Love Beneath the Duku Tree
My Story at SMAN 26 Condet — a nostalgic 1980s high school tale of first love, rain, and orchards.
Chapter 1 – The Meeting in the School Yard
Rafi and Nisa first met in the yard of SMAN 26 Condet. Behind the school stretched wide salak and duku orchards, their sweet scent filling the morning air. When their eyes met for the first time during class, something simple yet unforgettable began — a smile, a laugh, and a spark neither could explain.
Chapter 2 – The Confusing Smile
Day by day, Rafi and Nisa began exchanging shy smiles. At first, it was nothing more than a greeting between classmates. But over time, those glances turned into moments they quietly waited for. The smell of wet leaves after rain and the sound of old songs from the school’s radio made their hearts beat a little faster.
Chapter 3 – The First Letter
One afternoon, under the shade of a duku tree behind the school, Rafi handed Nisa his first handwritten letter. His handwriting was slightly messy, his words simple but sincere. Nisa read it slowly, her cheeks turning red, her heart trembling in ways she didn’t understand. That was the beginning of their innocent love story.
Chapter 4 – The Rain, the Radio, and a Point of Longing
The rain poured heavily that day. Rafi and Nisa sat on the classroom steps, watching the raindrops race down the window glass. They shared a piece of candy while the radio hummed an old 70s song in the background. Neither of them spoke much, but both knew — something beautiful was growing in silence.
Chapter 5 – A Promise Under the Duku Tree
One afternoon, under the same duku tree, Rafi carved their initials on the bark: R + N. Nisa laughed softly, pretending to scold him, but her heart warmed. “I promise,” Rafi said, “even after we graduate, I’ll still remember this tree… and you.” The tree became their secret witness, guarding a young promise made with trembling voices.
Chapter 6 – The September Wind and a Lost Letter
September brought soft winds and gray skies. One day, a letter from Rafi slipped from Nisa’s hand as she ran through the rain — and it was lost. Days passed, and misunderstanding began to grow between them. Neither dared to ask or explain; they just waited in silence, each thinking the other had changed. But deep inside, the memory of that duku tree kept their hearts from fading.
Chapter 7 – The Tree that Keeps Time
Graduation day drew near. The duku tree had grown thicker, its branches shading the path where Rafi and Nisa used to walk. They met again beneath it, both pretending everything was fine. They talked, laughed, and looked at the sky that seemed to know their secret. That afternoon, they promised once more — to remember each other, no matter where life would take them. But deep down, both feared the same thing: that time might not keep promises like trees do.
Chapter 8 – A Letter from Bandung
Rafi moved to Bandung to study. The city was colder, busier — yet lonelier without Nisa. Every night, he wrote her letters, pouring his longing into ink:
“Nisa, Bandung feels strange. The streets are full, but I feel empty without you. I hope you still remember our promise under the duku tree.”
“Rafi, every afternoon I sit under that tree. The air still smells the same. Sometimes I feel like you’re sitting right next to me.”
They kept writing for months, but as life grew busier, letters arrived slower. One of Nisa’s letters was never sent, forgotten on her desk. That one lost letter changed everything — again.
Chapter 9 – The Salak Harvest and Farewell
When the salak harvest season came, Rafi returned to Condet for the graduation ceremony. The gardens were bright with ripe fruit and laughter. He found Nisa waiting under the old duku tree. They smiled, but their eyes glistened.
“Rafi, I’m scared we won’t see each other again,” Nisa whispered.
“I’m scared too,” he said, holding her hand. “But I’ll always carry you with me.”
The school bell rang from afar — a signal that it was time. They let go of each other’s hands and walked in opposite directions through the salak trees. Behind them, the duku tree stood tall, keeping their promise in silence.
Chapter 10 – Memories Behind the Window
Years passed. Rafi lived in Bandung, working and chasing his dreams. Nisa stayed in Condet, helping her family, sometimes teaching at a nearby school. Yet every time Rafi looked at his old guitar or a pile of letters, he saw Nisa’s smile. And every time Nisa opened her window, she felt as though Rafi’s laughter still echoed in the garden.
One evening, she whispered through the breeze: “Rafi, you’re still here… in my heart.”
Far away, Rafi strummed his guitar and wrote in his notebook: “First love never really ends. It lives in memory, in the scent of Condet’s salak, and the shadow of the duku tree.”
They never met again. But the duku tree still stood, the salak trees still bore fruit, and Condet still whispered their story to anyone who cared to listen. And so, their love remained — not in presence, but in memory, forever young, forever tender, beneath the duku tree of SMAN 26 Condet.
— End of Story —
© Love Beneath the Duku Tree — SMAN 26 Condet (1980s)
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