early 2001
The piano wakes me, around 4 30 pm
arise, doped from my sleep in the children’s bedroom
laboriously stagger almost, to the kitchen
eyes half open body not fully activated, for a few mugs of hot herbal tea
The sunlight gleams bright on the white compound wall
In the distance, tall coconut palms break the clear blue skyline horizon
next to the wall, on the other side, scrub bushes peep over the top
By the plastic circular table a moth or
butterfly flies by and lands vertically on the food and crockery rack;
now, feeling more alert, listen to the next door cockerel trumpet his being
A short bout of hay fever sneezing completes the waking process
now, time to start thinking about this evening’s meal,
one of the real highlights of the day, nasi goreng
or ubiquitous fried rice,
with chopped potato and spinach from lunch, minced fish,
and egg stirred in,
pepper, enough salt to flavour,
a generous sprinkle of herbs; tastes good, too
The children watch cartoons, play simple badminton,
ride their bikes outside
a car crunches by on the gravel covered road at the back
the fridges whirr and buzz,
non-stop sentries at the wall behind me
