On Super Stars

On Super Stars

Not seldom do we read articles praising someone as super stars. Here is an instance:

“ … He, this living legend, stays in a five star hotel in the president’s suite that was once visited by vice president Walter Mondale and king Hussein. From the airport to the hotel he took a helicopter. His life was not less adventurous to those that are princes or head of states. We would be impressed about his riches and the millions of dollars he earned. … Something like that was written in the editorial of a foremost news paper of Jakarta recently“ said pak Arif to me “and I might add, erect his statue and kneel, worship and kiss his feet.”

“But I adore, am enchanted, fascinated by my little Star as I remember her lovely smile, her voice, her looks, her radiant eyes, her soft hair, her warm embrace, her kiss, … Eve, instead of being impressed, awed by shows, exhibitions of their fame, achievements, riches, earnings … ha, ha, ha.”

“I don’t care about the super stars on the stage, on the grass, or in the sky.”

Jayakarta, September 26, 1990

I Hate To Have Visitors

I Hate To Have Visitors

How I hate to receive visitors. I can’t keep up a clever conversation.

I’d rather visit him or her and I’m so free to leave as soon as I want. If he visits us, we certainly wouldn’t be able to chase him away anyway. And he just can’t go away immediately for courteous sake. Besides, you don’t know what it costs me to clean up the house, buy some snack, take it down the stairs, wash the plates when I have no servant to do it with a hurting leg. Days, since the announcement of his coming visit am I sick, vexed of waiting and of the thought.

And now, think of my brother in law to gladden us with oleh-oleh (a little gift of fruits or cookies, sweets after a journey) from Makasar by visiting and bringing it himself. I said to my sister “don’t trouble him to take it to us. But in my mind, I meant. not to trouble us with his visit. Oh, oh, my dear sister who was in France telephoned him, instead, urged, forced him to come in person to honor us. What a cruel, foolish request of a wife as he had almost no access to a car, a guide and a lot more in Jakarta. I’d rather free Johan in that case.

Instead of receiving his visit and embarrassed, converse about nothing, the weather, I now will visit him. How I wish he could sent someone else.

Imagine, Whom should I ask a favor to do something, I myself don’t like, hate? And he stays in Pondok Indah on the 11th floor. Whom should I take with me in the lift and carry the oleh-oleh downstairs? Who would drive me? Remember, I have to repay a kindness with a kindness. So I have to buy some snack, forced to do it myself, telephone here, there, traffic jams, … I won’t tell you all the trouble, miseries I encounter. I am vexed. All this is surely, really like hell to escape a worse hell.

“I got the parcel though. It was lucky he was away, ha, ha.” she laughed as she, opa Johan’s wife related this afterwards to me. “I’m oh so happy it’s over. He has returned to France.”

“Well, I just stopped by in Kebon Jeruk on the way to picnic this Sunday morning and knocked on the gate.” said Opa Johan, “Blacky joyfully, excitedly ran up to me from behind the gate as the gate was locked. I’m so welcome. He’s so happy with my visit even without oleh-oleh. What do you say?”

“Sure, as I am not a dog.” She said.

As she mused, what a price it takes just to receive someone’s unwanted goodness. Instead of a blessing, a happy surprise it comes like a torment you’ll always remember if you can’t, don’t have the courage to refuse, become wiser, just because of a small, stupid parcel, thing, request.

September 2008

The Rich "Pemulung"

The Rich Pemulung

I imagined his immense treasure in his cart for old junk as it carried a sleeping girl and he hummed:

With you beside me,
Living, sleeping in my cart;
Right there’s my palace, my paradise.
With you beside me,
The richest man seems poor to me.

The girl is mumbling in her sleep:

With you beside me,
Am I honored as a queen of queens.
With you beside me,
Hell doesn’t terrify me,
Nor do I wish to go to heaven
Save with you.

They haven’t the means to buy themselves a marriage certificate, to wear shoes, even slippers. More over for a glittering feast in a grand hotel, for hundreds of guests to be invited to witness their marriage. Yet, the moon smiled, million stars watched and rejoiced, witnessing their marriage celebration: as they sat, eat together from the same banana leaf with their fingers, drinking together out of the same old aqua bottle. Was there ever a warmer couch than sleeping together in each other’s arms?

That was some years ago. Recently I met them again. Perhaps they were the same couple, maybe another. The rich pemulung became still richer as he was blessed with three little kids and a baby. The eldest was walking with his mother, his younger brothers and the baby were in a big carton box like little pandas with shining eyes in his cart.

Oh, no, certainly not a cart but his marriage coach when he carried his princess, his bride home.

“Going to the public health clinic” he cheerfully waved at me. Though he only earned his living with gathering, collecting used carton boxes from garbage bins, he has a cart, that cart was his business capital, his wedding carriage, his wedding couch, remember, he’s an entrepreneur, he’s his own boss. “Better be the head of a chicken, rather than be the tail of an ox, ha, ha.” he thought.

Some day when his children are grown up, perhaps they proudly would say, ”true, my parents were called poor pemulungs and lived from collecting old junk, yet they were very rich in feelings, loving, happiness and succeeded to raise us to be graduates, business owners, ….”

Bisnis Indonesia, December 27, 1991

An Unforgettable Quarrel

An Unforgettable Quarrel

“Hi, Pak Tani, they look fresh and good, those vegetables. How much does they cost?” so I asked him.
Said the farmer: “ Rp. 50.-.”
“Can we haggle about the price?”
“Sure” he said.
“What about Rp. 200.-? That is too cheap. Raise your price please.”
“Oh, no, no, no. That’s too high. What about Rp. 75.-? That’s high enough. It can’t be raised anymore.”
“What about Rp. 175.- ?”
“No, no, no, the price is fixed, not more.
“After fierce battling to and fro we agreed on Rp. 150.-.“

“How happy we were after our hot dispute, quarrel we’ll never forget. Imagine, just for Rp. 150.- , I, we got more than a million dollars worth in happiness, you know? Aren’t you proud to have such a rich husband” and he whispered: “who has the courage to praise himself? Ha, ha, ha. What do you say?” opa Johan said to his wife who pinched him.

“Oh, it’s just your fancy, fantasy.” she said.

October 1974

The Marriage Pledge

The Marriage Pledge

In 2008 and before

I promise before God and His community here to ever love, aid, assist you and be true, faithful in rain and shine, in plenty or want in good health or sickness until death would part us.

In 2100

I vow that I free you from the marriage pledge. I’m grateful you granted your love this very day, may it be every day.

After 2200 the marriage takes place without vows, promises, pledges, as all the creatures on this earth.

“You’re not mine, I’m yours!”

September 2008

Sadam And Bush

Sadam And Bush

It is in the year 2050 on earth. Sadam and Bush are in heaven.

Bush: Hi Sadam, you truly played your role superb. How you hated me as I called you ‘the axis of evil’ and accused you of hiding weapons of mass destruction, terrorists and the world believed this. How brave you were as you stood alone. No country had the courage to take your side. My army was as thousand to one strong compared to yours, moreover aided by coalition troops. Your son Uday who was hunted and trapped, yet did not surrender though he was besieged, surrounded with. Humvees, helicopters and a lot of military personnel.

Sadam: Sure that was my role. The judges who sentenced me to the gallows acted their roles, why hate them or hate you for your earthly role. But at that time, absorbed in acting our roles we didn’t realize, forgot that we were just acting as was ordained, decided in the play of our supreme Dalang (Puppeteer). We said “our Allah” and you said “our God”, but now we know, they are the same, the supreme Dalang. We have performed, done our roles and the show on earth goes on.

Bush: As I now think in heaven I would like my role could include, to apologize for the damage, wrongs done, for the victims, your fallen heroes and pay in compensation to your country, your people when my accusations turned out wrong, not proved and also for our fallen heroes in a needless war. Then the heavenly spectators of the show on earth would sympathize with me.

September 2008

"Someone To Watch Over Me"

“Someone To Watch Over Me”

“As she stood so close in front of me, I would, could embrace her waist in the overcrowded train. And she looked down on me and I looked up at her. And when my neighbor beside me left, she sat close beside me and gently pressed herself against me as a woman leaning against a man, though I was wearing shorts, the only man that’s wearing it that way in the train, dirty, in plain sports shirt, old, worn shoes, white hair. She didn’t turn away in disgust, you know.” he said. ”I would kiss her goodness, warmth and I thought of the young man who asked Princess Diana to be allowed to kiss her. This was even more than a kiss as it was granted me unasked despite my poor appearance.” Opa Johan was silent.

“I’ll never would see her again. I ‘m grateful it was just there in that overcrowded train, of that very moment, I’ll ask not more, but remember this with fond affection.”

And Gershwin’s: ‘Someone To Watch Over Me’, slowly dawned on me.

September 2008