I do

It’s raining outside and I can hear the water dripping onto a tin roof. It doesn’t annoy me. If you add the symphony of toads croacking, it would be one of my childhood nights, which was annoying back then, but now not anymore. The morning just arrived, I think a porridge seller just passed by. I’ve been awake since it was dark, probably 4.30 am, although I’m not really sure what time it was. Since I landed, I’m never sure of the time and day. Well, why should I? When you’re on holiday, time doesn’t matter anymore, because there’s no deadline and no pressing matter to do. Well, except when you have to know that it’s 2 pm and you’ve got to stop browsing clothes already, pay your stuff, and meet your family in the main entrance of the factory outlet. Yes, people, I’m in Bandung!

I’m here primarily for my cousin’s wedding. It was short, sweet, beautiful. She was prettier than ever, with the white flowing wedding dress and curled hair. I love weddings and people exchanging rings, ceremonies with sacraments and couples saying vows. It’s pretty chilling actually, knowing that the vows are forever. When you are 26, you have to know that you’ll spend about 64 more years of your life committed to one person. That’s assuming that you would die of old age at 90 years old, of course. But, as much as they are scary, promises are exciting, assuring, and calming. They are the firm embrace when a lot of other things fail. They are love when you are sick, your pet dies, you fail to graduate, you don’t get a raise when everyone else does, when your twin children comes out two months before, or when the rainbow keeps hiding after the rain. They are love when you recover from your dengue fever, you buy a 2 month old golden retriever as you love puppy, your boss got laid off and you have his office, when your baby screams to the world for the first time, or when you find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Promises are scary, but they are beautiful and powerful. Promising to run is already half the marathon. Promising to die is half of human’s liberation. A wedding vow is half of a family's foundation. The other half is keeping it.

So, from the bottom of my heart, cheers to Devi and Igun, and their lives ahead. May you stay true to your “I do’s” and may God bless your family.

Bandung, 23 Dec 2008