Opa Johan Imagined Receiving A Guest

Opa Johan Imagined Receiving A Guest

How nice when you ever chanced to visit me someday in my cottage. I would then receive you in shorts, without a shirt, my hair uncombed, barefoot, grinning and say, “Hello. Sit down please”, while there were no chairs and tables. So would I appear like a scare-crow and likely put you to flight. Ha. Ha.

March 2010

Opa Johan's Travel On His Bike

Opa Johan’s Travel On His Bike

Someone below steadied my bike as I carefully stepped down from the overcrowded train some half a metre higher and as I looked up I saw a slender little girl looking shyly, timidly, embarrassed of her courage to help me. Remember this is Indonesia where girls aren’t so free with boys or men. I patted her hand in gratitude I could kiss it. I didn’t saw her climbing up the train and as I looked the train slowly moving again, I ‘m sorry I didn’t see her to say farewell.

On a muddy country road there was a very narrow dry part just sufficient for a bicycle to pass, She came, slowed down her motorcycle to have me pass first and sent me a gracious smile as her “hello”.

Then on an lonely road I encountered a very young mother, almost a girl, having her little child in one arm, while with her other hand was riding her bike. I nodded, kept up my thump. She smiled, beamed, was proud, happy that there was someone who could still see, appreciate her.

Sure, there is a lot of nice people on the road I met I’ll never forget. I’ve got such precious gifts as of a radiant smile, kindness, …, and costs me N.B., nothing. Don’t you think I’m very rich and a happy man? Aren’t you grateful, proud to have me as your husband? Ha, ha.

March 2010

Being Married Is Not The Only Thing That Matters

Being Married Is Not The Only Thing That Matters

To be married is nothing yet and you’re not yet engaged. You’re just starting to live together. You know nothing of becoming a mother, bring up your children, the worries of being ill, without money.You have never quarreled and felt the happiness of peace, you don’t know what it is of growing old, how to savor life.

Not only those that marry, joy and happiness also descends on those unmarried, divorced, mothers without husbands, women on call, the old, the poor, …. People in poor living conditions know the happiness of sharing with each other. The rich don’t know this as they live in abundance and so have nothing to share with another, nothing to do as they have their servants. But I think that ordinary food isn’t less tasty as special food from a restaurant.

Being married, or being a world champion, or famous, successful, very rich, is not the only thing that matters, while misery, catastrophe, suffering, could also overcome them and I think of Bill Clinton, princess Diana, president Soekarno, Suharto.

What is a marriage without storms, wars? Nothing, dry, a boring life. What’s heaven with eternal bliss? A boring place, while eternal hell isn’t a scare anymore.

It’s stupid to regard marriage the pinnacle of happiness, which then slowly declines, fades, instead of growing, rising.

So said Opa Johan to his granddaughter.

March 2010

Bless Yourself, Damn Yourself

Bless Yourself, Damn Yourself

Never have God meddle in your affairs: “God bless you”, “God damn you.”

Bless yourself with excellent work, good works. Damn yourself with poor work, evil works. So said pak Arif.

March 2010

It's Impossible

It’s Impossible

As I listen Bocelli singing - or was he crying - “Somos Novios“ (It’s impossible), the story of Abram who was about to sacrifice his son Isaac came to my mind. It’s impossible that a loving father, mother ever would, could sacrifice their child that way? Would, could you ever consent to lose, to sacrifice a loved son, your husband, your father for a war? And I think of the compulsory military service. It’s just impossible.

So said the Choir Conductor.

March 2010

Take An Umbrella When It Rains

Take An Umbrella When It Rains

“Pray and God will grant you,” something like that is said.

Your grandma said, “Don’t ask if you don’t want to be disappointed.”

But I tell you that you will never pass your exam if you don’t study, though you would pray God a thousand times for it but when you study hard you will succeed even without praying. You could pray God for not to rain but God wouldn’t ever obey orders of any man. So when God sends you rain take an umbrella with you.

That’s Opa Johan’s advice to his granddaughter.

March 2010

Opa Johan's Way Of Loving His Wife

Opa Johan’s Way Of Loving His Wife

“How delicious! Do you want some more dear?” as he passed on an empty dish-plate to his wife while suppressing his laughter.

March 2010

Opa Johan Disagreeing His Wife

Opa Johan Disagreeing His Wife

Having a lot of food, many dishes, isn’t a paradise as people might think. It’s hell. And the fridge is so filled now. I said, tell your good friend not to send me more. I wanted to refuse her but you insisted, to never refuse if she sends me so often, it would be ungrateful, she’s so kind to care for you, as I’m away in Adelaide.

So, you’ve the heart to torture me with head-aches, worries how to keep them in the fridge which already is overflowing, wash, return her dinner-carrier and eat the same food for days, just for the sake of not disappointing and gladden your friend. That’s having a wife who is more honoring, more loving her friend than her husband. And you said you love your husband. What do you say? Check-mate, you little fool.

March 2010

It's Wonderful

It’s Wonderful

As I’m leisurely sitting in my roof garden, delighted hearing birds chirping, warbling above, seeing butterflies, bees visiting the flowers, so close in front of me with my cup of morning coffee-milk on the partition wall, I wonder how ants without senses of sight, hearing, smelling could climb up the wall, scent the milk, communicate and tell his companions of it. It’s marvelous that they could chase a crippled, sick insect, walk, pass each other on a thin stretched wire without fear of falling, find them high up in a tree, don’t stray in finding their nest.

That’s but an ant, not to speak of a bat, who sleeps hanging for hours upside down without being tired, don’t bump in the dark, catch little insects in their flight. I heard of certain seabirds that for years do not perch but stay, sailing in the air and sleep while flying. And what of an egg hatching within just three weeks into a chicken, complete with bones, brains, feet, eyes, a beak, … and alive, a crawling caterpillar transform into a sleeping pupa then transform again into a beautiful flying butterfly complete with wings, feet and colors, a firefly carrying its tiny light without batteries, a lamp for life.

A lot of books couldn’t contain all the breath-taking wonders - if we only have come to realize this - of creatures, plants around us could do, which seem so simple, so ordinary.

February 2010