28/05/2025
A LOVE STORY THROUGH GOOGLE MAPS
At the corner of Hos Cokroaminoto Street stands a small, blue-painted food stall. This humble spot became a silent witness to a love story that was never told, but was captured by time and Google Maps' cameras.
In 2016, an elderly couple sat side by side, enjoying a plate of food at the stall's edge, radiating warmth and togetherness. A year passed, and in 2017, the cameras captured them again, still sitting in the same spot, just in different chairs. Their world was small, but it was enough for two hearts that cared for each other.
In 2018, only the grandmother was seen, sitting in the same chair, staring blankly ahead. The grandfather was no longer there. Perhaps he had passed away. In 2019, the grandmother was still there, but she no longer sat in her usual chair. She stood in front of the half-closed stall door, her eyes glazed, her body frail.
In 2020, the grandmother returned to her usual chair, sitting lost in thought, supporting her chin with her wrinkled hand, as if waiting for someone who would never come again. In 2021, her body grew frailer, her steps no longer steady. She was just a shadow of her past self, still clinging to memories.
In 2022, the blue stall's door was tightly closed. There was no sign of the grandmother. Perhaps she had joined her loved one. Maybe they were now sitting together in a more peaceful place. In 2023, wild grass grew tall around the stall, its paint faded, and the door remained locked. The chairs were stacked, no longer taken out like before.
In 2024, the weeds were cleared, but the stall remained silent. The chairs stood still, as if waiting, but never visited. And now, in 2025, the stall is gone, leveled to the ground. There are no more traces of them there. Only memories, only still images that I can find. Love... is indeed beautiful. Even the truest of loves must part. No one told their story. Except me. Through Google Maps.
