At the New House

By Cynthia

I live at a rented house since Monday, 21st November 2011. The house is large, comfortable, and warm, but we can not watch the TV longer and cook rice with the rice cooker.

Because we live together with other neighbours, the power supply must be evenly distributed and cannot be simultaneously used in excess.

Our neighbours are kind and friendly. I have not got new friends there yet. My younger sister has already got several new friends. Their names are Putri, Siti, Uznul and Ugi. Near the new house, there are many little shops. My younger brother, Gio, always asks to buy things from those shops.

In the morning, my father goes to work by cycling, searching for garbage that are still saleable.
My mother goes to her workplace on foot. I also go to school. My neighbours look after my siblings.

At the new house, in rainy season, our house is flooded, so we all can’t sleep at night. I am annoyed, because of the flood, I can not sleep, and the house becomes smelly.

It has been raining since Tuesday, 10th January 2012. My whole family evacuated to the study tent. The blue tent where we are studying is very large, so we can use it as a shelter and live temporarily there.

I sleep on the bench with my family. We cook with the wood fire. After I school, I go to the blue tent straight away. I change clothes and have my lunch. Afterwards, I usually play with Intan. Her mum and dad are still living at the previous place, even after the house was bulldozed. Thankfully, we can still grow our plants there. Intan is always there after she returns from school.

Now my new house is the study tent, close to the old house which has become ruins.

Translated by Tonny Tjhai