Temporary Life, Deferred Dreams
A light drizzle was hitting Jakarta at 11 PM. In the corner of a nearly empty fast-food restaurant, Andi, a 21-year-old guy, was wiping down messy tables. The sound of the automatic floor cleaner created a monotonous rhythm, kind of like the soundtrack to his daily grind.
Andi wasn't your average 21-year-old. After his dad had a stroke six months ago, and his mom quit her job to take care of his dad full-time, the whole family's weight landed on his shoulders.
His tiny rented room, just a 3x4 meter box, contained a single bed, a beat-up old study desk, and a mini broken wardrobe. The walls were covered with architecture posters – reminders of his dream to study architecture. His cracked old laptop was his only window to the outside world.
Life felt like it was stuck in an endless loop. But that night, while wiping a table, Andi spotted a customer checking out an app called "KuDexPro – Altcoin Tracker" on his phone.
The rain picked up as Andi wiped down table number 7. The clock showed 12:30 AM, and the place was almost deserted. Only a few customers were still hanging around.
Andi glanced over at one guy, looked like he was in his mid-20s, dressed pretty sharp in a long-sleeve shirt and chinos. What caught Andi's eye was how the guy was staring at his phone, his expression shifting – smiling sometimes, frowning other times, even letting out a long sigh once in a while.
As Andi walked closer to grab a used glass, he accidentally caught a glimpse of the guy's phone screen. An app named "KuDexPro – Altcoin Tracker" was open. It showed all these colorful graphs jumping up and down fast, with big numbers changing every second.
The guy seemed to notice Andi staring, because he quickly flipped his phone over and gave a small smile. "Pretty interesting, huh?" he said, pointing at the screen that was still partly visible.
Andi nodded slowly, feeling a bit embarrassed about being caught peeking. "What... what is that, Sir?"
"Crypto, kid. A world where you can get rich overnight... or go broke just as fast." The guy's voice had this complicated tone – part pride, part caution, and something else that just made Andi super curious.
The guy went back to focusing on his phone, and Andi got back to work. But big questions were already swirling in his head: What the heck was crypto? How did it work? And most importantly – could this be the way to make his dreams come true?
It was 2 AM when Andi finally made it back to his boarding house. The rain had stopped.
Back in his cramped room, Andi immediately opened his laptop. His fingers flew across the keyboard: "KuDexPro Altcoin Tracker". Google search results exploded with thousands of articles about the app. Andi clicked on a few and started reading intently.
"KuDexPro is a platform that lets users track various crypto and altcoins..." one article said.
Andi furrowed his brow. "Crypto? Altcoins?" He kept on reading.
"Crypto assets are digital currencies that use blockchain technology..." said another article.
The more Andi read, the more curious he got. He searched for YouTube explainer videos and found hundreds of content creators talking about the crypto world. Some explained it simply, others used complicated analogies, but it all seemed to open a brand new window for Andi.
He opened a new tab and typed: "how to invest in crypto for beginners". The results were shocking – thousands of articles, video tutorials, and discussion forums. Andi started reading comments on the forums:
"Just invested 500k, made 2 million in a week!"
"I bought XYZ coin at 1000, now it's 3000!"
"Crypto is instant profit, guys!"
But he also saw warnings:
"Be careful, lots of scams!"
"I lost 10 million overnight..."
"Investing in crypto is super risky!"
Andi kept scrolling. He found social media posts showing screenshots of billion-rupiah profits. One said: "From 1 million to 50 million in 2 months!" Another said: "My new coin went up 300% in 3 days!"
His heart started beating faster. This could be the answer to all his problems. With a small amount of money, he could make a big profit.
But then he saw another post: "Be careful, I lost all my savings because of a hasty crypto investment."
Andi closed his laptop and sat in silence. He couldn't sleep that night, his mind racing about what he'd seen.
Morning came, and Andi woke up with heavy eyes. He opened his laptop and went straight to the "target" folder. The "life notes.txt" file was still open from the night before. But this time, he added a new line at the end of the list:
Save up for D3 Architecture college (target: 7 million)
Buy a decent laptop (target: 4 million)
Have a side hustle (target: still thinking)
Try to figure out crypto? (just added tonight)
Andi stared at that last line. He felt like something had shifted. It was like his life had suddenly gotten a new direction he'd never imagined before.
He typed a few more words below the list:
"Maybe life won't change quickly. But if I can understand one new thing, maybe the path can open up slowly."
That sentence made Andi smile a little. He realized he'd been too focused on what he *didn't* have – money, facilities, opportunities – but he rarely thought about what he *could* learn.
Andi opened the browser again and started looking up articles about the basics of crypto. He found articles explaining Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other altcoins. Some talked about blockchain, others discussed mining, and some focused on trading.
He made a quick note in his phone's notes app:
1. What is Bitcoin?
2. How do you buy crypto?
3. What platform is safe?
4. Risks of crypto investment?
5. How to analyze the market?
Each point felt like a challenge he had to conquer, one by one. Andi felt like he was starting a brand new adventure – an adventure that could change his life, or destroy it.
He looked at the laptop clock. 6 AM. Time to get ready for his part-time job at the restaurant. But this time, there was new energy in his step. A small spark of hope had started growing in his heart.
That day, while working at the restaurant, Andi couldn't stop thinking about what he'd learned the night before. Every time he had a free moment, he'd sneak a peek at his phone to read more crypto articles.
He found a YouTube channel explaining crypto investment for beginners. The first video he watched was titled "Crypto Investment: A Complete Beginner's Guide." The content creator explained things in easy-to-understand language, using simple farming analogies.
"Think of crypto like seeds," the creator said.
"You plant a small amount of money, and if you're patient and smart about when to harvest, you can get a big yield."
Andi jotted down every important point:
Start with a small amount
Understand the risks before investing
Diversify your portfolio
Don't invest money you can't afford to lose
Keep learning about the market
He also found an online forum specifically for beginners like him. Thousands of members shared experiences, tips, and questions. Andi signed up using the nickname "YoungArchitect" and started reading the discussions.
One thread that caught his attention was titled "Beginner Success Story: From 100 Thousand to 1 Million." The thread starter told how he began with a tiny amount, studied consistently, and eventually made a significant profit.
But there was also a thread titled "Warning: Don't Become an FOMO Victim." This one had warnings from moderators about the danger of getting greedy for quick profits and the importance of patience in investing.
Andi was starting to understand that the crypto world wasn't a shortcut to wealth. It was a world full of opportunities, but also full of risks. The most important things were knowledge and patience.
That night, when he got back to his boarding house, Andi opened his laptop with new excitement. He typed into the "catatan hidup.txt" file:
"Today I started learning about a new world. Maybe this is the beginning of a big change, or maybe it's just a new phase in a long journey. But for sure, I won't give up before trying."
Andi smiled, then opened the browser and started watching the next tutorial video. Outside the window, Jakarta was still buzzing with life. But inside his tiny room, a young man was starting a new journey that could change his destiny.
Every big journey always starts with a small spark of curiosity.