Ali Jaya Meilio

It’s 1987. In the middle of the park there is a big willow tree on the mound. It is said that if we stand under that tree and promise something, we will able to keep that promise until we die. But that’s just a rumor.

“Come on Levy! Lets go to that tree and play there! I think it will be fun!”

“Wait up Dre! I can’t run that fast!”

Dre grabs Levy hand and pull her to run. “Wait!”. Levy falls down and starts to cry. “Come on! Don’t cry Levy, you are seven years old, crying is only for babies, we don’t do anymore.”

Levy cries louder. “Okay, I’m sorry, okay?”. Levy nods her head. “My knee... It hurts”. “Which one?”. Levy points her right knee and suddenly Dre kisses Levy’s right knee. “What is that?”. “It’s a get-well kiss, feeling better?”. “Yes... thank you.”, Levy replied it with smile. “Great! Now we can play under the willow tree!”.

They arrived at the tree, and start to chat. “Someday I will marry you!”, Dre says that proudly. “What?”. “Levy, I love you, I want that we will be together ever after. Someday I will make a kingdom of love, and you will be the princess and I will be the knight that protect your heart”. “But...”. “I want to protect you from any harm, and be there to kiss your wound so you can smile again.”. Dre touches Levy’s cheek. But Levy grabs Dre’s hand and puts it away slowly. “But... you will go to other country right?”. “Yes..., but...”. “And you will begin to forget me.”. “No, I won’t.”. “But It can be, right?”. “Okay then, I will make a promise to you under this willow tree. I promise that I will remember you forever ever after!”. Dre stands and shouts so that sound can beat any sound in the world.


Now, it’s 2000. Levy grows up as a popular teenager in her college. “Hey wake up!”. “What?”. “The class will starts soon!”. “Oh, thanks John!”. “You slept so peaceful there. I had a doubt to wake you up there before. What are you dreaming of?”. “Oh, it’s nothing, by the way, thanks for waking me up!”.

After class finishes, Levy and John have some food in canteen. “Honey, I see you daydreaming in the class.”. “What? I don’t do it...”. “Of course you do it, you looking outside the window a lot, do you have something in your mind?”. “Not really, I just... remembered my childhood friends... that’s all”. “Oh, for how long you didn’t see them?”. “I don’t really remembered it clearly, I think it’s about ten years. By the way, why we talking about this, John?”. “No no, I’m just curious. Do you know there will be a new exchange student? He is kinda weird you know? He said that he want to meet someone in this school. What a weird guy!”. “Really?”. “Yeah...”.

As Levy walks by herself in the corridor, she suddenly stop at a random class, and she looks inside the class. She doesn’t know why she would do that, but she gets the strong feeling that she must see that class. And she sees a man that gaze the scenery from the school. “It’s a nice big willow tree, isn’t it?”, Levy suddenly speak up. The man surprised, and turns to look at Levy. “Yeah... It’s a very nice tree!”. “By the way, I have never seen you before, who are you?”, Levy asked him curiously. “Oh, I’m the new exchange student here.”. “Oh you are the one that we all are talking about. My name is Levy, nice to meet you.”. “Levy? You’re kinda similar to my childhood friend, she has your name, and she looks like you. By the way, my name is Dre.”. “Dre? Let me guess, you are from this town, but you went to other cities since you were a kid?”. “It’s true, how can you... Oh my god, it’s you, Levy! Finally I can meet you again! I can barely recognize you!”. “Wow... I don’t really expect that you are the new exchange student. I just... it’s unexpected to see you...”. “What’s that mean? You don’t like to see me?”. “No, it’s not, but I’m not prepared to see you.”. Suddenly unexpected alarm rings from Levy’s phone. “Ah it’s time to my next class, I will see you after class again!”. “Wait! Do you have any plans tonight?”. “No, why?”. “Can you accompany me for a dinner tonight?”


That night, they go to a restaurant and have a place just for two people. “Wow... you looks neat, I don’t know this will be some kind of a date.”, Levy becomes uncomfortable with her dressing. “No, it’s not a date, but you looks great though.”. “I haven’t seen you in a long time, where do you have been?”. “Huh? Don’t you get the...”. “What?”. “Nothing... I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you where I have been. But you know, I miss you since we separated.”. “You know what? I miss you too, but you didn’t give me any information.”. “Yeah, I know... but I’m here now, I came here just to meet you.”. “Really? You came here for me?”. “Yeah, just for you. You know, when we separated, I just keep remembering you every night. I keep remembering what I promise to you back then. Do you still remember that?”. Levy can’t say anything, she knows where this conversation going. “Someday, I will marry you.”, Dre whispers that phrase softly. “But... We were children back there. We don’t really know what is love is.”. “Yeah, I know that, but back then I really love you. And it remains until now. It’s never change.”. “But, how can you do that? I...”. “I know, maybe you don’t have that feeling anymore, but at least, we can try to make it happen again...”. “Dre... I have something to tell you.”. “Huh? What is that?”. “I...”. She take a breath deeply, and ready to spit out what her feeling. “I already have a boyfriend.”. “But...”. “I’m sorry Dre... but we can be friends.”. “I promise to you that...”. “I’m sorry Dre...”. Then Levy leaves the restaurant. “If you change your mind... please meet me under the willow tree this Sunday!”. Levy stops awhile and continue walking.


After that day, Dre doesn’t come to college anymore and Levy become worried about that. “Do you know where is the new exchange student, John?”. “Huh? Do you mean Dre?”. “Yeah, lately, he doesn’t come to the college.”. “Yeah, it’s weird. By the way, why suddenly you worried about him?”. “You know John? My childhood friend that I told you, it’s him.”. “Really? Have you say hello to him? He will miss you, I think.”. “Yeah, I have done that. And, he asked me to meet him on Sunday in park.”. “It’s great... Can I come too?”. “Uh... I think it will be okay.”


Sunday, John takes Levy to the park by car. “Do you think it’s okay for me to join in?”. “Yeah... I think it’s okay.”. “But I think you need to talk to him privately right? You haven’t seen him for a long time. I think, it’s good to give you and him some private talk.”. “But...”. “If you have done the private talk thing, you can message me, and I will come join in.”. “Thanks, John, I love you.”.

Levy waits under the willow tree. She waits and waits, until almost 2 hours. She is upset because Dre doesn’t come yet. Then John calls her. “Hey, honey.”. “John, I think I will go back home. He doesn’t come.”. “Honey, listen, I just have a call from my friend, he said that Dre is hospitalized, and now, he is dying.”. “Really?”. “Yeah, I’m sorry for that. Do you want to see him in hospital?”. Levy closes her phone and run to the John’s car.


In hospital, Levy sits in waiting room and John asked the doctor about Dre. “I have asked the doctor, and he said that Dre has suffered lung cancer since kid.”. “What? Really? I don’t know about that.”. “Several years ago, he already had a surgery, and he become better. But, lately it worsened.”. “No, it doesn’t mean he will die right?”. “I don’t know honey. I hope no. But I don’t know.”. “Dre...”. Levy can’t say anything, she just cries, John can’t do anything besides calming down Levy. “I want to see him.”. “I will ask it to the doctor first.”.

After that, they come to the Dre’s room. He is dying in the bed. “Dre... can you listen me?”. Dre just can barely moved his head. “It’s me Levy, you must fight this, okay?”. “Don’t... cry, I’m... sorry.”. “What do you sorry for?”. “I... can’t make... you... smile... again.”. “Come on Dre, you are not dead, and you won’t be dead, so you can make me smile again.”. “What’s... is... your... …”. “What?”. “Address?”. “What? What is it supposed to mean?”. There is no answer from Dre. “It’s 977 Applewood Avenue. Why do you ask such a question?”. “Thanks...”. He said it in peacefully, and he closed his eyes for the last time. “Dre?”. No answer. “Dre! Oh no Dre, don’t leave me...”. And suddenly many doctors come to that room, and John brings the Levy out from that room. “Dre, oh no Dre... Why the doctors don’t help him?”. “They said that Dre’s cancer can’t be helped anymore. He is in his limit.”. “I... I...”.


They go back to John’s car. “I think it’s a hard day for you, I will take you home.”. “Okay...”. Levy realized something in her cry. “Wait... Home? Address?”. “What?”. “Could you take me to 23 Grasswood Avenue?”. “Why?”. “It’s my childhood house.”.

When they get there, Levy get off from the car. She goes in the house with doubt. And then she check the mailbox. Surprisingly, there are many mail. It’s from Dre. Levy opens the mail one by one shakily. She can’t believe that Dre has sent many mail and she didn’t reply any of them.


“27 November 1988. Hey Lev, how are you? It’s been a long time. I am kinda lonely here. I still have no friends. I hope I we will meet again and play under the willow tree. I miss my last home, I can’t really enjoy here. By the way, I really miss you, I remember you every night :D. Do you remember me too?”.

“14 February 1989. Hey Lev, Happy Valentine! Do you get my last mail? I hope you don’t forget to reply it. I want to hear your condition. By the way, I have spare my money to buy a bar of chocolate for you. But I think, I can’t deliver the chocolate, it can’t be edible when the chocolate arrived at your place. So instead, I give you a rose :D. Hope you like it. (And hope it still in good condition, ha ha...”.

“27 July 1989. Are you there Lev? It’s kinda weird you didn’t reply me at all. By the way, happy birthday Lev! I still love you :D. And I really miss you now. Please reply me...”.

“27 July 1990. I don’t know whether you ignore me or you didn’t receive my email. Every night I remember you, and I hope I can go back to your place. But I can’t. My parents won’t let me do it. They say that I have some kind of disease or something. And in your place, there isn’t any hospital that can cure my disease. Ha ha, it’s scary right? I don’t know what it is, but I think I’m alright. By the way, happy birthday Lev! :D.”.

“27 July 1991. Wow, we become a teenager now. We are eleven now! Happy birthday Lev! By the way, I can’t really breath properly. In my chest there is a pain. May be that is because I really miss you Lev, hahaha...”.

“4 April 1992. Hey Lev! I hope you are okay. Now, I can’t hold my pain any longer, I can’t barely breath properly. My parents ask me to go to hospital. They said that I must take a surgery. I really scared Lev!”.

“27 July 1996. Sorry I don’t write you a letter in 3 years. I got hospitalized and I can’t do anything. Now I’m better :D. I was really scared when I must do surgery, but, I always remembered you, and you give me power to fight through it. Thanks Lev! Happy Birthday by the way! I hope you still remember me. Still missing you...”.

“27 July 1997. It’s kinda weird I still write this message to you. But when I stop thinking about you, I always remember you again. I think the rumor is true. If we made a promise under the willow tree, that promise can be come true. And I always remember you. Happy birthday Lev!”.

“27 July 1998. I got a shocking news last week. My disease worsened again. And I can’t barely breath again. And I have heard that I can’t live any longer. They said I can live 3 years more. I’m scared Levy. I’m scared that I can’t say happy birthday again to you. I really really want to see you. By the way, happy birthday Lev! I hope you don’t have any disease like I have.”.

“27 July 1999. Maybe this is my last message to you. Happy birthday Lev. I want to see you for the last time. I don’t know what will happen to me soon. I will go back to your place next year. I hope I can still make it. And I hope I can meet you then. I’m sorry I can’t fulfill my promise to marry you :’(. I’m really sorry.”.