My sanctuary. The sip of my favourite orange coffee that I always look forward to. The view of wooden ornaments decorating these white walls and the stone-coloured floor. The beautiful light coming through the tall, house-shaped window, vouching for how soothing it feels being here. The comfortable air-conditioned room that shelters you from the scorching heat of Surabaya sun.

This place always feels like an ultimate break from life, where I get to sit down and finally find my ground, remind myself of what a long journey it has been, and that a small kid named Reinhard is silently watching the outside world in awe. Oh, what a life I have made for myself. Such beautiful souls I’ve met. Such good prayers along the way. Here, in this place, the so-called naivety of this kid transforms into a warm and peaceful space. Pure. Untainted. He walks to me. Asks me if he could hug me. He whispers to my ear, “I’m so happy being here with you.”

And for a moment, all the problems in the world goes away. Everything that I’ve been doing feels enough. I stop wondering whether I should have done things differently. The expectations fade away. The thoughts and questions stop echoing. Everything falls into place. The people. The conversations. The cry in that empty room and the kind smiles that make me wonder in disbelief. The overwhelming feelings of love, sadness, anger, fear, hope, and joy. They start to make sense. The intricate, long, and winding narratives become a simple story called life.

Once in a while, the sound of air blowing through the air conditioner and “Maybe You’re The Reason” by The Japanese House playing in the background brings me back and fades out again after a while. The view of the busy traffic outside intertwines with the calm and serene atmosphere inside in a beautiful, harmonious way.

I look at him, smile, and pat his head. “I’m happy being here with you too”, I say to him. I hold his hand and we walk together in his space where he shows me around. I admire his innocence and curiousity. I listen to him as he talks about his dreams and once in a while laugh at his ideas and innocent idealisms.

“Someday, I want to be like you!”, he says. His eyes glimmer with excitement and his lips widen as he turns his head towards me. His words catch me by surprise. I crouch down and look at his eyes. I can’t help but let out that smile. The same kind smile that was given to me by the souls I’ve met along the way. My eyes soften. I put my hand on his little shoulder. “Trust me, I want to be like you”.