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Story About My Painting - The Old Lady In The Old Tower House In Old Sana'a

This is a story about a Yemeni lady. Perhaps sometimes, something is not as how we thought.There was a time when I was staying in Sana'a, Yemen. It is a historical city housed by heritage buildings. It is a tower house where I spent my stay at the 6th floor. It is an old building, perhaps more than 400 years. The only way to climb up is by stairs. Down and up every time by stairs. No elevator as how modern towers are. It is an old building built by solid stone. Really old.

There was a lady doing the house keeping. She is quite old at about her 60's. She is clad in some colourful cloth, as how the other women in this city. She will be there every morning with broom and cloth to tidy up the whole house, every room on every floor. Old lady, really old.

Sighed. Poor lady. I said. Quietly in my heart. At this stage of age still doing this work. Sure she is having a hard life earning money for living.Don't she should be staying at home. Pitiful.

Climbing the stairs up and down everyday. Sweeping and wiping everyday, so that people could stay there pleasantly.

Someday, sometimes, I would like her to have my tip, if happen I have some change in my pocket. "Tafadhal bakhyish ya sayidah" (Here somethings for you,madam) Sometimes 500 rial (2.5 USD), sometimes 1000 rial (5 USD). I thought by that can put a little smile on her lips.

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One day in the late morning, I came back from tuition, when I saw her came out from the tower house. I stopped halfway to see where does she going to. She walked slowly down the alley, and there was a guy waiting for her somewhere in front of the hospital. And they walked to somewhere else.

Next morning, I told her, I saw you with someone. She smiled and told me, it is his son.

I curios, don't your son should have take care of you. Why you still have to work at this stage of age.

She said, it is not because of earning money that makes her coming here every morning. She said she just need to enjoy her life since she still can do something. She can't sits idle. She needs to see the world and mix around. She afraid to have nothing to do.

Further she said, all the tips that she got from everybody, she don't really need those. But don't worry, still there are a lot more needy people. She gave the money to them.

She said, she had never refuse to accept tips but she will always give them to somebody else. So she can keeps 3 people in happy by that way. The person who gave the tip will be happy. The person who will receive it later will be happy. And of cause she would be happy too, to see both of them happy. Every body will be happy at the end to share the goodness. She said, no harm to accept any gift from anybody even though we don't really in need.

One day I decided to keep the memory about this lady in my painting. As well as the old tower house, where I used to spent my stay in.

As the day passed by, I noticed one little thing. It is rare to find fat people here in Sana'a. Everybody keeps themselves climbing stairs everyday. They had made their house tall so that they keep on climbing everyday, no matter how old are them. I compared with where I am staying right now. Fat and overweight is a normal view anywhere. Well....