fixshine
11th April 2009, 08:51 PM
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After twenty minutes of taxi ride, my grandmother and I reached my parents home in the middle of the city of Denpasar. The moment I entered the house I was instantly swarmed by nostalgia. My sisters and I grew up in this house, went through happiness, sadness, catfights, birthday parties together. The little lawn in front was used to be decorated with daddy's gardening pride; there's used to be grapevine on the gate wall until a little snake was found crawling around it and daddy had to chop his masterpiece down. The family temple on the lawn was one of the most unique character in the house, it's small yet elegant and beautiful. The two garages used to house three cars; my dad's, my mom's and ours. The three of us sisters shared a car, small green suzuki jimny, but my big sister was the one who used it the most as she spent her teenage years here before moving to Australia to study. I only used it when I returned here for holidays. After my big sister left, my little sister used it, and my she used it up indeed. She crashed other people's cars with it, left it overnight at friend's house, eloped with her secret boyfriend with it, there was even a time when she crashed a water hydrant with it and caused the whole village's water to dry up, causing the villagers anger. She almost got attacked by the villagers. Luckily one of them knew my dad and so she was brought home.
I smiled upon the reminiscence.
And now this big house was empty as empty could be. As I walked down the living room, I lightly touched the Balinese carvings that decorated the walls and partitions around the house. The big double volume family room used to be liveliest room in the house, where we sat on the comfy couches watching our favorite TV shows. But more often than not I'd be forced to watch other people's favorite shows, such as mum's sinetrons and telenovelas or my little sister's fashion tv. When my big sister's son was here, my big sister made us watch the baby shows at nickelodeon, disney and whathaveyou all the time. So when she was out, I switched it to E! or CNBC, to the confusion of my little nephew. I'd gave him a look so he'd be too scared to protest.
My grandmother sat down the couch and let out a sigh.
"Finally. It's a long trip."
Poor grandma. Twenty minutes ride was already a stretch for her. It pained me how she became so old and fragile without me realising it.
"You want some drink?" I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. There's some orange juice inside. "We have orange juice."
"Thanks. I'd rather have water. My stomach can't stand juices anymore."
I poured cold water for her and juice for myself.
"Thanks for picking me up, grandma." I held her hand and smiled. She seemed very awkward with my 'emotional moment' and turned her face the other way.
"Today is the only day for you to rest. Starting tomorrow, there's a long lineup of processions that you have to go through until your wedding day. You will have to pray at various temples around the island including our family's ones. Your fiance better be here as soon as possible so we can hold the tooth filing ceremony for him before the wedding. Otherwise it will have to be done on the wedding itself, which I don't prefer. Oh, and also," she turned back. "Your fiance and his family will stay at your aunt Maya's house."
Aunt Maya was my mom's big sister, my grandma's first daughter.
I raised my eyebrows. "Why? We have plenty of rooms here."
"No way. Both of you cannot see each other until your wedding day."
I threw myself back on the couch and let out desperate sigh.
to be continued
After twenty minutes of taxi ride, my grandmother and I reached my parents home in the middle of the city of Denpasar. The moment I entered the house I was instantly swarmed by nostalgia. My sisters and I grew up in this house, went through happiness, sadness, catfights, birthday parties together. The little lawn in front was used to be decorated with daddy's gardening pride; there's used to be grapevine on the gate wall until a little snake was found crawling around it and daddy had to chop his masterpiece down. The family temple on the lawn was one of the most unique character in the house, it's small yet elegant and beautiful. The two garages used to house three cars; my dad's, my mom's and ours. The three of us sisters shared a car, small green suzuki jimny, but my big sister was the one who used it the most as she spent her teenage years here before moving to Australia to study. I only used it when I returned here for holidays. After my big sister left, my little sister used it, and my she used it up indeed. She crashed other people's cars with it, left it overnight at friend's house, eloped with her secret boyfriend with it, there was even a time when she crashed a water hydrant with it and caused the whole village's water to dry up, causing the villagers anger. She almost got attacked by the villagers. Luckily one of them knew my dad and so she was brought home.
I smiled upon the reminiscence.
And now this big house was empty as empty could be. As I walked down the living room, I lightly touched the Balinese carvings that decorated the walls and partitions around the house. The big double volume family room used to be liveliest room in the house, where we sat on the comfy couches watching our favorite TV shows. But more often than not I'd be forced to watch other people's favorite shows, such as mum's sinetrons and telenovelas or my little sister's fashion tv. When my big sister's son was here, my big sister made us watch the baby shows at nickelodeon, disney and whathaveyou all the time. So when she was out, I switched it to E! or CNBC, to the confusion of my little nephew. I'd gave him a look so he'd be too scared to protest.
My grandmother sat down the couch and let out a sigh.
"Finally. It's a long trip."
Poor grandma. Twenty minutes ride was already a stretch for her. It pained me how she became so old and fragile without me realising it.
"You want some drink?" I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. There's some orange juice inside. "We have orange juice."
"Thanks. I'd rather have water. My stomach can't stand juices anymore."
I poured cold water for her and juice for myself.
"Thanks for picking me up, grandma." I held her hand and smiled. She seemed very awkward with my 'emotional moment' and turned her face the other way.
"Today is the only day for you to rest. Starting tomorrow, there's a long lineup of processions that you have to go through until your wedding day. You will have to pray at various temples around the island including our family's ones. Your fiance better be here as soon as possible so we can hold the tooth filing ceremony for him before the wedding. Otherwise it will have to be done on the wedding itself, which I don't prefer. Oh, and also," she turned back. "Your fiance and his family will stay at your aunt Maya's house."
Aunt Maya was my mom's big sister, my grandma's first daughter.
I raised my eyebrows. "Why? We have plenty of rooms here."
"No way. Both of you cannot see each other until your wedding day."
I threw myself back on the couch and let out desperate sigh.
to be continued