four years ago: a small house for three, a garage with no cars and a backyard of mini tennis matches. a walk up the road to the milk bar and the payphone, a little further to school and the dojo. what a long journey we've had.
The first time we saw that house, we thought heaven had come down to earth.
It was a brick house, with two rooms that was even bigger than in our Sydney flat. The bathroom was separated from the toilet, it had a nice shower with glass partitions that was not adjoined to the bath tub. It had a small laundry, a garage fit enough for two cars, and moreover... a backyard.
We had never thought of having a backyard in our house. I guess it’s enough to say that even in Indonesia we didn’t have a backyard. So, even though it was all cemented and the only plants that grew there were weeds, we were ecstatic all the same.
It wasn’t so far away from school or from the big Morris Road. We could catch a bus from either direction within minutes of walking. We could also walk a little way down to Safeway by the Hoppers Crossing station. Perfect!
The first day we moved in, it was a weekend. The house seemed big, we went to the plaza to get all the things we needed; beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows and their covers, clothes hangers, buckets, and a whole heap of other stuff, including food; chocolates, canned food, mi goreng. We bought a mini fridge, then we came home around noon, and just stacked it, it was so exhausting. The electricity was still off (no, actually, we didn’t know how to turn on the main switch). So we had everything cold; cold showers (freezing!), and even cold food, and everything we did was candlelit.
When we look back at those days... they sure were hilarious in a way, also a little saddening and ironic. But if we could still have a good laugh at it then i guess we’re all right.
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