To finish that line would be a little bit tricky for me. Of course there’s no place like home, but if coming home means empty home, then sometimes I’d rather be somewhere else than home.
I live with my mother and my siblings. We’re leaving for our daily activities early in the morning, starting from my mother who runs her store early at 5 o’clock in the morning. My sister (helps my mom in the store) and I leave around 6 and my brother around…I don’t know..maybe 8 or 10. The first to come home is me. Around 7 or 8 at night, I open the door and facing things that stressed me out.
I’m ashamed to admit this, but here’s the thing: I come home to dry leaves around the carport, dusty table, dirty floor, empty rooms, empty refrigerator, piles of dirty clothes. I don’t like them all, but I have to face them. So…most of every night after I come home, I’d sweep and mop the floor, put garbage outside, then go out to buy my dinner, go back home and eating my dinner alone accompanied by television showing boring programmes. Well.. I don’t like doing the last two parts, so I’d normally wait until everybody gets home and eat together.
My boss keeps on reminding me not to come home late. My office hour is only until 4 in the afternoon, but I’d prefer to stay in the school until 6 or 7 at night. Sometimes I drop by to supermarket or mall to keep me away from coming home early. There’s always time when being alone in your home can be quite comforting. But there is also time, when there is someone at home makes you feel less lonely.
To be honest, if I could write down what I’d love to come home to…, then I’d write…to be greeted by someone.
Jakarta, 15.09.11
