I remember it was only less than a week ago I was back in Jakarta for a quick stop off before another flight to my hometown the next morning.

So, I arrived at the airport at around 10 in the morning, went to a coffee shop in a mall alone so I could spend a few hours to myself finishing a book I was reading. After that, I went to the hospital to visit my friend who’s been staying there taking care of his very ill mother. His mother was not in a great state of health. It made me sad. I can’t even imagine the day when age would eventually got the better of my parents’ health.

Which is why I never bothered to try to remember my mom and dad’s birthdays (maybe yes to their birth dates, but not their birth year) because I don’t want to face the fact that they are very old, and getting older every day.

In my head, if I’m ignorant of their age, I will always think of myself as their little boy looking up to my father as a hero whom he wishes to become, and my mother as the guardian angel who will always protect me whenever I make a mistake.

Denial? Yea, you may be right.

This Peter Pan doesn’t want to ever grow up.