Ruang Tunggu

Ruang luas berbentuk persegi panjang, terhampar kosong nyaris tanpa design. Berjejer kursi-kursi yang juga panjang, menyambung, menyatu. Dinding putih polos kadang tanpa lukisan, hanya ada satu-dua layar televisi yang kadang menampilkan gambar tanpa suara, atau mati begitu saja.

Seberapa sering dalam sebulan kita memanfaatkan fasilitas 'Ruang Tunggu?' Di bandara? Rumah sakit? Bengkel mobil?

Sekali? Dua kali? Hampir setiap minggu?

Perhatikan seberapa banyak design interior yang diaplikasikan pada sebuah ruang tunggu yang bersifat public use?

Bisa dibilang nyaris tanpa seni. Jarang ada dekorasi sana sini, yang hanya diperuntukkan sebagai pemanis ruangan. Seolah tahu bahwa ruang itu hanya tempat persinggahan, untuk apa repot-repot menghiasnya?

***

Bukankah hidup pun seperti itu? Ibarat Ruang Tunggu, kita datang untuk mengemban tugas, bersinggah sebentar, dan pergi setelah tugas itu tertunaikan.

World, is just a 'Waiting Room'. Kenapa sibuk sekali mendekorasi, dan malah lupa dengan tugas yang diamanahkan?

***

My parents aren't rich. They taught me since young age to work hard to get things that I want. Tears won't buy me anything. So I have to sell some stickers to buy a brand new sandals when I was eight. I bought a board of sticker for Rp 1,000 with 10 cartoon characters in it, I cut them into 10 pieces of stickers, and sell them Rp 500 each. I could sold two boards (20 cut stickers) a day. I put the money in a jar, because my mom refuse to buy me piggy bank. And I brought the jar to the shop when I buy the sandals after weeks of selling stickers.

Later on that day.. I started selling everything. Plastic balloons, water balloons, candies,. I bought my self a nice pencil case, a nice pen, nice book.

I was eight, and I started to learn how hard work pays off.

***

Di dalam Ruang Tunggu, kita bebas melakukan apa saja sebelum giliran tiba. Bisa menghabiskan waktu membaca buku, menunaikan pekerjaan, bergumam bernyanyi, atau simply.. Daydreaming. Terserah. Seperti kata mereka, bahwa hidup adalah pilihan.

Begitupun Ruang Tunggu kehidupan, sembari menunggu mati. Apakah yang kita pilih tuk habiskan waktu?

***

My parents aren't rich, but they put my education as their first priority. They took me into the best school in town. They bought me book when it was hard to get a book. My dad made a copy of a good book for me to learn english (black and white version, and I still keep it in my bookshelf). They let me go to the expensive school so I can see the world.

I was then learned how to live. Thru stupid and foolish mistakes none ever told me not to do.

But one thing I remember from how my dad put all his priority in me, is: to give my children the thing they will need later. NOT things that they need NOW.

Education and hard work, are the best lesson my dad ever taught me without saying a word. As a living person in a 'Waiting Room' at least I know, he has done something in his life. He has invested his mind to a girl whose now become a woman.

As a man in waiting room, my dad has already leave his legacy. At least in one living person: me.

I promise my self to give the best education to my children. To put books in their mind. To teach them that life is series of hard work and faith.

***

Suatu hari dalam sebuah perjalanan bersama seorang teman lama, saya berbincang dengannya mengenai 'tujuan hidup'. We were twenty one and about to graduate university.

'Apa tujuan hidup kita? Jangan-jangan kita hanya lulus, nikah, punya anak, lalu mati. Jangan-jangan cuma hidup numpang lewat saja' ucapnya malam itu. I laughed at that time. I know I shouldn't laughed at something I don't understand. I just realised years after that conversation.

Karena di kemudian hari baru saya mengerti. Apa dan kenapa kegelisahan itu ada pada diri teman saya. Lama setelah hari itu berlalu. Tiga tahun tepatnya.

***

Sekedar numpang lewat kah kita di Ruang Tunggu ini?
Sudahkah mempersiapkan sesuatu jika tiba giliran nanti?
Adakah jejak berarti yang bisa digunakan oleh penerus generasi?
Yakinkah kita pada jalan yang hari ini kita ambil, akan membawa pada jalan kebaikan esok hari?

Terus terang, pertanyaan-pertanyaan itu kept me awake at night. I don't know how to shut my mind. Tapi yang saya yakini, setiap kita sejatinya sedang berada di dalam sebuah Ruang Tunggu. Akan digunakan dengan apa, sang waktu?