t notice that Nayla was noticing him.

“Hey, you,” Nayla called irritated. “What sneak you make here?”

The boy turned around, looked at Nayla, and then grinned.

“I’m sorry,” said the boy cheerfully with a wide smile. “I’m searching for an empty seat. But, I just found this seat. So, I sit here. Are you minding?”

Nayla, feeling the coincidence, felt pleasure.

“No of course. I don’t mind at all,” said Nayla pleasurably. “You can share seat with me.”

“What a relief...” the boy sighed happily. “Oh, by the way, what’s your name?”

The boy gave his hand, asked Nayla to shake her hand together. Nayla looked at him with indecision. But then, she held his hand, shook it cheerfully.

“I’m Nayla,” said Nayla. “And, what’s your name?”

“I’m Aldo,” replied the boy. He shook Nayla’s hand happily. “Let’s be friends, Nayla!”

Nayla smiled. “Let us, Aldo!”

Since that time, Nayla and Aldo became close friends. They were always together. They shared books, pens, pencils, erasers, even stories. As a custom in Javanese childhood, where there is a boy and a girl together sharing everything, the rest would call them as a couple, or in another word, they would assume the boy and the girl are dating. It also happened to Aldo and Nayla. But, they didn’t care. They kept sharing and taking and giving each other without caring about the others around.

Time went by, and the children became closer. Their friendship was unique. Even wherever Aldo was, Nayla was there. And sometimes their friendship made jealousy of others. Until one Monday cloudy morning, when Nayla and Aldo finally thought about their future after they were graduated, they shared their mind.

“Will you continue your study, Nayla?” asked Aldo who was sitting under their desk.

“I? Of course I will,” Nayla answered, sat together with Aldo under the desk. “How about you? Will you continue your study, too?”

“Oh,” Aldo replied. He seemed puzzled. “I... I don’t know...”

“You don’t know?” Nayla exclaimed in surprise. “How can you not know about it?”

“My parents have not enough money to register me into a school...” Aldo answered pitifully on himself. “Till now, I’m not sure I will go to school on future.”

“Mmmm~” Nayla moaned. She thought what it would be if Aldo wasn’t going to a same school anymore with her. And, she got nothing instead of bored.

“Nayla?” suddenly Aldo interrupted her daydreaming. “Are you okay?”

“Oh!” Nayla suddenly awoke. “I... I’m okay. I’m okay.”

“Then, why are you so quiet.... for a long time?” asked Aldo, curious.

“Oh, about that...” Nayla answered softly. Her eyes were looking at her feet emptily. Her mind went into somewhere abstractly. “I just... I just think that... it won’t be the same.”

“What’s that?” Again Aldo asked.

“Yeah, it won’t be the same,” Nayla said repeatedly. “It won’t be the same if... if you’re not going to school with me. It would be... boring... and... And I don’t know... what to do then...”

“Oh,” Aldo sighed heavily. He just realized, losing a best friend was a most heartbreaking moment for him. His eyes became moist. But, he tried to hide his eyes from Nayla. As the Javanese custom, a crying man was a weak person, moreover if he cried in front of women.

Nayla just felt the same. She couldn’t cry, but she felt so much pain. She folded her feet, held her knees and leaned her head on them. She daydreamed, wondered about her future when Aldo wasn’t with her anymore.

And, the day was the last time for them before they were focusing their selves on the national examination. They were at sixth grade that time, and no time to play for them.

Finally, the examination was passed well. And, all the sixth grade students got a best result. They were so happy. To celebrate their happiness and farewell, they went travelling together with their teacher. They visited the Borobudur temple, took a look at the military museum, played with animals in the local zoo, and finally enjoyed the sunset in Parangtritis.

The sunset was beautifully drawn on the west. The milky twilight sent the sun down, its soft air blew toward the sea. Sea waves swept the sands for thousands times, tickled the naked feet. Near the seawave, Nayla was playing with her feet, breaking the wave. She played alone, lonely. She faced the sea, looked at the unseen edge of the sea. She was lonely, until suddenly a splash came to her body, made her body wet.

She looked at the person who splashed the water toward her. Then, her eyes widened as she saw Aldo was standing beside her, laughed at her, and splashed the water once again. Feeling angry, she splashed the water back to him. And then, they were splashing the water to each other. They played happily under the sunset.

And, the sunset. What a sunset! It was the last time they were seeing each other. And, after the sun settled down and the twilight was gone, no laughter came from them. They didn’t meet nor speak to each other. After the twilight was gone, the night was fading away, and the sun rose up, they already busied with their own business. They registered their selves into different schools, and got their new world. But, as what they had thought before, their life wasn’t fun anymore. It was cold and boring. And they must bear with it for years.

5 years later, everything was already changed. Both Aldo and Nayla weren’t kids anymore. They were already growing up into teens. And, by a coincidence, they met again in an unexpected chance.

Nayla was walking through the road. She was back from school. She was a beautiful girl now. Her black hair was long touching her back, tied with a red ribbon. She wore a white trouser; ripple grey long skirt and loafers as her daily school uniform. She was tall, slim, tanned, round faced, and she had slanting eyes. She walked toward her house together with loneliness and the wind also under the Tuesday night sky.

Nayla still walked toward her house alone. Piles of books were on her hand, while the rest were on her beige hand bag. Cloudy cloud and medium wind accompanied her along her way. She walked slowly, with the wind which was playing with her soft long hair and her long ripple skirt. Everything was quiet, until suddenly a rush came.

A motorbike ran out of control behind. It shouted it’s horn aloud. Nayla jumped and turning around to see what happened. Her face turned pale, awfully feeling horrid. She jumped away from the road, and fell onto a dry ricefield beside the road. Her books flew away, threw out and fell on to somewhere. Dust was flying, as the motorbike fell down a few meters away from Nayla on the road. It roared crazily, rolled like the hell’s wheel, and then stopped.

Nayla sat up and coughed. The dust was itching her throat and disturbing her visually. She searched for her books while coughed and gasping for air. Meanwhile, great thick dust still filled the air. She couldn’t move nor stand up. Few moments later, she heard someone’s coughing.

Nayla combed her hair with her fingers to make them neat. She rubbed her eyes to see who the person is that had made such a rush. Dust went thin, and the sun light let Nayla see the person who was trying to stand up. Actually he was a boy. He stood beside his laid motorbike. He patted his grey t-shirt and jeans which were full of dust.

Noticing that he was being noticed, the boy looked at Nayla. Both of them were staring at each other. Both of them thought they had met each other once upon a time and they feel they knew each other. They frowned, still stared at each other with curiosity on their mind. They stared at each other for minutes. And then, suddenly the boy shouted, broke the silence between them.

“Nayla?” the boy exclaimed, surprised. “Nayla? Are you Nayla?”

Nayla, recognized that voice, exclaimed in excitement.

“Aldo!” she exclaimed.

Aldo ran toward Nayla, pulled her hands and helped her to stand up. He let her clean herself from dust. While Nayla busied with herself, Aldo just stared at her in amazement. He almost couldn’t believe that the girl in front of him was really Nayla, his old “lovely” best and closest friend. She was still the same. Only her long hair which made her look more feminine, more mature, and more beautiful. Suddenly, a strange heartbeat filled his chest.

Nayla, after finishing with her own, stared back at Aldo. Her eyes quietly made him surprised. She didn’t know what had happened on Aldo’s mind. She stared at him as she searched for any details of him, and smiled in amazement.

“Whoa... are you really Aldo, my old friend?” Nayla asked while looking at Aldo from his head to his toe.

Aldo grinned. “Yup,” he answered. “And, you’re still the same. It’s just your hair which makes you look.... Different.”

“Umm~” Nayla sighed. Her cheeks were burnt into red after seeing Aldo’s strange eyes. “And you’re taller now. My forehead just reaches your lips.”

“Yes, of course!” Aldo answered, feeling proud of himself. “I had grown up so much nowadays, as I grow older.”

After their chat, both of them searched for Nayla’s books. And, after they found Nayla’s books, they both stood the bike. They went out of the rice field together, and Aldo didn’t turn his bike on. He just brought his motorbike beside him; meanwhile Nayla walked beside his other side.

“Do you continue your study?” asked Nayla in joke.

“Yes, of course!” Aldo answered. “I continue my study in a Junior and Senior high school near our village. How about you? I don’t see you for years.”

“I’m going to school in our sub-district center,” Nayla answered.

And, all along the way, they were chatting about their daily school life. They sometimes laughed, gasped, and hummed. They changed their number phone and their email address. They were walking together toward their home, and Nayla arrived at her home first.

“Well, I’ll try to contact you firstly,” said Aldo before Nayla entered her house. “If you accept my message, please reply.”

“Hm~” Nayla replied, winked her left eye. “I’ll check my charge first.”

The night finally came. And Aldo truly sent Nayla a message. Furthermore, they were talking via short message. They were texting for hours until they forgot their time to sleep. And, finally, they woke up late.

“I go, Mom!” Nayla went out of her house in a rush. She wore her school uniform as usual. She ran from her door. Her hair waved as she ran as fast as she could to reach the big road before she was late for her bus. She was just running about a hundred meters away when Aldo came after her with his motorbike. He stopped in front of Nayla’s road.

“Go to school, Nayla?” asked Aldo.

“Yes,” Nayla answered, gasping for air. “I must go or I will come late at school. See you, Aldo!”

“Get up onto my bike, Nayla!” Aldo exclaimed.

“What?” Nayla exclaimed back. “But, you’ll be late at school. Don’t joke!”

“No matter,” said Aldo. “Just get up onto my bike! I’ll take you to your school.”

Nayla sighed. “Well then,” she said, and then got up onto Aldo’s motorbike.

And Aldo ran his motorbike rapidly. Nayla held on to his motorbike tightly. She didn’t stop praying for their safety along their way. She felt she was running for death.

Finally, they arrived at Nayla’s school. Aldo stopped his motorbike in front of the gate. He waited until Nayla got down off his motorbike. Nayla got down, and stood facing Aldo with a “white as death” face.

“Thank you so much for your ride, Aldo!” Nayla said gratefully before she ran to reach her class. “I must go in now. See you!”

“You’re welcome, Nayla!” replied Aldo, then watched Nayla ran into the gate. He liked to watch her waving hair and skirt. She looked so beautiful.

Nayla arrived at her class. She went into it in a hurry. But, she felt relief after she saw there was no teacher in her class. It meant she wasn’t too late.

Nayla quickly sat on her seat. Suddenly, she remembered about Aldo. She first saw him yesterday, and then the second was this morning. She saw him, compared him with the so many last times she saw him. And she realized how handsome he was. And she still remembered how happy she was when she finally met him again. She remembered his smile, his laughter, and his message on her phone. And suddenly, she felt a yearning in her heart.

Few hours later, Nayla walked home. She felt today was different with yesterday. She felt more joy and bloom. She was smiling more than usual. Might be, she was falling in love. And she fell for her own “close” friend. She was still walking until a message came to her cellphone.

“Can you see me? In water dam. Now.”

It was from Aldo. Nayla frowned, but she went there anyway. Yet the water dam was a way with her way home. She arrived there, and she saw Aldo sat in the middle of the bridge, hung his feet beside it. She ran towards him.

“Hi, Aldo!” Nayla called, as she stood a few centimeters away from him, and smiled.

Aldo looked at her, smiled. “Sit here, please!” asked he, showed an empty place on his right side.

Nayla smiled, walked a bit and sat beside him carefully. She hung her feet too, but she kept her rippled skirt to not waving. Wind was coming and blowing around them. It waved Nayla’s long hair. Meanwhile, both of them watched the water which was flowing below them.

“What makes you call me to come here, Aldo?” Nayla started the conversation.

Aldo looked at the blue sky, then spoke, “Yup, honestly there is nothing important to make you come here.”

“There is nothing important?" Nayla exclaimed. “Then, why do you text me? What happens?”

“Um~” Aldo said, faced down, smiled shyly. “Yeah, what can I say? Honestly I call you, I call you to come here because, because...”

“What cause it?” Nayla forced Aldo to speak up. She was curious.

“Because, yeah,” Aldo was thinking. He thought the right words to say. His cheeks were blushed. “Ah! Because it is our first meeting after a long time, so I’ll hold a simple reunion.”

“Hold a reunion?” Nayla asked, felt a bit disappointed. It was not what she expected from Aldo to say actually. “Why don’t you make this reunion with your other friends? Why you call me?”

“Hm~” Aldo sighed. He knew he was wrong. “But, don’t you remember? I had no friend in my elementary school instead of you!”

“What about your high school friend?” Nayla asked again.

“My high school friend?” suddenly Aldo felt sad. “I... I have no friend at all...”

Nayla was stunned after hearing Aldo’s words. She thought, and realized that she had no friend too. And she couldn’t think that Aldo would be the same as her fate.

“I’m sorry,” Nayla said softly.

“No problem,” replied Aldo with a light smile.

From that day on, they always spared their time to see each other and had a talk. They gave and shared anything. But, as the consequence, they had to cover their ears from gossip which was talking about them. And, as they had done several years ago, they kept giving and taking and sharing and ignoring the disturbance. Also, as the time went, both of them felt that their friendship was so close and so worthy. Even they could feel that their friendship was more than the usual friendship. But, they never talked about that.

Until one day, after a month passed, Aldo was sitting on the bridge sorrowfully. He was daydreaming while waiting for Nayla. And, when she arrived there, he smiled sorrowfully too.

“Aldo?” Nayla asked. “What happened?”

“Come here, Nayla,” said Aldo, showed an empty place beside him. “I must tell you something.”

“Oh,” Nayla was a bit puzzled. “Well then.”

Nayla went and sat beside Aldo. The atmosphere was quiet for a while. No words came out of their mouth. Nayla stayed with her own curiosity; meanwhile Aldo was quiet with his sorrow. He was confused to speak up his mind. It was too painful to tell her, and it was a bad news they didn’t even want to hear again. But, what could he do?

“I have to move,” finally Aldo spoke up.

Nayla was frozen. She couldn’t understand with Aldo’s sentence. “What do you mean?”

“I have to move,” answered Aldo. “I won’t stay here anymore. I will follow my uncle and my aunt in Kalimantan. Maybe, I won’t be back here.”

Such a nightmare it was! Nayla was frozen. She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe she had to be separated from Aldo for the second time, and it was impossible for them to be united again. Suddenly she felt the earth was stopped from rotating, but the water below her feet was flowing so fast.

“Nayla?” Aldo’s voice woke her up from her sorrowful daydream. “Are you okay?”

“When will you go?” Nayla asked immediately without any chit-chat. “When will you go, Aldo?”

Aldo took a deep breath, lifted his face up, and looked at the sky emptily. “Tomorrow. I’ll go there tomorrow evening.”

Nayla looked at Aldo, felt shocked. It was too fast for her! “Too... tooo-morrrrr-rrrowwww?”

“Yes,” Aldo answered softly. “So, do you have spare time tomorrow? At least, we will hold a farewell together, both of us.”

Nayla took a long sigh, felt burden in her chest. She couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t prevent him to go if it was for the sake of Aldo himself. Desperately she must let him go. And, weakly she nodded her head.

At night, Nayla couldn’t sleep nor shut her eyes. She was busy with her own business. She sat on her desk. Pen was on her hand. An empty paper lay in front of her. Meanwhile, she was thinking so hard while looking at her empty paper.

“What should I write?” Nayla murmured desperately. “Why is it so hard to write a farewell letter?”

And, desperately she wrote what was on her mind on her paper. She hoped so much for Aldo receiving her letter pleasurably. She knew she wouldn’t go home earlier, so she wrote the letter.

A few hours later, after her day was passed sorrowfully, she went home with heavy steps. Orange clouds accompanied her. She knew finally she must give the letter. As she walked along her road, suddenly she saw a motorbike pass her. And it was Aldo’s motorbike. She recognized it with a glance. Aldo wasn’t alone on his motorbike. He was wrapped up in a neat fashion together with his father. And she realized, she was almost late.

Immediately Nayla turned around and ran chasing the motorbike. She chased Aldo. She must give him the letter. She called out his name desperately. She kept running toward the big road on her weary feet. And, she ended in the edge of the big road. She saw Aldo and his family.

“Aldo!” Nayla cried out.

Aldo, who was busied with his matters, looked around. His eyes grew wider when he saw a tall, thin, tanned, and pale girl who stood across the road. His sweetheart, she called out his name, cried all out, and stared at him with her wet face.

“Nayla?” Aldo moaned.

Nayla ran in hurry. She crossed the road without looking around. And, suddenly, a big crash occurred.

A big truck came along when Nayla was still in the middle of the road. It crushed Nayla so badly. Nayla was thrown up onto the air so high, and landed awfully onto the hot asphalt. Instantly she lay dying on the road, unconscious.

Aldo, seeing the bad accident, was frozen. He was totally disbelieving with what he had seen. Nayla, his only best friend, was dying on the road, in front of his eyes.

Immediately Aldo ran into the road. He fell down on his knees beside Nayla. His face turned white as he saw blood was flowing from her head, and a flood of blood was around her body. Her face was white as death, meanwhile blood was coloring her school uniform. And her eyes were shut tightly. Aldo couldn’t speak anything seeing his dying sweetheart.

Soon after, Nayla was brought into the ICU. She was injured so badly. Aldo, his family, his aunt and uncle, and Nayla’s parents were waiting in front of the ICU room. Nayla’s mother cried a lot, knowing her beloved daughter was dying after a bad crush. Meanwhile Aldo was sitting desperately. The doctor’s words still lingered on his mind.

“Nayla has a bad injury on her head. Her nervous system is broken. It’s impossible for her to be awake again. In other words, she just has to wait till her death comes.”

Aldo still couldn’t believe the circumstance he had. He never thought that his farewell would be so sad like this. Even, he had to see his beloved best friend was dying directly on that time. He shut his eyes, and immediately remembered his memories with her. Unconsciously, a shed of tears ran down from his eyes.

After enough crying, Aldo stood up and entered the room. He stood not too far from the door, stared at Nayla sorrowfully. She was laid weakly on the bed. Cables were tusked on her body. Her head was covered with so much fabric, and they were bleeding. Oxygen cable was inserted into Nayla’s nose. And the machine, that machine. One thing Aldo knew about the machine was to show the heartbeat by number. And the number was low, less than 100.

Aldo walked slowly, approached Nayla. He knew,Nayla was fighting between life and death. She lay dying. And one sad fact he had to receive: she wouldn’t be awake anymore, forever. He stood beside her, looked at her deeply, held her hand, and cried.

“I never thought our farewell will be like this,” said Aldo with a sob. He sat on his knees, made his lips closer to Nayla’s ear. “I never thought that you’ll be dying here without saying anything before. Why did you come so late? I’ve been waiting; I have waited for you for an hour since your time of going home.”

Aldo was sobbing beside her. He had so many things he had to say. But, it was already too late. Without taking care of the circumstances, with a hopeful mind that Nayla would hear his words, he continued speaking.

“Nayla, honestly, before I leave I want to say something. I know it is an unimportant thing, but you must know. I’ve kept this for long time since you were away from me. It is simple, and I hope you hear it.”

Gently, he put his lips closer to Nayla’s ear, then whispered softly. “I Love You, Nayla. I love you.”

And then, Aldo was sobbing. He knew and totally realized, Nayla wouldn’t hear him at all. He realized, until time of time, Nayla wouldn’t know his true feeling toward her.

But, without Aldo knew, his voice was touching Nayla’s mind. She could hear it clearly. By miracle, she was back into consciousness. She opened her eyes. Tears were running down. Softly, she moved her head to stare at Aldo for the last time.

“Aldo...” Nayla began to spoke.

Hearing his name was called, Aldo looked at Nayla. He was so excited to see Nayla’s opened eyes. He could see her face clearly. He immediately kissed her lips for hundred times, unconsciously, after Nayla gave him a sweet smile. He was so overjoyed. After time of time, he released her.

“Take my letter,” said Nayla’s softly. “In my sack. My skirt sack.”

“Letter?” asked Aldo, frowned.

“I have a letter for you,” answered Nayla. “Read it before you go!”

“But, did you hear my words lastly?” asked Aldo once again.

“Yes,” Nayla replied with a beautiful smile. “I heard it so clearly. Thank you for that, Aldo! I’ll never forget our friendship. And, take care of yourself.”

Aldo smiled in replying to her words. But, suddenly he felt there was something strange on her words.

“Nayla? What do you mean?” Aldo asked. Suddenly, a bad thing came into his mind. “What do you mean by ‘I’ll never forget’?”

But, Nayla just smiled at him. She held his hand tightly, and whispered, “Good bye, my dear! Thank you for the love and for everything. Don’t forget, read my letter. And, please remember, wherever you are, I’ll always be by your side. Thank you and good bye, Aldo...”

Aldo wasn’t given any chance to speak before Nayla finally shut her eyes. Her face was white as death. Her hand didn’t have any strength anymore. It didn’t hold his hand back at all. It was cold.

“Nayla? Nayla?” Aldo was panicked. He looked at the machine. His face turned white after he saw a straight line on it, and all the number he saw was “0”. He gasped.

“Nayla? Nayla! No way!” Aldo shouted in panic. “Nayla! Hold on! Nayla! Heeeelp! Doctors! Nurses! Anyone! Heeeeeelp!!!!!”

Aldo quickly ran toward the door. And, coincidentally a doctor and two nurses came in.

“Doctor! Help my friend! Don’t let her die! Please doc, help her!” Aldo cried in front of them.

And they, with no word, quickly ran approaching Nayla’s bed. Aldo was asked to wait outside the room. He told everybody that Nayla was dying. They were praying together, hoped that God would save Nayla’s life. Finally, they would know the answer. The doctor came out of the room. Nayla’s father ran, approached him in rush.

“How’s my daugter, doc? Is she saved?” Nayla’s father asked.

But, the doctor’s expression said the opposite.

“We’re sorry, Sir,” said the doctor desperately. “We’ve tried our best. But, she was taken by God to go with him before we were trying to safe her life.”

And song of tears were filling the air. Aldo shook his head, couldn’t receive his best friend’s death. He ran and harshly looked for Nayla’s school skirt which was hung behind the door. He reached the sack, and found a paper after he pulled his hand. He opened it, and he read a poem, Nayla’s last poem.

Doves together build a nest,
Butterflies beautifully dance in the air,
But rain will always build us a wall
Loving, but not touching
Unbreakable...
With the love I send to air,
I give my loneliness to you
Goodbye, so long my sweetheart
Every time you see the dove and you remember me,
See the sunset,
And you’ll find me
God will always be with you...
Wish He’ll bless you love, and joy...
Remember,
I love you, and I’ll always love you
Now, and forever after...

Tears were running down on Aldo’s cheeks. He looked at Nayla’s death body, but he realized he won’t find her there anymore. So, with broken heart, he ran outside to search for the sunset.

Fortunately, he wasn’t too late. He saw the sun drowned on the west. The sun was warm shining, warming up his heart. He could see Nayla’s warm smile. He could feel Nayla’s attendance from the sunshine which was touching his shoulders. He could hear Nayla’s words through the air. It said, “I love you”. And, he could see and hear Nayla’s shout and laughter. They were just as same as 5 years ago, when she beautifully stood by the sunset drawn after her.

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