Febri Was His Name

Febri was his name.It was already a year ago when I met him but his name still resounds and his face is still vivid in my memory.He was just an ordinary guy who did something remarkable in my life for a day that couldn’t be forgotten in my lifetime.

He was my chauffeur who drove me around Batam,Indonesia for eight hours on my Monday off.He was a tall,bearded man who approached me upon my arrival in Batam by ferry from Singapore,offering to bring me around at a reasonable cost.He was a stranger quite daunting at first but turned out to be otherwise.He brought me from one part of the island to another,driving for several hours to show me around.There were times one couldn't comprehend what the other was trying to say but we would just choose to laugh at our understandable misunderstanding.

Despite our differences in language,culture and in faith,he toured me around his place with hospitality and kindness.He became my traveling buddy for a day,my tour guide who shared the beauty of Batam with pride despite his difficulty speaking in English.He was my duet partner as we sang together songs of Celine Dion that his stereo was playing as we drove along.He served as my photographer so I could have my whole body and not just my face taken with the beautiful background of this province in Indonesia.He was a total stranger who became a friend.

On the eighth hour of our trip,after bringing me to the second largest bridge of Indonesia called the 'Barelang Bridge',he stopped the cab.Surprisingly,he stopped to buy buttered corn for me.I was really touched that I had to take my camera and capture that precious moment,with our smiling faces and the corns in the picture.

I went home that day grateful to have gained such a friend.It made me realize that wherever God brings me,he will send people along the way who would touch my heart and bless my soul.Indeed,the world out there is beautiful and exploring it is exciting.I learned it from an Indonesian driver.Febri was his name.