\u2018Do you wanna hear a story?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That question has stayed with me ever since I first discovered this \u201cplace\u201d. An old sky-blue Volkswagen Kombi, painted with books forming a bridge that led children towards a\u00a0 rainbow, stood there. Its worn exterior was not a sign of neglect but proof of its owner\u2019s\u00a0unwavering spirit in bringing joy to children who spent their days begging from passersby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Who wants to hear a story? Come here.\u2019 Abah, that was how everyone knew him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Can adults read here, Bah?\u2019 <\/em>asked a poorly dressed woman carrying a sack of\u00a0cardboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018<\/em>Sure. Everyone is welcome here,\u2019 <\/em>Abah replied with his warm smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every afternoon at four, Abah would spread a yellow mat beside his Volkswagen and\u00a0begin telling stories. Children\u2019s laughter and endless questions were always met with patience and kindness. Around them, adults and children alike explored the adventures hidden inside what we fondly called the Dream Car.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018<\/em>I hope this becomes the vehicle that carries everyone who reads here toward their\u00a0dreams,\u2019 <\/em>he once told me as we sat by the park walkway. \u2018Dreams belong to everyone. Including you.\u2019 <\/em>Those were the last words he said while\u00a0gently patting my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018<\/em>Abah is gone but his footsteps remain here. In every child\u2019s dream. In the memories of those who kept returning for new adventures,\u2019 I said to Teguh, the person I trusted to care for Abah\u2019s Dream Car before I left for Manchester to pursue my medical specialisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018You really trust me?\u2019 <\/em>he asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018If Pak Sugeng could entrust his greatest dream to people he believed in after he was\u00a0gone, including Abah, then I can trust you too.\u2019 <\/em>I smiled.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year marks sixty years since the Volkswagen first rolled through Cikini and thirty years\u00a0since it introduced me to Abah and gave me my very first dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Dream Car arrived at a park, greeted by children\u2019s cheerful laughter. Teguh and I\u00a0quickly prepared it so everyone could browse the books comfortably.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before I could speak, a child raised a hand. \u2018What exciting book should I read today?\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Smilling, I handed over The Dot. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018<\/em>Can I read it by myself?\u2019 <\/em>he asked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I nodded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018<\/em>If I don\u2019t understand something, can I ask you?\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Of course,\u2019 <\/em>I replied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The child settled onto a small brown chair and began reading. I watched the lively\u00a0scene around me with quiet happiness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n A while later the child returned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018<\/em>A dream,\u2019 <\/em>he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Confused, I looked closer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018I wanna have a dream.\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Those words carried me back decades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bookshelf is still there. It has moved from place to place but still holds the same books, waiting for someone to open them. Children still come, asking for new stories, and another first word is spoken.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jakarta taught me that community is more than just a place to gather. It is where a\u00a0single step can grow into hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n And Jakarta has always welcomed that hope with warmth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Short Story by Riza Gilang Ernawati \u2018Do you wanna hear a story?\u2019 That question has stayed with me ever since I first discovered this \u201cplace\u201d. An old sky-blue Volkswagen Kombi, painted with books forming a bridge that led children towards a\u00a0 rainbow, stood there. Its worn exterior was not a sign of neglect but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3157,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1261","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n