(Liana Matasik Karini)

Celebrating the 7th year of my hubby and I first met. This is my love story. The story that I want to share with the whole world because it’s the only one I had given by God who never forget about me.

Today, seven years ago when it’s all started. I met my hubby (or a strangers at that time) for the first time. Actually it started few months earlier when a friend reported to me that he had passed on my mobile phone number to his friend in Singapore. My friend was a Captain of a chemical tanker vessel belonged to Samudera Indonesia (where we both worked). My hubby was a surveyor in Singapore who always sent on board my friend’s vessel to inspect the cargo and tanks of the vessel. The jobs makes them friends.

More earlier than that, I have blank history of my love life, never had a boyfriend nor even a boy who liked me! Seriously! I always thought there must be something wrong with me, not pretty enough, not sexy enough, not fun enough, etc. The boys I crossed on to?? Plenty! But did they know? I think yes, some of them…er…maybe most of them. But none gave a good feedback, some of them even played me out *poor me or too much pity on myself? ah…it’s just a thin line between those two*

Three of my siblings never had that problem. They always have a boyfriend or girlfriend around. And yeah…they have pity on me. Sometimes they would take me along when they’re going out, just to make me have fun a little bit. Really poor me, huh?? But awesome siblings, aren’t they?? After sometimes when I almost reached 30 years old with countless broken hearted, and as the oldest, I told my brothers and sister, “Guys, don’t wait for me for you to get married, ok? Don’t worry, I’ll be very happy just to have nephews and nieces from you.” They have their most laugh of their life! *gak sopan gue malah diketawain*

When I was in college, one of my friend played fortune-teller. She hung a gold chain on top of our palm to see how they moved and told us how many children we’re going to have and their sexes. I played along too and the result was that I was going to have 2 children, boy and girl. But then she has a confession to make, “Li, honestly at first I was so afraid to do it for you because I thought that you’re not going to have a man in your life as you are too cold towards men.” Still I’m thinking that it’s not because of my attitude but men just don’t like me! *what am I suppose to say? that’s what really stuck in stubborn mind*

Then this guy that had my phone number from my friend appeared in my life. One day I received a text message “Hai good afternoon”. I was lazy to reply as it was just a money-waste for something uncertain. After few days then my brain telling me to just have fun. I replied “Hai good afternoon to you too”. He also never replied. After few days, the story began, the skill on typing text message was improving, the phone bill was flying sky high, the mood was going ups and downs, the eyes and the ears was concentrating to the mobile phone (only), my family was getting tired with my “imaginary” friends (pen-friends, cyber-friends and now phone-friend)…and it was going on for 8 months.

He never had the guts to visit me. Of course, better not hold on to an uncertainty, right? But then something happened. His mother passed away. He went back to his kampung in Kuching, Sarawak. Then it was the first time he called me by the phone and we talked 3-4 hours straight everyday for a week. In grief, he decided to visit me straight from Kuching.

After a long chat in the first day, well…more likely as a job interview with me as the employer, ehm…most probably it’s the feeling of more “matured age” brought me there (he’s younger than my second brother, and I even older than his elder sister), I asked him, “So now what do yo want from me?” and he replied, “Do you want to be my girlfriend?” Geez…Finally! Finally the spider web successfully trapped a blur guy ho ho ho… But wait…once again “the matured age” took control, it’s telling me to hold, to play hard to get a little bit *hari gini…*. Luckily it only survived for 2 days. He’s only in Jakarta for 5 days, so on day 3, I declared myself that I HAVE A BOYFRIEND!! *wakakakak kagak tau malu!*

At the age of 30, after 1 year since we met, I made up my mind to tight up with this man. We went to marriage registration in Kuching, just brought along 2 witnesses. Without tux and wedding gown and even the rings (so stressfull in the waiting room with other “contestants” all dressed-up in wedding costumes along with their troops and shocked when the officer asked for our rings), we are officially tight up by the law. Four months later in Jakarta, we celebrated God’s love, with His bless, He made us one.

So…we have our own thoughts as the result of what we’re going through but God’s plan is beyond what we dare to imagine. Perhaps when my brothers and sister laughed to what I said about getting married, God also laughed at me. He still made me “number one”, the oldest, the first one who got married, the first one who gave my parents their first grandchild and even the second one was on the way when my second brother got married.

Then…what’s gonna happened next? Carrie Underwood sings this song “Jesus takes the wheel, take it from my hand coz I can’t do this on my own…” Let it be my prayer and so is this song that I always sing in tears…

Bapa Surgawi ajarku mengenal
Betapa dalamnya kasihMu

Bapa Surgawi buatku mengerti
Betapa kasihMu padaku

Semua yang terjadi di dalam hidupku
Ajarku menyadari Kau slalu sertaku
Bri hatiku slalu bersyukur padaMu
Karna rencanaMu indah bagiku.

I love you my Lord Jesus, and thank you for the good man that you placed beside me.

Johor, 07/10/09