When The Clock Strikes Twelve

It’s time to pick up my son from school again. This has been our routine at this school for the past five years. Soon, he’ll graduate in a couple of months and move on to junior high school.

Whenever I have time and no work, I make sure to pick up my son at 12 o’clock every day.
Today, like many other days, I waited with a crowd of parents for their children to finish school.

The school is a beautiful, ornate building with traditional Balinese architecture, complete with a split gate. The grounds are adorned with a variety of colorful leaves and flowers, making it a pleasant sight to behold.

Soon, this routine will end, but I’ll always remember these moments of standing and waiting for him—just like today.

The clock struck 12, and the children had finished their Gayatri Mantram prayer. They were now ready to head home. Today, instead of their usual school uniforms, all the students wore traditional attire. It’s Purnama, the full moon day, an auspicious occasion for Balinese Hindus to pray. That’s why they were dressed traditionally.

After a while, I spotted my son. He hopped onto my motorbike, and we were ready to head home. On our way, we stopped at a roadside stall where several food vendors had set up. My son wanted to buy chicken satay, and I thought, why not?

As we rode home, I couldn’t help but think about how these days won’t last forever. The routine of picking him up from school will be a thing of the past as he grows up. So, for now, I’ll savor these moments. Carpe diem—seize the day.