Time Flies, Feels like just yesterday I wrote about my high school memories and I haven't finished reading all the posts. Now the next round is coming. I need to prepare something like warm water and paper tissue. I need to anticipate my own tears to not drop onto my laptop and I couldn't finished typing this. Thanks
for your amazing project. You have made me easily to fill out my memories bank with this. If you haven't read about this weekly topic, Check this post out.
A Mother of 10 (9 alive) children, She can't remember all of our birthdays, except the date and year of my eldest brother birthday, LOL. I asked her once "Mak, do you remember when I was born? I mean the date or the year?". She stared at me and then said "No, I can't remember the date, but it's monday and not long before Muhammad Ali (the boxer) won over Joe Frazier in Manila (October, 1 1975) and your elder sister was born a few days after their second fights (January, 28th 1974)". I was amazed that she could remember all the fights but couldn't remember the exact date of delivering me?.
I know that she always counts on me to take care of my youngest brothers and sisters, because she considerate me as the calm and trustworthy among her 9. I love to talk to her about everything because she likes reading and had a good memory about the books and events she had read in her childhood. She's a natural story teller, IMHO.
I checked out my photos gallery and I realized that I had many pictures of my belated Bapak, but her photos are hardly find. I remember that My Bapak loves to take a picture of her anywhere anytime and it was kept at her house. I just need to show her an old picture and she could tell the story behind it clearly. Although I didn't spent half of my life around her due to my educational and working place was at a different city. I remember how she taught me to take care of the daily shopping during her postpartum confinement. She would take me to the traditional market (which I considerate as her playground) and introduced me to all regular sellers she often bought from. She taught me how to bargain, recognize the good and bad things before I bought it, and an alternative options if I couldn't find the certain spices or vegetables for the dishes we want to be on the menu.
But, the most beautiful memory I had with her was when our school vacation in 1989. She asked my eldest brother to rent some comics and story books from a rental books shop in town. It was a series of martial art adventure "Wiro Sableng, Author Bastian Tito" story books. She used to send me out to experienced living in the country side with relatives or students who lives next door but often came to our house to help her or ate with us. That year, she didn't send us out and spoiled us with the story books reading for a full month. She would read first and then we follow after her until all the books she rented finished. We will discuss about the books and sometimes we will use some terms from the book in our daily activities too. A bookworm like me, it's the most beautiful memory which is still intact in my mind.
Although I often led my siblings to went out to watch television especially live football matches (National and International) at our neighbor next door. We did read and stayed with her during the day. But around 9 PM when Mamak already slept, I would climb out from the windows and run over my neighbor. I'd come back after midnight and enter the house the same way. We got caught red handed one night. I was the latest person who climb over, there she waited for me and asked, "how's the game, was that fun? are you practicing your potential to be a thief? have I ever forbid you to go out through the door? why would you do that?". I have no nerves to answer her, better let her pinched my thigh or belly as much as she wanted. I'd rather stand for my siblings instead of letting them got beaten up. Because it was my idea. My Bapak taught me to be responsible for any decision I made and took the risks (being scolded and pinched or spanked at my butt) and overcome the situation. Goodness her hand are the most warm and beautiful hands on earth, even it's hurt so much, I won't cry. I don't mind it at all. I learned that when I shed no tears after got beaten by her, she stopped and never did it again. I've learned my lessons. Mamak was killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.
Because I inherited almost all of her characteristics too, we often argued and ended up crying together. I never treat my Mamak as a friend, because she always treat me as her partner to share anything that she couldn't get a satisfactory reaction from my Bapak, who treat her like a Queen. She needs someone to argue with and to listen to her random rambling. I loved to play that role because it's fun!. I love her smirks, her laughs and hilarious comments on anything. I think that's why I like being in silver bloggers community, LOL.
Even though I knew that she didn't love me as much as she loves my elder brother and youngest sister, I don't mind it at all. That's the way she is and I still love her the most. Mom is not in a good health now, she felt so lonely after her lover passed away in April, 2024. I try my best to talk to her via WhatsApp daily or video calling her once a week. I'll be her serious listener and remind her that she's not 30 anymore.
Mamak is a full time mother, she never worked or had income by herself. She's so dependent financially to my belated Bapak and her children. A woman who cares about her children the most, who cares about her neighbors and love to take care of her plants in the front yard. A woman who I'm proud to be her daughter.