Critical Eleven

"You did good." 

"Yeah?" 

"All this. This is all perfect. You did good, Aldebaran Risjad. The best surprise ever. You did good." 

"The pleasure is all mine," gue membalas senyumannya.

Travel is the simple chance of reinventing ourselves at new places where we are nobody but a stranger. Travel is the discovery of what and who we miss the most. Travel is the same pair of jeans for a week and different experiences every day. Travel is finding new things and new people to miss. Travel is discovering the part of yourself that you never knew existed before. Travel is that one song in your iPod that will forever remind you of that one sexy afternoon somewhere. Travel is the discovery of who misses us the most. Travel is answering the question ‘business or pleasure’ without blinking. Travel is deciding who will be the last call before you take off and the first call after you landed. Travel is a test of your physical and emotional tolerance. Travel is a one hour conversation that could lead to a lifelong friendship. Travel is that one boarding pass you keep in your wallet to remind yourself one day when you’re gray and old that you were once cool. Travel is waking up in a strange bed and feeling home and waking up in your own bed one day and feeling like a stranger. It’s learning not to take every second for granted. Travel is learning that the journey is as memorable as the destination. Travel is discovering that random act of kindness does exist. Travel is learning to communicate with just a smile. Travel is not wanting to sleep because for once reality is more interesting than your dream. Travel is not being afraid to fall in love with a complete stranger. Travel is where broken English is welcomed with a wide smile instead of greeted by a grammar nazi. Travel is where people that you talk to really try to understand what you’re trying to say. Travel is finding out more reasons to write. And more reasons to live. Travel, sometimes, is the rediscovery of our nationalism. Travel is that one stranger across the street you will always wonder if he/she is your soul mate. Travel is wearing those clothes you couldn’t wear back home. Travel is realizing the things you cannot live without. Travel is realizing that maybe you know nothing. Travel is wearing a stranger’s jacket and feeling home. Travel is meeting you.

Life is the sum of our choices, katanya, dan pilihan-pilihan itu terekam di dalam kepala kita dalam bentuk fragmen-fragmen momen yang kita pernah alami, tersimpan rapi di dalam sel-sel otak kita, kadang malah terbenam di situ sekian lama, sampai ada sesuatu yang mengusik ingatan kita akan momen itu. 

“Avatar oke, tweets hemat banget, yang di-follow cuma akun NFL, Sports Illustrated, CNN … ih idola lo banget ini,” Tara menggumam sendiri sambil membuka-buka akun Twitter Ale. “… Fast Company, Texas A&M … wait, he’s an Aggie[1]?” | “Iya.” | “Seksi dong?” | “How is that even related?” aku tergelak. | “Lo suka banget ya sama dia?” tembak Tara lagi. | “Apaan sih?” | “Lo keliatan banget kalau lagi suka sama orang, Nya. Kalau lagi ditanya-tanyain tentang orang itu, lo jadi ketawa-ketawa nggak jelas begini.” | “Terserah lo deh, Ra.” . . [1] Aggie: istilah untuk mahasiswa atau alumni Texas A&M University 

Ujian keimanan seorang laki-laki itu bukan waktu dia digoda oleh uang, perempuan, atau kekuasaan seperti banyak yang dikatakan orang-orang. Ujian keimanan itu sesungguhnya saat yang paling berharga dalam hidup laki-laki itu direnggut begitu saja, tanpa sebab apa-apa, tanpa penjelasan apa-apa, kecuali bahwa karena itu sudah takdirnya. 

"Istri itu seperti biji kopi sekelas Panama Geisha dan Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Le. Kalau kita sebagai suami – yang membuat kopi – memperlakukannya tidak tepat, rasa terbaiknya tidak akan keluar. Aroma khasnya, rasa aslinya yang seharusnya tidak keluar, Le. Rasanya nggak pas. Ayah butuh waktu lebih dari dua tahun dulu baru Ayah merasa sudah memperlakukan Ibu kamu sebagaimana seharusnya dia diperlakukan. Dari mana Ayah tahu sudah bisa? Dari perlakukan Ibu ke Ayah. Memang butuh belajar lama, butuh banyak salah dulu juga, tidak apa-apa. Yang penting kita tekun, sabar, penuh kesungguhan, seperti waktu kita membuat kopi, Le. Bedanya dengan kopi, kalau kita sudah bingung putus asa, bisa cari caranya di internet. Tinggal google. Istri tidak bisa begitu, harus kita coba dan cari caranya sendiri.” 

- Ale's Dad to his son in #CriticalEleven 

"Sebagai pecinta bandara tanpa tempat pulang yang tetap (dan benci terbang, seperti Anya), saya menemukan sekeping 'rumah' di buku ini sejak halaman pertama. Ika bertutur dengan hangat dan memikat (dengan sentuhan yang 'Ika banget') sehingga pembaca akan merasa dekat dengan sosok Anya dan Ale - sesuatu yang menurut saya sangat penting dalam sebuah cerita. Satu lagi: novel ini harus dibaca sambil minum kopi. You'll know why!" (Jenny Jusuf - penulis & scriptwriter)