But occasionally, I wish to visit my parents’ and grandmother’s graves someday. I also thought about returning to Yogyakarta after finishing my master’s program. Because Yogyakarta was like a second home to me.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door from outside. The knocking sound was heard again. Instantly, I walked towards the door. I peeked through the curtain, it was Elisa, not the newspaper delivery man.
I opened the door. To me, the girl was genuinely beautiful, regardless of what others might think. Her eyes and smile were so perfect. She invited me to go to Hyde Park. I simply could not resist her invitation.
We cycled along Elizabeth and St James Road. It took fifteen minutes to get to the oldest park in Sydney. Even without snow, we would be cold if we didn’t wear jackets and thick socks.
We cycled leisurely. In this city, the traffic wasn’t too dense, so there were rarely traffic jams. Because of the expensive private vehicle tax, people preferred to use public transportation for their daily activities.
Once we arrived, we sat on a long bench. She opened her bag and pulled out a novel titled Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk by Ahmad Tohari.
“Don’t you want to ask why I like Pak Tohari’s novels and short stories?” Elisa asked me.
Although I knew a bit about Pak Tohari’s works, I wanted to hear her reason.
“Why is that?” I asked.
She took a deep breath and looked at me.
“Every time I read Pak Tohari’s works, I find my hometown. When I miss my hometown, I always read Pak Tohari’s novels,” she said.
“Come home with me, you’ll find happiness there,” she continued.
I remained silent for a while and just nodded, just like when she revealed sentimental things.
Illustration: imseeingthing.