“….Mardalan au marsada sada
Laos di langlang i do au tarlungun lungun
Manetek iluki da inang da sian mata…”
Have you ever felt empty even though you are in a crowd? Have you ever felt like there is some piece missing?
Deasy, Vera and her husband sang this song together while we were at her house. We met Deasy at the government office building while we were looking for someone to interview. They invited us to their house to have dinner and even took us around Lake Toba.
The song hit close to home. Vera explained that it was about a child, who was walking alone and he missed his mother. Even though we did not understand the lyrics but how the melodies and rhythm drove us to the core of the song. The way he played the guitar and the way Vera and Deasy sang the song, we were moved by the harmony.
The song reminded us of our loved ones, especially when we are on the field trip and far from home. We wouldn’t call it ‘homesick’, we were just missing home. “Home is where the heart is.” A timeless old quote by Pliny the Elder, but it’s not just a place. ‘Home’ is the feeling you get, the warmth and the affection.
Being with Deasy’s family showed us that in Batak culture, family is important. They took care of us like we were a part of their family. We felt at ‘home’ because we felt like we were cared for and it was the place where memories were made.
There was no more emptiness. We found the missing piece of the puzzle. We were home again!
Written by: Pear & Hamm
