A Living Dictionary

One of my lecturers, a pastor, is a living dictionary. We call him so because he knows almost everything. Although he has so wide views and knowledge, he is a simple and humble man. He never shows off his ability in memorizing things. He is still willing to be criticized or to get ideas or opinions from anybody even from his students.

Experience: Puppy Love? Don’t Care

When I was in the last grade of elementary school, a classmate of mine felt in love with me. In the beginning, I didn't pay attention on this, I just thought that he was a good friend who always cared of me.

Experience: Speaking With Tourist? Who Scared!

When I was 12, my school held a filed trip to Borobudur. Our teacher gave a task to all students to look for tourists and make a conversation with them. We had to do it in pairs. I was very happy. “It’s challenging,” I thought.

Experience: Drowned in A Swimming Pool

It happened ten years ago when I still could not swim well. The night before, the electricity in our house was out so my father wanted to book a hotel room for a day. Before we left for the hotel, my mother prepared all things required such as clothes, swim suit, etc. After all things were ready, we went to the hotel. When we arrived there, we were alr

Experience: Getting A Traffic Accident

It was Saturday, January 29, 2011. I had to go to a friend’s house at Citraland to celebrate his birthday. Another friend and I would go there but we decided to have dinner at PTC, first. When we were at PTC, both of us thought that at 7 p.m. we would have dinner in the birthday party. So, we decided not to eat much.

Experience: Going To A Cinema

The first time I went to a cinema was about ten years ago when I was still in the kindergarten. At that time I thought a cinema was a big TV set called cinema. Anytime my family and I went to a supermarket to buy daily needs and some beverage I saw the cinema. After we were at home I often asked my mother when we would go to the cinema.

Experience: English Conversation

We students often get English conversation in class. One day or two before the session, our teacher usually asks us to prepare it at home as a homework. Last month, the conversation was about unforgettable experience. It would be a very nice session. However, none of us prepared the task.

Uriah Heep: Gypsy

When I was only seventeen

I fell in love with a gypsy queen

She told me to hold on

Her father was the leadin' man

He said you're not welcome on our land

Then, as a foe, he told me to go

Aaah

Olivia Newton-John: Suddenly

She walks in and I'm suddenly a hero

I'm taken in my hopes begin to rise

Look at me can't you tell I'd be so

Thrilled to see the message in your eyes

You make it seem I'm so close to my dream

And then suddenly it's all there

Olivia Newton-John: Magic

Come take my hand

You should know me

I've always been in your mind

You know that I'll be kind

I'll be guiding you

Building your dream

Has to start now

There's no other road to take

You won't make a mistake

I'll be guiding you

Olivia Newton-John: You Are The One That I Want

I got chills

They're multiplying

And I'm losing control

'Cause the power you're supplying

It's electrifying!

You better shape up

'Cause I need a man

And my heart is set on you

You better shape up

You better understand

To my heart I must be true

Nothing left

Nothing left for me to do

Olivia Newton-John: Sam

I heard that you're on your own now

So am I

I'm living alone now

I was wrong

So were you

What will you do?

Are you glad to be free?

Are you feeling lost just like me?

Longing for company

Olivia Newton-John: I Honestly Love You

Maybe I hang around here
A little more than I should
We both know I got somewhere else to go
But I got something to tell you
That I never thought I would
But I believe you really ought to know

I love you
I honestly love you

Short Story: Father's Little Boy

I’m spending lot of time with father and mother worries about it. I don’t see what is wrong though. I enjoy assisting him during his mending binges. Mother calls him ‘Mr. Fixo’. He has an elaborate set of tools. Sometimes he takes them out for overhauling. He oils, wipes and rubs them with flannel to get the rust off and explains to me their function and working. It isn’t a woman’s job he says because it requires a lot of precision and focus. We do not talk while mending because he says that unlike women, men never talk while working. The texture of the hurt it causes me when he says that never leaves me. I wish mother would make a little less noise with her tongue and not make father say such things. Mother’s voice calling me sounds very distant as I am just getting out of a dream and it takes me a few minutes to regain my orientation. She is relentless with her tongue while disposing off the domestic remains of the previous day.

Short Story: Please Forgive Our Sin

“Before we laid this man to rest…, maybe any of you want to say the last words to remember him by?” asked a priest to a very limited people who gather around on a funeral.

“He is a nice father, “sobbed a man while pretending wipes his tears with his handkerchiefs. “…And an old stingy bastard who left me nothing but the house!” silently he cursed.

Short Story: Budi's Back

[ed - This entry is one of the Top 12 Popular Vote Finalists for English Language Entries & The Grand Prize Winner for the English Language Entries]

This story will end in separation. Tara felt this, as she stared at her husband’s back that night. Budi always slept with his back facing her. After he turned the light off. After they made love. Or after he finished reading. Budi said his left ribcage would hurt whenever he slept on his left, facing Tara. Two of his left ribs were broken during a basketball game when he was in high-school. They’re surely healed by now, but Budi said they still hurt whenever he slept facing left.

Short Story: Black Box From Hell

[ed - This entry is one of the Top 12 Popular Vote Finalists for English Language Entries]

I’m in hell. And he was a frequent flier.

I don’t fall in love too easily but when I do, I can get pretty intense. I never knew what he did for a living. Probably what Edward Norton did in “Fight Club” or whatever it was that George Clooney did in “Up In The Air”. Something corrupt like that. Not that I cared if he did something corrupt for a living, he was good-looking. All I knew was that he requested kosher meals, liked window seats, preferred pulp fictions over in-flight entertainment, and flew to the same destinations every once in a while: New York, Bangkok, Nairobi, Geneva, Vienna, Beirut, and Santiago. He knew me by “Femke” and I called him “Mr. Contini” until he insisted I call him “Daniel”.

Short Story: Actus Dei

[ed - This entry is one of the Top 12 Popular Vote Finalists for English Language Entries]

My heart was beating fast, racing with the clock as its wands constantly tick and tock. Chill was brought to my spine as both excitement and doubt crept into my nerves. I reached my hand toward the wooden handle.

Is this even right? I told myself. There would be no turning back after this, right?

The door creaked quietly as I pulled it back, taking a step by a step on the porcelain floor. My ears captured the sound of Gregorian chants, sung in harmony by soprano and contralto. I saw petals of roses scattered on the path I was walking in, washed in pink and white. It was beautiful indeed, but my heart still would not calm down.

Short Story: Flying Jaguar

[ed - This entry is one of the Top 12 Popular Vote Finalists for English Language Entries]

People called him Jack. His carving knife was as sharp as the fangs of a jaguar.

[A jaguar did not need much water. There used to be a fresh water hole across the street. The water was sweet. It was long gone now. A pub replaced it. The water was also sweet but it intoxicating. A jaguar went to a fresh water hole at dusk to drink and to catch a prey. After drinking he would sit on a log and sharpen his claws on a piece of wood.]

Short Story: The Man In Front of Me

There he was, standing before me with his slanted black eyes and long eyelashes. Back when I was a child, I used to say “you have a camel’s eyelashes.” And you will reply, “Yes, a camel has long eyelashes to protect its eyes from sand.” It just who you are, a man with an explanation.