Open Campus Car

I have many nicknames. People often called me,  the ‘campus car’. Sometimes they also called ‘Odong odong campus’. In fact, said a lecturer who regularly goes abroad,  in abroad university, it is called a ‘campus car’ or ‘cam bus’. It doesn’t matter to me what they call me. But I am proud of my job to be able to drive for students, staff and lecturers to and from their faculties.

Now I have been on long vacation for almost a year. No activity. No trips around campus. I lay motionless in the cold garage on my campus. Only occasionally my partner, the campus driver, cleaned my dull face, and routinely cared for and turned on my machine even though my wheels didn’t move. Actually I want to walk around campus. Having fun with students and university staffs. Even if it’s only a few minutes with me. I really miss  all my customers : students, staff, or lecturers who regularly need my services.

Before  covid-19  hit campus. Our routine is a lot of fun. Every morning we often hear students chatter happily.  Full of cheerful expression,  full of jokes. Sometimes, there  are also expressions of grief. I’m also used to have smell  various perfumes. Starting from the fragrant perfume to the odd pungent perfume.

That’s all daily activity  before covid-19.  I serve and dedicate my office hour  to carry passengers from the gate to the front of the faculties around the campus. I often heard chatter of users varied, soon after they got their seat. Some of them told that they want to immediately enter the class and praise the lecturers who are proud of them, few of them say that  some lecturers behave unfriendly. I just listened in silence. Often, they talk about politics and campus policies. It can be heard faintly from their conversation. There are those who are upset because the study period is almost over, or break up dating with their seniors or because of tuition fee slowly increased even though the money sent from their parents has never changed. Really, I miss their cheerful jokes mixed with other sad stories. I also sometimes wonder where they are now and how they are. Ah, I hope  they are  fine.

Sometimes, I was called  when special guests come to my campus. I was proud when the Rector or campus management sat side by side with this special guests. I took them around this beautiful, leafy, green and cool campus. I am very honored to hear their expression, “it is a fantastic campus with an open nice campus car”. I can only guess. Maybe they are happy with me even if only for a moment (Dinn Wahyudin)