IBU

Last week, you learned about poetry writing. Your teacher gave you the liberty to choose whether you want to write about Mom or about Dad. And you chose to write about Mom! 

And here it is:

IBU

Ibu
Aku sangat menyayangimu
Aku sangat menghormatimu
Aku mengagumimu

Engkau wanita yang mulia
Berbakti sepanjang masa
Mengurus keluarga
Menyayangi keluarga

Ibu
Aku takut kehilanganmu
Tanpamu aku tidak bisa tidur
Aku tidak tenang bermain
Aku tidak mau kehilanganmu

Thank you, honey. I’m so proud of you. I love you too….

Free PS3? No way......

Last week when we went to the supermarket, you asked for Fruitilllo Magic, not because you want to enjoy the colorful instant drink, but simply because there was this wordings written on the box: BERHADIAH PLAYSTATION 3.

And this morning you asked me to carefully read the terms. I scanned it through and read it outloud "....kirimkan 10 kartu silver (seri berbeda) & dapatkan hadiah langsung Playstation 3"

Your eyes beamed with excitement, "hey, that's easy, mama. I nearly have it all..!"

I felt a bit of skepticism. I thought, there’s no way that it can be that simple! Then I carefully continue reading the rest of the wordings on the box

"Periode program 1 Mei-31 Agustus 2006"

"But now it's already 2008, mama..." you asked with your big puzzled eyes

"Yes, honey. So I guess the program is over" I answered as calm as I can.

"But why did they do that? Why are they still selling it when they know that it's now 2008?" you asked sadly, trying hard to hide your disappointment.

Hmmm, good question, honey, and I don't have the answer. Perhaps they were just too busy thinking about sales target that they forgot to think about how an innocent, naïve young children like you would feel when they found out that the promotion program was over….

The Magicians Shop

Late last year, while wandering around at the Poin Square, we found a small kiosk selling off various stuff for ‘magicians wanna be’. They sell more than 1000 kind of stuff, and some are so easy that kids like you can learn to do the tricks in just a few minutes.

Since then, you have been asking to go there again and again. And it was on January 2nd – you were still on your school holiday - when you called on my mobile phone. You were whispering, full of excitement, as if you were going to ask for a very important thing.

You: mama, can we go there again?
Me: where?
You: that place….
Me: what place?
You: that place that we went to…
Me: where?
You: you know…..
Me: yeah, what place? (I began to feel impatient)
You: the shop where they sell magic stuff? Can we please go?
Me: oh, when do you want to go there?
You: tomorrow, mama. Can we, please, please go tomorrow?
Me: tomorrow?
You: yes, mama, tomorrow. Tomorrow is still a holiday, right? Please?
Me: but I’m working tomorrow….
You: oh, you are working?
Me: of course I’m working tomorrow. You know that…..

A short pause, then:

You: Yeah, I forgot that you are working tomorrow. Okay, bye.

Click. You hung up. And I felt a pang. It’s not everyday that you call me on my mobile.