#1 December this year

[where there's hope..]

December has come. I found the excitement of it; mostly from FACEBOOK status. Well, glad anyway to know that many people are still expecting something. It means there’s still a HOPE. A hope during December is always close to CHRISTMAS.

I caught Christmas atmosphere as I entered a fancy store near my working place. I dropped by there after work with a friend to buy something. The owner, who was my college mate, was there together with the staff. There was a Christmas tree across the front door. The Christmas song was in the air. Oh, how I loved this kind of melody! The accessories for Christmas were around, too.

In the middle of our ‘lil shopping, there was an incident. A little girl in the age of about 5 was in the shop with a middle aged woman; not sure whether she was her mom or her untie or even grandma. She was looking for something maybe. Suddenly the little girl dropped a ball that was hung on a small Christmas tree in front of her. In short, the ball was broken. The shopkeeper said it has to be paid. Additionally, the balls were sold in a package of three. So, the woman should pay twenty five thousand rupiah. In the beginning she tried to bargain to take one broken ball only, but finally she agreed. That’s not the point. Everybody knows that: pecah berarti membeli – break it pay for it.

After the ball fell down, the woman was angry to the girl. The common phrase that I use to hear; “kamu nakal, sudah dibilangin jangan pegang-pegang, tuh sekarang jatuh, pecah, harus dibeli” with sort of tone that no kid would like. The little girl was silent with no words until I heard some voice of crying. I didn’t know what did she do, pulling her ears or something else maybe, but she did something. The other customers noticed it. I felt too pity to look at them. 

• I hope there won’t be more case like this. I know the kid was guilty. Yet, I don’t think it is necessary for adult to add another guilty feeling and public embarrassment.

• I hope the woman would explain to the girl why on earth she did that.

• I hope the little would be fine with her experience today.

• I hope those three balls will ‘do’ something in their family this Christmas time.

Put some HOPE along with you for HE is the GOD of HOPE.

Enjoy your December.

Draw me closer to YOU.