Those Precious Memories

Penny for your thoughts

by Nona Shella

The recent downpour in Johor had brought back a tsunami of memories of my childhood days in Kampung Amarasi, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia.

My family was very poor.  I was the youngest among three siblings.  We lived in a small house with our parents along with four of my cousins.

Food was scarce.  One thing I like about the rain was that we would get to eat fish only when it rained, as the currents would bring the fishes to the lake that pass through our village.  But there were also times when I hated the rain because we didn't have umbrellas nor decent shoes.  

There was one time when my siblings and I were craving for "kuih" so my father baked some tapioca wrapped with "daun gewang" and topped with grated coconut.  My siblings and I were over the moon when we ate the "kuih" made by our father.  We didn't have the money to buy flour, and even a meal of rice with chicken was a rarity.

Though we were poor, my siblings and I were happy.   We never questioned why our lives were hard or why the other children who had more material things than us.

For the lack of material comfort, my parents made up for it by giving us plenty of hugs and words of encouragement.  They'd say: "It's ok.  We can't afford it now but we'll get it when we can."  My father is a good storyteller.  The stories he told always had life values in them.

This Christmas. Although I don't get to spend it with my parents and siblings, they will always be close to my heart.

Sometimes, "I Love You" can be said in a thousand ways.  A hug, a smile or a call to ask if you have already eaten or whether you have reached home safely or the act of braving the floods to get to a loved one are some of the ways of expressing your love for someone.

It certainly says more than merely uttering the words "I love you". You just need to listen with your heart.