*My Younger, Much Younger, Friends and me
Friendship is something I consider a gift (you can check how I treasure my friends on my previous posts). I have very good friends, which I already consider them too close. These friends have endured the test of time, we went through a lot of things to much, all the sin, all the good deeds, all the sadness, and all the joy, we did it together. These are friends that I sometimes take it for granted. In the sense that whatever I do, good or bad, wright or wrong, they are still my friends. Hell, if time can not take that friendship, who can take it away from me. Of course I have the benefit of long interaction with them that make us too close. There were two periods of time that I enjoyed these benefit, in (junior) high school for six years, and in undergraduate for six years (don't ask!!!). So, greetings for all of my very good friends out there...
*No Look Style 1
*No Look Style 2
Here, in this blog, I will talk about friends that I picked up along the way, or the other way around. Since, I study in the foreign countries, like Korea, and now USA, I arrived with basically no friend (How I wish all my very good friends in Atlanta, Raleigh, Denver, and Delaware, study in Urbana-Champaign, huahahahah). Therefore, I have people that I know, but not a very good friend. Then, because of common language, common interest, or others, we've become close, and in a foreign countries I can instantly be a friend with a stranger with common language. They have been very helpful to me. Also, because the nature of our study, well my study to be exact, they are leaving Champaign-Urbana before me. I don't have the benefit to have long acquintance with them, but we became close. Champaign Beyatch was the previous example.
*The Three on the Left
*The Three in the Middle
Nowadays, I have younger, much younger, friends. They are Ardi and Windy. I know Ardi almost one and half year now. He has been my roomate for this semester. He's the one who always keep his cool, no emotion whatsoever, when he's happy he keep his calm, and I never see him show his sadness. Well sometimes he looks mad, but that's it, he still keep his boyish look, and smirk here and there. He was always planned, seems now what he's doing, and funny most of the times. His decisions are sometimes, or often, ackward to me, but maybe we are just different, or maybe that what happen if you stay in US, everyman for himself. For example, he only wash dishes that he used, he seldom take the trash, and he eats rice with fork, when there are spoon around, hehehhehe.
*I and Ardi, not many times you can catch Ardi laugh his heart out
*I and Windy, most of the times windy smile like this
But he was the president of Indonesian Student Association in Urbana-Champaign. So, he is an organizer, he even organized Indonesian Cultural Night that went very well. He almost always has reason for something that he does, the reasons are not always logic, but hey, even I sometimes feel reluctant to loose a debate. In short, when I hang out with him, it was like the time, when I hang out with my friends in high school: a lot of work with almost no emotion. He will graduate this semester, he will go to new work place in New York in January. He will pursue his dreams, and along with that he will have bigger burden ahead. Hopefully, he will stay healthy, he's a skinny guy, and he was sick many times, even my wife worry about him. Therefore, for him, at best I can say, he's still in the journey to the manhood, and still lack of compassion, where compassion matters only if you show them.
*His signature smile, please find another one dude, hehehe
The other one is windy. I know her for only four or five months. At first she seemed poise, she keep her stature. She always telling things that make me think that she wanted to be seen as a grown woman, full with determination: A woman that know what she wants, and almost sure that she can get it. But it never fooled me, hehehhehe. After all, she's just a young woman that just graduated from undergraduate, with all the complication, about career, relationship, and others. Of course, in no times, she showed her true self.
*Not her signature smile, but sweeter
It seems just yesterday, when she wanted to go to the health centre to give her health report at her first days, alone. She said she just need the direction. I offered her my company, because the health centre is not too far from my office. She said, "No, thank you". I offered her again, she seemed hesitant, and I just told her to follow me. I took her there, and gave some tips so she doesn't need to take shots. She told that all have been taken care, "no problem". Then, she came out without her usual poise look, and told me, "Paksi, I have to take the shot, and I'm scared." Huahahaha, well, that's it for her poise attitude. She turn out has an emotion like roller coaster. But she's a kind loving person, always taking care of other people. She usually show her emotion and compassion in a natural way. Now, she will go in February if she decide to pursue her study in Chicago. For her, I can say that she's a girl who is trying hard to get a grip, in order to reach her womanhood. Hopefully, she will stay healthy, because she look fragilel.
*Hey, it's me, Windy, sitting on the sofa
As we usually did many things together, I know a lot about both of them. Whether they tell me or not, I know mostly what they've been through. As the oldest I should give something for them. I'm not a good judge, therefore I don't judge easily. Also, I'm not a good consultant for helping them to make a good decision in life. My wife is, but I'm not. Sometimes, I gave them my experiences that I picked along the way, and I still have some moral advice that mostly come from my wife. But most of the times, I'm only a clown and a good listener (even in silence). The best suggestion that you can get from me is "If you know what you want, and you know the consequences, just do it, you're already grown up, right or wrong, good or bad, you are the one who will live it for the rest of your life." But I can promised whatever you do, I will always be your funny friends.
*Hey, It's me, Ardy, eating on the sofa
We have a good dinner last night to celeberate their good news. It was on me, hey, they're the one who should treat me, hehehe. Also, It was a belated birthday celeberation for my wife birthday (They told me to give you their thanks my dear). And last but not least for my closure of our togetherness, before they leave Champaign. I wanted early, because my last experience, if I wait until the last time, I will not have time for a good dinner with my friends.
*Them on the CTA Bus
So, there we were in Outback Steakhouse (we're coming with Illini Taxi, and we had a nice lady driver), enjoying our steak in the smoking section. No appetizer and no dessert, we just simply had three plate of steaks, three glass of ice tea, and three wine glasses with a bottle of red wine, Wente Syrah (if I'm not mistaken). We had a chit chat about our togetherness and their future, with smile and laugh. Suddenly, I gave our closure for our togetherness, and everybody listen and smile, or try to smile. We're waiting for our taxi to go back to our apartment. The night was mild, and not so cold. Then, like always, we arrived in front of 1004, where we usually enjoy our sofa and watch the TV, where we sometimes eat together, where we often become a host for our guests, where we just stay there because we have nothing to do, where we start our journey, and so on. Again, in front of 1004, Windy gave her warmest hugs to me, and ardy. Wispher exchanged. Finally, we seperated, the one who almost always stay in 1004 for a sleep went to her apartment, the one who almost always stay a bit for a chit chat or a movie went to the office, the one who always stay for awhile before go to sleep early went in to the apartement, he closed and locked the door. It's been a wonderful night, thanks...
I wish both of you have a good and happy journey ahead.
