Rindu

A little while a go I met families from my grandmother's side. It was a rare opportunity to meet with that part of the family. My grandmother died when my mom was just 5 years old. We only visited her sister, the late Eyang Darti and her sister in law Eyang M on Idul Fitri day.

My mother and I seldom discuss about my grandma, Sugiarti. Once we talked about her, my mother memories went to her childhood phase where she remembered on how every weekend they spent sometime in the family's villa in Tugu, Puncak. She remembers that her mother loves to plant flowers, there was once a bed of roses in the garden and all of the plants were labeled and named by its botanical name. Every month all the ducklings and chicken were vaccinated in Bogor to be kept healthy.

There is an interesting tale that my mother told me about a wise man, Eyang Sos, whom my grandma's would visit every month or so. Eyang Sos was my grandma's adoptive father. He was the one who sent her to study in Netherlands long time before he met my grandfather. At that time Eyang Sos was one of the few people who had studied and lived in Europe for 26 years, he brought back thoughts and lifestyle that was not common back then in Indonesia. He inspired my grandma and influence her perspective on life.

Last April we went to London and met the author of my grandfather's biography. We sat for hours and listen to all the stories of my grandmother that the author knows of. It seems like I never had enough of it..it seems like I wanted to hear those stories repeated over and over again. It's like having an empty bowl and an empty hole in your heart..craving to be fill in by something....This is the first time I felt this way of someone I never knew and perhaps this feeling is what people call Rindu.