Kaleidoskop Fiksi

Buat penutupan taon 2010.

Lagi pengen nginget2 perjalanan gue membaca novel. Kadang gue amazed ama ingetan gue waktu gue masih kecil. Karena sampe gue udah bangkotan kayak sekarang, gue masih inget judul novel Lima Sekawan yang gue baca pertama kali waktu gue kelas III SD. Judulnya: Misteri Harta Warisan. Gue inget itu buku sampulnya warna ungu (what a coincidence, I’m a purple lover), gue minjem dari temen gue yang juga tergila-gila sama cerita misteri. Akhirnya gue dan temen gue itu bikin geng yang kita namain Lima Sekawan. Tapi sayang kurang Dick ama Timmy. Kayaknya sih sebenernya si Timmy ada, karena temen gue yang minjemin buku Lima Sekawan itu setau gue punya anjing. Cuma jaman dulu, pulang sekolah ngga ada istilah kelayapan ke rumah temen, in such a young age. So, keberadaan Timmy Cuma samar-samar alias ngga jelas buat gue.

Sejak Misteri Harta Warisan, gue jadi keranjingan novel-novel sejenis gitu. Akhirnya berlanjut sama seri Lima Sekawan laen, mulai dari versi penerusnya Enid Blyton, versi aslinya Enid Blyton yang ternyata lebih down to earth dibanding versi penerusnya, sampe ke seri-seri lain karyanya doi. Ada Pasukan Mau Tahu, seri petualangan yang melibatkan 4 orang anak dan 1 ekor burung kakaktua, seri Malory Towers, Empat Siaga.

Sekitar kelas 4 or 5 SD, gue mulai penasaran sama novel-novel Agatha Christie yang sering banget dipelototin cici gue yang maniak novel. Hampir tiap hari dia baringan di atas tempat tidur sambil baca. Bikin gue sebel karena sementara gue bosen ngga ada yang ngajak maen, dia malah seru sendiri ama bukunya yang sampul and judulnya very very intriguing. Mrs. Mc Ginty Sudah Mati. Gitu judulnya. Terus gue nanya ama cici gue, emangnya itu novel-novel Agatha Christie cerita setan ya? Kata cici gue bukan, cerita pembunuhan. Dan dengan bolotnya gue nanya lagi, kenapa juga pembunuhan kok ceritanya ribet banget sampe novelnya setebel-tebel gitu. Pembunuhan ya simple aja kan, ada pembunuhnya, terus ada yang mati, abis itu yang membunuh ditangkep polisi. Jawaban cici gue lebih simple lagi. Yah, pembunuhnya kan akan bikin sedemikian rupa supaya ngga ketauan. Hmm... akhirnya mulailah gue merambah dunia misteri yang lebih pelik garapan the Queen of Crimes. Tiap kali gue nyampe di halaman terakhir, gue cuma bisa terbengong-bengong, sambil ngomel-ngomel sewot, kok bisa-bisanya gue kaga nebak siapa pembunuhnya. Setelah beberapa buku, gue kira gue mulai ngerti pola pikirnya Ms Christie. But no. Never! Aaaaaaaa... Gue ngga pernah berhasil nebak pembunuhnya. Rasa kagum itu pun tumbuh terhadap sang maestro pengarang cerita kriminil itu. Kok bisa sih??? Sekitar 30 novelnya Agatha Christie gue embat. Pembunuhan ABC, Misteri Karibia, Pembunuhan di Mesopotamia, Pembunuhan di Sungai Nil, Mereka Datang ke Bagdad, Tragedi Tiga Babak, Misteri Tujuh Lonceng, A Pocket Full of Rye, Pembunuhan atas Roger Ackroyd, Pembunuhan di Pondokan Mahasiswa, Gajah Selalu Ingat, Death Comes as the End. And masih banyak lagi yang gue ngga inget lagi judulnya.

Novel Amerika pertama yang gue baca itu adalah seri Trio Detektif karangan Alfred Hitchcock. Misteri Nuri Gagap, Nyanyian Kobra, dan laen-laen. Gue lupa judul-judulnya tapi gue inget nama penerusnya Mr. Hitchcock yang ngelanjutin serial Trio Detective. Hector Sebastian. Tapi gue prefer versi aslinya Hitchcock, entah kenapa, di tangan Hector Sebastian, ada sesuatu yang serasa ilang dari Trio Detective. Greget misterinya mungkin kurang.
Lanjut ke negeri Jerman di mana gue mulai dengan Penujum Buta nya Stefan Wolf. Gengnya terdiri dari 4 anak remaja dan 1 anjing. Ada Sporty, Thomas, Oscar dan Petra. That’s right guys. Novelnya STOP. Novelis kedua yang karyanya paling banyak gue baca setelah Agatha Christie.

Gue kenal Sidney Sheldon awalnya dari miniseri di RCTI yang judulnya If Tommorrow Comes yang dilakonin sama Tom Berenger dan Madolyn Smythe. Dan dari dongengan cici gue (again) tentang the Sands of Time. Novel doi yang gue baca sendiri cuma 1, yang judulnya Konspirasi Hari Kiamat. Kebetulan waktu itu gue lagi keranjingan isu-isu UFO (gubrag). Setelah yang itu, karya2 om Sheldon cuma gue kenal lewat film or cerita orang-orang. Maap, genrenya ngga gitu cocok ama selera gue.

Kemudian datanglah Mary Higgins Clark. Si New Yorker gaek yang satu ini tulisannya sedikit mirip ama Ratu Kriminil gue (tante Christie). Tapi kalo Clark lebih fokus ke thrillernya. Misterinya sendiri ngga nyaingin Christie. Tapi tetep, keren. Genre nya masuk ke gue. Judul novelnya dia selalu diambil dari judul lagu taon 70-an. While You Were Sleeping, You Belong To Me, All Around the Town, Love to Sing Love to Dance, dll.

Pengalaman gue yang paling berkesan sepanjang sejarah pembacaan novel adalah waktu pertama kali gue nyoba baca novelnya Anne Rice, yang judulnya Interview with the Vampire. Waktu itu kayaknya gue kelas II or III SMP. Bukunya minjem dari tempat sewa buku deket kampus cici gue. Terus terang sebenernya gue ngga bisa berenti baca tu buku. Tapi mungkin saking tajamnya pena Mrs Rice, gue mulai hanyut kebawa emosi waktu Louise si Vampire menggambarkan bagaimana dia melihat matahari terbitnya yang terakhir. Dan waktu gue bangun tidur gue kebayang-bayang ama suramnya cerita Louise, trus gue jd stress. Then I decided to stop reading the book. Years after, waktu filmnya udah dijual bebas di DVD bajakan, baru gue berani nonton tu film, bareng-bareng ama orang serumah. Not that I’m scared of the vampires. But the gloomy feeling I couldn’t handle before. Tapi untungnya nonton itu pengalaman yang jauhhhhh berbeda dengan membaca. Dengan nonton, emosi loe lebih aman. Loe bisa stay di luar, ngga perlu terperosok dalem-dalem.

To be continued...

An Evening before Christmas

Dec 24th 2010

Dearest J,

It’s Ur 2010th anniversary already. Time does fly before we know it. Yeah… U told me about it once in Your book.
Anyway, it’s so splendid down here. With all the Christmas trees, the caroling choirs, the presents and all. It ain’t snowing around here. But I think I can imagine how it feels like, the cold snow in the winter. The warm fireplace…
I’m sure U can see it all. And I hope U’re happy with all the celebration we held for You.
I know, it was kinda different on the day You were born. But hey, remember the brightest star that shone upon Your birthplace? Our glittering trees and lamps can never beat that one for sure. And the troops of angles who were singing in the sky for You? Bet no choir here on Earth can rival their voices. And the three rich gentlemen who’d traveled far just to see You and give You expensive presents. Your folks must have been so delighted by their visit then.

J, I just wanna say thanks. You make everyday a gift for me. Sorry if I get too busy that I ignore You sometimes. It’s not that I forget You or anything. Perhaps I’m just too sure that You never remove me from Your best friends list no matter what. J, it’s just so hard being You. I wish I can cheer You up when You’re troubled. But many times I find myself being cheered by You instead. And I don’t remember when’s the last time I ever help You with anything while You’re never absent when I needed help.

I just want You to know that You are and will always be my best of the best friend. In Your birthday, I wish that all your best friends will love You more. I wish more people become Your best friends. Give my warmest regards to Your wonderful folks. And J, take care of my loved ones at Your house right now. How’s the party goin’ on up there? Just as splendid I’m sure.

Happy Birthday J. You rock my world.


Love forever,
Me.

Last Breath

Jesus came to me
and He whispered
So that I would not be afraid
He told me that once, He also died.

Dreaming My Dreams

What I’m going to write here just about now, are my dreams. The dreams that sneak into my mind in each waking moment. They are alive, I can feel them running through my veins. I didn’t know how to communicate them, and sometimes it’s just hard to answer their callings, as well as to discover the very spot from where they come.

Let me start now with the utmost one. The one that urges my fingers from time to time, to dance and write. Just about anything that my heart desires. And through those my writings, I would take many people to a solemn reflection of human life. To deeper thoughts about The Truth. And not to some extravagant lies which have driven the world to just the very wrong ideas.

And then I’m gonna see the beautiful creations of The Almighty. The mountains and the valleys. The oceans and the steppes. The desert and the rain forests. I will breathe and be mesmerized by His grace and majesty. And then I will write it down, share it to the others, who wish to taste the master piece of the universe.

I dream of living a peaceful life. To embrace every member of the loved ones. Thus inspire them, like my Very Best Friend has inspired me. I don’t desire being a star who live each day under the spotlight. I just want to be an inspiration, like the cool wind breeze that soothes the raging heat far, far away. Unseen, but felt.

Home… will be where my heart is. It will be built out of modesty, simplicity, and warmth, on a very strong foundation. And of course, I will have my Very Best Friend there, to dine with me and to fill my cup everyday. So I will not be thirsty. Let the world be busy with its chores, the competition, the trades and all, as I watch everything revolves around its course, from my very own home, there, where I will make use of my hands, my mind and all other gifts granted upon me.

Oh dear… it’s still too raw and abstract. But it’s my heart that whispers. And I just can’t stop my fingers from dancing.

Work Spell

Apa yang aku kerjakan
Adalah bukan semata-mata kewajiban
Atau mainan untuk memberi makan egoku
Bukan sarana untuk menghamba pada dunia
Yang tidak kenal inti kebenaran dari semuanya

Apa yang aku kerjakan
Adalah hadiah dari Dia Sang Empunya
Untuk menempaku dalam kedisiplinan
Untuk belajar setia pada hal-hal kecil
Sebelum Dia menuntunku ke padang yang terjanji

Maka pergilah rasa iri dan dengki
Tinggalkan aku dalam damai Nya
Beri aku ruang ‘tuk mengerjakan
Apa yang menjadi porsiku
Apa yang dirancangkan untukku
Demi Dia… yang mengasihiku.

Superstition

Is illogical, preposterous, and doesn't make any sense.
It is the greatest barrier between the truth and one's mind.
It leads nowhere but lies.
It teaches nothing but fear toward nothing
It paralyzes one's ability to reach the unreachable.
It has been worn out, proven ineffective, outdated.
It has nothing to do with success
It has nothing to do with failure as well

The Berieved Author

Biarkan aku berkabung
Menangisi karakter-karakterku
Yang tak lagi bernapas
Mati...
Siapakah gerangan yang membunuh mereka?
Kini mereka lumat, dicerna otak kiri
Yang saban hari mengasah diri
Satu per satu terlupakan dan lenyap
Gugur sebelum akil balik
Tinggal lah frustrasi yang mengepung
Hari demi hari
Malam demi malam
Sampai kering tulang ini
Menyesali kepedihan
Ku tak kuasa menyelamatkan mereka
Tuk yang kesekian kalinya

The 5

5 things that make me wanna outta ‘here’:

1. I don’t feel safe working (far) under a gal who can’t even differentiate ‘Quality Time’ from ‘Quantity Time’.

2. Comfort zone leads me to total boredom and complete useless feeling

3. It sucks working with a bunch of negotiators who talk too much, defend too much and come with so many excuses for the mistakes they do, rather then admitting it and apologize.

4. I know politics are the same everywhere, but one thing is certain: I hate the one practiced ‘here’.

5. Last but not least: I need more money. D’oh!

Once Upon a Time in the Junction

So I guess this is it then
You go left
I go right
We started in the same spot
Now it’s time to split
To expose ourselves
To new challenges and strangers
When we reach the destination
Let us not forget
Where we came from
Where everything was raw
And only hope stood still
And of those stepping stones
That finally led us here
I wish you the best of luck
May our paths cross again

Lost in the Weather

Bolehkah kuminta pada sang empunya cuaca
Pada langit yang tak berbatas
Pada awan yang menudungi daratan

Jadilah begini…
Seperti ketika
Guratan-guratan air menukik tajam
Dari cakrawala luas

Kuingin terus begini
Dicumbu kesejukan
Dibelai sang bayu
Hingga ku terlelap
Dalam dekap mesra semesta

Dear Ganteng

Hiks…
Ilang de…
Si ganteng
Yang duduk di seberang

Why, ganteng?
Kita belom sempet temenan
Padahal kamu keliatan bae
Ngga sombong
Sayang gue malu
Abis kamu keliatan high class
Sedangkan gue cuma middle class

Kadang gue wondering
Apa rasanya jadi kamu
Punya muka ganteng
Bodi keren
Pinter
Dompet tebel (keliatannya)
Suka clubbing
Naek SUV
Liburannya ke Australi
Dilirik tiap cewek

Eniwei,
Semoga sukses di tempat baru
Dan makasih
Udah jadi inspirasi
Buat mata gue yang sering ngantuk