Taken Her for Granted

I lost my father when I was 3 or 4, I don’t quite remember.  I still have warm feeling for him, but the memories just flew away.  Since that day in 1992, my mother never remarried.  First, because I said ‘no’ to every candidate and second, my mom said that she always compared those men to my father and the profile never fit the cut. So, she must work, not a relaxing one.  She left me at home (I’m not complaining at all) with a maid.  Her name is Yu Ribut.  She tags along with my mom for more than 20 years and still.

I wasn’t a bad kid, never been, because my mom gave me full attention every time she had the chance. It was like a treat. But, when I came home from school and found Yu Ribut instead of my mom, I couldn’t help but disappointed.  She was no one, I thought.

Over the years, I grow to realize the significance of Yu Ribut in my life.  She sat beside me when I got sick, cried her eyes out when my appendix burst, and she always knew what kind of foods that could enlighten my mood.  She taught me how to cook, iron my own clothes, clean the house, and climb a tree.  The first time I cooked, she said, “the flavour isn’t the main issue.  The most important thing is you don’t kill someone with your food”.

She is illiterate, but never forgot to put a book on my lap when she was doing house chores. I could read a newspaper fluently even before I went to school.  She came from a very poor family, dirt floor, no electricity, but she always put a radio beside me when I was taking a nap.  Perhaps that is why I enjoy listening to music more than anything.  Basically, she made me who I am.

I was fasting yesterday and I planned on having fried tofu with spicy soy bean sauce to break my fast.  My husband came late, I was alone eating fried tofu and suddenly I wanted her to accompany me. Cried like hell and felt sorry for taking her for granted.

Cheers,

Nidya