My Brother and His Modesty

It’s always on him. The same look. It’s the same old bag. And the same blue shoes, or sometimes the red ones. And those jackets he always wore. And that modest cross made of a coconut shell that functioned as his identity. And the blue-capped bottle. It’s always on him: Modesty. He was born modest, raised modestly, and so he grows modestly. The way he speaks, thinks, acts, jokes… the way he lives. Read his blog. Know him and spend at least a day with him. Walk with him to malls or to a church. You’ll see what I mean.

Modesty

A Song and An Unforgettable Smile

It is the song that puts you into the air, into the atmosphere where my eyes see nothing but your smiling face. It is the song that played the first time I saw you and your smiling face. I went to your workplace and stood behind some people in line. I got the headset properly put, I let the musics play. One by one the people before me left without noticing that smile you always put on your face, until it was my turn to meet you, to see that beautiful smile. Now the song plays again. I see you.

He Wins, You Lose, I Write about It

I would say I am much better than him. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. He does. I go to college, he does not. I listen to romantic songs, he plays rock. I would take you to beautiful places, he would take you to the wildest fantasies. I look at you in the eyes, his eyes go below your chin. I like cat, he collects skull pictures. I would sit down and listen to you, he would ride you away, because he never wants to hear your stories. However, there is one thing I envy about him. He’s got you.

To Forgive or to Forget

I decided to forget, not to forgive. Well, both may be difficult, but I feel that it would be much more difficult to forgive. I can try to forget. Many things would sweep her away. I would tell myself not to keep thinking about her anytime anything reminds me about her, because if I think about her, I would hate her and those memories she left me with, and then I would find it difficult to forgive her. I now really hate her face, the pretty smile, her echoing voice, anything about her. I can’t forgive. I want to forget.

Complaint

These people are killing me. They are killing me with the way they think, the strict points of view they insist me to take, the ridiculous rules that have been standing sturdy and threatening. They killed my creativity, shooting every bulb I have in mind with their insults and rejects. I saw them as old-fashioned villagers when I came from the town, bringing knowledge and experiences that I had. Not much. But I gave those ideas for free. They refused. I guess I don’t belong to this village. I don’t belong in their ancient world. I feel sorry for them.

We too Have Stains on Our Hands (An Opinion on Stoning)

So, they bury half of the death-sentenced man in the ground, then the crowd starts throwing a fist sized stone to him; to his head, to his face. This is what I have in mind after reading the procedure of stoning. Damn. What drives them throwing the stones? Law? Hatred? Anger? The Bible has this story. It has long became a fashion, until Jesus stopped it simply with a challenge; anyone who thinks he is clean, shall be the first to throw the stone. As we know, no one would be. We too have stains on our hands, don’t we?

A Bedroom with A Clear Roof

I have a bedroom. I just want to build a special one someday when I have a house of my own. First of all, I want it to be large enough. I can’t figure the exact size, though. Just, large enough. Then, I want the bedroom to have a clear roof. How is it possible? A thick, weatherproof glass should be put above the bed. There should be another layer above it, which can be controlled mechanically, to cover the room from sunray when it’s a hot midday. Look, I simply want to see stars at night before I sleep.

Corrumpere

Corrumpere, sebuah kata kerja dalam bahasa Latin, adalah kata dasar dari corruptio yang bermakna busuk, rusak, menyogok. Corruptio merupakan asal dari kata ‘korupsi’. Korupsi telah lama menjadi topik perbincangan panas. Saking seringnya sekarang tidak panas lagi, basi, tapi masih sering diangetin. Korupsi merupakan indikasi keserakahan atau ketidakpuasan. Korupsi merupakan bukti lemahnya nurani untuk berlaku jujur. Bila manusia di bumi belum mampu memberantas korupsi, belum mampu mengendalikan diri untuk tidak korupsi (lagi), apa mau menunggu sampai Tuhan turun tangan? Bisa dibayangkan kalau Tuhan murka? Jika memang menunggu campur tangan Tuhan, berarti para koruptor adalah orang yang paling berani. Berani menantang Tuhan.