Greenhouse Coffee, Jakarta.
Hi, I'm Wisnu. Right now, I'm sitting here relaxing, drinking coffee with my only sister. Her name is Sinta. She's drinking too, but not coffee. She's having a modern juice-Orange Lime Squash. Sinta and I are four years apart. We're sitting together, discussing her wedding plans.
"Hmmm? So, what do you think, Mas?"
Sinta, who had been engrossed in her novel, shifts her gaze to look at me.
"If you want to get married, just go ahead. You don't need to wait for me. Besides, Mom and Dad won't object." I break the ice first. She's probably been feeling awkward to start the conversation.
"Yeah, I know. It's just... I feel bad about stepping ahead of you."
"Sinta, don't worry about me. What matters is your happiness."
Sinta falls silent. She sighs in resignation and sips her juice.
"Are you still not over her?"
"Sinta, I've told you many times that-" I didn't get to finish my sentence when her eyes suddenly flash sharply.
"Okay, I'll admit it. There's still a little something that lingers. But I've tried, you know. I've been getting close to one or two women."
"Oh yeah? And how's that going?"
"Still haven't found the right one."
"The right one compared to 'her,' you mean?"
"That's not what I meant, Sinta..."
"Yes, it is. You can't deny it."
"Whoever you get close to, or whoever tries to get close to you, no one will ever feel right as long as you're still hung up on her."
"..."
"You're handsome, sure. Smart, check. Financially stable, of course. Thousands of women would line up for you. If I weren't your sister, I'd be in that line."
"You shut up!"
"Hehe, just kidding."
"..."
"You just need to open your heart."
"Yeah, yeah. You're such a nag." I take a sip of my cappuccino.
"It's only natural. I'm a sister who cares about her older brother. And this is serious! If you don't truly try to open your heart to someone new, and really accept them, you'll be trapped forever. Trapped in the past."
Oh, damn!
Sometimes Sinta's words cut deep, but what she says is always true. Her phone buzzes on the table, the familiar ringtone of a bitten-apple logo easing the tension in the air.
"Hello? Yeah, I'm about to leave. I'm just grabbing coffee with my brother. Okay." Sinta ends the call.
"You have plans?"
"Yeah, I've got another appointment. I need to head out now."
She starts packing up her things and finishes her drink.
"I won't get married until you do. If I'm going to be happy, you have to be happy too. Because you're my partner for life, in blood."
"Don't say that. What if I never find someone? How long are you going to wait?"
"Don't think like that. Just try. Let go of the past and open your heart. Sooner or later, you'll find someone. Hopefully sooner, though. Hehe..."
"You! Alright, go on then. Take care."
"Bye, Mas Wisnu. Don't forget to keep your sister updated."
She gives me a quick hug and heads off.
I stay seated. I look outside the window, the rain pouring down harder, and I remember I came on my sport bike. Getting soaked on the way home doesn't seem like a good idea, so I decide to wait and enjoy the rest of my cappuccino, still half a cup left.
The air grows colder, the sky darker, and mellow music plays softly in the café. The mood pulls me back to that time...
***
People often say that when you break up, it's not the person that's hard to forget. It's the memories. And those memories are what make it hard to forget the person. Especially in a relationship that had lasted as long as ours. Four years. All that time, my days were always colored by her presence, her laughter, her sadness, her annoyance, her sweetness, and even our fights. Back then, I felt like our bond was growing stronger with each passing day.
Until one day...
After forty-eight months, that relationship came to an end.