I left the rare gems in Sydney, even though they are still precious to me. I couldn't take them to my place in Bandung. It would be too costly, not only to pay the transport costs, but also to keep them safe and sparkling. I could not afford it, even if I spent all my savings.
After all, had I taken the gems home, I could only have had them for a short while, for they belong in Sydney. They have been there for decades, since they moved from their original place in Europe.
Oh, my treasured jewels! Why did I have to leave them behind and return to Bandung? I left them with a heavy heart. I got the gems as a Christmas present on the condition that I could only have them while I was in Sydney. That was 17 years ago.
I was in the midst of the precarious situation of doing a PhD and the frustrations that followed. As I struggled to improve my command of English, my days were fi lled with reading and writing draft after draft of the thesis. It never seemed satisfactory.
Life, however, is not that dark and hopeless; it is even full of surprises. A fellow resident of the same dormitory I lived in invited us, the remaining students who didn't go home during the Christmas break, for a barbeque at his parents' home on the outskirts of Sydney. We didn't have to prepare or bring anything, just ourselves with an empty stomach to make room for the food. Off we went to the suburb, to the house far far away from the rigors of the study that was too demanding.
We left our study troubles behind. After a one-hour ride, we fi nally arrived at the house where the daytime party would soon take place. The party spirit was already in the air. I was overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality of the parents of our dear friend.
I felt welcomed. The house itself stood majestically among the trees and bushes, which added to the peace and serenity of the environment. The sun made its contribution to the delightful event by shining brightly. Each guest introduced him or herself to the parents.
As soon as I presented myself, our dormitory friend presented me with those two invaluable gems. The well-spent afternoon came to an end. I couldn't believe I had the gems. I felt awkward and nervous around my friend's parents, Mary and James. As we parted, Mary suggested meeting me again sometime. I was proud that she befriended me, a colored woman from Asia. With the passage of time, I became emotionally attached to the gems; separation was unimaginable.
My acquaintance with Mary and James has blossomed into a sense of kinship among the three of us. "Out of sight out of mind" didn't apply to our closeness. Despite the geographic distance between Bandung and Sydney, we were curious about each other's circumstances. We would naturally inquire after each other's health, the ups and downs of life, particularly when there was no word from one of us after a while. We sincerely cared about one another.
My mother's death was their sorrow and their sickness was my concern. When I shared my success in obtaining a special grant to do research, they extended the heartiest congratulations.
And with the birth of their fi rst grandson, my joy was complete, because he was the son of my dormitory mates. Communication technologies, such as the Internet, play a signifi cant part in furthering the quality of our friendship, but the accountability of asking after each other's well-being keeps the friendship alive.
I was in Sydney again. It was 11 p.m. I was in bed and recalled how the day passed. I thought about the morning, afternoon and evening. The evening was enjoyable, because it was fi lled with chatting and watching DVDs. Mary and I have the same taste in dramas and true stories.
The gems were with me. The two gems belong to each other and together they form a glorious blend of colors radiating rays of brightness that light up the ambience of the dining and sitting room. The gems complement one another perfectly. I could hold the gems with my right hand and could take them whenever I went to the shop, cinema and the beach.
Every day, for 10 days, I could have the gems to myself. My thoughts of them faded as I dozed off until sleep overtook me with the assurance that tomorrow I would have the gems to myself again. They were mine and I would not let anyone take them away from me.
In the morning, I dressed and went to the dining room. The gems were there, sparkling and welcoming me for the new day as if saying "Good morning. Breakfast will be ready in a minute. Enjoy the day." Contentment fl owed out of my being and it was hard for me to keep my eyes off the gems. Mary, James and I ate our morning cereal and I was really the richest woman on earth.
The days passed quickly, as if unseen forces wanted to expel me from the place where the gems were. It was time to go back to my hometown, to the reality of life. I could only afford 10 days away from work. One year earlier, Mary and James invited me to come and stay with them.
First, I declined. It would mean merely looking at the gems for a while and returning to Bandung empty-handed. I couldn't stand it. Indeed, I had a sentimental yearning for those golden years in Sydney. This yearning, however, evaporated rapidly after the improbability of revisiting controlled my mind.
The gems were very appealing and I could not make up my mind whether or not to accept the invitation, but Mary and James were genuine and kept on insisting. I struggled with the idea that I could never repay the invitation to come, but this was a silly thought. Surely, each of us knew that I wouldn't come to Sydney on my own fi nancial means, and this was the basis for the invitation. It is the sincere heart that counts and not the paying back.
My 10-day stay was about special people who have been very dear to me. At Kingsford-Smith airport, when my heart turned sour, I remembered what Mary once said: "Be joyful you get it, even if it comes to an end." It was not about revisiting interesting places and shopping.
I am glad that Mary, James and I form a close friendship that goes beyond physical disability, race or skin color. Friendship is about our inner beauty in the eyes of the beholder. Mary and James have been the sparkling gems. Will I ever see them again? As long as I live, there is always a ray of hope amid the impossibility.
I scribbled down this tribute during the fl ight from Sydney to Jakarta in January 2009.
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