She Did Stay (2)

There is only one thing that a girl never wanted in her life.

Regret.

She planned everything in life precisely because she's the one who's responsible in every decision in her life. She never really liked surprises. She wanted to know everything that might happen and could happen. She counted every possible options and chances. And she knew what would happen if she went to study; she would study well, make friends as well as network, meet someone and fall in love (but not too far because she doesn't want to get her heart broken), and maybe meet another someone to fall in love deeper, find some interesting job opportunity somewhere in Europe while work hard to get a scholarship and pursue her doctoral degree, etc etc. She had been in London before. She knew what would happen. Life is predictable anyway.

Isn't it?

***

She spent her pre-departure days around friends and colleagues that obviously didn't want her to go. She needed some materials for her thesis so she stayed to find something in governmental matter. At first she was very sure on her decision and her predictable life as a student. So any contrast opinions and even persuasions didn't really bother her.

"A predictable life is boring. Let it surprise you for a while and you will be amazed at how it may guide you to a greater place. How it may create better lessons to be learned." Her friend mentioned. But she could also predict what might happen if she decided to stay. Lessons to be learned is anyway the only reason why she was going to London, she thought. She was still going.

"It's just too soon for you to leave. You should stay and taste the real life a little bit more. Work harder, earn some more, take credits, and one day you will know when it's enough and you can go study with a lot of new real-life lessons to share in even a better university." Her former boss told her. The last line did interest her. Only God knows where exactly she wanted to continue her study. But, UCL is also great and she couldn't wait to go.

Then one day, in a private conversation with someone she barely knew.

"I think you decided to go because you don't know what else to do in your life."

Deg.

Her heart did beat a little faster.

"Is he being serious?" He was a colleague who worked for her former boss. "How dare he talk to me as if he knew me?!" He barely knew her. But why that single line made her raggedly..... sad?

She couldn't sleep that night. For the first time in her life, she wasn't sure about her plan. She dig herself so much deeper, afraid that it might be true. That going abroad was actually an escape plan. It was a very long night to stay awake and think about uncertain things in life.

***

One fine evening, her former boss -- and his brutally honest worker -- with some close friends sit together talking about work related issues. Lack of people, they said. They need someone to do something. Then they looked at her.

Here we go.

"Do not go to learn some bullshit theories. Work some more and do something real this time, and when you finish, you can go wherever you want."

"There are hundreds, thousands of people that competed to pursue their further degrees out there. Congratulations that you got yours, but honestly it is useless if you do it for yourself where there are people that need you. Honestly. Stay a little bit longer, help people, help your family, help me, then discover what is it that really matter in life. If you need anything, when you feel lost, your friends and family will always be here for you. We will be here for you."

"He will be here for you." That brutally honest man is being pointed at.

She knew what to say this time. She knew what she wanted.

It was not a long pause before she said it.

"Under several conditions and I want this to be serious."

"Deal. Talk to me."