Since Amel failed in her relationship, her close friends are now limited to pillows, bolsters, blankets, gadgets, and diaries. Her world has now become narrow and limited, limited only to the bedroom and bathroom.
It's not like it used to be. If Amel used to be known by many people as a figure full of joy and cheerful laughter, now Amel has changed into a figure full of emptiness and a thin smile full of falsehood.
It's not like it used to be. If Amel used to be known by many people as a woman who talked a lot but was fun, now Amel has changed into a quiet woman who doesn't talk much but is gloomy.
It's not like it used to be. If Amel used to be known as an active student who could always answer the teacher's questions during the question and answer session, now Amel has changed into a passive student who often daydreams during the teaching and learning process in class.
Amel is Asri's roommate in the Campus Dormitory. Amel is a girl who really likes the fictional character Doraemon. So from the bed sheets, pillow and bolster fabrics, to the book covers and pencils, all have pictures of the cartoon character DORA EMON.
Amel is beautiful and full of enthusiasm, with a sweet smile and blue eyes because of the shining lenses. Amel has a cheerful and friendly character, making her liked by many people at school and in the dormitory environment.
Amel is also known as a hard worker and dedicated person, always trying to achieve her dreams with an unyielding determination. With a combination of physical beauty and a good personality, Amel is an inspiring girl and radiates a positive aura wherever she is.
But all that disappeared in an instant since Amel broke up with her boyfriend. For more than a month, Amel seemed to have no enthusiasm for life.
"Oh my God, is this how love changes someone?" Asri muttered to himself when he saw Amel crying while burying her head under the pillow in her room.
In the campus dormitory, the only ones left were Asri, Amel, the janitor, and the gatekeeper. The others were on their way home from vacation.
One night, the rain was pouring down so hard outside that it made irregular sounds on the roof tiles, not to mention the strong wind blowing. So that the shadows of the large tree branches were clearly visible, resembling the hands of monsters on the dormitory window glass. Dancing following the direction of the gusts of wind accompanied by rain. The window glass was filled with raindrops carried by the wind.
"Asri, open the door!" said Amel while knocking on the door of her dorm room.
"Where are you from, Amel? The rain is so heavy, you even played outside," asked Asri after Amel entered.
"I was just looking for some fresh air outside," answered Amel briefly in a soft and tired tone.
With unsteady steps and a flat face, Amel threw her body onto the bed and hid under the blanket.
"If this continues, I'll get annoyed," said Asri while tidying up her clothes and books.
"What do you mean?" asked Amel from under the blanket.
"Why are you like the person who suffers the most just because of a broken heart?" Asri said in a slightly raised tone.
Amel did not answer.
"If you continue like this, you will end up studying without focus, eating irregularly, getting sick, and your test scores will drop. What if your college scholarship is revoked because your test scores are low. What about the ideals and dreams that we often talked about before?" Amel continued.
Amel and Asri were silent for a few minutes. There was no sound from them. Only the sound of heavy rain accompanied by gusts of wind could be heard. A few moments later, Amel opened the blanket and took a deep breath in her distinctive voice then said, "I'm sorry Asri. I don't know why I ended up like this."
"You have to be strong. Don't give up because you broke up with a cheating boyfriend. It's better to pursue your ideals first before starting a relationship. You must always remember every ideal that you want to achieve, every dream that you want to make come true. You have to remember it well. Because this was our goal in the past, fighting to go to college so that we could go to college with a scholarship."
"I want to be like that too, Asri. But I don't know, it seems like my will to live is gone along with my feelings," said Amel with teary eyes as if she wanted to cry
"Look at this," said Asri while showing a photo of Amel's parents smiling while holding Amel when she was still a baby
Amel's defense finally collapsed and her tears flowed profusely, wetting her cheeks and pillow.
"Breaking up doesn't mean giving up hope in life. You should try to prove that even though you've broken up, you're still enthusiastic about learning. The most beautiful revenge to the person who hurt you is by proving that you can be happy and successful even without a boyfriend. Remember my words. This is our principle when we were in high school." Asri said in a motivating tone.
"Oh God, give me back my enthusiasm for life." Amel said in a soft tone.
"Come on, cheer up. Now let's finish our books and some clothes. Tomorrow we go home for a vacation. You have to promise me to stay enthusiastic together in pursuing our dreams." Asri said while holding out his little finger to Amel as a symbol of making a promise.
Image Source: Personal documents from a photo shoot during a holiday to the beach.