An Imaginary Encounter with Mariana, a Famous Figure

I was in a café alone enjoying my favorite coffee, Kopi Aroma, a legendary coffee in my home town. I closed my eyes and smelled it, then took a moment to inhale and exhale.  It really had a distinctive typical smell.  It brought me to a different world till I opened my eyes.

I noticed a familiar figure sitting at another table. she was Mariana a famous figure in town. I decided to approach her table and address her. "Excuse me, you are Mariana, aren't you?"

She simply nodded and smiled politely. "Yes, and you are...?" She extended her hand.

"I'm Dinn. Nice to meet you, Mariana." I shook her hand. "May I join you?" I asked her in doubt that she would allow me.

"Sure, take a seat. We may keep each other company.' She smiled. I saw a subtle pride in her gesture and continued. "So you know me, huh? Well, I'm quite popular in the city so I'm not really surprised, but what do you want from me, anyways?"

I was surprised that she asked me that question. I was offended but I tried not to show her. "I just want to talk to you. I knew you were very nice."

She rolled her eyes and showed me who she really was. "Don't play innocent with me. I know you have some motives coming up to me."

She started to make my head hot. "Why are you so judgmental?"

She shrugged. "Just being honest, Dinn. So tell me, what do you want from me?"

"I'm Just being friendly and maybe we can talk. That's all!" My sympathy to her was actually diminishing.

"Hmmm... being friendly and just want to talk, huh?" She tapped her chin. "alright, but don't go expecting too much from me."

I started to be annoyed. "Why are you so prejudiced? I don't think I can have a friendly talk with a popular girl like you." I stress my sentence on the word POPULAR. "I'd better be off."

She held my arm when I tried to get up." Hey, come back here! I was just joking, alright?"

I retorted. "I didn't see you were joking at all."

She flashed a smile. "I'm sorry if I sounded that way. But seriously though, I would love to talk to you. Even probably become your friend."

"Probably that's why you don't have a lot of friends although you are popular."

She chuckled. "You got me there. But honestly, I don't care about having a lot of friends. All a need is one good friend or two who will be always by my side."

"Oh really? I can't imagine living your life. To be honest, I need people. I always need their help."

She sighed. "That's because you're weak. People like us don't need anyone. We can survive without them." She sounded really confident.

"You're right. I'm weak, and you're strong. You can buy everything. You can even buy friends if you want." I actually wanted to find out her human sense.

"Money isn't everything, Dinn." She crossed her arms on her chest. "I don't use money to buy friends. I use it to buy respect and power."

"Oh, really? So you got respect with your money?" I didn't say anything about power because in reality people buy power with their money. Don't talk about the presidency, governors, or mayors, even to be a kepala desa you have to spend a lot of money before become one.

 "Of course. Money is power. With money I can get anything I want. Anything." She smirked.

"Wow amazing. They get money and you get respect in return." I scoffed.

She grinned "That's how things work, Dinn. If you don't have money, then no one would respect you. No one would even bother to look at you."

"So they'll leave you and not respect you when they don't receive anything from you."

She shook her head. "that's where you're wrong, Dinn. They will never leave me. They will stay until the end."

"awesome. I salute your confidence that you enjoy living that way."

She stood proudly. "Of course I do. Why won't I? I am enjoying every single day of my life. I get everything I want."

"Good for you." I found it uninteresting to continue the conversation. I didn't like her arrogance.

She sneered. "Aren't you going to ask me something else? Come on ask me another question"

"I think I have asked enough." I wasn't in the mood to ask more.

"Come on, Dinn. I know you're curious about something. Just ask me." She scoffed.

"No Thanks." I replied flat.

"Fine. Let's come with me. It's getting late, anyway." She stood up from her seat.

I refused her invitation. "No, thanks. I think I'll go home to my place."

She stopped me when I tried to leave. "Hey don't be like that. I was just joking earlier. You know ididnt really mean it, right?"

I denied her statement. "Your jokes were weird. You were proud of what you said, and I didn't laugh at all"

She continued. "I was just testing the water, seeing if you could handle my personality. But it seems like you can't.

"No, I can't. I tried to understand you. But I can't." I admitted my inability of understanding her.

She laughed out loud. "you're so funny, Dinn. I actually like you more now."

"I'm not trying to be funny." I was confused.

"I know. But still, I find it amusing." She took her phone and typed something.

"I can't buy respect but I have few friends. We respect each other." I just said it.

"I guess we're both the same after all." She pocketed her phone. "I may have a lot of friends surrounding me, buy I only trust one person, my best friend. She is the only person who knows me inside out.

"I don't think so. We're different. Not many live your life. And I don't live your life."

"Trust me, it ain't easy." She walked towards the window and stared outside. "There were times when I feel like giving up, like ending my own life."

"Because you are too confidence that you can buy everything." I turned back her words.

"No, it's because I feel so lonely. Even though I'm surrounded by people, I still feel alone." She looked straight blankly.

"What people give is just fake respect. They want you to be perfect. They don't want you to make mistakes.

"I hate it." She gritted het teeth. "I can't even express myself. I'm tired of acting all cool and perfect. I just want to be me actually." She gazed down.

"But you've chosen your way. It's like you're trapped and no escape."

"I know. I chose this way. I wanted to become strong and protect myself." She fisted her hand.

"But you're weak inside." I tried to make some assumption or even it was more like a conclusion.

She glared at me. "Who are you calling weak?"

"What do you call someone who sometimes feel like giving up and ending his own life?" I reminded her what she said earlier.

She lowered her gaze. "I guess I'm weak."

"Everyone is weak, and everyone is strong." I didn't know where my words came from, buy I just said it.

"I guess you're right." She took a deep sigh. "But I don't want to be weak anymore. I want to be strong."

"It'll take a lot of efforts, dedication, and consistence."

"I'm willing to do everything to change. I will start today." She looked at me determined.

"I'm sure you will." I encouraged her.

"Will you help me, Dinn?" She asked shyly.

"How can I help? I'm weak myself.

"I think we can help each other. We can learn from one another." She extended her hand.

I shook her hand. "That's what people need, help from others. Not money to buy them.

"Thank you, Dinn." She hugged me.

"Any time." I hugged her back awkwardly. I didn't know if I had helped in any way.  

"I'm glad that we met. I'm looking forward to our friendship." She smiled sweetly.

"I hope I will know the real you. Different from what I heard from people, and what I saw in virtual world." I smiled.

She blushed. "I'll show you the real me. The one who is not afraid to show her feelings and emotions.

Few minutes later we left the caf and we said goodbye heading to different directions with a promise to meet again at the same place soon.

She waved her hand at me and smiled. "I'll see you soon. Dinn. Take care on your way home." Her driver opened the car door for her and she got on it. The car moved then it finally disappeared from my sight.

I was standing there thinking what stories to come in few days.