A week ago yesterday, an unfortunate event, one of true sadness, occurred in the lives of Kikko and Hines. Truly more so for Hines, his mentor, great friend, his hero passed away in a terrible accident and it has shook the world of culinary and Facebook. I will, however, let Hines pay him homage of his own, in his own time. For now, I wanted to share a story of my own hero, or heroin, for that matter.
My mom has been gone for about a month or two already. We all knew grandma, or "Batian" was soon leaving us as she had been suffering from esophageal cancer for a while. I had been babysitting in the hot summers day, days before band camp started, and I was on my way home. As I looked at my driveway, I saw my dad's car, an unusual event as he was to be at work. When I get inside the house, he looked at me and said, " I am going to Brazil. Your grandmother just passed away". He had been on his computer looking for the next flight to my home country, in hopes to be with my mother as fast as he could. My sister and I, having band camp, couldn't afford to leave, so we were staying at a friend's house until my parents returned. I remember feeling very vulnerable and in disbelief. I talked to my mom for a few minutes before she broke down and had to hang up. I was alone. I didn't enjoy the feeling, but I knew I had to be good, to be a big girl. I never truly cried once.
Batian was the only one who seemed to understand me. Love me and care for me while others tended to show otherwise. She always played with me when my sisters ignored me, and she always supported my random crafts even though they were useless. I always loved her from the bottom of my heart, even though I only saw her once a year or so. She was so little and fragile, and yet, you would never see her sitting around doing nothing. She was an inspiration to me. No matter what life hands you, you keep on working.
The first time I was able to visit her grave was a year and a half after she passed away. I wasn't sure how I would feel. We made it a trip with the whole family to pay our respects. That was the first time I cried. I had visited that cemetery so many times for my grandfather, but nothing so emotional as that moment had ever occurred to me. I was a wreck. No one, not even me, could understand why I was so upset. Until now.
I never got the closure I wanted with her when she passed away. I was hundreds of miles away, unable to do anything for the woman who had inspired me to be strong. She was my hero. Seeing the grave with her name on it made it concrete that she was truly gone.
Memories are a funny thing. They can bring you so many emotions of different forms. They can cause you to suffer, laugh, become mad, smile, or even bring you to a deep thought. As I sat around this week, feeling for Hines, I also remembered my loving Batian. She was one of my inspirations to cook, and if I am right, same for my mother. It's a wonderful feeling, watching a woman in your life cook for the entire family, making so many wonderful goodness and do it out of the joy of her heart. She never had culinary training. She never went to school for an extensive number of years as my sisters and I had, and yet she was one of the smartest person I had ever met. I wish, sometimes, she was still alive to be able to see me cook, be able to taste what I can make now. I just hope that she is proud of me, that's all.
Everyone has a hero, the one who convinced them to do their best every single day. Mine was my grandmother and I miss her. Although the times are passing, I like to share a few words of wisdom with all.
-Remember to show your love and enthusiasm every day. You never know who you are inspiring.
-Be yourself. Don't let others change your attitude because that's the environment you are in.
-Do what you love. Don't settle for something you aren't ready or excited to do. Life is too short.
-and last but not least, "WORK HARD AND PLAY HARDER."- Uncle Joey
Kikko
