Friday 9 September 2011

The Lost Soul


When I was little, I lived in a haunted house. It wasn't the kind you see in horror movies where you enter a huge gate that leads to a spooky decadent mansion. It was just a relatively large, two levels house in a normal urban area, looking very similar to its neighboring houses. The only difference was that behind our house, there was an empty plot of land with a massive odd looking banyan tree that had stood even long before I moved in as a toddler.

The house itself was always very quiet, and I remember how still it seemed to be during the day. With my parents at work, my much older siblings minding their own business in their rooms, I was left to entertain myself doing whatever I could think of. Strangely enough, even in that very spacious house, I never felt lonely. It was as if someone was always there to keep me company. Not that I ever saw anything, but my family told me that I could spend hours in the most creepy parts of the house, talking to myself (or someone?) and never once looked scared or bothered.


The Lost Soul, pencils and digital mediums


I lived in that house for over ten years, and as I grew up, I started to notice things that didn't really agree with my common sense. Like a chill behind my neck even if there was no breeze, a tick-tocking sound that seemed to come from a large clock, which we didn't have. Even a presence that continued to linger wherever I went. But again, none of these ever bothered me because I was already a permanent part of the house and it was also a part of me.

It wasn't until the day we left for England that I felt a very strange feeling whenever I thought of the house. After we left, I started to have the same dream where I would seem to float on air, roaming about the empty house, from one room to another, as if looking for something I'd lost. What's even more bizarre, the dream carried on well throughout my teenage years and suddenly stopped the day I came back to Indonesia, a few years later. It turned out that the house was sold a few months after we had left, but stayed empty for years because for some reasons the new inhabitants just didn't quite fit in.

I guess the dream explained everything.


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A note:

I'm sorry I haven't been the best of blogger lately. I have missed visiting your blogs and leaving a few words. But seeing that I'm going through an excessive nesting period at the moment, I find it hard to stay too long in front of the computer while my home seems to be begging for some tidying up (no matter how many times I tell myself how tidy it already is!). I hope you're all having wonderful lovely days and maybe I'll have more time visiting after the baby comes. :)

Hugs,

Amalia, oxx
PS: The Lost Soul is already haunting my shop right here.


18 comments:

  1. oh i love reading true stories, and this one is magic... there is definitely something going on there and by the look of your beautiful artwork it’s not spooky at all;
    there is almost a vibe of friendship...
    xo sandra

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  2. That sounds like lovely memories of your house, you must have had some happy times there. :) Now you go back to your nesting while your hands are still free. (ish!)xx

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  3. Love the new piece and the story with it. Yes...Jess said it best go back to your nesting while your hands are still free! ♥

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  4. oooh your story's giving me happy goosebumps! scary tale with a beautiful artwork :)

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  5. I love this post Amalia...I too lived in a house that had a *presence*, although I was never sure who it was. It was a home built in the 1800's and I found out later it had served for a short while as a funeral home.
    The front hall had a huge staircase, and in the quiet of the day, I would hear someone walking down that hall...even measured steps, not settling. I never felt threatened in any way and there were the quirky things like something showing up where I know I didn't put it.
    I think whatever was left knew I loved the house passionately, and occasionally I would address it out loud to remind it that though I owned the house now, and was restoring it, it could stay.
    When the house was completely restored, it quit visiting.
    I often wonder if it was the builder.....or the first owner....
    Energy lingers.

    XXOO~~
    Anne

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  6. Love this story Amalia! Enjoy your nesting period and dont worry about visiting - I have been out of the loop quite a bit too - you sure have a good reason!

    I love this beautiful illustration too! I will have to visit the wish forest soon to spend my gift!

    Hugs and smiles
    xo

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  7. My son says that our house is haunted. I have never sensed anything here but all the kids have said that there is "something" here. I think I am too busy with my grandson to notice anything. LOL. He's so loud and rambunctious he would drown anything out that might seem amiss. Oh I remember the "need" to get things done in those last weeks of pregnancy. Even if you are just doing the same things over and over it is still comforting. take care Amalia :)

    XOXOXO

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  8. Oooooh I love spooky stories! Your new artwork is awesome as always:)

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  9. What a wonderful story - when I was a girl I had a similiar story. Except the presence in the house that I felt was not all that friendly. My sister saw a little girl looking at her out of one of the windows - oneday when we were walking up the driveway after returning home from school. I hated being in the house alone. I still dream about the house - after 30 years, it's also a searching type of dream, something lost. You were lucky that your experience was friendly and positive. It's strange how children pick up on these things - parents thought we were nuts. I love the painting - she looks dreamy, ethereal, not quiet of this world.

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  10. I think children often understand a lot more than the adults who forget to believe in things. Love this post, both the painting and the story.

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  11. What a beautiful painting! :) It has a slightly spooky (but still sweet) vibe to it. You didn't apologize for nesting - I just realized I haven't blogged for ten days! :( We all need a little down time.

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  12. I love the atmosphere you've created here! Perfect for this time of year... and your character is gorgeous, as always!

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  13. haha, and I thought you were just ignoring me. Beautiful as always Amalia :) I won't go into details.... you have lovely flow in the story. You want to know something Psst... a secret. I am typing this in an old gaol (where we have our art show) the place is full of ghosts that I have felt - always when I am just walking around minding my own business) I'll tell you about it one day.

    Good luck with the nesting reflex. I have the opposite reflex :)

    cheers and hugs from oz

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  14. I really like this piece, it is simply deep and wonderful. Thank you for sharing your tale. I do not have a haunting story, but i remember my mom saying she could leave me alone for hours, I was simply happy and quiet being alone. I wonder if many artists are like this. Art for the most part is a solitary exploration. So glad you are honoring your nesting, it is a special time.

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  15. well, you know what they say.., "we are not alone." i don't know how you manage 2 still produce great works in this condition. i'm so impressed :) take care Amalia.

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  16. What a wonderful post! You're a very good writer as well as an amazing artist! You have an artists soul, so that house knew that it could talk to you.

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  17. Beautiful artwork mel...and wonderful story,..

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  18. so beautiful. (*_*)

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Tell me your lovely daydreams, they always make me smile! ♥