A Thought On Mishaps
Joey our dog wouldn’t be lured, tempted by a little bit of meat to enter his chamber as he was excited seeing another dog. Dismayed, we had to postpone going out and I feared that my daughter who would drive the car would cancel our outing. After about ten minutes, which seemed a very long time, he became calm and she succeeded to have him enter his chamber, quickly shut his door, afraid he was going out, enjoying himself on the street as we intend to go to a small special fried chicken restaurant enjoying ourselves, took the car out, satisfied, breathing freely.
“Nothing left”, a waiter welcomed us as we arrived. What a disappointment, we felt dismayed again. Yet my wife and my daughter insisted,
“Is there still rice?”
“Sure.”
“Sayur asam?” (Indonesian vegetable pot)
“Yes”
“What is there still left?”
“ Two portions of fried shrimps.
Then another waiter passing us softly said:
“There are still two chicken pieces.”
“No”. said the one on duty.
But on insisting to look again, they indeed found two chicken pieces left. So we happily ordered a simple meal of one portion fried shrimp, two chicken pieces and sayur asam as our dishes. How we enjoyed this simple fare.
As we went home I said “What a splendid outing this evening”. It was full moon seen through the front glass panel of the car, the moon was rising, sailing as fast as we drove, before me and I remembered when more than 45 years ago, we, with three little children sitting crammed,- no, not crammed - but triumphant, cheerful, happy together in an open Pedi cab (becak) on our way to have Italian ice cream, the children also said that the moon and stars were sailing with us.
A similar happening occurred when we were visiting a puppet theatre “The Little Prince” of A. de Saint Exupery. We were in a queue and when it was our turn there were only two tickets left while we need three. Now what? Not take it?
“Take it”, said my lady. “Don’t worry, Ill find a way to get one. Just reserve a seat for me. People are more compassionate towards a woman.”
So I and my son, - imagine a man and young man, were rescued by a weak, old woman, that is, a daring, bold angel - went in saying good-bye, and good luck waiting anxious in the dark hall for her. Then she came.
“Did you got a ticket?”
“Yes” she said.
“How did you do it?”
She whispered, “There was, perhaps a French gentlemen of the corps. Diplomatic who asked what is the matter with me to the man in charge of receiving visitors and he told him that I’m waiting for a chance to buy another ticket. ‘Oh’, he said and he turned to me, took out his pocket, said perhaps :’Here, take this ticket. I’ve more than one’ in French what I didn’t understand. I Couldn’t say anything except ‘Merci beaucoup, Monsieur’ the only words I know about French, but instead, I said “Thank you Sir” as I haven’t the nerve to say so, lest he should speak French to me.. He smiled and went away.”
How happy we were to be together again. Receiving such an unexpected kindness of a foreigner is even more than seeing the performance itself.
And I think that little disappointments, misfortunes, mishaps, accidents on the contrary are like ingredients that make life sweeter rather than when it’s running perfectly, smoothly without disturbances, risks. It has something of an adventure.
May 2008
Joey our dog wouldn’t be lured, tempted by a little bit of meat to enter his chamber as he was excited seeing another dog. Dismayed, we had to postpone going out and I feared that my daughter who would drive the car would cancel our outing. After about ten minutes, which seemed a very long time, he became calm and she succeeded to have him enter his chamber, quickly shut his door, afraid he was going out, enjoying himself on the street as we intend to go to a small special fried chicken restaurant enjoying ourselves, took the car out, satisfied, breathing freely.
“Nothing left”, a waiter welcomed us as we arrived. What a disappointment, we felt dismayed again. Yet my wife and my daughter insisted,
“Is there still rice?”
“Sure.”
“Sayur asam?” (Indonesian vegetable pot)
“Yes”
“What is there still left?”
“ Two portions of fried shrimps.
Then another waiter passing us softly said:
“There are still two chicken pieces.”
“No”. said the one on duty.
But on insisting to look again, they indeed found two chicken pieces left. So we happily ordered a simple meal of one portion fried shrimp, two chicken pieces and sayur asam as our dishes. How we enjoyed this simple fare.
As we went home I said “What a splendid outing this evening”. It was full moon seen through the front glass panel of the car, the moon was rising, sailing as fast as we drove, before me and I remembered when more than 45 years ago, we, with three little children sitting crammed,- no, not crammed - but triumphant, cheerful, happy together in an open Pedi cab (becak) on our way to have Italian ice cream, the children also said that the moon and stars were sailing with us.
A similar happening occurred when we were visiting a puppet theatre “The Little Prince” of A. de Saint Exupery. We were in a queue and when it was our turn there were only two tickets left while we need three. Now what? Not take it?
“Take it”, said my lady. “Don’t worry, Ill find a way to get one. Just reserve a seat for me. People are more compassionate towards a woman.”
So I and my son, - imagine a man and young man, were rescued by a weak, old woman, that is, a daring, bold angel - went in saying good-bye, and good luck waiting anxious in the dark hall for her. Then she came.
“Did you got a ticket?”
“Yes” she said.
“How did you do it?”
She whispered, “There was, perhaps a French gentlemen of the corps. Diplomatic who asked what is the matter with me to the man in charge of receiving visitors and he told him that I’m waiting for a chance to buy another ticket. ‘Oh’, he said and he turned to me, took out his pocket, said perhaps :’Here, take this ticket. I’ve more than one’ in French what I didn’t understand. I Couldn’t say anything except ‘Merci beaucoup, Monsieur’ the only words I know about French, but instead, I said “Thank you Sir” as I haven’t the nerve to say so, lest he should speak French to me.. He smiled and went away.”
How happy we were to be together again. Receiving such an unexpected kindness of a foreigner is even more than seeing the performance itself.
And I think that little disappointments, misfortunes, mishaps, accidents on the contrary are like ingredients that make life sweeter rather than when it’s running perfectly, smoothly without disturbances, risks. It has something of an adventure.
May 2008
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