When Life Was Tight
Did you know it?
Yet, how sweet life was, when I, a married University student even though without work and living in tight circumstances.
To celebrate our honey moon, tandem riding, hitch-hiking on a truck, traveling by bus, a sado (two-wheeled horse-cart), staying for the night at country inns and in an old, somewhat scary “palace” for free, touring Bali.
Feeling comfortable in a small wooden food-stall waiting for the rain to stop at a village road-side, while eating on a plate just warm ketoprak (cheap cooked vegetable folk-food) together until the plate was very clean.
How cozy it was sleeping together with just a one person’s mosquito net.
Having no money while pressing money difficulties were in sight with the coming birth of our baby, what a god-send relief it was when I luckily got my first salary so direly needed.
To count all the money within closed doors and windows in our bed as an unexpected gift from heaven, a rich reward for the efforts, trouble of my woman to sell some-one’s jewelry as a go between.
To take home but some little money yet so precious, small earnings, by selling my woman’s self-made snacks was even sweeter than taking home my salary.
Milk isn’t drunk anymore, but spooned, enjoyed like ice cream.
Seeing our youngest daughter joyfully strewing her first honorarium as flowers falling, to her mother.
Seeing our eldest son so proud and happy to be able to buy an old motor-cycle with all his savings in his savings-box and the readiness of all the family-members to support, supply him with the shortage.
Well, I’m not feeling poor at all, why sigh, be sad, blame, hate life when it was hard, tight. When we were happy, sharing our gains, joys and happiness and bore to lessen, soften our burdens and suffering together.
.
Thus grandpa Johan related this to me.
.
From Harian Ekonomi Neraca, Januari 17, 1997
Did you know it?
Yet, how sweet life was, when I, a married University student even though without work and living in tight circumstances.
To celebrate our honey moon, tandem riding, hitch-hiking on a truck, traveling by bus, a sado (two-wheeled horse-cart), staying for the night at country inns and in an old, somewhat scary “palace” for free, touring Bali.
Feeling comfortable in a small wooden food-stall waiting for the rain to stop at a village road-side, while eating on a plate just warm ketoprak (cheap cooked vegetable folk-food) together until the plate was very clean.
How cozy it was sleeping together with just a one person’s mosquito net.
Having no money while pressing money difficulties were in sight with the coming birth of our baby, what a god-send relief it was when I luckily got my first salary so direly needed.
To count all the money within closed doors and windows in our bed as an unexpected gift from heaven, a rich reward for the efforts, trouble of my woman to sell some-one’s jewelry as a go between.
To take home but some little money yet so precious, small earnings, by selling my woman’s self-made snacks was even sweeter than taking home my salary.
Milk isn’t drunk anymore, but spooned, enjoyed like ice cream.
Seeing our youngest daughter joyfully strewing her first honorarium as flowers falling, to her mother.
Seeing our eldest son so proud and happy to be able to buy an old motor-cycle with all his savings in his savings-box and the readiness of all the family-members to support, supply him with the shortage.
Well, I’m not feeling poor at all, why sigh, be sad, blame, hate life when it was hard, tight. When we were happy, sharing our gains, joys and happiness and bore to lessen, soften our burdens and suffering together.
.
Thus grandpa Johan related this to me.
.
From Harian Ekonomi Neraca, Januari 17, 1997
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