Reminders of Home

It was strange, and yet comforting, seeing my mother meet my friends in Melbourne. Friends who were on their best behaviour, but the same friends who I've shared those wild nights and crazy experiences with, friends my mother is probably convinced whom have led me down the path of degeneration, but she held her tongue as did they, and it all went well enough.

I wish we had been able to spend more time together but she had business to attend to, and the time we spent together was fleeting. Fleeting but meaningful, realising how comfortable I felt bringing her around, feeling much more comfortable talking to her friends on a similar level, feeling as if I had reached another level of maturity.

Taking her around Melbourne, feeling almost maternal, as if I was the mother and she was the child. I had almost forgotten how petite she was, how much smaller she was than me, much less my taller friends, especially one who was literally twice her size. She was much more affectionate, as was I, despite my natural reserve, and we talked in a way we never did when I home. It was neutral territory, and I hoped she could understand my love for my independence away from home, and relinquish the tight grip she held over my freedom.

As we stood at the departure gates of the airport, she hugged me and turned away before I could see how much she was affected, but I knew of the tears, and once more, I was struck how similar we both were. How much we hated that loss of composure.

She reminded me of home.

Home, in the warm familiarity of Malaysia. A fact never more pressing than it was yesterday, on the eve of Independence Day, where Iyra, Anas and I were trying to muster up an idea, and enough patriotic spirit from other friends to celebrate the countdown, which was 2 am, Melbourne time.

The irony. After an hour of continuous pestering and whinging and not getting a response from the guys, I ended up falling asleep on their couch, and when 2 am finally rolled around, I was out of it. I woke up for 5 minutes to join everyone singing the national anthem and promptly returned to my peaceful slumber.

Happy Independence Day Malaysia. I meant well.