WHERE DO I BEGIN

The first time she join The DOER Company was when the monetary crisis hit the world. Luna was already working at a well-known National Company when a friend informed the Company she worked for needed an assistant immediately, and the application letter was needed on the same day.

Of many friends offered only Luna followed up on the opportunity. She sent the application letter the same day, and unexpectedly she was invited for an interview immediately the next day.

***

Luna sat on a bench in a room waiting for her turn to be interviewed. Some candidates were walking by, all dressed in fashionable, high-heeled shoes with a super confident appearance.

She saw the reflection in the glass door across from where she was sitting, a girl in a long moss-green skirt below the knee, a cream-colored long-sleeved shirt, and loafers with a hairpin on the right.

Ah, it seems that it was the maximum performance at home, now in terms of appearance, it was no longer nominated. The girl gave up.

One by one people entered and left the room and went straight home. Now it was time because there was no one after her. Walking in a calm style then stopped in front of the door of a room,

"Hello. Good afternoon..." She greeted the person inside.

"Come! Have a seat!"

A man sitting on a chair was writing, he greets without taking his eyes off the piece of paper in front of him. Luna came in and sat, waiting for him to fill out an interview form.

Dozens of folders were piled up in one corner of the table, it looked like data from candidates applying for jobs in this office. Quite a lot too, she thought there might be more than about 100 maps there.

There is a small table beside it, and above it appears a photo of a girl smiling and grinning showing her newly growing teeth.

On the back wall stuck a map of the world. Still, a little further in the room hung a painting of a forest with tall trees, paths, and houses made of colorful wood. Luna studied the painting for a while,

Silent yet beautiful.

This room is neat and simple, and not too much office furniture, the rest is dominated by gray and white colors. Satisfied observing the entire room she found the man in front of him was still busy with his notes. Can't wait to be silenced for a long time, Luna finally reprimanded him,

"Excuse me, May I help?"

The man stopped, put down the pen while correcting his sitting position, and greeted her, "Hi..."

AND...

Where do I begin?

To tell the story of how great a love can be... *)

LUNA gasped. Her eyes were not ready to accept the light that was so beautiful sparkling from a pair of eyes in front of her, turquoise blue, bluish-green. It was the most beautiful color she had ever encountered in her life, like doll eyes, doll eyes with magnets. The beam was so calm and deep, as deep as the ocean current that pulled it deeper and deeper into a vortex.

Luna seems to see not with her eyes, hear not with her ears, smell not with her sense of smell, and feel not with her feelings, she feels lost. She disappeared in a matter of seconds or maybe minutes. Equally silent with the stars that suddenly appeared, scattered, hovering around like dozens of butterflies in the room.

It's so beautiful.

"Hi. How are you?" The man in front of her breaks the silence.

Luna woke up and tried to control herself so that she still looked natural.

"Great." a little awkwardly answered brushing off the flying butterflies. Then silence.

"Is that your daughter?" she asked, looking at the photo next to the man.

"Yes. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Sure... your first daughter?"

"No… no…"

And the discussion that follows is completely outside the context of a job interview. 20 question and answer interview questions that have been memorized did not come out at all. Official questions like, tell me about yourself, why should I hire you? What are your weaknesses and strengths... seems to have evaporated somewhere. There was a conversation like an old friend who met again after a long absence.

She almost forgot something as she was about to leave the room, "And your name please?" shy Luna asked. She was so busy telling stories that she forgot to ask his name.

The man smiled gracefully and dignifiedly, "Allan"

"Nice to meet you, Allan."

Allan nodded, shaking Luna's hand with his warm eyes.

The room was a silent witness to the first meeting of two humans from two continents.

***

Two days later Luna was called by the personnel department.

On the way to the office, she thought back to Allan's question about her last paycheck.

"300 thousand a month," said Luna easily.

"WHAT?? HOW COME YOU LIVE IN JAKARTA WITH 300 THOUSAND A MONTH?"

It was the girl's turn to be surprised. Didn't expect the man to react that way. She didn't know why the man looked angry, for what he was angry and at whom he was angry. Luna just told the truth. No more no less. 300 thousand Rupiah a month salary. 300 thousand at that time was only enough for boarding, food, and transportation. But Luna is dealing with it normally, not as panicked as the reaction of the man in front of her.

Indeed, in her application letter, she put the requested monthly salary of 750 thousand rupiahs. In case they negotiated 500 thousand, there will be no objection. Even in the worst-case scenario, if the salary is the same as the current one, 350 thousand a month, I will also receive it, the important thing is to have new experiences, she thought.

After the small talk and asking trivial things, the Head of Personnel handed a piece of paper in front of her. If agreed, the medical test will be conducted the next day, and started to work immediately on Monday.

Luna looked at the paper in front of her that said how much salary she would receive. Her eyes are wide open! She couldn't hide her surprise. Luna almost couldn't believe the numbers presented in front of her. Not 350 thousand, 500 thousand, or 750 thousand as requested in the application letter. But 1,300,000 IDR. Multiply 4 times the normal salary for that position.

One million three hundred thousand rupiahs. It increases from 6 digits to 7 digit rupiah, one-digit number one in front of the previous office salary. It was like a dream.

Not even a dream!

***

The recruitment process is quite fast. Just a week to be exact. Luna sent an application on Friday. Interview Monday, salary negotiation Wednesday, medical test Thursday. The next Monday, she signed a work contract and immediately started working in a new place. Meanwhile, in the old office, her status is still on leave.

From the work contract, she found out that she is a part of the HQ employee of the Finland office therefore her salary also follows European standards. She works for the Customer Support Operation department, which supports the Network Company in Indonesia to handle claims for the engine that are still under warranty, especially for machines installed in the South East Asia region.

And it was Allan, a Finnish guy who was the Regional Manager of CSO South East Asia, her direct superior. Luna's position on a business card is :

Assistance to Regional Manager, Customer Support Operation of South East Asia Area.

It sounds so good.

This is the longest title of the position she has ever held during her career.

Ahaha

***

*) Love story - Andy William