Prologue

This is a memoir to one of my previous blog. The original version was published in FS and written in Indonesia. The following took time around February 2006. After that, my life would never be the same…

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Around three weeks ago, I met someone in FS. She is a second degree of a friend whose already been added earlier. No special intent, just my hunch told me that she is a good person. And good person is whom I want to meet in this life.

Later, I dare myself to send smiles, just to say hi. Honestly, after reading her profile, there was something interest me. She is different. She made me wondering. I hope she’d replied, anything, whatever it is. The reply was short, a greeting. To me that’s more than enough. Of course I replied her with an email with many words. So that, we were sending emails 3 – 4 times. It felt funny to read it. Sometimes, I couldn’t help myself smiling in front of the computer publishing blogs. There was some words in her messages which I was sure of sincerety, without compliments. I thought she is as funny as it showed in her words.

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Friday, 3.38 pm
“Hi! It’s me ” was her first ever SMS.
A short message I’ve been waiting since yesterday after my last email. Messages after messages flew instantly. My new personal experience.
“Okay! Don’t forget to wash hands before eating, you were handing cats in the street, right See ya soon!”
Message that made me smile. I had to walk down Mampang traffic light with one hand on my mouth, held on laugh. She just read my “Poor Pussy Cat” blog.

Saturday, 1.58 pm
“Assalaamualaikum”, her voice greeted me in the middle of interview for Agung Sedayu Group in Mangga Dua Square.
“Wa’alaikumsalam”, my replied.
A short conversation on my cell phone. It strengthen my life line, waiting for interview’s long queue, with hunger strike and pain in legs. Unnoticed, my loud voice attracted attention some of the interviewer. Some heads turned at me, but I didn’t care.

Sunday, 1.14 pm
“I’m at the lobby”, my message to her as I arrived at Sahid Hotel Sudirman, where she represent her company in a symposium held since Friday. That day we planned to meet for the very first time. There was a sort of hesitate and awkward feeling, thinking what would we chat about when we met. At a glimpse, I saw a girl waved hands to me. And we moved towards each other.
“Hi, I’m Andhika”, we shook hands.
She took me look around, showed me her world. A world which strange for me. World of medicine and health. From ground floor to upper ground. From the ballroom to each stands of all pharmacist company. Even she introduced me to her friends and collagues. We hardly found place to chat. After searching, cafeteria on the ground floor would be very nice for us. With two cups of hot tea assembled instrumental songs, we began the stories.

My first impression about her unlikely different from her profile. So with comments that described her generally. She is smart, good, nice, sincere, simple, and yet funny expression with words describing things. She is quite loveable, has lots of friends, meet lots of people, interact, travel oftenly. With her, there was lots of topics to discuss available. All flew like water. Shortly, she was fun to hang around with.

Our discussion was getting deeper, from work to hobbies and personal preferences in such themes. Families issues, friends, and educational background was included. I don’t know, it was just felt so comfortable to share thoughts with her. It felt like you could trust someone whom you just met. Finally, she said about something that surprised me. She was a muallaf. She has converted to Islam since last August.

Alhamdulillah, or Subhanallah more prisely. I was starring at her silently for a while. I didn’t know how to express feeling. I was so happy to hear that. It was the first time someone who converted to Islam confessed directly to me. It was the happiest moment in 2006. It was like having a new sister, not just friend. Even I said, if I had kown her for sometime, I would’ve hug her. I apologized for those unproper words, later.

Deep down I felt something about her. That’s what made confuseness in my thought, the contradictive of information in her profile. So, the opening greeting in the phone yesterday. Somehow I just knew she is a Moslem. Though, some of her testimonies said she isn’t.

My admiration of the girl sit in front of me was getting strong after she told her reason in converting to Islam. Not for the sake of someone. Without any conditions. She did it on her own will. She believed in what her heart said. She said at one point in her life where everthing so blur, so chaos, so uncertain, when all she need was nothing, but peace and comfort. And Islam is the answer. She felt better in all asphects of life. She could see the world in a new perpective, a good and right way. She lived it with values. She is stronger in facing obstacles of life. She was re-born, towards right path, after searching process that has taken a long time. One thing touched me was what she said :
“I feel like knocking at the wrong door all this time. But now I found the right one. Everytime I knock, I’m certain that would be an answer and assurance”.

How lucky she was. She was like a baby being re-birth, all clean from sins. She has given a guidance and direction from GOD Almighty. Things to be blessed, knowing only certain people could get it. So, it was true what prophet Muhammad SAW said:
“Those who God given direction, noone will be able to redirect it from the right path. And those who God redirect from the right path, there will not be anyone able to give direction..” (HR…)
In another hadits :
“Those who not get direction from God, even all human and evil tried, will only useless. And those who get direction from God, all human and evil will not be able to redirect him.” (HR….)

Whatever we talked after that seemed just an appetizer. We got the main course. It was a deep conversation for people who have just met like us. But, like she said, all things happened for a reason. We thanked for that, especially me, after relieving something that might be a topic for our next meeting. It was only matter of time before everyone realize what she is now. And I was lucky enough to know it since the beginning.

Time went so fast. It’s been four hours past by enchanted chat. A call from her cell phone marked another task to be done. Too bad. Felt like wanted to stay another time with her. Like wanted to kill time with her. We separated for a while. She went back to her world, so did I.

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Now, I’ve motivated to be a better person in life. I had reasons to do it. She reminded me of the huge God blessings in faith and Islam. Not to be blessed, but to do all His order to obey religion that lead to the right path.

“Ihdinashiratal mustaqiim. Shiratal ladzina anamta alaihim. Grairil maghduubi alaihim. Wa ladhaalin.” (QS Al – Fatihah : 5 – 7)

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Epilogue

Six month later, after the date, I married the girl of my life. Then we become a family. It all started with simple meet and chat, like they said, a journey of life begin with one step. I had made one. And I walk through the rest steps to the way of this life. With her. All happened only cos of His mercy.