Matt
A man named Arief, aged 37, recently became a viral sensation in Indonesia due to an incident where he accidentally left his wife behind during their journey back to their hometown. The incident was brought to light when their 8-year-old son inquired about his mother’s whereabouts, causing Arief to realize that she wasn’t riding pillion on their motorcycle as he had assumed.
The incident took place on April 16 when Arief, accompanied by his wife and son, planned to travel from the western city of Bogor to the eastern city of Kediri by motorcycle. They were embarking on the journey to celebrate the Eid-al-Fitr holiday and expected to take multiple breaks on the 15-16 hour journey.
Although Arief had traveled the route several times before and was familiar with it, that night was different. As they left the ring road in Brebes, Central Java, Arief’s son suddenly asked him, “Where’s Mum? Why isn’t she with us?” It was then that Arief realized his wife was missing from the motorcycle, sparking fears that she might have been in an accident along the way.
Arief quickly retraced their steps in a desperate attempt to find his wife, but his search was unsuccessful. Eventually, he decided to call for help, only to discover that he had 21 missed calls on his phone. Upon returning the calls, he learned that the callers were police officers from a local station, and his wife had been trying to reach him.
It later emerged that Arief had unintentionally left his wife at a petrol station where he had briefly stopped to check the correct route. His wife, thinking they were taking a break, had disembarked from the motorcycle without his knowledge. Oblivious to her absence, Arief continued to travel for another two hours, covering around 50 miles until his son eventually raised the issue.
Admitting his mistake, Arief acknowledged, “Yes, I was oblivious. I was too focused on the road ahead, and my wife got left behind gradually.” He also confessed that this particular trip would be a memorable experience for him, a story that he would likely remember for years to come.
Following the incident, the family managed to reunite and resume their journey together. The unusual incident soon became a viral sensation on social media, serving as a reminder to all travelers to double-check their travel companions before embarking on a journey.
