The afternoon air is still, and the living room was a little dark as the windows and doors were kept close. My parents were out for some chores, brother went working and pandamopi was dozing off upstairs. As I was sitting at the sofa alone, starring at the walls hung with our family portraits taken at different time of our life and little miniatures collections displayed at the fixed wall cabinet, I can’t help but gasped over how time has passed without us really realizing. I wanted to do something to capture the moment and to capture the feeling of that very moment – a sense of happiness yet melancholy. Happy because I have been growing up happily in this house, with many moments including getting married in this house almost 2 years ago. Melancholy because I felt heavy hearted as I realized I have not been able to spend more time as much as I wanted to ever since I left home for study and then working. Coming home now becomes a luxury when for others, it is just a normal thing to do daily.
As I stared at the walls (which I didn’t pay much attention to before) and sketched, I noticed and observed the details of every things that is in place at that moment. Many of the things remained the same place and location, while I am the one busy travelling around, back and forth for work and holidays. These good old things remained here when I came back, giving me a sense of familiarity each time I am home. The composition of how the photographs are hung, speakers, TV, CD rack, video players, miniatures, location of sofa, the fan tucked in one corner, foot massager in front of a large blue sofa… the colours and how these things are placed makes a unique combination of what is familiar to us living in that home. It is our home, a simple home with no fancy interior design, yet filled with warmth.
I continued to wash my sketch with watercolour brushes, as if painting every emotion that I have within me on this little sketchbook that accompanies me wherever I go. I want to freeze this moment and reminisce it each time I miss home, no matter where I am in future. As I was almost completing my sketch, my eyes were wet. The car engine grew louder and then came to a halt. Someone opened the door and there was rays of light coming out from the door. Mom came in and came close to me and saw my sketch.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“Just a sketch, mom,” I answered and kept my sketchbook in my Barefoot sling bag and we head to the kitchen to prepare some snack for tea time.
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