This man

My father called about an hour ago. He said that he received my MA thesis that I sent to my family. He asked me if I wrote it directly in English, or whether I wrote it in Indonesian first and then translated it into English. "I wrote it directly in English, pa," I answered, "Why did you ask?"
He said that he wondered if I have the Indonesian translation so that he can read it. I didn't, but I reminded him that he speaks English (although he's not confident with it). He laughed a bit and said he is going to read it anyway. The Indonesian translation would help, he added.
Then I asked him, "Did you read the Dedication page?"
He did, and he said it was sweet. I smiled, although he couldn't see it through the phone, of course. :)

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This man is a dreamer. I don't mean that he only likes dreaming and doesn't act to make his dreams come true. I mean, he dreams big. Living in poverty all his childhood and teen age, he only thinks that his future family will be better off.

He worked in a (car and motorbike) service station when I was a little child. He rode a small scooter with the spark plug often died when he was about to leave for work in the morning. He had to fix it first. He was dirty by the time he had to leave for his office.

Even if he didn't have much money, he sometimes would go home with English picture books for me. I think I was about three. He let me play with the books and look at the pictures and the words:

apple

book

Good luck, brother.

How are you?

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I know he is reading my thesis. And I mean really reading it, finding what I tried to say in those 100-some pages. He always wants to be part of my life - if he can, every single minute. A job well done, papa.