Yesterday, I went to that place...I was nervous at first because I had never really mingled with the people in that house before. My hands were shaking while loading a new film into the camera chamber. A guy came and greeted me, and showed me around the house. I took pictures that I thought would fulfil my assignment requirements, and then I sat down on a bench near the altar looking for him.
Sity walked up to me and told me that he's upstairs, getting ready to see me. My heart pumped even more heavily. I wondered how he would look like...a few inches taller perhaps.And the biggest question was - Would he still remember me?
When he finally came to see me, I was smiling "up to my ear". I saw his sister behind him, teasingly poking her finger into his shoulder. He smiled at me and then ran to his caretaker whom he called Amma...After a while he sat beside me, hugging my left leg and pleading me to carry him on my shoulders...and he still remember me, he called out my name few times...and that was the best thing that had happened to me for the past few weeks.
Hendri is a boy, an orphan perhaps, who stole my heart two years ago when I came to Rumah Kanak-kanak Tmn.Megah to assist my instructor in teaching the disadvantaged kids taekwon-do. When we first met...the only word that I understood was "akka" and the only English word he spoke of was "aunty". He kept on calling me either "akka" or "aunty" , and the rest of his utterances were delivered in Tamil. When I saw him yesterday, he was able to understand Malay...perhaps because he's already in kindergarten and that enables him to acquire some Malay words. From what I heard before, he and his sister Ratna, were Indonesian Malay. I'm not sure how did they end up at that house, but I definitely want a better life for both of them. Had I the means and power, I would have taken them out of there. But the bigger question lies in their ability and willingness to adapt to a new life...
Isn't he adorable...
Mom reminded me that once I took them out of that place, either I transfer them to another shelter or place them in a new home under a new family, I would be responsible for them for LIFE. What if they refuse to accept the offer? What if they dislike the new environment? What if the new parents screw up? What if...what if...
So many questions with too little answers...
Too heavy a responsibility yet no shoulder strong enough to bear...
So complicated an issue without hints and clues...
Hearts wrenched and yet no tears able to soothe...
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