Background

Background, Beloved,
Grass of meadow,
Water of lake,
Sand of desert,
Breeze of mountain,
Wave of ocean,
Trees of forest,
A spill of a secret.

Background, Beloved,
Without which
One can’t be
Fully described.

A signature
After yours truly—

—

Today’s call was with a not so close friend who found a Facebook account she suspected as mine after seeing the account commented in one of her friend’s Facebook post. Slightly not a welcomed call but a good one to learn to be sweetly sarcastic to a public enemy—

F: You should change the background photo. The current one if too plain.

Me: With what?

F: It should be a picture that describes you, the owner. You like flower, maybe you can put flowers? Or kitchen because you like cooking? Or books?

Me: This is not a personal Facebook account. Don’t own one; not needed. This one is for me to display gathering schedules and photos to family and friends.

F: An AirBnB wanna be?

Me: More or less but more a rendezvous place. Other ideas for the background photo?

F: Maybe Kraton Yogyakarta or its symbol. Or Merapi. Or Candi Boko. Anything associated to Yogyakarta well known tourist spots; your home can be one of a very interesting place for some people in that city, too. Eh, eh you can also put photos of Singapore landscapes as you’ve been living there; it is to show people that you live in both places.

Me: The home is a humble place, too petty to represent or to be represented by those grand things. I prefer screenshooting the map of the surrounding like now. You see the Jiwa Jawi Restaurant? That is my backyard.

F: Nice! But you should give some luxury touch so people will be interested to visit.

Me: Thank you. Hey! Your background photo is Eiffel Tower! You want to live in Paris?

F: No, just symbol of romance. that’s to show how romantic me and my spouse are.

Me: Maybe you should use Taj Mahal picture. I can give you mine. That’s more relevant.

F: Eiffel is more romantic to us. It represents modern romance.

Me: Oh, ok. (eyes rolled)

F: I like the name you give to your home. What’s the meaning? May we both visit and stay overnight?

Me: Thank you. The meaning is a door to those real or a door to those true. You may visit but I’m sorry not for staying overnight. I’ll invite you for lunch with other friends someday. Not so soon though. Wait until I have a decent kitchen and long dining table so no one touches each other’s elbows when eating 

F: Would be glad to! May we both request special cookings?

Me: Ah! It is a friendly invitation not a paid lunch so I don’t accept request. The best will be served for sure.

F: Ah…. Unfortunately…. We’d like some western food if there is.

Me: Ah.,.. Mostly served are local foods from different islands in Indonesia or a few Asian ones. Never mind. I can invite you only for a house tour minus my bed room because you’re not gonna like it…. (smiled at the end of the line then excused myself immediately)

Boundary is important. We can be kind but not be fooled around.

Salaam.