Delightfully Yours

Oxytocin was the word that crossed my mind when I sketched ‘Delightfully Yours’ in December 2010. Also known as the ‘love hormone’, oxytocin is a super power female hormone that is released within our body in large amounts during labors, breastfeeding, or orgasm. It has so much miraculous quality in healing: It makes our skin glows, it feeds our babies, and it pushes away the hardest pain. What truly astounds me about oxytocin is the fact that it is triggered by our natural instinct called ‘LOVE’. When we are in love sincerely with someone or any matter or even food, our eyes smiles and our movement becomes light. Sometimes within my daily chores, I often feel robotic and forget that life needs love. So I did this sketch to remind myself every day that I MUST LOVE ME. Only with so much love within me, I can begin to love people around me. Love is a universal law in which no one hates, no one gets sick and no one is a prisoner.

I emailed this sketch to my friend Rassi, so she can write her second short story for Tulisan. Thanks for your writing, Rassi!Triple kisses, Melissa Sunjaya

DELIGHTFULLY YOURS
by Rassi Narika

The smell of ground cinnamon fills the air perfectly, like a mix of the exotic scent of tropical forest and the tender touch of winter. From beneath the pile of assorted sweets and candies, a wooden puppet starts to move. Her body is made out of planks, while her joints are glued and screwed. She approaches the stove to see if the caramel has shimmered. As she stirs the hot caramel, her hips start to dance.

Every morning, she crushes rosemary twigs and sprinkles them into the pot. The first fresh bread of the day always brings the biggest smile to her face. The sweet steam rushes with magic from the movement of her hands. Each additional ingredient she puts would make the world a nicer place.

Nevertheless, she is made of cedar with a heart of a little girl. She breaks into tears when the cupcakes refuse to rise. Cooking is not about perfection. With all the mistakes, it is truly about having things within proportion. When her wooden arms get cramps from moving too much, she sends her pain away by holding on to delightful dreams.

……………(in Indonesian)………………

UNTUKMU SEPENUHNYA
oleh Rassi Narika

Wangi serbuk kayu manis memenuhi udara dengan sempurna, bagaikan sebuah perpaduan aroma eksotis hutan tropis dan lembutnya sentuhan musim dingin. Dari balik tumpukan permen dan gulali, sebuah boneka kayu terlihat mulai bergerak. Tubuhnya terbuat dari papan dan persendiannya disambung dengan perekat dan baut. Dia beranjak mendekati panci untuk melihat apakah saus karamel sudah mendidih. Sembari ia mengaduk karamel panas, pinggulnya mulai menari.

Setiap terbitnya surya, dia menggerus daun rosemary dan menaburkannya ke dalam panci masakan. Roti pertama yang matang di tiap pagi selalu memberi senyuman lebar di wajahnya. Asap manis mengepul dalam ruangan dengan kekuatan sihir dari adukan tangannya. Setiap bumbu yang ia tambahkan ke dalam ciptaannya menjadikan dunia ini suatu tempat yang lebih indah.

Biar bagaimanapun, dia tersusun dari kayu cendana dengan hati seorang gadis kecil. Dia selalu menangis saat adonan kuenya gagal mengembang. Seni masak bukanlah tentang mencari kesempurnaan. Dengan segala kesalahan yang terjadi, memasak adalah mencari suatu keseimbangan. Ketika tangan kayunya mulai letih karena terlalu banyak bergerak, ia menepis kesakitan itu dengan berpegang sepenuhnya terhadap keindahan impiannya.