How can I forget Hansel and Grethel!? On our way today in some village to pick up some people, my eyes were fascinated by the medieval rostoque houses that we passed by. I suddenly felt something like it was a Deja boo, there's some feeling inside of me that says, I think I saw this style of the house before. Well, literally the European style of houses as you can imagine were typical it has a vector design of the ceiling and walls were painted in orange color. I, then remember that this was the picture that my father use to paint in our imagination as he often delivers a bedtime story to me and my brother. In that dark house where I grew up. Yes, it was deemed where I could only see a tiny fire produced by a kerosine gas. I live with my father and brother after our mother left. It was really one of the saddest part in our life when my father went home in shock. He came home without knowing that it would only be the three of us that will live alone. Every night, he would always tell his favorite line of bedtime story, especially the name of the characters, Hansel and Grethel. I really don't mind that much what this story all about when I was young until I reach this age. All I could remember was the name and the description of the house where he mentioned one time that it was a cake house, that's all. After 26 years, when I got to pass by a house that seems too familiar and I don't know where I exactly saw it before, a character suddenly popped up in my mind. Hansel and Grethel, but I was too confused who are these people. Why on earth, it would suddenly flash out after seeing those houses. In the new technological era, we have google who could give an answer to some of our unattended questions. So, I grabbed my phone and searched Hansel and Grethel. Alas, google showed me a picture of 2 kids, a boy and a girl in front of a vector–like house. In order to feed my curiosity, I started reading to get to know the whole concept, and while grasping the synopses of the story my tears began to fall. I miss my father and was trying to embrace the moment of that night that he was telling the bedtime story of Hansel and Grethel. It resonates with a lot of occurrences in our personal life, it took me more than 2 decades before realizing that the story is describing about the three of us. There was this part of the story where the father was left alone in the house waiting for both Hansel and Grethel to come home. He was so sad that he missed them both after they ran away because of their stepmother when she's still alive. I can imagine how my father would stand in front of the window, with his eyes looking far beyond hoping that one day his two kids would return too to ease his loneliness. After our mother left us, we only stayed a few months with my father and we're sent to our aunties because he can't support us financially in which he doesn't have a stable job. So, he doesn't have the choice, but to make the most difficult decision in his life for our sake. Prior to our separation, there was never a night that he would keep instilling the Hansel and Grethel's story in our memory. I never realized that I became the Grethel in my own story where I have to make sure the welfare of my brother. Similar to the character, Hansel has been always fearful and Grethel has been always the one to assure that everything will be okay for Hansel. My brother is currently suffering from schizophrenia and has no one to lean on, but me. No one can relate how challenging it was to have a family member that has undergone with a traumatic and psychological problem. Still, I am thankful to God who gave me the strength to surpass everything and to my father who used to be my anchor when it comes to forgiveness, I am very grateful that he reminded me to be always at peace with myself so that I can obtain healing. Due to the situation of my brother, everyone tried to stay away from us or even disowned us. But I am no longer swayed by it because I still have my brother and we have each other, even if it was just the two of us to continue surviving in this world surrounded by inconsiderate people. I will never forget what my father in heaven who use to remind me on our bedtime story to always help each other and be the comfort of each other. It took me a lot of years to understand why I only have this one bedtime story when I was young, it's because he wants me to be reminded that I have to help my brother no matter what the adversities that may come. I have to be my brother's strength especially in his situation right now. It is now clear to me, why my father would always repeat the bedtime story of Hansel and Gretel way back. It's because he knows that one day, we will be on our separate ways. Even if we don't have our own home to go back to, we still have each other's back as siblings. The whole universe is currently celebrating Father's Day, but I have to remember this moment as the 4th Memorial Day of my father as he passed away last June 18, 2019. With tears in my eyes while writing this, I always treasure the humble lessons that my father had taught me. To everyone who still has their parents with them, no matter how good or bad they are. Please treasure the days you spent together and the wisdom they are trying to impart because you will never understand everything in life until you go on your own way to the adulting stage. Happy Father's day to all the head of the family who never stops to become the father, even if they have nothing to offer in their family financially, but still, they stand to be the core strength of their children emotionally and psychologically.
