You Can Find Inspiration... Here

Andrea didn't have an account on any social media. He knew how technology companies mined their users' data for business purposes, and he was not willing to have his privacy violated by Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google, and others.

But he was grateful for the existence of those internet giants because he could follow the news about Ludwina whenever he was missing the girl.

Ludwina moved places so often, Andrea almost had trouble following her tracks. This week she was in Kyoto, and the next she traveled to Xian, and then Hong Kong before finally stopped by in Melbourne.

During the six months that Andrea following her posts on Instagram, New York was the only place that Ludwina visited twice. It seemed like the city did have a special place in her heart.

Ah, Andrea just remembered, Ludwina used to go to Columbia University. Of course, she made friends while studying in New York and would make a point to go there from time to time to see them. While those other cities in the world were only visited for traveling purposes.

Too bad, Ludwina didn't like visiting Singapore ... Andrea would be happy if he could see her here.

Andrea's mind drifted a little when he saw a photo of Ludwina in Central Park posing with a book. Next to her was a young white man with blond curly hair. They sat together looking so intimate.

He asked himself what was their relationship. Maybe he was her old friend from uni days?

"Hi, Andrea ... Are you joining us tonight at the office gathering?" Suddenly there was a knock on his door, and Lucia appeared from behind it. She was a beautiful office manager, and since Andrea's first day at work had always been nice to him.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I will have to take a rain check. I am flying back to Jakarta to visit my mother," Andrea answered with a smile. "I haven't gone home in a month."

"Oh, too bad. Hopefully, next time?"

Andrea just smiled, not promising anything.

During six months of working in Singapore, Andrea always took the time to return to Jakarta every other weekend. His mother lived alone in Jakarta, with only their two dogs. He understood that his mother must be feeling very lonely after he left her to move abroad.

Usually, he would take a flight on Friday evening after work hours and spent the weekend at his mother's house. They loved cooking together while chatting.

Sometimes he would help his mother tending her garden in the backyard. On Monday, early morning, he would fly back to Singapore and go directly to his office from Changi airport.

This month, he did not go home because he was focused on completing the cybersecurity system testing for the company's new VIP client.

So, as soon as the project was completed, he immediately booked tickets and returned to Jakarta. With only a backpack, he left for the airport.

As soon as he landed at Jakarta airport, Andrea remembered that he did not have the local currency in his wallet to take a taxi. Most taxis in Indonesia couldn't accept cards. Finally, he had to go up to the 2nd floor to look for an ATM in the departure area.

After withdrawing enough money, he hurried to the elevator to go down to the arrival area on the ground floor and look for a taxi to go home. When the automatic door opened and he almost exited the terminal ... his steps suddenly came to a halt.

The girl with long hair and freckled cheeks behind the automatic door that just opened also stopped in her tracks...

They both looked at each other with a look of disbelief.

"Hey... Are you coming or going?" She asked excitedly in her melodious voice.

"I just landed from Singapore. Where are you going?" Andrea couldn't believe his eyes. He finally saw Ludwina again, after missing her for so many months.

"I'm flying to England ..." she chirped.

Both smiled in unison.

What a fated encounter! After six months going back and forth through this airport every other weekend, Andrea finally bumped into Ludwina again.

"Wow ... it's been a long time, how many months already?" Ludwina asked, "When was the last time we met?"

"Uhm ... 7 months over a few days ago," Andrea answered, still smiling. He felt so lucky. He was grateful that he didn't have any rupiahs in his wallet so he was forced to go up to the departure terminal to look for an ATM. Coincidentally he met Ludwina, who was leaving for England.

"How are you in Singapore? Do you like living there?"

"It's OK. The city is clean, neat, everything is very well organized," Andrea answered. He pointed at Ludwina's two suitcases on the trolley, "How long are you going to be in England?"

"Actually, I want to stay for a month in Edinburgh. That's why I have a lot of luggage." Ludwina chuckled.

"Oh, I thought you were still in New York. Apparently, you were already back, and now you are even flying to Scotland instead," Andrea said in amazement. It's really hard to follow Ludwina's tracks. Her photo on Instagram that Andrea saw this afternoon was taken in Central Park.

She should have used #latepost hashtag, Andrea complained inwardly.

"Oh, I actually came back from New York last week. Now, I want to follow JK Rowling's footsteps while in Scotland, to find inspiration to write. I will visit the coffee shop where she used to sit writing for hours. I will cross the streets and visit the places that she ever set foot on ..."

Andrea remembered that he had been following Ludwina's movements for the past six months as she moved from one city to another in the world so easily.

He could estimate how much money she spent to finance her lavish lifestyle. As it turned out, all of this journey was just to find inspiration to write.

What an expensive inspiration!

Ludwina was uber lucky because her parents were so wealthy that they were able to give her anything she wanted. The girl had never had a hard time living at all.

Andrea subconsciously shook his head at Ludwina's explanation.

"You don't have the talent to be a writer. You're too happy," he said softly with a look of pity. He did not have the heart to hurt her feelings, but according to him, Ludwina needed to hear this truth so that she would stop looking for inspiration in places that were not supposed to be, and stop wasting her time on the road.

"Why ... are you talking like that?" Ludwina asked quietly, but she was not offended.

Andrea sighed deeply.

"You can't write creatively because you never suffer. All great artists produced their best works and even their masterpieces when they were poor, or suffering, or depressed. Just look at Sting for example, now he's happy and never produced any masterpieces. Van Goghs' best arts were produced when he was depressed.

"You have never lived a hard life, your life was sheltered by the invisible bubbles that keep you from sadness, resentment, rejections, bullies, fear of not knowing what to eat tomorrow, etc. For you, everything is provided, everything is beautiful, everything is guaranteed. You will not understand how people feel sad because they are rejected by love or the feelings of discouraged people because they have no goals ...

"You can only write about luxury hotels in Paris, gondola tours in Venice, the beautiful falling leaves in Central Park ..." He took a brochure about Scotland from Ludwina's hands. The girl was stunned to hear his blunt words. "And probably after this trip, you will write about the beautiful castles in Scotland ... If you travel around the world, you can only see the surface. However, if you want to write a novel, you should look for inspiration about people and what's in their hearts and souls."

Ludwina was amazed by Andrea's words.

"Wherever you go, you can never find what you are looking for. The inspiration is ... here." Andrea grabbed Ludwina's hand holding the brochure and put it on his chest.

They stared at each other for a long time, until finally the sound of the passenger behind Ludwina clearing his throat moved them from their reverie. The guy wanted to enter through the automatic door and his voice immediately broke the silence between the two.

"Th ... thank you. I understand what you mean. I will go now. Bye."

Ludwina hurriedly pulled her hand from Andrea's grip and pushed her trolley inside the terminal.

Her face felt hot, and she did not dare to look back.

Andrea nodded. He turned his head to Ludwina and left only after the girl disappeared from view.

At first, he intended to say that the inspiration was in Ludwina's own heart, but when he touched Ludwina's hand, he realized that it was rude for him to put his hand on Ludwina's chest to explain his intentions. So, he pulled hers to his own chest.

Now he could only hope that Ludwina understood what he meant ...

Ah, she would definitely understand. He knew Ludwina was smart.