First Hello

Nervous. One word to explain how I feel. I’ve sat in the waiting room for… well, almost two hours. It sucks. Waiting means boring. But I have to deal with it. For the sake of my future. I have not had permanent job for one and half years. It’s worse than waiting here. I need this job very much. I can’t ask money from Mom and Dad anymore, although I know they would be glad to give me as much as I want. Under one condition: I must work in Dad’s company. It’s a big no. Dad owns a law firm. I was a student of law faculty. You must think that it doesn’t matter to work there. Well, it’s a big deal for me. The clients there are from big companies in this country. Yes, it handles corporate legal aspects. This is not my passion. I want to be a lawyer in different field. I dream to be a human right lawyer or an environmental lawyer.

However, it takes a long time to get the my dream job. Most of human right or environmental law firms want experienced staff to work there. Besides being an intern in Dad’s law firm, I never work anywhere else.

Another reason why I don’t wanna work in Dad’s office is because it would be the weapon for Mom to set me up with one of Dad’s employee. I use to call him Mr. Suit. He wear ssuit every day! Once in a while, all employees there are required to suit up, when they meet their clients. But wearing a suit during company gathering event is a big no. I prefer a guy who is more casual. Oh, and he’s stiff and arrogant (as he’s the youngest associate in Dad’s company) too. These are the reason why cross him out from my guys-to-date list is a must.

By the way, I am a 26 years old woman who lives alone in Jakarta-although my parents live in the same city. I live in a studio apartment, in the suburb while my parents live in the city centre. I visit them in the weekend-when I have no agenda with friends. So far, I can afford my apartment with my part-time online job as a translator, while I keep seeking a good permanent job. The payment is not really high, but the main reason is because I want to achieve my dream. To work as a human right or environmental lawyer.

Eventually, after hundreds of working application, I am invited for this interview. The office is not a law firm. It is a non-government organization works to assist various human right cases in Indonesia. They need some legal experts there and I am one of the candidates, along with about twenty other people. Most of them have been interviewed so far and only one left with me in the waiting room. A guy. He looks like a mess. Almost late for the interview this afternoon and he lets his hair spiky. It’s not weird when you are not a lawyer-or at least a lawyer candidate. All male lawyers I’ve ever met have sleek or luxuriant hair. They use wax to do their hair. This guy is different. He lets his hair natural for this interview.

“It looks like we’re the last persons to be interviewed today”.

He starts our conversation. I just smile and look back into my iPad-to check on the latest celebrity gossips. I don’t really like talking to the stranger-especially with my competitors and has messy hair. He then mentions his name and asks for mine. I only give a short answer, wish he would stop asking. But he doesn’t. He offers me two chocolate bar taken from his backpack-one dark and one milk. Yes, he bring backpacks instead of suitcase like other candidates! Maybe he comes from other planet. Planet of Weirdo. 

“Don’t worry, this chocolate is not poisoned. Otherwise, it would help you being more relaxed and calm. I’ll prove it” he opens the wrap and eat the chocolate. The milky one. Hand the dark chocolate to me.

“No, thanks”

“Don’t worry, it won’t make you fat. Even when you are, you will still look pretty” I don’t answer his statement. Keep looking into my iPad. This time I opens a gossip forum on the Internet.

“Well, I just think that you’re too nervous. So I offered you this chocolate”, I think he feels scared with my reaction. Sigh, I look at him and finally accept dark chocolate. He smiles. Actually he doesn’t look bad. He has dimple in his right cheek. Although he doesn’t have corporate look, he still looks good.

Then he mentions his name and asks for mine. The name turns out to be the name I always remember after that day. I just don’t know about it, just like I have no idea that I would call him Mr. Autumn.