An Orphaned Kid (VII)

The sorrow was not over yet, for a few days my neighbors had always come to my house to pray ”tahlilan” for three days in a row and did it again on the 7th and 40th day. We served foods and drinks for the guests, it’s not obligatory but it’s the tradition that had been going on for years. After that they would bring home “besek” meal box when finished. Some Muslim groups/sects such as “Muhamadiyah” don’t recommend this as doing this will make a burden to those who are left by the dead, yet there are also some other Muslim groups who believe this will give blessings to the dead.

It did take time for us to get over it. Every now and then we went to dad’s grave. My aunt Yulia arrived in Jakarta with her husband whose relationship was once not in my dad’s favor. We went to dad’s grave and she was crying over the grave. Aunt Yulia hadn’t met my dad since her leaving and now my dad’s gone. And on the way back home I still expected to meet my dad as though he was still alive, little me still didn’t believe the fact that my dad had been gone forever. Poor me…poor mom…. she was just 33 when dad died and she really had to struggle so hard to feed and bring up the kids.

Many people say that a fatherless kid is commonly naughty, was I?? Indeed I was. Is it always like that? I don’t think so, it all depends on how the mom educates the kid. But fatherless or motherless kid does tend to be naughty though because the kid will lack of control and affection. I broke my arm once when I was playing with my friends that they would take me home. I guessed my mom was getting used to coping with my naughtiness. But not rare also that many people would take sympathy to me as a fatherless kid “Anak Yatim” they believed it would bring them good luck to take a good care of orphaned kids.

to be continued..