Dad likes to tell story about his childhood, fun stories about him and his mom. I like to hear those stories and imagining the setting and how grandma looked when she was young, also how my dad looked when he was little. As a young boy, dad loved to accompany her to grocery shopping at traditional market. Unlike me who despite wet market when I was little, dad thought that that was a privilege. He got kopingho comic as a reward. He still has the collections and still adding until now.
She was very beautiful when she was young. I wasn't surprised when people told me that, because I witnessed it myself. One day at war time, she almost got caught by Indonesian troops. They thought she was a dutch. Her skin was smooth pale white, and her eyes were brown. Her deep loving and caring heart amazed me. Having different races, grandpa & grandma's early marriage had to face difficult situation as some of their siblings and their family disagreed with their relationship and disfavored her. All unfortunate circumstances didn't stop her to do great things to everyone even people who hated her. I bet she didn't do that to win their heart, she did it because she has too big heart to share for people in need. The Lord reward her to be the most favorite aunt in the family. She was loved by everyone until the end of her life.
One day when she and mom rode a bus, they met a woman who was really sick. It was way back then, when air conditioning bus was a luxury. This was a regular bus, that could accommodate unlimited people. That woman vomited in the bus (I saw once when I took public transportation when I was little, and that moment haunted me for years. It was revolting). Immediately she took rubbing from her bag and massage that unknown woman's neck. Mom was astonished and can't forget that moment.
Raising 9 kids must have been tough for her. I believe it was tough when they were little, and tougher when some became teenagers while some were still toddlers. Grandpa was an civil engineer that traveled a lot. He was also a strict man that to him his kids gave a lot respect. It was to their mom that their kids find warmth. Hence her role to her kids is very crucial.
She was so independent, never asked help doing what she needed to do. Cell phone would be much appreciated back then, since it was hard to keep tract where she was since she was so mobile and had a lot of missions. So, having stroke for 15 years really broke her heart. Even with all the limitation she has, she still cared and paid attention to people. With difficulty in speaking, she told my uncle that his collar is untidy. She still had perfection despite her situation.
Dad liked to lie down beside her on her bed when we visited her, then my sisters, my niece & I would follow. Dad would tell story about new things happened while checking grandma's blood pressure, mom would sing praise songs, and we would laughed together. It didn't last long, because then she asked mom and dad to help her sit and walk to family room. She wouldn't talk, or talk very little. She would listen to the conversation and laugh at what my little niece' was doing.
My relationship with her wasn't as close as my relationship with my other grandma because she had more than 20 grandkids in different cities and traveled a lot. She also paid more attention to grandkids that has special needs, which indeed need more caring. However she always made the best time out of our limited meeting time. I remember she always treat us meatball, her favorite, and my sister favorite. Whenever we came to her house she always prepared the best food she could offer. It was a great memory.
She is now happy in heaven. Happy that she finally meet her savior. You will always in my heart grandma.........
