Translated from Sundanese into English by Josephine Natania.
In the early
hours of a day, when the world was still in silence, the train station could
not miss the rumbling sounds of passing trains. Goods trains often passed in
the time like this since the dusk fell few hours ago, but they rarely stopped
at the station.
Nevertheless, this was not a
disturbance for Eulis and Ma[1]
Inung. They slept peacefully besides the railway. Used cardboards were stood up
against the station wall to prevent the wind blowing in, but the night wind
still could be felt through the crack between the wall and the boards. This
made Ma Inung coiled deeper and
cuddled Eulis firmly.
Eulis was sleeping when a goods
train passed. She was woken up and blinked her eyes. Then she raised her body
and stared outside from the crack. Her eyes caught some shiny lights hopping
around. They looked like scattered away everywhere because of the train’s heavy
blow.
She became curious. Her fingers
strongly held Ma Inung’s blanket.
“Ma…Ma…” She shook Ma Inung. The old woman finally woke up.
“What happened?” She was sure in her
heart that there was a police patrol.
“But, it’s not their regular time,”
she thought, having not heard the adzan[2]
call.
It was not unusual for Ma Inung to get caught while the police
was patrolling. She would just get up from her sleep and obey the order. If she
had a nice proper place to sleep, she certainly would not have to take a rest
in that poor place.
“Over there!” Eulis pointed out. She
infected Ma Inung with her curiosity.
Ma Inung slid the boards to see what
made Eulis so interested. Afar from there, a patrol police in deep blue uniform
with belt and golden tassel stood guarding. He brought a lance with him.
If it was not a police, then what?
Her
eyes roamed the station. Moments later, she was flabbergasted, seeing a bunch
of lights under the waiting room bench. The lights were like twinkling stars in
the sky, spreading beautiful green, ivory, gold, and silver sparkles.
Ma Inung was
confused. Her mind told her to be stern, but inside her heart she was afraid
too. The lights could be gold or diamonds which fell down from passenger train
last evening. She asked for God’s forgiveness several times while trying to
strengthen her heart. She forced herself to move though she was still sleepy.
“Eulis,
let’s take a look!”
This
invitation was greeted by the young girl’s convulsive grab.
They
observed the lights coming under the bench.
“Were
they fireflies?” asked Eulis.
“No,”
replied Ma Inung.
“Hmmmm…maybe gold?”
“……I
don’t know.”
“Or
diamonds?”
“No
idea.”
Along
with the last answer given, Ma Inung
tried to take one to know what that really was. But when it was almost in her
palm, it swiftly flew. Well, it looked like catching a fly or taming a pigeon.
The light shook slowly, blew by the wind, moved to another place and sparkled
again.
Ma Inung
pondered a while. Maybe they did not belong to her as it could not get caught.
Surely blessings would not go anywhere.
“Ma, I got it!” Eulis’s voice sounded
excited.
“Put
it on plastic bag!”
Ma Inung
followed Eulis who was fussing around while catching the other lights. Eulis
looked extremely happy to pick them up. Ma
Inung also clasped the plastic bag, which was usually used for storing chips,
so that it would not loose.
Eulis
collected all the lights until she reached Kebon Kawung street. Beyond their
expectation, the street glowed with the lights too! There were much more
towards the east, gathering around like ants on sugar.
Her
hands had been filled up so she came closer to Ma Inung.
“Ma, the bag, please.”
“Wait.
Carry with your skirt first.”
Ma Inung walked
with fast paces to the east. She determined to scoop the lights. Maybe it was
easier to get one or two if they were in group. She kicked and stepped down
anywhere.
Ah!
Got one!
When
she admired the light… Bump! Her forehead knocked against a wall.
She
lifted up her head while rubbing the pain. Her eyed fixed unto the big wall.
The
wall was pure white with sharp iron tip on top of it. In each three meter,
there were lamps which were still turned on. The wall looked like covered by
millions of fireflies. How satisfied it would be to scoop them all with a
sieve, a net, or maybe a half part of coconut shell!
Ma Inung saw
that near an arc in the east part, there were many more lights, mixed with the
rays of the rising sun. She shook her head. It was unbelievable! She could not
count how many times had she asked for God’s forgiveness.
Eulis
then came to her. She grabbed the plastic bag and poured out all the lights she
managed to catch.
“There
were many more over there!” She pointed.
Ma Inung
nodded with agreement.
Ma Inung
slowly walked towards the arc. Her hand traced the wall’s surface. Eulis was in
front of her, walking with quick steps. They were at a building’s yard now.
A
military guard was seen being sleepy on his post. His head nodded forward
several times. He wore the same uniform as the station police’s. Dark blue
uniform with golden tassel, complete with a belt and a lance. “Internal
Security Guard” was written on the belt. The sharp protruding point of the lace
headed above. Ma Inung fixed her eyes
on his and then slowly moved on.
An
enormous building stood before their eyes. The size of the pillars was amazing!
It was like a coconut tree or waist of a pregnant woman or stomach of a buffalo.
In
the terrace, the lamps shone brightly. The floor glittered. Every door handle
was gold in color.
“What
building is this?” Eulis asked.
“I
don’t know.”
A
little while later, Eulis exclaimed with happiness looking at a beautiful
garden in front of the building. She jumped towards it and found herself being
surrounded by meticulously planted flowers. The buds blossomed well, a sign
that they were taken with very good care. She felt as if she had been a
princess who was playing in the royal garden. The flowers and the lights both
shone beautifully. She never saw such a magnificent view in her life before and
now she barely held herself to kiss the flowers and play with the floating
lights.
Ma Inung
stared at this little princess.
“How
pity you are, my child.” She spoke in her heart, remembering Eulis’s parents
whose presence unknown.
It
seemed that the military guard heard the noise came out of the garden. His eyes
were heavy to open. He slowly got up and grasped the lance.
“Who’s
that?” The voice sounded hoarse.
No
answer. Silent.
Ma Inung felt
her body trembled, afraid of having secretly entered a yard.
The
sound of the stripped black and white shoes stepping the ground was heard. A
big tall figure appeared. He played the lance. Ma Inung shuddered and Eulis was still as quiet as a mouse.
They
were seized and brought to a guard post, feeling like a buffalo which was
pulled by a rope through its nose. Afterwards, there came an interrogation. The
questions were given with rapid speed one after another. Name, place of origin,
age, job, address, and identity card. Ma
Inung’s status of being a widow also did not lose their attention. The main
question was certainly, why were they so bold to enter the yard?
Ma Inung
answered all questions with total frankness. She was Inung from Selaawi
village, a 60-year-old widow with no job. She stayed inside card boards next to
railways in the train station. Never studied at school, only at pesantren[3].
No identity card. Eulis was the next person she explained. This 8-year-old girl
was her granddaughter. She only schooled till grade two because her grandma did
not have any money. While her parents worked in a faraway place, in Saudi
Arabia. They sold their house and a small block of their rice field to go
there. They left Eulis in the guidance of her grandma. Sadly, it had been two
years since they left but no money ever sent from there.
If
she had not been a beggar, what would have they eaten? She had no money for
buying rice since the price became more expensive. That was the reason why they
entered the garden in order to catch lights.
Ma Inung
apologized for their mistake and hoped that the guard would be kind enough to
forgive them.
“Nini[4],
don’t go anywhere! Just stay here lest this be a trouble. I still had things to
do. There would be many guests to attend coffee morning today,” ordered the
guard and went out as hearing his friend called him.
“Ready,
commandant!” shouted the guards outside altogether.
Meanwhile,
Ma Inung and Eulis hid themselves on
the corner. They just waited, spoke a little, and held the plastic bag firmly.
The guard asked them to keep the bag as a proof.
Short
time later, a shiny fine red car strolled down.
Eulis
glanced from a window then whispered,” Ma…
there were lights on the car wheels.” Ma
Inung quickly looked out. That was true! The passengers got out of the car and
the lights shivered down from their body and clothes too!
She
threw a sidelong glance to the terrace. A man was sweeping out the lights. She
got more confused. This was too obscured to her. Why did those precious lights
seem valueless here? They were wasted, swept away, ran over by car, and thrown
away from body and clothes?
She
uttered no words, kept her mouth closed, and just stroked Eulis’s head.
There
were many more cars to come when the day grew brighter. The lights on the car
wheels were more subdued by the shining sun.
After
the coffee morning ended and all the guests went back home, the guard went back
to his post.
“Nini, where’s the plastic bag?”
“Here
it is.” Ma Inung handed the bag which
was believed containing priceless lights.
He opened and examined it carefully.
A
minute later…
“Why,
you lied, did you? There’s nothing special in it. They’re just torn pieces of
newspaper. They’re all small pieces; you even can’t do anything with it.” He
handed back the bag.
Ma Inung was
bewildered. She opened the bag and found torn newspaper pieces, as small as a
child’s little finger.
She
was so ashamed as to become speechless. The hope that she set high washed away.
She thought that the lights came from gold, diamonds, or something else
valuable and could be used for affording their daily needs.
“Adén[5],…
it’s true that I took lights at dawn and put them in this plastic bag. They
glittered everywhere, in the garden, on the street, in that terrace, even on
the wheels of the cars that came this morning.” She tried to convince him while
taking a piece of torn newspaper for him to see.
He
examined it once again. His eyes caught some words written on it.
“Honesty,
justice, duty, wisdom, vow, promise”
It
made him absorbed in deep thought.
At
last he spoke,” Nini, listen. About
this lights matter, it’s up to you. But what’s important is that you must never
enter this building again, though it’s only passing through the arc,
understand?”
Ma Inung
replied, “I’m so sorry, Adén. It
wouldn’t happen again. But, may I know what building is this?”
“This
is Gedong Pakuan[6].
The king lives here. The guests coming this morning were rich people from
government offices who rule this capital city. They came to have a coffee with
the king while discussing about the people. Now, Nini, bring back the bag. It’s just garbage here.”
[1] Mother (as an address by
children)
[2] Morning salat time for Moslem
[3] A kind of school where
the students are mostly taught about Islam religion
[4] Grandmother (also as a
term of address to an old woman in general)
[5] A friendly term of
address for boys or young men
[6] The office and residence
of the governor of West Java province
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