YEAR 2040, PHILIPPINES. I am nearing the end of my ephemeral journey. My grandchild approached me and said; “grandma, you received a mail.” I heard a soft chuckle from her as she whispered to herself; “who uses snail mail at this time?” Being very old with very poor vision, I asked her assistance to open the envelope and read what was inside. Probably excited to open a snail mail for the first time, I didn’t hear any disagreement. She opened the envelope and said in a surprised voice, “grandma! You’re invited to an event.” With a crumpled forehead, I asked myself:“Who would invite an old woman like me who can’t even walk without a stick?” So I asked her “What event? Where? When?” and she replied “It’s not stated, but it says “You are cordially invited to attend a once in a lifetime exhibition of the world’s top businesses at Grand Indonesia Hotel on the 15th of March 2040.” And with a more surprised tone, she said “The invitation comes with airplane tickets grandma! Business class!”
When I heard the word Indonesia, I thought that maybe I did somethinggood to one of my students that made him/her invite me to the event. My grandchild got even more excited when she saw that I could bring one person with me to the event. So she flashed me her puppy eyes and her biggest grin telling me to take her with me. How could I resist such a request? So I told her that I would take her if she promised to tell me everything she will see there and would re-tell me everything that she will hear in the event. She agreed and hushed away to tell her mother the news.
14 March 2040. We reached the airport and were ready to check-in our baggage. A man in uniform approached us and told us that he will be taking care of our check-in and that we just had to wait in the executive lounge where a friend of minewas waiting. I asked him who the man was and he said that Captain Winston Rimas Kanggoana, pilot of Garuda Indonesia flight 233,was awaiting my arrival. I remembered Winston to be a happy-go-lucky student who liked to sleep at the stage during break times. The attendant took us to the lounge where I met the kind Captain. Even with blurry eyes I could still see how dignified he looked in his pilot uniform. He shook my hand and we chatted for a little. He told me that Garuda Indonesia is now owned by the VSMA Corporation, the largest airline corporation in Indonesia and that VSMA stands for Vincent, Steven, Mike, and Alby Corporation. I was really surprised to know how successful our past Bina Bangsa School alumni have become. He bid me goodbye and told me that much surprise was waiting for me.
We landed in Indonesia around 11:45 P.M. We were assisted to the arrival gate where a limousine was waiting for us. We were escorted in and were taken to the grandest hotel I have ever laid eyes upon. As a chauffeur opened the car door, the friendly faces of the hotel receptionists welcomed us to Hotel Lie-Tjahjono, owned by our former student Jesslyn and her husband Harris. They took us to the hotel’s presidential suite.As they opened the door, I was overwhelmed by the sheer luxury of the room. It was ornamented with the world renowned Aristo furnitures owned by Bill Aristo.I was nearly blinded by the sparkling chandelier hanging on the living room of the suite designed by the world’s best crystal sculptorChun Jin Seok.
As I plunked down on the sofa, I saw my grandchild gazing at the marvelous cutleries on the dining table. She ran towards me and said: “OMG grandma, it’s made of gold!” She handed me a fork and I instantly flipped it to see the maker.I couldn’t really read it so my grandchild told me, “here granny, let me read it for you. “, “It says, made in Indonesia by Aldo Chrisanto’s finest gold craft.”
I was still flabbergasted by the golden cutleries when the bell rang. My grandchild opened the door as the room service came in. They asked us to sit down while they served our food. The appetizer was mouth-watering and so was the main dish. The dessert was heavenly and the drinks were very refreshing. I asked the room service who was the chef that prepared my divine dinner. He smiled and told me, “She is not our chef here; she is also our guest and volunteered to prepare the meal you and for your granddaughter. She is the world famous celebrity chef Felicia Adriana Wijaya.”
I was really surprised at how honored I felt, they treated me as if I was a queen. The men left us with a very happy stomach. I was about to rest butinstead decided to read some magazines on the rack; I took the one on the very top, as I gazed upon the cover I nearly dropped my dentures, the brothers Samuel Dimitriand Yoshua Aristharkus were pasted across the cover as Indonesia’s oil magnate. I scanned the magazine further and saw another familiar looking face wearing ballerina clothes and the article read: Jessica Benedicta, Indonesia’s prima ballerina to perform in Broadway with the New York Orchestra, conducted by Devina Wirawan.
I was still thunderstruck by the success of our past students when my eyes caught the brochure on the coffee table. I saw Korea’s top model school owned by business partners Youne Kyung Eun and Kim Dae Ju; all the models were wearing YEO’S clothing line, owned by Yeo Song Hee, that kicked Calvin Klein and Yves Saint Laurentoff the market and to my surprise I later learnt that the head designer was Stefani Adelia. The brochure also featured world class architectural designs by the world famous architects who designed the world’s tallest and grandest buildings, Hugo William Budhitresno and Kenny Joshua.
I was almost in tears when I finished browsing the brochure. I looked for my grandchild who by now was watching a movie. I sat beside her as she watched a romantic comedyfilm featuring Indonesia’s prime actress Caecillia Joceline Cendra and heartthrob Roberto Priyatna Santoso. When the movie was finished, we decided to turn in for the day. Before I closed my eyes, I told myself that this trip was getting juicier and juicier by the hour as most of the students I could barely remember are now the big wigs of the world.
I woke up at exactly 7.00 in the morning, I was awaken by the music being played by my granddaughter on the state of the art hologram entertainment center invented by scientists Angelina Jane and Ivan Sunardi Wibobo. I wanted to scold her for being loud but when I saw the singers on the hologram it wasJessica Lorenzo and Yoseba Joan singer their latest song in their Titanium award winning album. We ate breakfast immediately when the room service crew came in. They told us that we were going to a spa around 9:00 in the morning.
We were much rejuvenated after the treatment by the friendly and caring spa attendants. We were served their world renowned tea,hand-picked from the largest tea farm in the world owned by Melia Permata Sari Wijaya. As we sipped our cup of tea, one of the attendants switched the channel to CNN. To my surprise the news anchor was Sabine Sara, who was delivering the news about the success of the release of the newest brand of flying cars designed by Aeronautic engineer Indra Gunawan. After the news we decided to change the channel, I stopped the search when I saw the latest commercial of the newest nicotine free cigarette owned by the cigarette tycoon Joshua Pramono Setia Budhi. The commercial was instantly followed by another commercial, this time about the latest brand of perfume made by Korea’s best perfumery, owned by Ryu Dami.I switched the channel again only to find out that Indonesia’s first space shuttle launch to the moon will happen soon and on it will be astronauts Kristi Megan Kanadi, Wilson Wanarta and Sonia Hermawan.
Then we were taken to the biggest salon inside the hotel owned by the beauty expert and skin doctorSherry Felicia Salim. The salon was so huge and full of state of the art salon gadgets. I felt like a superstar after the hair and make-up session was done.
We thought that it was over, when we were taken to the hotel shop for our choice of clothes. I was ecstatic as I laid my eyes upon the wonderful gowns and designer shoes on display throughout the store. My grandchild chose a simple gown for me made by the famous gown designer Michelle Sardjono and shoes by designer Yessica Indah Sari. Then they took us to the accessories collection where the most expensive and most luxurious jewelries designed by Antoni Mulia Salim were displayed.
I was beginning to cry when they told me that it was almost time for the event. So they took us to the lobby to wait for the limousine. At the lobby, we saw an art exhibition by some famous painters and sculptors from around the world like Hany Lieka and Fely Fanesa Budianto. There was also a chocolate exhibit from top dessert chef Septian Hari Joedono.
The chauffer escorted us in the limousine and told us that the event will be so big that it will be graced by the South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Soon Gwon Kim, Indonesia’s best microbiologist Sola Garachia Abigail, and the president himself.
I was so excited to hear about the event. As I entered the event’s lobby, I was given a royal treatment. I was surprised to know that I am to be seated in front near the stage. When I got to my seat, I saw many familiar looking faces.I tried to remember where I saw them before and got really shaky when I realized that they were my former co-teachers in BBS and we were all seated in the front row. We shook each other’s hands and started to reminisce our old days in BBS when the MC announced, “ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the president of the Republic of Indonesia, Richard Adrian Budhitresno.”
My jaw literally dropped at the thought when my seatmate and friend Ms. Riris shook my shoulder and said, “Ms. Khaye. Hello! Earth calling Ms. Khaye? Hey! Why are you smiling by yourself?” Goodness! I was daydreaming.
Daydreaming or not, the thought of our students making it big in the world made me realize how lucky I am to be a part of their journey towards success.
Earth calling, Ate Khaye. Earth calling...
ReplyDelete