Maryam Mufidah was born on December 22, 2007, in Purworejo, Central Java, Indonesia. She currently is a sixth grader at the elementary school of the Muhammadiyah Kutoarjo.

As her writing achievements she notes two placings in 2019. A second place at the “Festival dan Literasi Nasional”— a short story competition for the Kutoarjo area, and a first place at the “Tsamuha Smart Competition” — a short story competition for the Jawa Tengah province.

Maryam and her family currently reside in Pangenjurutengah, Purworejo, Jawa Tengah. She can be reached via her mother, Sari Wahyuni, at: 085743637002.

Kehampaan di Pantai Tanjung Lesung

Sore itu, pada 22 Desember 2018, kabut tebal dan suara gemuruh yang tak kunjung reda menghantam seluruh pantai Tanjung Lesung, Pandeglang.

“Gempa! Gempa! Gunung Krakatau meletus!” Teriakan penduduk di sekitar pantai Tanjung Lesung terdengar di seantero desa.

Isak tangis terdengar di mana-mana. Korban pun banyak terlihat di reruntuhan rumah. Banyak jasad tak terurus. Desa sunyi menahan sedu dan pilu.

Seorang anak berparas cantik duduk bersandar di bebatuan purba yang berada di tepi pantai. Mata anak itu disembunyikan di antara kedua lututnya. Wajahnya tertunduk.

“Nak, mengapa kamu di sini?” tanya seorang polisi yang sedang berkeliling di tepi pantai yang masuk dalam provinsi Banten itu. Dia ditugaskan untuk mencari korban-korban gempa bumi yang kemudian disusul tsunami.

Anak itu memandang polisi itu sebelum berkata lirih, “Saya sudah tidak memiliki apa pun.”

Polisi itu lalu mencari keterangan mengenai anak perempuan itu pada penduduk setempat.

Anak itu bernama Fenita. Kecuali kakaknya yang sedang meneruskan pendidikan di luar Pulau Jawa, semua keluarganya memang sudah habis ditelan gempa dan digulung tsunami.

“Fenita, kakakmu akan kuberitahu mengenai keadaanmu dan orangtuamu yang telah meninggal. Kamu dapat tinggal di rumahku sampai kakakmu datang menjumpaimu. Kamu dapat memanggilku Om Rian,” polisi itu tersenyum sambil menatap Fenita.

“Pak Polisi eh Om Rian tidak keberatan?” tanya Fenita ragu.

“Om di rumah sendirian. Jadi…,”

Om Rian belum menyelesaikan kata-katanya, Fenita langsung memeluknya dengan erat. Dia memang masih membutuhkan kasih sayang orangtua.

***

Fenita didaftarkan oleh Om Rian ke sebuah sekolah dasar di Kota Tegal. Pada hari pertama memasuki sekolah, Fenita masih gugup. Namun, atas dukungan Om Rian dia akhirnya dengan percaya diri belajar di sekolah itu. Fenita tidak malu-malu berkenalan dengan teman-teman barunya.

Di sekolah itu ada seorang anak bernama Winda yang sama-sama tak memiliki orangtua.

“Kita harus tetap tegar menghadapi berbagai ujian. Hidup bukanlah untuk berpangku tangan,” kata Winda pada saat jam istirahat.

“Kau benar,” Fenita tersenyum dan berharap dapat berkawan akrab dengan Winda.

“Kamu perlu tahu aturan kelas kita. Siapa yang paling sedikit kekurangannyalah yang menjadi pemimpin. Semua murid akan menjulukinya si orang pertama,” jelas Winda.

“Ada anak yang seperti itu?”

“Ada. Anak itu bernama Malik. Itu dia,” Winda mengarahkan pandangannya pada Malik yang sedang bersandar di pintu kelas tak terlalu jauh dari tempat Fenita dan Winda bercakap-cakap.

“Menurutku, anak yang memiliki apa yang kau sebutkan tadi tidaklah berarti apabila dia hanya peduli pada dirinya sendiri,” kata Fenita.

“Ssst! Malik datang,” bisik Winda.

Malik mendatangi mereka dan menghardik Fenita, “Anak baru sudah berani menantang aku!” kata Malik gusar. Dia berpaling dari pandangan Fenita, dan langsung pergi.

Kembali Fenita dan Winda berdua bercakap-cakap.

Menurut Winda, sebenarnya teman sekelas tidak setuju aturan yang dibuat Malik, tetapi mereka tidak berani menentangnya,
“Semoga aku bisa membantunya untuk berubah melalui doaku,” kata Fenita sambil tersenyum.

Sepulang sekolah Fenita langsung mencuci kaki, berganti baju, berwudhu, dan melaksanakan salat. Seusai salat, Fenita berdoa supaya Malik mendapat hidayah. Fenita membaca Alquran dan berharap doanya dikabulkan.

***

Pada saat liburan sekolah, Om Rian mengajak Fenita berlibur ke pantai Tegal.

Fenita tidak menjawab. Dia berlari ke kamar, dan menangis. Dia beranggapan bahwa pantailah yang membuatnya menjadi yatim piatu.

Tak lama kemudian, Om Rian masuk ke kamar Fenita. Dia duduk di pinggiran tempat tidur Fenita sambil mengelus-elus kepalanya dengan lembut.

Ajakan Om Rian berlibur ke pantai menjadikannya gundah. Untuk menenangkan diri, Fenita bermain ke rumah Winda yang jaraknya tak begitu jauh dari rumah Om Rian.

Fenita bercerita pada Winda tentang gempa dan tsunami yang melanda desanya.

“Saat itu aku dan ayahku berencana menangkap ikan di laut dengan menggunakan perahu.

Ibu yang tahu mengenai rencana itu langsung menyiapkan makanan ringan. Ibu telah membeli buah melon yang akan dibawa ke pantai. Lalu gempa datang mengguncang desa.

Ayah langsung membawaku ke tepi pantai dengan menggunakan perahu miliknya agar aku dapat selamat. Namun, di pantai tsunami datang.

Aku diminta lari ke arah daratan.

Ayah bukannya menyelamatkan diri, dia malah menolong seseorang yang tenggelam digulung ombang. Ayah pun terombang-ambing di antara gelombang yang menggunung,” cerita Fenita. Matanya berkaca-kaca.
“Bagaimana dengan ibumu? Apa yang terjadi dengannya?”

“Sewaktu gempa, kaki ibu tersandung melon yang menghambatnya lari keluar. Ibu tertimpa kayu penyangga rumah,” lanjut Fenita. “Itulah yang membuatku benci pantai dan buah melon. Keganasan alam itulah yang membuatku hidup seperti sekarang ini,” lanjut Fenita. Air matanya menetes.

“Jangan khawatir, semua yang kita punya di dunia ini hanyalah sementara. Semua yang kita miliki pasti kembali pada Yang Kuasa. Hidup di dunia bukanlah satu-satunya cara kita bahagia. Dengan membahagiakan orang lain pun kita dapat berbahagia. Bukan hanya berbahagia di dunia, namun juga di akhirat,” ucap Winda menyemangati.

“Terimakasih, Winda. Kata-katamu menyemangatiku,” kata Fenita

“Jangan pernah membenci sesuatu yang Allah ciptakan untuk kita,” jawab Winda.

***

Keesokan harinya, Fenita didekati Winda yang mengabarkan tentang lomba membuat rangkaian bunga dan menghias bingkai foto dari bahan-bahan yang mudah dijumpai di lingkungan pantai.

“Dengan mengikuti lomba ini kamu dapat membahagiakan orangtuamu,” ucap Winda. “Hayo, lebih besar yang mana? Keinginan untuk membahagiakan orangtuamu atau keinginan untuk menghindari pantai? Sampai kapan kamu akan seperti ini?” tantang Winda yang akhirnya membuat Fenita bersedia ikut.

Sesampainya di gelanggang lomba, Fenita terkesima dengan keindahan pantai Kota Tegal. Sudah lama dia tak melihat pantai.

Winda menunggu di teras bangunan yang didirikan di tepi pantai, sedangkan Fenita bersiap mengikuti lomba.

“Hei, kamu lagi, kamu lagi. Bosan aku!”

“Malik?” Fenita terkejut, tapi cuma sebentar.

Fenita tak menghiraukan Malik. Dia berharap Malik tak mengganggunya. Setelah acara dimulai, Fenita mendengarkan pewara yang sedang menjelaskan tata cara lomba. Pewara tersebut memberitahukan bagaimana membuat bunga dengan menggunakan sabun. Hanya dengan mengukir memakai pisau kecil, peserta diharapkan dapat menghasilkan bunga istimewa.

Saat lomba dimulai, Fenita bingung. Kain flannel dan manik-maniknya hilang. Dia mencoba mencarinya, namun tanpa hasil. Ternyata kain flannel dan manik-maniknya berada dalam genggaman Malik. Fenita menghela napas. Dia tidak mau berurusan dengan Malik.

Fenita memutar otaknya untuk mencari bahan lain. Fenita berjalan mendekati pedagang di seputar pantai. Semula Fenita enggan untuk membeli buah melon karena buah melon selalu mengingatkannya pada cerita tentang kematian ibunya. Fenita pun membeli buah melon yang nantinya akan diukir membentuk bunga mawar dengan pisau kecil yang diberikan pada setiap peserta lomba. Namun, Fenita masih bingung bagaimana cara menghias bingkai foto. Tiba-tiba terlintas di benaknya untuk memanfaatkan kerang di tepi pantai sebagai bahan utamanya. Fenita lekas-lekas mengambil kerang-kerang bercorak indah.

Fenita beranjak ke gelanggang lomba dan langsung membuat bunga dengan mengukir bagian dalam melon dan menyusun kerang-kerang menjadi sebuah hiasan bingkai foto. Beruntung Fenita telah diberitahu cara mengukir bunga dengan menggunakan pisau sehingga ia dapat membuat bunga yang indah. Seusai Fenita berkarya, dia menyerahkan karyanya dan menemui Winda. Fenita memberitahukan apa yang baru saja dilakukannya. Dia berjanji tidak akan membenci melon dan pantai jika dia menang.

Waktu pengumuman tiba. Fenita meraih juara satu dan Malik juara dua.

Fenita sangat bahagia. Dia naik ke atas panggung. Namun, anehnya, Malik tak berada di sampingnya ketika penilai menyerahkan penghargaan dan piagam untuk Fenita.

Setelah ditunggu beberapa saat, pewara memberitahukan bahwa Malik tak ada di panggung karena dia sedang mendaftar di sebuah asrama pondok. Penghargaan dan piagam milik Malik akan diantar panitia ke pondok pesantren barunya.

Fenita bergembira karena doanya telah dikabulkan.

Setelah turun dari panggung Fenita segera menemui Winda. Fenita melihat Om Rian dan seorang gadis berada di samping Winda. Gadis itu adalah kakak Fenita yang dia nantikan kedatangannya. Fenita memeluk kakaknya erat-erat.

Winda memberi tahu kalau doa Fenita juga dikabulkan oleh Allah: Malik masuk pondok pesantren. “Allah Maha Penyayang pada semua makhluk-Nya. Bagian-bagian alam yang ada di dunia ini pastilah dapat membahagiakan manusia dengan membuahkan manfaat. Namun, kita saja yang sering melihat kemurahan Allah itu secara sempit,” jelas Winda.

*****

Thirteen year old Nurina Sanputeri Halim and her family currently reside in Semarang, Indonesia where Nurina is a sophomore at the Middle School of Sekolah Nasional Karangturi, Semarang, Indonesia.

Nurina is an avid reader. Being the youngest of three siblings gives her the benefit of exposure to readings at a higher level than her age. She has read Hamilton’s America so often that she memorizes the entire screenplay—the script as well as the songs. One of her dreams is to one day see Hamilton on a Broadway stage in New York.

Nurina’s father is a columnist for a local newspaper. Watching her father write inspires her to write for leisure. Nurina is reachable via email at: nurina.hlim@gmail.com.

Tanjung Lesung Beach Wrapped In Desolation

On the afternoon of December 22, 2018, thick fog and continuous thunder hit the entire Tanjung Lesung Beach, near Pandeglang, West Java, Indonesia.

“Earthquake! Earthquake! Mount Krakatau is erupting!” The villagers’ shouts and cries were heard throughout the area. Some injured villagers were tended to insithe ruins of what used to be houses. After the earthquake subsided, the village quietly restrained its sadness.

A beautiful young girl sat on a boulder on the edge of the beach with her head between her knees.

“Why are you here, child?” asked a police officer, who was making rounds at the Banten Province beach. He was assigned to find victims from the tsunami that followed the earthquake.

The girl glanced at the police officer before saying softly, “I don’t have anything anymore.”

The police officer asked the villagers for information about the girl.

The girl’s name was Fenita, he was told. Other than Fenita’s sister, who was continuing her education on another island, all of Fenita’s family members had been killed during the earthquake and tsunami.

“Fenita,” the police officer said, I’ll tell your sister what has happened. Until your sister can return, you can stay in my house. You can call me Uncle Rian,” The policeman smiled at Fenita.
“Officer — I mean, Uncle Rian, you don’t mind?” asked Fenita doubtfully.

“I live alone. So…”

Before Uncle Rian could finish his sentence, Fenita hugged him tightly. She still needed a parent’s love.

***

Uncle Rian enrolled Fenita into an elementary school in Tegal.

On her first day of school, Fenita felt nervous. But thanks to Uncle Rian’s support, she felt confident enough to study at the school. Fenita wasn’t shy when she met her new friends.

At school, Fenita met another girl named Winda, who had lost her parents too.

“We have to stay tough, to face all kinds of challenges,” Winda told Fenita during a school break. “Life isn’t to be wasted doing nothing.”

“You’re right.” Fenita smiled, hoping to become close friends with Winda.

“You must know our class rules,” Winda continued. “Whoever is the strongest becomes a leader. All the students will refer to that person as The Leader.”

“Is there anyone like that?”

“There is.” Winda glanced at a boy leaning against a classroom door not far from where Fenita and Winda were talking. “His name is Malik.”

“I think,” said Fenita, “that being The Leader means nothing if that person only cares about himself.”

“Sssh!” whispered Winda. “Malik is coming.”

Malik came up to them and rebuked Fenita, “This kid is a newcomer, but already brave enough to challenge me!” Malik said, upset. He looked away from Fenita and left immediately.
Fenita and Winda continued talking.

According to Winda, her classmates didn’t agree with the rules Malik made, but they didn’t dare challenge him.

“I hope I can help him change through my prayers,” said Fenita with a smile.

After school, Fenita went to wash her feet, change clothes, perform ablution, and her prayer rituals. As soon as she finished, Fenita prayed for Malik to receive guidance. Fenita read the Koran and hoped her prayer would be answered.

***

During the school holiday, Uncle Rian invited Fenita to join him for an outing at the beach in Tegal.

Fenita didn’t answer. She ran to her room and cried. She believed that the beach had made her an orphan.

Soon after, Uncle Rian entered Fenita’s room and sat on the edge of her bed while softly stroking her head.

Uncle Rian’s invitation had made Fenita sad. To calm herself, Fenita visited Winda, who lived nearby.

Fenita told Winda about the earthquake and the tsunami that had struck her village.

“At the time it happened, my father and I had planned to go fishing in the sea in our boat,” Fenita told Winda. “My mother quickly prepared some light snacks and bought a melon for us to take.
Then the earthquake came and shook the village. My dad immediately turned the boat back to the beach to make sure I was safe. But, the tsunami pounded the beach.

“I was told to run inland,” Fenita continued tearfully. “Instead of saving himself, my dad helped someone who was drowning in the waves. For a while, my dad was adrift between mounting waves.”

“What about your mom?” asked Winda. “What happened to her?”

“During the earthquake, my mother tripped over a melon that blocked her way as she tried to run outside. She was struck by a wooden beam.” Fenita answered. “That’s what made me hate beaches and melons. The power of nature is what made my life like this.” Fenita’s tears started dropping.

“Don’t worry,” Winda said encouragingly. “Everything we have in this world is temporary. Everything we have will go back to the Almighty. Life in this world isn’t the only way we can be happy. By making other people happy, we can be happy too. Not only will we be happy in this world, but also in the hereafter.”

“Thank you, Winda,” said Fenita, “Your words reassure me.”

“Don’t ever hate something God has created for us,” answered Winda.

***

The next day, Winda told Fenita about a flower-arranging competition and a photo-frame decorating competition that used materials found on the beach.

“By entering this competition, you can make your parents happy,” Winda challenged Fenita. “Hey, which is stronger? Your desire to make your parents happy or your desire to avoid the beach? For how long will you be like this?” Winda’s challenge made Fenita agree to join.

When Fenita reached the competition arena, she was amazed at how beautiful Tegal’s beach was. It had been so long since she had seen a beach.

While Fenita prepared herself for the competition, Winda waited on a patio that had been constructed at the edge of the beach.

“Hey, you again, you again. I’m tired of seeing you!”

“Malik?” Fenita was surprised, but only for a moment.

Fenita ignored Malik. She hoped Malik wouldn’t bother her. After the competition started, Fenita focused on the host who explained the rules of the competition.

The host told them how to make a flower using soap. By only using a small knife to carve, contestants were expected to create a special flower.

After the competition began, Fenita was confused. Her flannel and beads had disappeared. She tried to look for them, but didn’t find anything. It turned out her flannel and beads were with Malik. Fenita sighed. She didn’t want to deal with Malik.

Fenita racked her brain for other materials. She walked near the merchants around the beach. At first Fenita was reluctant to buy a melon because melons always reminded her of her mother’s death. Fenita finally bought a melon so later, she could carve it into a rose using the small knife given to all contestants. However, Fenita was still confused on how to decorate her photo frame. Suddenly, it crossed her mind to use the shells on the beach as the main element. She quickly grabbed a few shells with beautiful patterns.

Fenita entered the competition arena and soon started to carve the inside of the melon into a flower and arranged the seashells to decorate her photo frame.

Luckily Fenita had been told how to carve a flower using a knife so she could create a beautiful flower. Once she finished, she compiled her work and went to meet up with Winda. Fenita told Winda what she had just done. She promised she would not hate melons and beaches anymore if she won.

It was time for the announcement. Fenita won first place and Malik second place.

Fenita felt elated. She went onto the stage. However, oddly enough, Malik wasn’t next to her when the judge presented Fenita with the award and certificate.

After waiting a while, the host announced that Malik wasn’t on stage because he was in the middle of registering himself at a boarding house. The committee would take Malik’s award and certificate directly to his new boarding school.

Fenita felt happy because her prayer had come true.

After coming down from the stage Fenita immediately went to meet Winda.

Fenita saw Uncle Rian and a girl standing next to Winda. The girl was Fenita’s sister whom she had been waiting for. Fenita hugged her tightly.

Winda told her how Fenita’s prayer was also granted by God: Malik was accepted at a boarding school. “God Almighty loves all his creations. Humans can certainly happily benefit of some parts of nature. However, we are often only aware of a small part of God’s generosity,” explained Winda.

***

Friska Sibarani was born on July 13, 1998 in Wamena, Jayawijaya, on the island of Papua. Her parents were Bataks who migrated to Papua. She grew up in Wamena until she was eighteen and then decided to continue her education on the island of Java.

Currently, Friska is a student of Indonesian Literature at the University of Sanata Dharma, Yogyakarta. Her interest in reading and writing supports her aspiration to become a professional writer. Friska started writing in 2016. Aku Akan Pulang ke Wamena is her first short story.

Friska can be reached at friska1307.siba@gmail.com.

Aku Akan Pulang Ke Wamena

Kuletakan surat penempatanku menjadi guru di Wamena di atas meja coklat tua di kamarku dan meneguk air minum untuk mencoba menenangkan pikiran. Kupandangi sebuah bingkai foto di atas meja. Fotonya sudah memudar Aku tak ingat kapan terakhir aku memandangi foto itu.

“Ibu, Ayah, aku rindu! Masih bisakah kita bertemu?” bisikku dengan suara yang bergetar sambil mengambil foto tersebut.

Untuk beberapa waktu ingatan masa kecilku pun kembali. Aku lahir pada tahun 1996 di sebuah kota kecil di Kabupaten Jayawijaya. Kota tersebut bernama Wamena, yang berarti anak babi. Di Wamena aku menjalani masa-masa kecilku bersama kedua orang tuaku. Meski kami bukanlah penduduk asli di kota Wamena, kedua orang tuaku selalu mengajarkan aku untuk mencintai tanah kelahiranku tersebut. Masa kanak-kanakku tak berbeda dengan orang lain.

Kota kecil tersebut memiliki penduduk yang beragam dari berbagai daerah. Aku sendiri memiliki teman bermain yang berasal dari Padang, Madura, Sunda, Toraja dan Wamena. Orang tuaku selalu berpesan padaku untuk tidak membeda-bedakan teman-temanku dari manapun mereka berasal.

Ayahku adalah seorang perantau yang berasal dari Jawa dan ibuku berasal dari Sumatera. Ayah merantau ke Wamena setelah dia baru lulus Sekolah Menengah Atas. Awalnya ayahku bekerja sebagai karyawan toko perabotan. Lalu akhirnya memutuskan untuk membuka usahanya sendiri dan kemudian menjadi seorang pedagang kelontongan di Wamena.

Ibuku adalah seorang pegawai pegawai negeri sipil yang ditugaskan di Wamena. Ibuku bekerja di Dinas Sosial. Keduanya bertemu di tempat ini kemudian memutuskan menikah dan melanjutkan hidup di tanah yang indah ini. Dahulu masa kecilku terbilang sangat menyenangkan, hingga hari itu tiba.

Tanggal 6 Oktober 2000 terpaku dalam ingatan penduduk kota Wamena sebagai peristiwa Wamena Berdarah. Peristiwa itu terjadi akibat peristiwa penurunan paksa Bendera Bintang Kejora oleh TNI dan Polri sebagai tindakkan pemerintah Indonesia terhadap gerakan kemerdekan yang disuarakan oleh penduduk asli Papua. Saat itu aku baru berusia empat tahun.

Sore itu senja baru saja menghilang di balik gunung-gunung yang mengelilingi kota. Aku berlari ke sana ke mari bermain bola biru kesayanganku. Aku terkejut melihat sebuah gumpalan asap hitam tebal di atas gunung-gunung yang tadinya indah. Bunyi tembakan mulai terdegar dari sudut-sudut kota yang jauh. Beberapa orang mulai berlarian di depan rumah kami.

Seorang tetanggaku yang juga adalah penduduk asli menyuruh kami segera masuk dan berlindung di bawah tempat tidur.
Dengan cepat kami mengikuti perintahnya. Bunyi tembakan terus terjadi berjam-jam.

Ayah mendekapku dalam rangkulan. Dia berusaha menutup telingaku agar aku tak mendegar apapun. Namun, jeritan yang sangat menakutkan di luar sana tetap terdengar olehku dan hingga kini masih terekam dalam pikirku.

Beberapa kali rumahku diobrak-abrik oleh beberapa orang Dani yakni penduduk asli Wamena yang mencari para pendatang. Terdengar beberapa orang dari mereka berteriak “Ou… ou… ou…”

“Kenapa mereka?” Ibu rupanya gugup dan prihatin. “Kenapa mereka kesakitan?”

“Memang tidak kesakitan.” Ayah merangkul aku lebih erat sambil berbisik, “Teriakan ou, ou, adalah ciri khas orang Dani untuk berperang.”

Dekap Ayah menempelkan kupingku pada dadanya. Terdengar detak jantungnya yang cepat.

“Rupanya, mereka ingin kita segera meninggalkan kota Wamena.” Ayah menghela nafas.

Dengan mencuri pandangan dari lengan ayah yang merangkulku, kulihat sebuah parang tajam berlumuran darah segar yang dipegang oleh salah satu orang Dani yang telah berhasil masuk ke dalam rumah kami.

Semalaman penuh Ibu terus-menerus menghitung rosario sambil berdoa agar ada orang yang menolong kami keluar dari keadaan ini. Kami masih berlindung di kolong tempat tidur.

Aku merasa malam itu adalah malam yang paling mengerikan dalam hidupku. Dadaku merasa sesak untuk bernafas di kolong tempat tidur yang sempit. Tempat itu yang juga gelap dan berdebu. Beberapa kali aku merengek untuk segera keluar. Tetapi Ayah hanya memelukku agar aku mau bersabar menunggu pertolongan.

Pagi harinya doa ibuku terkabul. Beberapa anggota TNI dengan persenjataan lengkap datang ke rumah kami.

Ayah segera keluar dan meminta bantuan.

Kami sekeluarga segera dibawa menggunakan truk milik TNI.

Sementara, kerusuhan terus terjadi. Pembantaian terjadi di mana-mana. Anggota Polri dan masyarakat asli Wamena saling membunuh. Seolah-olah tak akan ada lagi damai di antara mereka.

Sepanjang jalan Ibu menghalangi pandanganku dengan tangannya.

Dari celah-celah jari-jarinya kulihat mayat-mayat bergelimpangan di sepanjang jalan. Beberapa di antaranya tak memiliki badan yang utuh lagi.

Semua orang menjerit ketakutan dan berlari-lari menyelamatkan diri. Banyak yang terpisah dari keluarganya. Bahkan banyak juga yang melihat anggota keluarganya terpenggal dan terpanah di depan mata sebelum akhirnya juga ikut terbunuh. Anak-anak kecil menjerit ketakutan. Sambil menangis mereka mencari ibunya. Suara tangisan terdengar memilukan di mana-mana
Kami diungsikan ke Polsek. Di sana, kami segera bergabung dengan pengungsi lain yang juga bernasib sama dengan kami. Saat itu, kami bersyukur masih dapat lolos dari peristiwa 6 oktober 2000 kemarin. Semuanya saling bantu-membantu mengobati luka-luka. Para wanita membantu ibu-ibu menjaga anak-anaknya yang terus menangis ketakutan. Sementara para pria membantu TNI untuk menyediakan makanan. Para pria memasak menggunakan sekop dan drum sebagai alat masak. Tak ada pilihan lain. Saat itu bertahan hidup adalah hal terpenting.

Kami diberi tempat untuk beristirahat di dalam ruang berjeruji bersama pengungsi lain.

Ibuku memelukku agar mau memejamkan mata setelah berhari-hari tak bisa tidur.

Di sudut ruang berjeruji itu aku melihat ayah mencoret-coret kertas kusam. Wajahnya, seperti sedang gelisah.

Aku segera duduk di pangkuannya sambil memeluknya dengan erat.

Ayah memasukan kertas yang dia tuliskan sebelumnya ke dalam saku jaketku. Dia mengelus-ngelus rambutku dan berkata, “Beristirahatlah, Sayang! Sebentar lagi kita harus pergi dari sini, kita sudah terlalu lama menunggu.”

Untuk pertama kalinya kulihat mata Ayah berkaca-kaca. Belum sempat air matanya membasahi pipi, aku memeluknya erat.

Esok paginya kami diangkut bersama rombongan besar ke bandara karena keadaan kota yang masih sangat rawan.

Para petugas TNI mengawal kami untuk keluar dari kota Wamena. Langit masih saja menampakkan kabut yang gelap. Beberapa kali pesawat jet milik angkataan udara RI melintas dengan cepat.

Saat itu kulihat kanan dan kiriku hampir semua orang menahan takut.

Ayah berbisik padaku, “Tenanglah Lin, setelah ini kita akan pergi jauh,” dan seperti biasa, aku selalu percaya pada kata-kata Ayah.

Sesampainya di bandara, keadaan tak seperti yang diharapkan. Bandara telah ditutup oleh beberapa orang Dani bersenjatahan panah. Pesawat terus berputar di atas kota dan tak dapat mendarat. Kelompok orang Dani semakin banyak.

Terjadi perlawanan dari anggota TNI menyerang balik orang Dani. Beberapa anggota TNI dan orang Dani tewas di tempat karena terpanah atau tertembak senjata api. Muncratan darah membanjiri tiap sudut lapangan udara. Akhirnya TNI berhasil mengatasi serangan orang Dani.

Dengan cepat pesawat mendarat begitu keadaan aman.

Ayah segera menggendongku. Sambil ditariknya tangan Ibu, Ayah terus berlari ke arah pesawat yang jaraknya cukup jauh.

Orang-orang semakin berdesakan. Dorong-mendorong terjadi untuk saling mendahului sampai di pesawat secepatnya.

Dengan lengan dan tangannya, ayah berusaha melindungi kepalaku agar tak terbentur oleh desakan orang yang semakin ganas. Badanku bergetar ketakutan. Jemari-jemariku mencengkram Ayah.

Sambil berdesak-desak ke pintu pesawat, dia mengangkatku pada pundaknya. Terdengar Ayah terus meminta tolong pada beberapa orang yang berada di pintu pesawat agar mau menerimaku.

Begitu kami berada persis di bawah pintu pesawat, seorang pria paruh baya di sebelah kami menarik badanku dengan kencang.

Lenganku seperti hampir lepas rasanya. Aku menangis kesakitan.

Pria paruh baya tersebut memelukku dengan kuat. Kami berhasil menaiki beberapa anak tangga pesawat, sedangkan kedua orang tuaku semakin terhimpit oleh orang-orang yang berusaha saling mendahului.

Aku tidak ingin terpisah dari Ayah dan Ibu dan merontak dalam pelukannya. Pria tesebut berusaha menahan rontakkanku dan terus mencoba menaiki anak tangga yang dipenuhi oleh orang-orang yang saling mendorong. Langkahnya mulai terpincang-pincang terinjak beberapa orang.

Aku sama sekali tak memperdulikannya. Aku hanya terus beteriak melihat ayahku yang semakin terpojok oleh segerombolan orang. Beberapa saat kemudian pria paru baya tersebut berhasil membawaku masuk ke dalam pesawat.

Aku terus menangis terisak-isak memangil Ayah dan Ibu namun mereka tak juga terlihat di manapun. Pintu pesawat telah tertutup dan aku masih belum menemukan mereka. Aku tidak mengenal seorangpun yang berada di dalam pesawat.

Tubuhku masih bergetar ketakutan. Aku menjerit sambil berlari-lari di antara orang-orang mencari Ayah dan Ibu.

Pria paruh baya tersebut kembali menarikku ke dalam pelukannya dan berusaha membuatku berhenti menagis. Namun aku masih tidak memperdulikannya. Aku sangat ketakutan melihat orang tuaku tidak berada di sisiku. Dalam pelukan pria tersebut aku terus terisak-isak hingga mulai merasa sangat lelah. Aku tertidur dalam pelukannya selama penerbangan berlangsung dari Wamena ke Jayapura.

Sesampainya di Jayapura, pria paruh baya yang menolongku dengan gelisah terus menerus melihat ke segala arah seperti mecari orang di antara para pengungsi. Dia kemudian menitipkan aku pada para perawat di bandara.

Para perawat berusaha menghiburku sambil mengobati luka-luka di tubuhku. Mereka akhirnya menemukan kertas yang ditaruh ayah di saku jaketku. Ternyata kertas itu berisi nama dan alamat budheku yang berada di Jakarta. Merekapun akhirnya mengirimkanku kepadanya. Sejak saat itu Budhe menjadi wali yang membesarkanku.

***

Air mataku telah mengalir membasahi foto kedua orang tuaku. Setelah semua yang telah terjadi pada masa lampau, aku tak pernah berharap untuk kembali lagi ke Wamena. Bagiku kenangan masa kecilku adalah hal yang kubenci karena membangkitkan kesedihan dan rasa takut dalam lubuk hatiku. Namun, tugas pekerjaan yang baru kuterima menghadapkanku dengan pilihan yang sulit.

Dengan perlahan kubaca lagi daerah penugasanku: Wamena, Kabupaten Jayawijaya. Hatiku mulai merasakan perih. Kupejamkam mataku kuat-kuat. Ingin rasanya aku berteriak hingga langit pecah, “Mengapa semesta membalikkan keadaan semaunya?”

Kurenungkan dalam-dalam wajah Ayah, Ibu dan masa kecilku. Aku dibesarkan dengan rasa cinta yang besar pada tanah kelahiranku. Ibuku juga selalu mengajariku untuk tidak membedakan orang lain hanya berdasar atas tampilan ragawinya.

Kini berkali-kali ku tepuk permukaan meja tulisku dengan penuh rasa penyesalan bercampur amarah. Bagaimana bisa selama ini aku tumbuh sambil menyimpan dendam. Aku tahu bukan ini yang diinginkan ayah ibuku. Bukan sikap ini yang mereka inginkan dari putrinya. Tapi bagaimanapun kehilangan kedua orang terkasih adalah kepedihan yang masih membekas pada hatiku.

Satu kesalahanku yang aku sadari saat ini adalah seharusnya aku tidak boleh menilai buruk sebuah kelompok masyarakat hanya berdasarkan sudut pandangku saja. Apa yang kualami pada masa kecilku seharusnya tidak membuatku membangun benteng perbedaan. Segala hal yang terjadi pada kedua orang tuaku tidak sepenuhnya kesalahan sebuah kelompok masyarakat. Aku, orang tuaku, dan semua orang lain adalah korban dari murka dan perbedaan yang mencerminkan saat itu. Aku coba menenangkan diriku kembali dalam diam.

Sekarang aku mengerti apa yang diharapkan kedua orang tuaku. Kuambil sebuah kertas dan aku luapkan segala isi hati terdalamku dengan coretan yang dengan cepat memenuhi kertas tersebut.

Peristiwa tanggal 6 Oktober sebetulnya tidak perlu terjadi jika musyawarah damai digunakan sebagai jembatan yang tepat untuk menyelesaikan masalah. Malah kedua pihak, yaitu aparat gabungan TNI, Polri dan Masyarakat Papua di Wamena saling mempertahankan pendapat masing-masing.

Pemerintah bersikeras, meminta masyarakat menurunkan bendera Bintang Kejora yang berkibar di beberapa titik di Kota Wamena.

-Sementara masyarakat menolak dan melawan.

Hal inilah yang mengakibatkan sedikitnya 30 orang tewas dan 40 lainnya luka berat. Luka dari peristiwa ini membuat aku mengerti persoalan itu bukan soal perbedaan, bukan soal pandangan. Bukan persoalan kebudayaan tapi ini adalah subuah kepercayaan. Kepercayaan antara dua pihak yang sama-sama merasa sebagai korban. Korban kekerasan, korban ketidakadilan terkait perbedaan terhadap kelompok masyarakat. Keduanya merasa terancam dengan kehadiran satu sama lain.

Kita bukan dibentengi sebuah perbedaan karena pada hakikatnya kita tak pernah berbeda. Tetapi sebuah pembatas terbesar di antara kita adalah kecurigaan pada satu sama lain. Inilah yang menjadi penghalang agar kita dapat hidup berdampingan dalam damai.

Saat peristiwa itu terjadi tak ada satu mayatpun yang kulihat mengeluarkan warna darah yang berbeda dari satu sama lain. Hanya saja saat tertutup oleh warna kulit berbeda ketidakpercayaan antara masyarakat asli Papua dan pendatang muncul dan membuat satu sama lain semakin menjauh. Seharusnya aparat militer, petugas pemerintah dan masyarakat sipil yang tinggal di wilayah Papua maupun penduduk asli, mampu memahami luka sejarah ini. Dengan memahami luka sejarah dan tabiat orang Papua, kita dapat hidup berdampingan dengan damai di tanah Papua.

Usai menulis catatan singkat tersebut, hatiku terasa ringan. Pikiranku memusat pada surat penempatanku menjadi guru di Wamena. Aku teringat perkataan Budhe yang pernah berkata padaku, “Menjadi guru adalah pekerjaan yang mulia!”

Menurutku pekerjaan yang mulia seharusnya dilakukan secara tulus. Dan kini aku bertekat untuk siap berdamai dengan kenangan pahitku di masa kecil. Aku semakin mantap pada keputusanku. Aku akan segera meminta doa restu Budhe agar mengijinkanku menjadi seorang guru di Wamena. Semoga Budhe juga mau mengerti dan menerima keputusan yang telah kubuat. Kuambil surat perjanjian kerjaku dengan perlahan. Sejenak aku membacanya kembali. Jemari-jemariku mulai menggenggam pena menandatanganinya. Aku siap. Kuhelahkan nafas panjang sambil berkata, “Aku akan pulang ke Wamena!”

***

Novita Dewi started writing poetry and short stories during her elementary and middle school days. She published in Si Kuncung and Bobo, children magazines, as well as wrote for the children’s columns featured in Kompas and Sinar Harapan (now Suara Pembaruan). She now nurtures her interest in literature by writing articles about literature and translation for scientific journals. Novita is widely published. The short stories translated and published by Dalang Publishing are her first attempts of literary translation.

She currently teaches English literature courses at Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Novita can be reached at novitadewi@usd.ac.id or novitadewi9@gmail.com.

Going Home to Wamena

I placed my teaching job assignment to Wamena on the dark brown table in my room and sipped some water, trying to calm myself. A framed, faded picture of my parents caught my eye. I could not remember the last time I had last looked closely at the photo.

I picked up the picture and sighed. “Ibu, Mother, Ayah, Father, I miss you! Will we ever meet again?”

My childhood memories swiftly returned. I was born in 1996, in Wamena, a small town in the Jayawijaya Regency of Indonesia’s Papua’s highlands. “Wamena” meant piglet in the vernacular language. I spent my childhood there. Although my parents were not natives of Wamena, they always taught me to love my place of birth. My childhood was no different from that of other Wamena children.

The small town had a diverse population that came from various regions. I had playmates from Padang, Madura, Sunda, Toraja, and Wamena. My parents taught me to not discriminate against my friends regardless of where they came from.

My father was a migrant from Java, and my mother came from Sumatra. My father drifted to Wamena right after graduating from high school. At first, he worked as a shopkeeper in a furniture store. Later, he decided to start his own business and opened a convenience store in Wamena.

My mother was a civil servant in the Social Services Department who had been assigned to a clerical position in Wamena.

The two met, married, and decided to continue living in beautiful Wamena. My childhood had been fairly pleasant until that dreadful day came.

The incident began when the TNI (the Indonesian military) and Polri (the Indonesian National Police) forcibly removed the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag of the native Papuans, as a government measure to repress the Papuans’ independence movement.

I was only four years old.

That afternoon of October 6, the sun had just disappeared behind the mountains that surrounded the town. I was running around, playing with my favorite blue ball, and became scared when suddenly a column of thick black smoke appeared over the mountains that had been so beautiful just a moment ago. The rattling of gunshots filled the far corners of town. In front of our house, some people started running.

A neighbor, who was a local Dani tribe member, told us to go immediately inside and take shelter under the bed.

We quickly followed his orders. The gunfire continued for hours.

Ayah held me in his arms. He covered my ears to keep me from hearing anything. But I could still hear the frightened screams outside, and to this day, those sounds are recorded in my mind.
The Danis, the indigenous Papua tribe who lived in the Wamena area, raided our house several times looking for Javanese migrants. Some of them shouted, “Ou! Ou! Ou!”

“What happened to them?” My mother asked nervously. “Why are they in pain?”

“They’re not in pain.” Ayah tightened his arms around me and whispered, “Ou, ou, is the Dani tribe’s war cry.”

My father’s embrace pressed my ears against his chest, and I could hear his heart racing. “Apparently, they believe that all Javanese are the oppressors, and they want us to leave Wamena immediately.” Ayah sighed heavily.

From under the bed, I peeked between my father’s arms and saw one of the Dani men holding a sharp machete covered with fresh blood.

All through the night, we hid under the bed. Ibu counted rosary beads, praying that someone would rescue us.

That night was the most terrible night of my life. I felt suffocated in the narrow, dark, dusty space under the bed. From time to time, I whined, pleading to get out of the place soon. But Ayah could only give me a hug to make me wait patiently for help.

In the morning, my mother’s prayers were answered. Several armed members of the TNI came to our house. Ayah immediately went outside and asked for help. They loaded our family into a military truck.

Around us, the riots continued. Massacres were rampant. Members of the Indonesian National Police and the indigenous Dani Papuans of Wamena killed each other. So much blood was shed, it seemed that peace could no longer be possible between them.

As we rode along, Ibu covered my eyes with her hands. Peeping through her fingers, I saw corpses lying along the road. Some of the bodies were mutilated.

People screamed in fear and ran to save themselves. Many became separated from their families; many witnessed family members being decapitated before getting killed themselves. Children cried, desperately looking for their mothers. The sound of crying everywhere was heartbreaking.

We were taken to the police station in Wamena and put into a room with barred windows. There, we joined other refugees who shared our fate. At that point, we were thankful we had managed to escape the October 6 incident.

The refugees all helped each other out, treating wounds, and helping mothers look after their children, who cried incessantly in fear. The men helped the Indonesian army prepare food. They used shovels and drums as cooking equipment because there was no other choice. At that moment, survival was the most important thing.

After several sleepless days and nights, my mother held me and encouraged me to close my eyes. But in the corner of the room, I saw my father scribbling on a crumpled piece of paper.
He looked nervous.

I immediately went over to him, crawled onto his lap, and hugged him tightly.

Ayah put the crumpled piece of paper into my jacket pocket. He stroked my hair and said, “Get some sleep, sweetheart. We will be leaving here soon; we’ve already waited a long time.”

That was the first time I saw tears well up in Ayah’s eyes. Before the tears rolled down his cheeks, I held him tight.

The next morning, because the town was still unsafe, the military transported a large group of us to the airport. As the military escorted us by truck out of Wamena, dark smoke still covered the sky. An Indonesian Air Force plane made several quick passes over us.

I saw almost everyone try to control their fear.

Ayah whispered, “Don’t be afraid, Lin; after this, we’ll go far away.” And, as usual, I believed him.

But when we arrived at the airport, things did not turn out as expected. Several Dani tribesmen, armed with bows and arrows, had closed the airport. Unable to land, the Indonesian Air Force plane continued to make passes above the town.

The number of Dani militia at the airport increased.

The TNI and the Dani militia clashed. Members of both parties died on the spot, either pierced by arrows or shot. The airfield was splattered by blood. Eventually, the army overpowered the Danis.
Quickly, the Air Force plane landed.

Ayah immediately picked me up, grabbed my mother’s hand, and ran toward the plane. As we got closer to the plane, the crowd’s jostling intensified. People elbowed each other, trying to board the plane as quickly as possible.

Ayah shielded my head, protecting me from being hit by the crowd pushing onto the aircraft with increasing aggressiveness.

Trembling with fear, I clung to Ayah.

He lifted me up onto his shoulder and managed to bring us very close to the plane. I heard him asking several people near the plane’s door for help to take me.

A middle-aged man next to us yanked me off my father’s shoulders. It felt as if I’d lost my arm, and I cried out in pain.

The man, with me in his arms, managed to climb several steps up to the aircraft.

Meanwhile, as people tried to overtake each other to board the plane, my parents were pushed farther back in the crowd.

I did not want to be separated from my parents, and I struggled in the man’s arms.

He held on to me while continuing to climb the steps crowded with people muscling each other. Several people trampled him, and he began to limp.

I did not care at all what happened to him. I just kept shouting as I watched my father and mother being pushed farther and farther away by the crowd.

A few moments later, the middle-aged man got us both into the plane.

Sobbing, I called for Ayah and Ibu, but they were nowhere to be seen.

The plane’s door closed and, I still did not see them. I didn’t know anyone on the plane.

Terrified, I ran screaming down the plane’s aisle, looking for my parents.

The middle-aged man quickly caught me and pulled me back into his arms. He tried to make me stop crying, but I ignored him. I was so very scared knowing that my parents were not with me. I kept sobbing until I started to feel very tired. During the flight from Wamena to Jayapura, I fell asleep in the man’s arms.

When we landed in Jayapura, the middle-aged man looked nervously in every direction, as if he were looking for someone among the refugees. He then entrusted me to the care of the nurses at the airport.

The nurses tried to comfort me as they treated my injuries. They found the crumpled piece of paper that my father had put in my jacket pocket. It was a note with the name and address of my aunt in Jakarta.

I was sent to her, and Budhe, my aunt, became my guardian and raised me.

***

My tears wet the photo of my parents. Because of all that had happened, I never wanted to return to Wamena. I hated my childhood memories; they always stirred up sadness and fear. My new job assignment, however, presented me with a difficult choice.

I slowly reread my job assignment post: Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency. I began to feel the pain. I closed my eyes tightly. I wanted to scream loud enough to penetrate the sky. “Why does the universe turn things around at will?”

I sunk deep into the memories of my parents and my childhood. I remembered how I was raised with a great love for the land of my birth. I also remembered how my mother taught me not to differentiate others based solely on their physical appearance.

I repeatedly pounded the table with mixed feelings of regret and anger. How could I have possibly grown up while holding a grudge? This was not the attitude my parents would have wanted to see in their daughter. Still, the loss of my beloved parents remained so painful.

But I now realized my mistake. I had misjudged a group of people based solely on my own prejudices. What I had experienced in my childhood shouldn’t cause me to discriminate now. Everything that happened to my parents and me was not entirely the fault of one segment of society. My parents and I, like everyone else, were victims of the anger and differences that were reflected at that time.
I tried to calm myself and return to silence.

I now understood what my parents had hoped for. I took a piece of paper and poured my innermost feelings into the writing that quickly filled the paper. I wrote:

The incident on October 6, 2000, would not have happened had peaceful deliberations been used to resolve the problem. Instead, both parties — the joint network of the TNI military and Polri police force on one side, and the Papuan community in Wamena on the other — stood unwavering in their respective opinions.

The Indonesian government insisted that the Morning Star flag, flying at several points in Wamena, be taken down, while the Papuan population refused to obey and opposed the order.

This incident resulted in at least thirty people being killed and forty others seriously injured. The wound from this event makes me understand that the actual problem was not caused by differences. It was not about different perspectives. It was not about cultural differences. It was about trust. There was no trust between the two parties, who both saw themselves as victims: victims of violence and victims of injustice related to differences between communities. Both entities felt threatened by the presence of the other.

We are not fortified by differences because, in essence, we are never different. The biggest barrier between us is our suspicion of each other. This is the element that prevents us from living peacefully side by side.

During the incident, not one single corpse I saw had a different color of blood than another. Only when covered by different skin colors did indigenous Papuans and Javanese migrants start to distrust each other, and this widened the gap between them. The military apparatus, government officials, and civilians — including the indigenous Papuan people who live in the region — should understand this historical wound. By understanding history and the character of the Papuan people, we can coexist peacefully in the land of Papua.

After writing the short note, I felt greatly relieved. I focused on my job assignment to teach in Wamena, and I remembered Budhe once said to me, “Teaching is a noble profession.”

In my opinion, noble work should be done sincerely. Determined and ready to make peace with my bitter childhood memories, I was convinced I had made the best decision. I would soon ask Budhe’s blessing for my teaching career in Wamena.

Hopefully, Budhe would not only accept, but also understand the decision I had made. I slowly picked up my employment agreement. For a moment, I re-read it. My grip around the pen tightened, then I signed the document. I am ready. Taking a deep breath, I said, “Wamena, I’m coming home.”

***

Radixa Meta Utami was born in Denpasar, Bali on February 25, 1995. Her parents moved to Semarang, Central Java, when she was in elementary school.

Meta completed her high school in SMAN 1 Mungkid. In 2015, she enrolled at the Mathematics Department of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Sanata Dharma. However, in 2016 she changed her major and currently studies Indonesian Literature at the Faculty of Letters at the University of Sanata Dharma.

Meta can be reached at Ni Wayan Tomboy n1w4y4nt0m130y@gmail.com

Alloy Bintang Kampung

Aku mulai suka lagu dangdut saat usiaku sepuluh tahun. Dangdut mampu menenangkan hatiku yang kacau ketika aku diganggu oleh teman-teman sekolahku. Mereka sering iseng seperti melempar gumpalan kertas secara diam-diam saat pelajaran berlangsung. Mereka sering mendesis olokan seperti, “Anak bangsawan kok berangkat-pulang sekolah dengan sepeda? Kenapa nggak dengan mobil aja? Hahahahaha…” Sering mereka menyenggolku hingga jatuh.

Pada saat aku berumur 15 tahun, setiap pulang sekolah aku mulai mengamen lagu dangdut keliling Jalan Paingan. Aku melakukan ini selama sekolah SMA. Lalu aku berpikir mengapa aku tidak menjadi penyanyi dangdut saja. Dan itu menjadi cita-citaku.

Suatu Jumat siang sepulang sekolah aku langsung masuk ke kamar tidurku untuk berganti baju. Kemudian, aku berjalan ke ruang tamu untuk bernyanyi karaoke. Sambil menunggu makan siang dari ibuku di ruang tamu, aku menyalakan alat pemutar kaset dan pasang lagu Yang Kurindu dari Denny Malik. Dengan lincah aku mengikuti suara Denny dan irama dangdut itu, “Jangan kau katakan… Ku sudah tak sayang… Sedangkan dirimu… Masih kurindukan…” Suaraku rupanya melayang ke telinga ibuku yang sangat muak dengan lagu dangdut.

Tiba-tiba Ibu berdiri di depanku dan melayangkan telapak tangannya ke wajahku.

Plakk…

“Waduh Ada apa, Bu?” tanyaku sambil mengelus sisi wajahku yang ditampar tadi.

“Alloy! Aku tidak suka kalau kamu menyanyi dangdut!”

“Ibu, mengapa tidak suka? Aku ‘kan ingin menjadi penyanyi dangdut!”

“Alloy! Kita ini orang Katolik. Mana ada orang Katolik yang suka dengan lagu dangdut? Mana ada orang Katolik yang bisa menjadi penyanyi dangdut? Apakah kamu pernah melihat orang Katolik yang berhasil menjadi penyanyi dangdut bahkan sampai tingkat dunia sekalipun? Tidak ada, ‘kan?”

Tak lama kemudian Ayah pulang dari mengajar. Ayah langsung melerai kami.

“Aduh! Ada apa ini?”

“Mas, anakmu ini ingin menjadi penyanyi dangdut. Aku tidak setuju, Mas!” jawab Ibu dengan kesal sambil meninggalkan kami berdua.

“Le, apa benar kamu ingin menjadi penyanyi dangdut?” Ayah, yang selalu menyapaku dengan panggilan Jawa untuk anak laki-laki, memelukku dengan erat.

“Benar, Ayah. Aku ingin menjadi penyanyi dangdut.” Aku menjawab Ayah dengan mulai terisak.

“Ya sudah, Nak. Kamu tidak usah khawatir. Nanti Ayah bantu,” kata Ayah sambil menenangkanku.

***

Atas persetujuan ayah, aku bergabung di Paduan Suara Mahasiswa Cantus Firmus (PSMCF) saat aku mulai kuliah di Universitas Sanata Darma, sebuah universitas swasta terkemuka di Yogyakarta. Di sana, aku tidak hanya mempelajari semua jenis lagu maupun cara mengolah suara, tetapi juga belajar bertanggung jawab dengan sesama anak PSMCF. Aku berlatih olah suara dari Senin hingga Jumat mulai dari pukul lima sore sampai dengan pukul sepuluh malam. Beginilah akibat yang kurang menyenangkan sebagai calon penyanyi dangdut. Harus pulang malam-malam dan menerima bentakan dari ibu setiap hari.
Setiap Sabtu sore, kami mengikuti misa di salah satu gereja Katolik di Sleman. Di situlah aku dan sesama anggota paduan suara yang lain menyanyikan lagu-lagu rohani Katolik dengan jenis lagu dangdut untuk pertama kalinya. Begitu kami menyanyi, para jemaat yang hadir justru merasa tersentuh dengan lagunya ketimbang syairnya, kecuali ibuku. Begitu juga dengan pastor dan para suster yang mulai penasaran dengan jenis lagu dangdut yang kami bawakan.

Usai misa, salah seorang suster datang menghampiri kami. “Puji Tuhan. Ini pertama kalinya kalian menyanyikan lagu-lagu rohani dengan lagu dangdut. Padahal, lagu dangdut ini sangat jarang didengar di semua gereja, terutama gereja kita.”

“Puji Tuhan. Terima kasih atas pujiannya, Suster. Kebetulan, ini atas prakarsa saya. Semoga jenis lagu ini mampu menghangatkan suasana umat di gereja kita ini,” ucapku untuk mewakili seluruh anggota paduan suara itu.

“Amin, Alloy. Amin.”

Setelah bertemu dengan suster, aku dan kedua orangtuaku langsung berangkat dengan Kijang meninggalkan gereja menuju Rumah Makan Gadjah Wong, rumah makan ternama di Sleman. Aku akan mengamen di sana. Naas, di tengah perjalanan, jalanan mulai macet. Astaga! Jangan-jangan, aku akan datang terlambat. Kulantunkan do’a Rosario di dalam hati. Puji Tuhan. Do’aku terjawab dan jalanan itu akhirnya mulai berjalan lancar.

Setibanya di rumah makan, Ayah tidak segan membantuku untuk mencari pakaian yang akan kupakai maupun lagu-lagu yang akan kubawakan nanti baik itu lagu-lagu dangdut maupun campursari. Beruntung aku sangat hafal dengan semua lagu dangdut maupun campursari, terutama lagu-lagu yang sering kubawakan saat bernyanyi karaoke di rumah.

Ibu hanya diam membatu sembari melihat kami bersiap-siap untuk tampil.

“Dik, mengapa kamu diam saja? Lebih baik kamu membantuku,” pinta ayah.

“Tidak mau. Aku malu, Mas,” sahut ibu yang cuek.

“Tidak apa-apa, Pak. Mungkin Ibu sedang marah,” ungkapku sambil menyelesaikan riasanku.

Tepat pukul delapan malam, aku tampil di panggung untuk bernyanyi. Seluruh pengunjung rumah makan yang hadir mulai heboh saat menyaksikan penampilanku. Aku biasanya menyanyikan sepuluh lagu selama dua jam berturut-turut. Bahkan, pihak rumah makan sering membayarku Rp 50.000 per lagu setiap malam Minggu. Lumayan, penghasilanku ini cukup untuk kebutuhan pribadiku setelah menyisakan uang tabungan untuk keperluan mengamen, liburan, maupun keperluan tugas kuliah.

Tiba-tiba, ketika aku menyanyikan lima lagu terakhir, sebagian pengunjung mulai iseng mengolok-olokku dari tempat duduk paling belakang.

“Aneh ya? Ada orang Katolik yang bisa menyanyi dangdut.”

“Lho? Kok kamu tahu kalau dia itu Katolik? Aku aja iri melihatnya.”

“Ya tahulah. Namanya saja Raden Mas Ralph Alloysius Bambang Sejati, adik tingkat kita sekaligus putra dari dosen kita tercinta yaitu bapak Raden Mas Agustinus Bambang Praptomo. Ibunya aja, guru matematika kita waktu SMP. Setahuku, mana mungkin penyanyi macam dia laku di kelompok lagu dangdut?”

“Maksudmu Ibu Raden Ayu Maria Sejati Yuniarti? Owalah… Tapi anehnya, suara merdunya itu melebihi suara merdu penyanyi dangdut Thomas Djorghi.”

“Ah, tidak mungkin! Suaranya saja mirip penyanyi dangdut Denny Malik.”

“Ah, mana mungkin itu? Memangnya dia terilhami dari penyanyi dangdut Denny Malik?”

Akibat ocehan mereka, suasana di rumah makan menjadi ribut. Namun, beruntung penampilanku berakhir dengan sempurna.

Selesai lagu terakhirku, hampir semua pengunjung berdiri dan bertepuk tangan. Mereka lalu berdesak-desakan untuk memberikan bunga maupun meminta tanda tangan kepadaku. Ada juga pengunjung lain mengajakku berswafoto bersama.

Aku menerima bayaran dari pihak rumah makan itu. Uang yang kuterima terlihat cukup banyak malam ini. Aku sangat bersyukur. Aku langsung menyilangkan tanganku ke kening, dada, dan kedua bahuku sambil tersenyum. Terima kasih Tuhan Yesus. Setelah aku menerima bayaran itu, aku langsung berlari menghampiri orangtuaku yang sudah menungguku di mobil untuk bergegas pulang.

Di tengah perjalanan pulang, Ibu dengan tiba-tiba mengecam pedas kepadaku. “Alloy, kamu dengar sendiri ‘kan omongan mereka? Semua pengunjung di rumah makan tadi bergunjing ria terhadap penampilanmu. Kamu dengar, nggak?”

“Lho? Bu, aku ‘kan tadi lagi nyanyi. Jadi, aku tidak sempat mendengar ocehan mereka.” Aku berusaha membela diri dengan berbohong kepada Ibu bahwa aku tidak mendengar ocehan mereka.

“Ibu sudah muak, Nak, Ibu ‘kan sudah pernah bilang sama kamu bahwa kita ini orang Katolik. Malu sama tetangga, apalagi jemaat gereja. Kamu kok malah nekat?” Ibu yang duduk di samping Ayah, membalikan badannya ke kanan dengan memutar sedikit kepalanya ke belakang. Lalu dengan geram, Ibu membentakku, “Pokoknya mulai detik ini, kamu harus berhenti menyanyi dangdut. Titik!”

Hatiku sungguh miris mendengarnya. Mengapa Ibu begitu terpengaruh atas ocehan mereka tadi? Aku bingung harus berbuat apa. Tuhan, ampunilah mereka yang telah mengolok-olokku. Ampunilah juga ibuku yang bersikap keras kepadaku.

Akhirnya kami tiba di rumah. Aku bergegas keluar dari mobil dan langsung berlari ke kamar tidur. Aku langsung membanting pintu dan menguncinya. Air mataku tak mampu terbendung lagi. Aku menurunkan tubuhku perlahan-lahan ke lantai. Aku lemas. Mengapa ini harus terjadi? Apa yang harus kulakukan?

TOK… TOK… TOK…

“Alloy, buka pintunya! Bapak ingin bicara empat mata denganmu,” pinta Ayah.

Yesus! Rupanya itu suara ayah yang mengetuk pintu kamarku. Aku pun langsung bangkit berdiri. Aku mengusap air mataku dan membuka pintu.

Ayah langsung merangkulku.

Aku terisak-isak sembari memeluk Ayah erat-erat.

“Nak, jangan dengarkan perkataan Ibumu! Sebenarnya, Ibumu tidak tahu tentang bakatmu yang sebenarnya.”

“Ayah, mungkin apa yang dikatakan Ibu tadi adalah benar. Mustahil orang Katolik sepertiku mampu mewujudkan impianku untuk menjadi penyanyi dangdut.”

“Jangan putus asa dulu, Nak. Ayah ‘kan pernah berjanji kepadamu untuk membantu mewujudkan impianmu menjadi penyanyi dangdut. Kamu harus semangat, Nak.”

Aku hanya bisa mengangguk pelan untuk mengiyakan perkataan Ayah. Aku percaya bahwa Ayah tidak akan ingkar janji kepadaku. Dia pasti akan membantu mewujudkan impianku menjadi penyanyi dangdut. Mungkin tangan Tuhan sudah mulai bekerja sekarang.

***

Sekarang aku sudah semester enam dan pada usia dua puluh tahun mendapatkan penghargaan sebagai mahasiswa yang berhasil dengan nilai dengan pujian tingkat fakultas. Tak hanya itu saja. Aku juga diutus universitasku untuk mengikuti ajang pemilihan Pekan Seni Mahasiswa Daerah (Peksimida) cabang menyanyi dangdut putra tingkat perguruan tinggi.

Di hari-H, aku diantar oleh ayahku dengan Kijang. Aku berdandan bak penyanyi dangdut Denny Malik.

Sambil jalan, Ayah memutarkan lagu dangdut untukku sambil mengingat lagu-lagu dangdut yang akan kubawakan ketika lomba nanti. Akhirnya kami tiba di Kampus Mrican, tempat aku mengikuti lomba itu.

Saat aku memasuki gelanggang lomba itu, aku berpapasan dengan Angella, teman sekelas, yang juga mengikuti lomba itu. Angella berdandan cantik bak penyanyi dangdut Selfi Nafilah.

“Selamat pagi Angella! Piye kabare? — Apa kabar?”

“Selamat pagi Alloy! Puji Tuhan. Aku baik, Loy. Kamu mengikuti ajang pemilihan Peksimida, ‘kan?”

“Ya. Aku mengikuti ajang pemilihan Peksimida cabang menyanyi dangdut putra. Kamu?”

“Sama. Aku juga mengikuti ajang pemilihan itu. Tapi, cabang menyanyi dangdut putri,” jawab Angella sambil tertawa manis.

“Owalah… Kamu suka lagu dangdut juga?”

“Ya, Loy. Aku juga suka dengan seni nada itu.”

“Sejak kapan?”

“Waktu aku berusia delapan tahun. Tepatnya dua belas tahun yang lalu.”

“Wah! Sudah lama sekali,” kejutku sambil mengelus dada.

Kami melakukan pendaftaran ulang di ruang K18. Lalu, kami menunggu nama kami dipanggil sembari berdo’a, menghafal lagu, dan meminum setengah botol air putih. Tak lama kemudian, nama kami dipanggil.

Dengan mantap aku menyanyikan lagu Yang Kurindu oleh Denny Malik. Aku berusaha menjiwai lagu itu agar para juri tidak kecewa. Usai aku bernyanyi, para juri langsung bertepuk tangan dengan semangat.

Aku meninggalkan ruang itu dengan gembira. Hore! Rupanya penampilanku berjalan dengan sempurna.

Begitu juga dengan Angella. Dia juga tampak gembira hari ini. Kami berjalan berbarengan sambil bercakap-cakap.

“Bagaimana, Loy? Berhasil?”

“Puji Tuhan, penampilanku berjalan dengan sempurna. Kamu?”

“Aku juga, Loy. Awalnya aku gugup. Tapi puji Tuhan gugupku mendadak hilang ketika aku bernyanyi. Mungkin, ini karena berkat do’a Rosario yang kulantunkan tadi malam.”

Tak lama kemudian, kami berpapasan dengan orang tua kami.

“Piye, Le? — Bagaimana, Nak? Berhasil?”

“Puji Tuhan, Ayah. Semuanya berjalan dengan sempurna.”

***

Sambil menunggu pengumuman hasil ajang pemilihan Peksimida, selama sebulan ini aku tetap melanjutkan kuliah seperti biasa. Begitu juga dengan kegiatan lain seperti mengikuti misa setiap Sabtu sore, mengamen, dan berkunjung ke rumah teman. Semoga Tuhan Yesus menjawab penantianku. Amin.

Waktu di jam tanganku menunjukkan pukul setengah lima pagi. Aku berlari mengelilingi Kampus Paingan sebanyak sepuluh kali putaran. Sambil berlari, aku mendengar suara burung-burung yang sedang bernyanyi bak paduan suara. Terlihat pula para petani yang mulai menginjakkan kakinya ke sawah untuk bercocok tanam. Perlahan aku menghirup udara segar. Ah, betapa bersihnya udara ini! Aku sangat bersyukur dengan lingkunganku yang Dia ciptakan. Aku bangga menjadi anak Kampus Paingan. Sembari menyanyikan lagu Didi Kempot, Stasiun Balapan, aku menuju pulang. Setibanya di rumah, aku langsung berpapasan dengan ibu.

“Alloy, tadi telepon genggam pintarmu berbunyi. Mungkin ada pesan singkat dari seseorang. Bacalah!” Ibu menyodorkan telepon genggamku kepadaku.

Astaga! Ternyata pesan singkat itu dari panitia ajang pemilihan Peksimida. Aku langsung membuka pesan singkat itu.

Dari : Panitia Ajang Pemilihan Pekan Seni Mahasiswa Daerah
Universitas Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta
Tanggal: 24 Mei 2010
Waktu : 06.10 WIB
Selamat pagi saudara Alloy! Kami dari panitia ajang pemilihan Pekan Seni Mahasiswa Daerah Universitas Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta menyatakan bahwa yang bersangkutan :
Nama : Raden Mas Ralph Alloysius Bambang Sejati
Jurusan : Perekonomian
Fakultas : Ekonomi
Angkatan : 2007
Dinyatakan LOLOS ajang pemilihan Pekan Seni Mahasiswa Daerah cabang lomba menyanyi dangdut putra. Saudara diharapkan hadir untuk melakukan pendaftaran sekaligus mengikuti pertemuan teknis jelang Pekan Seni Mahasiswa Daerah Provinsi Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta yang akan dilaksanakan pada hari Kamis, tanggal 27 Mei 2010 jam 16.00-18.00 WIB, bertempat di Ruang Koendjono Gedung Pusat Kampus 2 Mrican Universitas Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta.

Demikian pesan singkat ini kami sampaikan. Atas perhatian saudara, kami mengucapkan terima kasih.

“Puji Tuhan. Hore!” Aku bersorak dengan melompat girang. “Terima kasih Tuhan Yesus.” Aku menekan tilpon genggamku ke dadaku.

Ibu mulai menatapku dengan heran. “Ada apa? Tentang apa pesan itu?” Ibu bertanya menyelidiki.

“Tentang hasil ajang pemilihan Peksimida kemarin.” Aku berusaha mengendalikan suaraku yang sepertinya tersedak.

“Oh ya? ” tanya Ibu datar.

“Aku lolos ajang pemilihan Peksimida,” jawabku sambil menunjukkan pesan singkat dari telepon genggam pintarku kepadanya. Sebelum Ibu mampu berkata apa-apa, aku bergegas mandi cepat dan berdandan serapi mungkin.

Di ruang makan Ayah dan Ibu sudah menungguku untuk sarapan bersama. Kebetulan pagi ini Ibu baru saja memasak nasi goreng kampung Yogyakarta dengan lauk telur mata sapi. Selain itu, tersedia juga ayam goreng Kalasan, peyek tumpuk, dan wedang uwuh di meja makan. Terlihat juga beberapa jajan pasar seperti klepon, cenil, sawut, tiwul, dan kue apem yang tersedia di meja makan sebagai kudapan. Ah, enak sekali masakan Ibu!

Sembari menikmati sarapan, aku memberitahukan ayah tentang pesan singkat tadi. “Ayah, tadi aku mendapatkan pesan singkat dari panitia ajang pemilihan Peksimida di kampusku. Aku lolos!” Aku tersenyum lebar sambil menunjukkan pesan singkat dari telepon genggam pintarku di depan ayah.

“Puji Tuhan. Selamat ya, Nak. Semoga di ajang Peksimida nanti kamu juga berhasil,” ucap ayah dan mencium keningku.

“Amin, Ayah. Terima kasih atas doa dan dukungannya. Semoga Tuhan Yesus membalas kebaikan Ayah.”

“Sama-sama, Loy dan selamat berjuang.”

Pada pertengahan Juni, aku mengikuti ajang Peksimida cabang lomba menyanyi dangdut putra di Universitas Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa di Yogyakarta yang juga merupakan tempat untuk mengikuti ajang Pekan Seni Mahasiswa Nasional (Peksiminas) yang akan kami ikuti nanti. Ternyata Angella juga lolos untuk mengikuti ajang ini untuk cabang lomba menyanyi dangdut putri. Aku tak menyangka bahwa dia memiliki cita-cita yang sama denganku yaitu menjadi penyanyi dangdut.

Di Peksiminas, aku masih menyanyikan lagu yang sama ketika aku mengikuti ajang pemilihan Peksimida untuk lagu wajib dan lagu Darah Muda oleh Bang Haji Rhoma Irama sebagai lagu pilihan. Sementara Angella menyanyikan lagu Dua Kursi oleh Rita Sugiarto sebagai lagu wajib dan lagu Perahu Kaca oleh Selfi Nafilah sebagai lagu pilihan. Penampilan kami disaksikan oleh para hadirin, termasuk kedua orang tuaku maupun kedua orang tua Angella.

Puji Tuhan. Do’a kami, akhirnya terjawab juga. Dengan bekerja keras, kami terpilih sebagai juara. Kami pun menangis bahagia.

Ibu yang dulu bersikap keras terhadap cita-citaku akhirnya luluh juga dan dia mengakui bakatku yang sebenarnya.

Aku akhirnya berhasil membuktikan bahwa orang Katolik sepertiku bisa menjadi penyanyi dangdut. Usai lulus kuliah, aku bekerja sebagai ahli keuangan di sebuah perusahaan asuransi sekaligus sebagai penyanyi dangdut. Kini, aku menerima perjanjian kerja untuk meluncurkan album dangdut rohani Katolik. Sebagai rasa syukurku, aku memanfaatkan bakatku ini bukan hanya sekedar bidang pekerjaan yang dilandasi oleh pendidikan, tetapi juga sebagai bentuk pelayananku kepada Tuhan yang memberikan banyak berkat dalam hidupku.

***

Novita Dewi started writing poetry and short stories during her elementary and middle school days. She published in Si Kuncung and Bobo, children magazines, as well as wrote for the children’s columns featured in Kompas and Sinar Harapan (now Suara Pembaruan). She now nurtures her interest in literature by writing articles about literature and translation for scientific journals. Novita is widely published. The short stories translated and published by Dalang Publishing are her first attempts of literary translation.

She currently teaches English literature courses at Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Novita can be reached at novitadewi@usd.ac.id or novitadewi9@gmail.com.

Village Celebrity

I began to like dangdut music when I was ten years old.

The music comforted me when I became upset after my classmates teased me. In class, they often threw spitballs at me. “Why does a rich kid ride to school on a bicycle?” they taunted, laughing. “Why not ride in a car?” Every recess, they’d bump into me and make me fall.

When I was fifteen, I started singing dangdut songs as a street busker along the business district of Jalan Paingan. I did this all through high school. I would sing after school to earn extra money, and I began to toy with the idea of becoming a professional dangdut singer.

One Friday afternoon after school, while I waited for Ibu, Mother, to prepare lunch, I went into the living room to practice my dangdut singing. I turned on the cassette player and put on the song Yang Kurindu — “The One I’m Longing For” — by Denny Malik. I sang along with Denny’s voice and the dangdut rhythm, “Please don’t say … I care no more … when … I still miss you …”
Suddenly, Ibu appeared in front of me and slapped me across the face. Whap!

“What’s wrong, Mom? — I asked, rubbing the side of my face.

“Alloy, my son! I don’t want you singing dangdut songs.”

“Why don’t you like it, Mom? I want to be a professional dangdut singer.”

“Alloy! We are Catholics. Are there any Catholics who like dangdut songs? How would it be possible for a Catholic to be a dangdut singer? Do you know of any Catholic who is a successful world-class dangdut singer? There aren’t any, are there?”

Just then, Ayah, Father, came home from his teaching job. He immediately intervened. “For Heaven’s sake! What’s going on?”

“Your son wants to be a dangdut singer,” Ibu said angrily. “Just so you know, I hate it.” Ibu left us in a huff.

“Le, Son, is it true that you want to be a dangdut singer?” My father, who always used the Javanese term of endearment for boys when he talked to me, gave me a big hug.
“Yes, I want to be a dangdut singer,” I replied and started to cry.

“Okay, don’t worry,” Ayah said, calming me. “I’ll help you.”

***

With my father’s approval, I joined the PSMCF, Cantus Firmus Student Choir during my freshman year at Sanata Dharma University, a well-known private college in Yogya. Not only did I learn different kinds of scales and how to control my voice, I also learned to be accountable to my fellow PSMCF members. I practiced singing from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., every Monday through Friday. The price I paid to be an aspiring dangdut singer was coming home late at night and enduring my mother’s scolding every day.

Every Saturday, our family attended Vigil Mass at one of the Catholic churches in Sleman. During one of those services, together with other members of PSMCF, we sang Catholic hymns with a dangdut beat for the first time in that church. As soon as we started to sing, the congregation, except for my mother, seemed captivated by the song’s rhythm. The priest and the nuns were curious about this new genre of music we presented.

After mass, one of the sisters approached us. “Praise the Lord,” she said. “Is this your first time to sing hymns with a dangdut rhythm? We rarely hear that kind of music in church, especially our church.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Sister,” I answered for all the choir members. “This was my suggestion. Hopefully all our parishioners will enjoy this music.”

“Amen, Le. Amen.”

My parents and I then immediately drove in our family van, a Toyota Kijang, to the Gadjah Wong Restaurant, a well-known restaurant in Sleman. I often sang there and was scheduled to perform that evening. But halfway there, we ran into a traffic jam. Gee! I’ll be late! I silently recited the rosary. to Lord Jesus Praise the Lord. He answered my prayer, and the traffic started to flow again.
When we arrived at the restaurant, my father quickly helped me dress for the performance and organized the songs — both dangdut and campursari, a Javanese pop variety — to perform later.

Fortunately, I was very familiar with all the songs, especially the ones I often practiced with karaoke at home.

Ibu silently watched me getting ready for the performance.

“Darling, why are you so quiet?” my father asked my mother. “You’d better help me.”

“No way,” my mother answered indifferently. “I’m embarrassed, Mas.”

“It’s okay, Dad,” I quipped while finishing my makeup. “Mom is still upset.”

At exactly eight o’clock, I walked onstage to sing. Watching my performance, the audience became excited.

I usually sang up to twenty songs for two consecutive hours. On Saturday nights, the restaurant manager often paid me 20,000 rupiah for each song I performed. Not bad at all. I earned enough to take care of my personal needs, after setting money aside for savings, busking costumes, vacation, and college supplies.

That night, during my last five songs, some patrons in the back row started heckling me.

“Isn’t that strange?” I heard one say. “A Catholic singing dangdut songs.”

“Why? How do you know he is Catholic? I actually envy him,” said another.

“I know. His name is Raden Mas Ralph Alloysius Bambang Sejati. He is a freshman in our college and the son of our favorite lecturer, Mr. Raden Mas Agustinus Bambang Praptomo. His mother is no other than our math teacher in middle school. I doubt that a singer like him can make it in the dangdut music world.”

“Do you mean Mrs. Raden Ayu Maria Sejati Yuniarti? Gosh! How weird! His voice is even better than that of the dangdut singer Thomas Djorghi.”

“Ah, no way! He sounds like the dangdut singer Denny Malik.”

“What? How could that be? You think Denny Malik inspired him?”

Their back-and-forth remarks soon created a boisterous atmosphere in the restaurant. Fortunately, I was able to complete my performance just fine.

After the last song, almost everyone in the audience rose and gave me a round of applause. They jostled to hand me flowers and asked for my autograph. Others asked me to take pictures with them.

The restaurant manager paid me. I received a lot of money that night. Thank you, Jesus, thank you, Lord. Smiling, I gratefully crossed myself and then ran outside to my parents, who were waiting in the car, in a hurry to get home.

On the way home, Ibu suddenly lashed out at me. “Alloy, you heard it yourself, didn’t you? The entire audience ridiculed your performance. Didn’t you hear them?”

“How could I?” I tried to pretend, “I was singing, so I couldn’t hear their babble.”

From the front seat, Ibu, sitting next to Ayah, turned slightly, leaned her head back, and snapped, “I am fed up, Le. I have told you that we are Catholics. We can’t even face our neighbors, let alone the church members. Where do you get the nerve, Le? From now on, no more singing dangdut songs. That’s it!”

It really hurt to listen to my mother. Why did their blabbering bother her so much? I did not know what to do. God, forgive those who made fun of me. Forgive also my mother, who was harsh with me.

When we finally arrived at home, I rushed out of the van, ran straight into my bedroom, slammed the door behind me, and locked it. I could no longer hold back my tears. Weakened, I slowly sank to the floor. Why should this happen? What should I do?

There was a knock on my door. “Le, open the door, I want to talk to you privately,” my father coaxed.

Oh my God! That’s Ayah knocking on my door. I immediately rose, wiped my tears, and opened the door.

Ayah quickly embraced me.

Sobbing, I clung to my father.

“Le, don’t mind your mother! She actually doesn’t realize how talented you are.”

“Dad, maybe there is truth in what Mom said. Maybe she’s right that it is impossible for a Catholic like me to make my dream of becoming a dangdut singer come true.”

“Don’t give up, Le. I promised to help you become a dangdut singer. Keep your spirits up.”

I nodded. I knew that Ayah would not break his promises. He would definitely help me realize my dream of becoming a dangdut singer. Maybe God’s plan had begun to work.

***

In my sixth semester at college, when I was twenty years old, I earned the best student award at the faculty level. Praise the Lord. Adding to my happiness, my father encouraged me to audition in a dangdut singing contest held by Peksimida, the Regional University Student Art Week.

When the audition day arrived, Ayah drove the Kijang to take me to the Mrican Campus, where the competition was taking place. I had dressed up like Denny Malik.

On the way, Ayah played dangdut instrumentals from the car stereo to help me practice the songs I was to sing. Finally, we arrived.

Upon entering the site, I ran into a classmate who was also a contestant. Angella looked pretty, dressed up like the dangdut singer Selfi Nafilah.

“Good morning Angella! Piye kabare?” — How are you? — I asked in Javanese.

“Good morning. I’m fine, Loy. You’re joining the competition, right?”

“Yes. I’m competing for the men’s dangdut singer award. What about you?”

“I’m competing for the women’s dangdut singer prize.” Angella smiled sweetly.

“Gee, I didn’t know you liked dangdut.”

“Oh, yes, I do like this kind of music.”

“When did you first learn about dangdut?”

“When I was eight, some twelve years ago.”

“Wow! That’s a long time ago!” I said, surprised.

We registered in Room K18 of the building, then waited for our turn, while praying, practicing the songs, and sharing a bottle of water. It wasn’t long before our names were called.
I confidently sang Yang Kurindu by Denny Malik. To impress the judges, I tried to put feeling into my performance. As soon as I finished singing, they gave me a big round of enthusiastic applause.

Happily, I left the room. Great! It seemed my performance went well.

The same was true for Angella. She also looked happy after her audition that day. We walked together, while chatting along the way.

“What do you think, Loy? Did you do it?”

“Thank God, my performance went well. What about you?”

“I did okay, Loy. At first, I was nervous. But thankfully, my nervousness suddenly disappeared when I started to sing. I bet it’s the power of the rosary prayer I recited last night.”
Shortly afterwards, we ran into our parents.

“Piye, Le?” — How did you do, Son? “You made it, didn’t you?”

“Praise the Lord, Dad. Everything went well.”

***

While waiting for the results of the singing competition, I continued my college studies as usual. I also continued attending Vigil Mass on Saturdays, busking, and visiting friends.. Hopefully God will answer my prayers.

One morning, about a month after the competition I jogged ten rounds around the university grounds on Paingan, while listening to the birds sing like a choir. It was about five-thirty and I noticed farmers heading for the fields to tend their crops. I slowly inhaled the fresh air. Ah, how clean and refreshing! I was deeply grateful for the beautiful surroundings God had created for me. I was proud to be a child of Paingan. Singing along with Stasiun Balapan — “The Balapan Train Station”, the signature song of Didi Kempot — I headed home, where I immediately ran into my mother.

“Alloy, someone texted you.” Ibu handed me the smartphone. “Check to see if there’s a message.”

Oh, my God, it’s from the Peksimida singing competition committee. I immediately opened the text message.

From: Regional Student Art Week Competition Committee
Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta
Date: May 24, 2010
Time: 06.10

We thank you in advance for your attention to the matter.

“Praise the Lord! Yes!” I cheered, jumping up and down. “Thank you, Lord Jesus.” I pressed my smartphone against my chest.

Ibu looked at me curiously. “What’s going on? What’s the message about?” she probed.

“The results of the Peksimida singing competition!” I tried to control my voice — I felt like I was about to choke!

“Oh, really.” Ibu was uninterested.

“I passed the first round of the Peksimida competition,” I continued and showed her the text message on my smartphone. Before Ibu could say anything, I hurried away to take a quick shower and dress as neatly as possible.

When I entered the dining room, my parents were already waiting to have breakfast together. Ibu had just prepared Yogyakarta home-style fried rice with sunny-side-up eggs, in addition to Kalasan fried chicken, peyek tumpuk — crispy peanut fritters — and wedang uwuh, a traditional herb drink. Ibu had also prepared a variety of mouth-watering, traditional sweet snacks. Ibu was really a great cook.

While enjoying breakfast, I told Ayah about the text message I had received earlier. “Dad, I have good news! I passed the first round of the singing contest!” Grinning from ear to ear, I showed Ayah my smartphone.

“Thank God. Congratulations, Le. Hopefully you will also succeed in the next Peksimida,” said Ayah and kissed me on the forehead.

“Yes, Dad. Thanks for your prayers and support.”

“You’re welcome, Le. Good luck!”

***

In mid-June, I took part in another Peksimida dangdut singing competition at the Sarjana Wiyata University in Sleman, where the National Student Art Week — Peksiminas — would be held later. It turned out that Angella had also qualified to participate in the female dangdut singing contest. I didn’t know that she shared my aspiration to become a professional dangdut singer.

For the national Peksiminas competition, I sang the same compulsory song I sang during the regional competition: the classic dangdut song Darah Muda — “Youthful Zest” — by Bang Haji Rhoma Irama.
As for Angella, she sang Dua Kursi — “Two Chairs” — by Rita Sugiarto as her compulsory song, and Perahu Kaca — “Glass Boat” — by Selfi Nafilah as her song of choice.

Both of our parents watched our performances.

Thank God. He answered our prayers. Our hard work was rewarded by winning the championship in our separate categories. We both shed happy tears.

My mother, who had opposed my dreams all this time, finally acknowledged my talent.

In the end, I proved that a Catholic, like me, could become a dangdut singer. After graduating from college, I went to work as a controller in an insurance company, but I also continued being a dangdut singer. I recently signed a contract to record a dangdut Catholic-worship music album. As a token of gratitude, I not only use my talent to make a living, but also as a means to serve God.

***