My name is Maxime, I'm usually called Max. I'm currently 23 years old, I'm a freshman transfer student from Germany. I continued my master's degree in Indonesia as a legal expert like my father, who worked in a law firm in Germany.
2 years ago, my mother passed away in Germany due to a serious illness. After my mother passed away, I decided to return to Indonesia after a long time I left my homeland.
I left my two older brothers there in Germany, I also decided to find my identity in Indonesia. Because actually, my place is not in Germany but here in Indonesia.
There is a big secret that I have been keeping for years. And now I had to uncover that secret and find out the truth. All those years of keeping this secret, I was quite miserable, depressed and very tormented. In fact, this time I returned to Indonesia with a specific purpose. I had to find my soulmate who had been missing for years.
I was sitting on a bench in the campus park looking at a heart-shaped necklace that I wore every day. Inside the necklace, there was a picture of the woman I loved the most in this world. However, while I was looking at the photo of a woman in the necklace, someone came up to me and sat next to me.
"What are you doing?" said Nadia, who had suddenly arrived.
"Nad? You startled me."
"What are you doing alone in the park? What are you looking at?" she asked when she saw me holding a heart-shaped necklace.
"Oh, this is my heart necklace. Inside this necklace is a picture of a girl who is very special to me."
I stared at my heart necklace for a long time. Apparently, Nadia was so curious that she also looked at my necklace.
"Whose picture is that? The girl, huh?" she guessed, making me smile widely.
"My girl is prettier than you, Nad. Want to see?"
"Wow, beautiful! That's okay, I'm curious."
I smiled slightly and took out a photo from my brown wallet.
"Wow, your girl is really beautiful, Max!" she exclaimed when she saw the photo I had just given her.
"Yes, she is indeed beautiful and very perfect in my eyes."
"Where's your girlfriend now? I wonder if you're here to find your girlfriend, huh? But if you already have a girlfriend, why are you chasing me and saying you like me? Are you cheating on me?" she asked, which made me laugh as soon as I heard it.
"Nonsense, I'm not cheating on you!"
"So? If you already have a girlfriend, why are you saying you love me?" he asked.
Nadia's brown eyes looked at me with a probing gaze. Her round eyes and dimpled cheeks made me want to pinch them.
"Wait, are you jealous, Nad? Maybe you're starting to like me again?" I accused.
"Yes, I've started to like you. But unfortunately, I'm getting the short end of the stick. I have bad luck with love!" she said, making me ruffle her hair lightly.
"I love you more than I love my girlfriend, Nad. You're more special, so take it easy," I replied, causing Nadia to look at me sharply.
"Hey, I pity your girl if you fall in love with me. It's hard to resist my charm," she said narcissistically.
"Ckkk. . . you take it easy, Nad. I'm here to find someone more important than my girlfriend, she's the missing half of my life," I replied while looking up at the sky.
Nadia followed the direction of my eyes and joined me in looking up at the daytime sky that looked so bright.
"Half of your life? Who?" she asked curiously.
"Someone more important than my girlfriend. My girlfriend is half of my heart while the person I'm looking for is half of my life. That's why she's more important," I said as I looked at a photo from behind my heart-shaped necklace.
"Does the necklace you're holding have a picture of the person you're looking for, Max?"
I nodded slowly while looking at the photo with teary eyes.
"So, where's your girlfriend?"
"My girlfriend is up there," I replied, pointing to the sky.
Nadia followed the direction of my head and looked up at the sky in surprise.
"Uh, sorry Max I don't know."
"It's okay, she was a very special girl to me, Nad. She's been gone for a year and I can't get her out of my heart."
Nadia looked at me with a gentle gaze. She also grasped my hands gently.
"If I may know, what did your girlfriend die of, Max?" she asked curiously.
"An accident, the accident that took her life. While helping me find the missing half of my life, she was gone forever," I said with my eyes looking fragile and sad.
Nadia was swept away as she heard my very sad love story. My love was so great for the girl I loved the most in this world. My love is also so sincere and strong. And whoever hears this love story will cry too. Like Nadia and of course myself.
"Max, I'm sure you'll find a better replacement for your girlfriend someday. You're good, you'll definitely get a better girl than you. Because good people will definitely get good people too," Nadia said with a smile while holding both my hands.
I looked at Nadia intently, and she returned my gaze. Gradually, we both smiled at each other. A very sweet smile, Nadia's smile is what makes me touched and fascinated when I see it.
"Thanks, Nad."
"You're welcome, Max."
"Then you'll be my girlfriend," I laughed, making Nadia's eyes widen.
"What?"
"You don't want to be my girlfriend?" I asked teasingly.
"Maxime!"
"Honestly Nad, my heart is still not willing to let Anggi go. When I decided to return to Indonesia, Anggi also flew to Indonesia and returned to her home. Anggi was continuing her law studies in Germany, so I met her on campus and fell in love with her at first sight.
"At first, I wanted to marry her. But I had a mission to do in Indonesia. Therefore, Anggi decided to return to her homeland with me. But, unfortunately, the accident happened and took her life. And now I regret taking her with me."
Suddenly Nadia hugged me tightly. She was crying, crying along with what I was feeling right now. Damn it, why do I have to cry at a time like this? Why do I have to be such a crybaby?
"Cry, Max. I know what you're feeling right now, I know and I can feel it."
I cried in Nadia's warm embrace. For some reason, my heart is always fragile when it comes to Anggi, who has been dead for a year. I really miss Anggi, I really want to meet her.
Anggi, I miss you.
"I'm a stupid man who can't take responsibility, Nad."
"You're not stupid, Max. You're the best man I've ever known. If I had known you better than Niko, I would have given my heart to you. And, maybe I wouldn't be in this young marriage. I would have lived happily with you. Because you value me much more than him."
`"So, what do you mean?"
"I'm starting to feel comfortable around you, Max. I want to get to know you better. Because comfort can turn into liking, right? And, I think, I'm starting to like you, Max."
"Nadia, are you serious?"