I dedicate this long entry to the woman we both love so much.
"... My great grandfather was head of police way back in the 20's in Indonesia. He was a Dutchman and was married to my great grandmother who was Indonesian.
My grandmother, when she was young, was always the adventourous type. She was never home, always off in the jungle with her dog and getting into trouble. At a certain age she fell in love with a Dutch soldier who was stationed there. He was to become my grandfather. My suspicous grandmother and my grandfather was a bit of smuggler, always dealing in something and getting into trouble but never getting caught. Things were like that in those days.
When my great grandfather saw what was going on between his daughter and the soldier he tried to keep them apart but ofcourse they always got back together.
One day, my great grandfather quit the police and without telling the soldier, secretly packed everything and with his family moved back to Holland. My grandmother got a message to the soldier just before they left for Holland and he said to her not to worry for, he would travel the ends of the earth to find her again.
That was 1932. My grandmother was very sad when they arrived in Holland. It was always cold and not the weather she was used to and she missed my grandfather. After a year, my grandfather secretly met my grandmother. He had quit the army and set off to find her. When my great grandfather found out, he knew he was defeated so even though he didn't agree he let them get married..."
Petikan di atas adalah email yang kuterima 9 tahun lalu,
dari kekasih hati saat pertama kami berkenalan.
Print out email itu masih kusimpan.
Sebuah kenangan berharga dari sebuah 'kesalahan'.:)
Setahun kemudian, aku bertemu dengan wanita tersebut.
Oma. Pribadi yang hangat.
Cerita kehidupan jaman perang di tanah Jawa,
selalu menghiasi pertemuan kami.
Kadang diselipi dengan penggunaan Bahasa Indonesia sebelum EYD.
Selamat ulang tahun, Oma.
Semoga di usia yang ke 90 ini,
Oma selalu diberkahi kesehatan dan umur panjang. Amin.
Moga Oma senang dengan hadiah lagu dari kami;
cucu, cicit, buyut, Sabtu lalu.
Hanya itu yang dapat kami persembahkan.
Veel kusjes van ons.*mwah*