The Magnitude of Silence
When I was a little girl I used to daydream of how my future husband and I would meet for the first time. I’d record it in my diary, lock it, hide it under my bed and pray that one day it will come true. I’d write a scene so outrageous that it could have been a scene straight out of a fairy tale. But life has a way of presenting fairy tale without having to add anything dramatic to it. And it still would have been as magical as a fairy tale regardless. Plain, simple, transparent; just like how Ivan met Adel.
Mutual friends introduced Ivan and Adel to each other. Their first interaction was on an online communication platform due to their geographical differences. Ivan lives in Jakarta and Adel lived in Bandung for educational purposes. The conversation was chill, but the connection was real. They did not meet each other until Adel had to go back to Jakarta and study for an upcoming test.
They say that chivalry is dead. I beg to differ. Chivalry is not dead. It’s rare. And Ivan is one of those rare ones, a true gentleman. He picked her up at her house and drove them to a café in north Jakarta. Knowing that Adel needed to prep for a test, Ivan did not attempt to take her attention off of her studies. Deep in his soul he had a feeling that there’s plenty of time to catch up when eternity is their future. So he just sat there, enjoying his beverage and her company. He simply was there for her to support her. No words said, just side-by-side to each other.
Sometimes the deepest language is heard the loudest in silence. Just a look into each other’s eyes and they felt it, “I’m here for you. For good times, and bad times. I’ll be on you side. Forever and ever.”
This would be so far fetch from a fairy tale type of first meeting. No big wind, it was not raining cats and dogs, no body fell into each other’s arm, etc etc. It was simple, but oh so deeply magical. From that moment on, Ivan was sure he wants to spend the rest of his life with Adel. It’s no need to pretend or entertain, they could just simply be. Enjoying the beauty and comfort of silence til they’re old and grey.
