Seize the day

Author: Clara Ng

Indiana was about 26, smart enough to be a headhunter and lucky enough to have a charming, rich, handsome, and successful boyfriend : Francis. She was both far from perfect and sometimes unbelievably so foolish. Many times she lost her concentration and flew in her own imagination, just like Ally McBeal did.

The first book has led me to know more about Indiana’s life and her severe love story. Indi shared an apartment with her beautiful cousin, Sara, a reporter and news reader of a TV station. Almost all Sara’s wardrobe was available to be borrowed, including a pair of classy high heels Indi wore in an important meeting. Her boss said that image and impression were as important as the meeting itself. Sometimes Indi didn’t feel that she believed her boss at all. But in general, her job was quite OK.

Despite of her cousin doubt about Francis, Indi was having a good and mature relationship with Francis. Since Francis was so busy with his business and had always been well mannered, Indi was so aware that a mature relationship meant never bother him with small stuff, always be on time, and understand that if she followed all Francis’s words then everything would be fine. Indi was happy, she supposed to be; how should she not be? I love him and he loves me, she assumed. So wearing nice dresses Francis chose, doing what he told her, and even avoiding herself from things he might not like would be worth carrying on. Yet inside Indi asked herself, is it what I really want? She could even say a word every time Francis decided what was best for her.

Horrible thing happened when Indi and Francis caught in the act by Sara’s mother in Sara’s bathroom. They were making love. Of course it drove her family to a big question: how far was her relationship with Francis, why didn’t they just get married? A wedding seemed to be nothing important in their relationship since he never talked about marriage. And if he didn’t want to talk about it, why should I ruin everything just because that stupid matter? Indi thought.

But, surprisingly Francis proposed to her over the phone. Of course she said yes. But Indi felt a little disappointed since what she had imagined about how she would got proposed was not happen. She had dreamt that the man would be down on his knee, took out a box where the beautiful ring was prepared, then looked into Indi’s eyes and say will you marry me? with a soft romantic tone. Soon Indi realized that maybe what Francis did was how grown up did.

Francis’s parents were not so happy about the engagement. They thought Francis should had chosen a more well educated girl. They expected their son to marry a colleague’s daughter who apparently would be more suitable in their high class society. When Indi met them, they brought up a pre-wedding agreement in which there were statements assuring that if a divorce ever happen, Indi would not have rights on Francis’s assets. Feeling humiliated, half crying Indi decided to sign the agreement to prove she wasn’t that kind of person. But Francis refused. Indi left the table due to such embarassment. He said Indi should have faith in him and do what he told her to do, no matter what his parents said. He guaranteed that they would be fine together. In return, he asked Indi to apologize to his parents for her childish behaviour. Finally, his parents gave up although it was just because Francis’s sake. From that time, Francis really expected Indi to watching her step and do nothing which could harm his family reputation.

While Indi tried so hard to maintain herself and behave decently, she had to left for Balikpapan on a special project. Too bad, on the flight to Balikpapan, Indi had a terrible plane crash. She was not badly injured so she was able to help some other passengers in Kalimantan forest. It was the time she met Charles, an interesting good looking young man. Together they saved many people’s life. After a long talk while they were waiting the rescue team, they got carried away and almost had a kiss. But soon she came back to her senses and ready to go on her life again. Back to Jakarta, the plane crew had recognized Indi as a heroine, a public figure. Suddenly, every one seemed to know her.

Her meeting with Charles had made it more complicated. Charles was always annoying. It was harder because Charles’s company became Indi’s client. Though she had to thanked him that because of him, Indi finally got a raise both in her salary and position. Charles insisted to make a celebration on these. Unluckily, the celebration turned to be a big disaster for Indi. Some paparazzi caught them. They recognized Indi as the future wife of Francis, the prince of a rich and respected family. Soon this event became the hottest gossip on TV and other media. Being seen with other man could be considered as a scandal and must hurt their pride. Charles wasn’t helpful at all. He said that he had a special relationship with Indi indeed and would do his best to win her heart. It brought bigger disaster.

That wasn’t all. Her boss fired her because she was found disobedient by having an indecent and unprofessional relationship with her client. So there was Indi, alone, deeply in blues and miserable. Her world seemed to come to an end soon. Having no job, she tried to write something down and sent her article to a magazine. Surprisingly, the Magazine then offered her to be a correspondence positioned in Denpasar. Since she thought she needed time and space to recover she decided to fly away from the past. Nothing and none could make her stayed in Jakarta. Even Francis failed to keep her staying. Goodbye Jakarta, good bye Francis, good bye past……