CARPON : KAMAR NINI

Ku : MAMAT SASMITA

Isuk-isuk kira wanci haneut moyan, kuring diuk caméot di tengah imah, hareupeun lawang kamar Nini, niatna mah rék mémérés kamar Nini. Réréganana muka, nyampay ka beulah kénca.

Geus ampir dua minggu rérégan kamar Nini, tara ditutupkeun. Ngablak, muka, nepi ka jero kamar gé antra.  Isuk-isuk jandéla nu nyanghareup ka wétan dibuka, nyeleberna angin karasa seger. Rajeun cahaya panon poé nyulusup kana sela-sela rérégan jandéla. Langsung nyorot kana ranjang kéro nu make kulambu bodas. Ranjang kéro téh ranjang beusi  nu weweg, nu diluhurna aya keur masang kulambu. Cenah mah éta ranjang téh pamawa Aki, basa seserahan, ngalamar ka Nini. Ari jandéla nu nyanghareup ka kalér mah tara dibuka, da nyanghareupna nampeu ka kebon sampeu, sok aya hileud.

Enya geus aya dua mingguna Nini mulang ka kalanggengan, dikurebkeun gédéngeun kuburan Aki. Ari Aki mah ngantunkeunana geus lila pisan, kuring gé inget-inget poho. Biasana, basa Nini jumeneng kénéh, rérégan kamar téh tara muka, éstu kudu nutupan lawang ka kamar Nini. Najan teu maké panto gé tara ieuh aya nu wani nyingkabkeun atawa pirajeunan asup ka kamar Nini.

Satungtung inget, kuring can kungsi kawénéhan rérégan kamar Nini muka, padahal kuring téh ayeuna geus kuliah taun ka dua. Rajeun ningali teh lamun rérégan rék diseuseuh, diganti ku nu beresih atawa mun Nini ka luar atawa asup ka kamar, kitu gé sarérét-sarérét.

Kakara dua minggu ieu, kuring kakara nyaho aya naon baé di jero kamar Nini téh. Aya méja leutik diluhurna ditutup ku taplak bodas ngeplak, diluhureun taplak aya wadah lemareun sapuratina, aya potrét Nini nuju di gondéng ku Aki dipiguraan, sigana nuju aranom kénéh, nembé nikah, Nini mah dikabaya, dicindung, ari Aki maké jas, lengkep maké dasi. Saur Mamah mah di jero lomari teh loba pernak-pernik jeung dokumen pribadi Aki sareng Nini.

 Di gigir, juru kamar beulah kénca aya deui lomari leutik, sigana wadah anggoan, diluhureun lomari leutik aya mukena di luhureun mukena aya Qur’an. Ngan sakitu. Euweuh nanaon deui. Ari dina dingding mah aya eunteung digantungkeun, eunteung kabaheulaan téa, nu maké pigura kai diukir, eunteungna dibuleudkeun semu lonjong, handapeun eunteung aya paranti neundeun sisir, malah aya sisir kerep ngagolér. Sadidintenna Nini ukur ngaos Qur’an salang-selang osok nyulam, ngadamel tutup poci atawa sarung bantal.

Inget kénéh waktu kuring keur kelas lima sakola dasar, guru téh méré tugas sangkan nyieun karajinan tina taneuh liket, kuring ngumaha ka Nini, ngagentraan Nini téh cukup ti luaraeun kamar, ngagentraan Nini teh cukup sakali wé, da lamun teu nuju ébog mah sok langsung ngawaler. Harita gé langsung kaluar kamar. Pameunteu beresih, anggoan beresih, rapih baé, ari dedegan Nini semu jangkung, salira alit, teu bayuhyuh. Ari rérégan lawang kamar dibuka téh sok semu meleber seungit kembang, duka kembang naon, ari nu mindeng katohyan mah Nini sok ngala kembang kamuning.

“Aya naon kasép?” Kitu pokna. Kuring nerangkeun kudu nyieun karajinan tina taneuh liket.  

Tuluy Nini ngajak kuring ka sisi susukan, di lebakkeun imah, niat ngala taneuh liket. Cék Nini taneuh liket téh sok disebut taneuh porang atawa rajeun disebut taneuh angir.

“Ih geuning susukan téh rarujit kieu.”  Cek Nini. Enya tuda dina susukan téh mani kotor, pinuh ku runtah, caina semu hinyay, rujit ningalina gé.

 Tungtungna Nini ngajak ka sawah, rada lila leumpang téh, da sawahna aya di tonggoheun susukan. Sawah nu Nini eta teh.

“Tuh beulah ditu,” cék Nini bari nunjuk ka beulah kulon “Aya gunung batu, batu téh ngajalegir sagedé-gedé munding, terus béh dituna aya pabrik batu, aya mesin paranti ngagiling batu sangkan batu meunang nampolan jadi batu laleutik, keur ngabalay.” Kuring mah cicing wé da teu parti ngarti.

Cék Nini, Cibogo téh geus robah ayeuna mah, geus jadi nagara, geus sagala hurung hérang, tanah ngaplak jadi imah mewah, tanah lapang jadi gedong. Nu asli urang dieu nyalingkir teuing kamana. Kebon salak, kebon jambu, kebon muncang, geus ilang musna ganti ku rajegna beton. Nu anyar datang teuing saha, teu wawuh jeung siga nu embung wawuh ka urang Cibogo. Supaya ngarasa aman, imah dipager, komplek imah dibénténg jangkung.  Urang kampung dianggapna panyakit, dianggap rék ngarudetkeun baé. Cék Nini béhna teu jelema masakat teu jelema beunghar angger wé kana miceun runtah mah jorok.

Di sawah mah taneuh liket téh meunang, mawa ukur saguruntul kira-kira sagedé sirah kuring. Nini mapah ancad, kuring nuturkeun. Saur Nini “Engké urang ngadamel toléot.”  Kuring ukur unggeuk, teu apal nu kumaha ari toléot. Ku Nini taneuh téh digaley deui, saurna ambéh lemes jeung babari diemplé-empléna. Resep ngemplé-ngemplé taneuh liket, leungeun bobolokot, kesang renung dina tarang.

Saur Mamah mah Nini téh lulusan sakola kepandaian putri taun limapuluhan, mana pantes sagala tiasa gé. Geuning nu disebut toléot ku Nini téh mangrupa mamanukan maké liang, lamun ditiup disada ngahéong, sorana harus, rada ngentrung henteu nyempring siga sora piriwit. “Kedah terang kumaha ngadamelna cocooan téh, ulah resep nganggona wungkul,” cék Nini.

Imah nu dicicingan ku kulawarga kuring téh imah panggung, ngan teu maké palupuh tapi make papan, papanna gé geus leucir herang balas ku lilana. Kolongna teu jangkung teuing paling gé satengah méter. Nini nu rajin ngaroris kolong téh, da ulah pisan barangteundeun di kolong, kudu beresih.  Ari dingdingna maké bilik, anyaman awi hinisna dua lapis, seseg tur pantes.  Tihangna tina tangkal kalapa, henteu buleud tapi biasa wé masagi. Cek nu ngarti mah wangunan imah téh disebut julang ngapak. Kungsi Apa sareng Mamah aya niat ngarombak imah, rék dibangun tina bata saperti nu séjén. Na atuh Nini bendu, ngan Nini mah ari bendu téh teu jeung ngarobah semu, malah ngajak diskusi ka Apa sareng ka Mamah. Kuring gé ngilu ngariung, asana kuring téh keur sakola di SMA.  Nini nyarios halon “Kasép, Geulis, ema mah lain teu hayang boga imah gedong siga batur, tapi ari kudu ngarugrugkeun ieu imah mah, najan ukur rék dirobah, ema mah banget teu satuju.”

Tuluy Nini nepikeun alesanana, cenah ieu imah téh meunang ngitung aki, da dihenteu-henteu gé aki téh lulusan sakola bangunan, jadi seseg jeung kuat, atuh bahanna ge nu petingan wungkul, jeung ongkoh deuih cocog keur daérah tropis. Kaduana wangunan kieu téh kuat ku lini, moal babari rubuh siga gedong tina témbok komo mun némbokna wawayagon. “Anggur mah mun baroga waragadna, sok imah ieu dioméan saeutik mah, boh cétna, boh lalangitna, komo éta tihang palebah tatapakanana, kudu mindeng diroris bisi besek, atawa bisi aya rinyuh.” Kitu saur Nini mungkas obrolan, Nini siga nu alim dibantah da teras lebet ka kamar.

Ari maksud Apa sareng Mamah mah, nu katangkep ku kuring, tadina ngarombak imah téh hayang nyenangkeun Nini. Tapi geuning kitu pamadegan Nini téh, kuring gé satuju kana pamadegan Nini pang-pangna palebah imah panggung leuwih kuat mun aya lini. Mangkaning daérah Cibogo téh deukeut ka sésar Lembang, dua lémpéng taneuh nu silih sedek, hiji waktu mah bakal obah tur bakal jadi sumber lini. Meureun mun aya lini téh imah panggung mah moal  matak bahaya teuing. Disidik-sidik ayeuna, imah téh asa nenggang, béda ti batur. Manjang ka tukang. Di gigir aya wangunan tambahan leutik keur garasi mobil, di gigir sabeulah deui aya sosompang rada lega, diteundeunan méja pingpong. Teu salah mun disebut griya unik téh.

Imah téh kawilang lega, aya tepas, biasana di tepas adi kuring, awéwé, sok ulin jeung babaturanana, ngan lamun mijah sok kadenge bragbrigbrug. Dijero, tenga imah ngablak, lega, ditengahna diamparan ku lampit, sawareh diamparan ku alketip paranti kulawarga diuk atawa gogoleran bari lalajo télévisi. Kamarna aya opat nu gedé, ditambah ku nu leutik. Kamar leutik mah sok disebut goah. Dapur mah ka béh tukang, kawilang lega, keur rohang paranti dahar, teu maké meja, tapi maké ambén, jadi mun dahar teh lain diuk dina korsi, tapi kudu sila. Cék babaturan, di imah kuring mah cenah unggal poé léséhan, ari saur Nini mah lain léséhan cenah tapi ngampar. Dina ambén éta ngabagug téténong rada gedé, téténong nu tilu umpak, wadah dahareun, da tara maké tudung saji.

Di dapur téh hawu gé aya, tah sual hawu gé kungsi jadi masalah, biasa nu mokalan téh Apa, hawu hayang dibongkar, dipiceun. Ma’lum Apa téh didamelna di BUMN bagian logistik, barang nu teu dipaké leuwih hadé dipiceun, dikaluarkeun tina catetan asét pausahaan, minuhan teu pararuguh cenah. Ngan Nini teu satuju, sakali deui éta téh cenah hawu meunang nyieun Aki. Harita mah kuring rada pro ka Apa, da enya atuh hawu téh siga nu ngabagug teu puguh, geus lila tara dipaké. Apan jaman kiwari mah néangan suluhna gé hésé. Saur Mamah ka Apa, kudu ngéléhan ka kolot mah bisi tideuha cenah. Apa ukur nyéréngéh dikitukeun téh, bari ngaharéwos lalaunan kuduna mah nu kolot gé ngarti kana kahayang nu ngora. Mamah ngadilak ka Apa.  Luhureun hawu aya paraseuneu, didinya diteundeun sééng, dulang, lalayah, katél, jeung sabangsa parabot séjén nu galedé.

Korsi tamu mah aya, diteundeun di tepas, tapi korsina nu tina awi gombong, geus leucir hérang, jadi tamu téh tara asup ka imah, cukup masamoan di tepas. Najan hujan gedé ge tara sawér ka tepas, sigana Aki ngararancang imah téh sagalana geus diitung.

Jaman keur budak, kuring rajeun bangor hayang asup ka goah, sok maling-maling, najan sabenerna mah geus nyaho teu meunang ongkoh deuih di jero goah téh poék. Tapi inget da di goah aya buyung paranti béas, aya peti rada gedé paranti paré, rajeun sok jadi tempat nyimpen bubuahan, kayaning cau, sawo atawa jambu batu, kitu wé bubuahan hasil ti kebon Nini. Mun kapanggih ku Nini, kuring sok dicarékan. “Pameget mah teu kénging ka goah,” tuluy Nini sok ngomong goah téh tempatna Déwi Sri, nu ngagaduhan paré. Dikitukeun téh kuring tara loba tatanya, keur mah geus mindeng ngadéngé omongan kitu, paling gé ngajawab “Da sanés badé ngangganggu Déwi Sri, tapi badé nyandak sawo asak.” Nini ge sok gumujeng ari dijawab kitu mah. Nu aman neundeun dahareun téh di goah, Apa gé mun hoyong bubuahan nu disimpen di goah téh sok ngagentraan heula ka Mamah, nyuhunkeun dipangnyandakeun bubuahan. Nu teu meunang sagawayah asup téh ka kamar Nini jeung ka kamar Mamah deuih. 

Sanggeus kuring kuliah, kakara nyaho geuning imah urang Sunda téh jaman buhun mah dirohang-rohang. Aya rohang keur lalaki jeung aya rohang keur awéwé,  tepas keur lalaki, dapur keur awéwé, tengah imah mah keur saréréa, watesna imajinér, ngan goah nu écés téh. Cenah cék Nini, baheula mah sok rajeun di goah téh aya pangradinan, parukuyan jeung susuguh séjén, ti mimiti cai kopi pait jeung rurujakan. Éta téh panghormat ka Dewi Sri, nu dimitoskeun yén Déwi Sri téh déwi paré, goah lir rohang sakral. Padahal, kuring kungsi maca, Sri atawa Asri asalna kecap sariçi atawa ariçi tina basa Dravida, hartina paré atawa siki-sikian, kana basa Laten jadi cereal, kana basa Inggris jadi rice, kana basa Yunani jadi oryza, dina basa Sunda gé apan aya paré ceré. Ari teu meunang sagawayah ka kamar Nini mah saur Mamah bisi Nini kabaribinan, jeung ongkoh teu  elok mun blas-blus ka kamar batur nu sipatna pribadi.

Kuring masih caméot hareupeun kamar Nini, leungiteun puguh gé, leungiten ku gohgoy Nini, leungiteun ku meleberna kembang ti kamar Nini, leungiteun ku dédéngéan nu ketrak-ketruk, leungiteun ku déhémna, leungiteun ku usap Nini.  Geus jadi kabiasaan mun kuring rék indit kuliah sok pamitan heula ka Nini, ari Nini tara kaliwat ngusap sirah, karasa dampal panangan Nini nyecep tiis, lemes, ngageleser kana tarang. Mun kaciri kuring keur pakepuk lantaran loba tugas, Nini sok nyauran : “Kadieu kasép, urang jiad ku Nini, ambéh pinter.” Tuluy sirah kuring diusap sababaraha kali, Nini sapertos nu kunyam kunyem ngadu’a.

Kamari soré, Apa sareng Mamah ngawangkong, kuring gé ngilu ngawangkong, cék Mamah rék dikumahakeun kamar urut Nini. Cék Apa mah ulah dikukumahkeun, mending diantep wé gunana bisi aya dulur atawa tamu nu hayang ngéndong, bisa diperenahkeun di kamar urut Nini. Kuring rada ngajenghok ku pamadegan Apa, asa jadi robah, sugan téh imah rék langsung dibongkar dirombak jadi imah témbok.  Ari celengkeung téh adi kuring nu kakara kelas dua SMP mairan cenah alusna mah dijadikeun musola, paranti solat berjamaah sakulawarga, sakalian bari ngadu’akeun Nini. Kaharti kituna mah, da adi kuring nu pangdeukeutna jeung Nini. Sababaraha poé sabada Nini ngantunkeun, adi kuring barintit balas ceurik. Apa sareng Mamah sakedapan mah ngahuleng, kuring satuju, tungtungna Apa sareng Mamah gé satuju.

Kamar Nini geus robah, nu tadina arang kagiridig teu meunang sagawayah asup, ayeuna saha baé gé meunang asup ngan mun rék solat, dihenteu-henteu gé tetep teu sagawayah bisa asup atawa malah jadi rohang sakral. Naha ari goah bakal tetep jadi rohang sakral jeung naha ari ieu imah panggung bakal jadi robah?■

(Dimuat dina Tribun Jabar Salasa 27/3/2012, Rebo 28/3/2012, Kemis 29/3/2012)

Short Story : When Mom Wanted to Sell the House

By : MAMAT SASMITA                                                                  Sundanese Version 
Translated from Sundanese into English by Josephine Natania.

Going home after school was not the activity I looked forward to anymore. I was reluctant to go home. It was very different with my friends who were very excited, like my classmate, Revi. She almost jumped out of the class when the bell rang. She got a seat with small space in the public transportation, but it did not matter for her as long as she arrived at home. She mentioned that there were two new kittens in her house.

            In these two months, there was no longer homely atmosphere in my house. The yard did not look cheerful. No, it was not the rubbish. The yard was still clean and swept well, but the flowers in pots were gloomy.

            It had been 2 weeks since my mom stuck a sign made from a piece of plywood on the ground in front of our house. “House for Sale. No agent. Call 08xxx” was written on it.

            I was startled by the sign. House for sale?

            A few days later, Mom finally told us that the house would be sold and we would move from here. That was the only explanation. I was confused. Why the house had to be sold and why we had to move?

I dared not to ask, either to Mom or Dad. I was afraid of being punished. I noticed that they snarled at one another and it was almost two months that they never ask each other again. They only asked for important things. However, I did not see them fighting. All this time, I never saw Mom and Dad being angry of each other, even more fighting. I did not know whether they were ashamed of fighting in front of the 10-year-old child or it was only about the matter of ethics.

It seemed that Mom and Dad spoke words as many as what could burst out of their mouths. What was strange was that they became silent all of a sudden when I appeared in front of their eyes. Dad then would go out to the yard to sweep the garbage while Mom would move into the kitchen. The next thing I heard was the sound of plates washed. It always happened on Sundays, since they worked on weekdays. I stayed at home only with Bi[1] Saroh, a middle-aged woman whom my parents helped.  

When Ua[2] Uyuh visited us, he talked seriously with Mom. I was there among them actually. Ua Uyuh had different action towards me. He stroked my hair and hugged me.

“Just play outside. It’s an adult talk,” Mom spoke. I went out and met the other children who were playing at the yard. However, I overheard Ua say, “Don’t be reckless. It’s the child who will be hurt. Think it again.” I did not know what he meant.   

It happened again when we visited Grandpa and Grandma’s house. Once more I heard, “Don’t be reckless. It’s the child who will be hurt.” It was Grandpa and Grandma who said that this time.

Well, the fact could not be denied. Here I am, a girl of 10, a 5^th grader. There were adult talks that I could understand now, but still there were other things that bewildered me.

Everything that parents did was surely connected with their children, in this case, it was me. So, I think they should have told me.

I was the only child my parents had. I should have had a brother, but Mom had a miscarriage at several months of her pregnancy. After having a USG test, it was found out that the baby was a boy. She cried sobbingly as we carried her off to a hospital. I was 5 at that time, still a kindergarten student.       

            I found the “House for Sale” sign was very disturbing. Many questions from the neighbors, many strangers to come. My friends asked me too about that, especially my boy friend, Heri, whose house was just 4 doors from mine. He truly often asked about the house.

            Even when he came to play at my house, he would stand in front of the sign and said, “I hope each day pass and this sign is still be here.” I asked him what he meant by saying that. “If this sign is still be here, it means that your house hasn’t been sold, and it means Rere hasn’t moved.”

            Rere was my nickname. My full name was Rainy Ramadhani. Dad explained to me that I was born on the month of Ramadhan and it rained at that time, so that was the history of my name. At home, I was called Rere. It came from my name’s abbreviation, R R (/r/ as in the word ‘rain’) and then read that abbreviation from the back.

            Dad took off the sign but Mom stuck it again. She hit it the nail with the street-side stone since she could not find the hammer. Maybe Dad hid it.

            Sometimes she brought two or three big used card boards when she came back from her office. “For packing stuff,” she answered shortly. The board were stacked up and bound with a rope in the kitchen.

            The thought of having to do a house moving was not a nice thought. I felt so lazy to do that. I surely had to move from my school too.

            The thought of having to leave Ade[3] Ira made me even harder to move. She was a child’s neighbor, yet she was really close to me. Whenever I was back from school, she liked to rummage my bag to search for a book. She liked me to read the story for her. Her house was a very next door to mine. So when I was walking home, she had been ready to block my way or she had played at my house along with her mom.

            Ade Ira was a cute little child. She still spoke with a lisp but she had often asked many things. Because of her lisp, she called me Tet Lele. I knew what she meant was Teh[4] Rere. When I was doing homework, this little girl joined with me, but she was not a disturbance. She even frowned as if she had thought deeply too. When she saw me finished doing the homework, she looked so happy as if knowing that I would read a story for her.

            I could imagine that if I had moved from here, I would have parted with her. There would have been no one waiting for me at the doorway. Ade Ira would have asked about me too. When school was on holiday, I usually stayed in Grandma’s house in Cicalengka. I coud not imagine that Ade Ira’s mom would have made a phone call just to ask me to tell a story for her daughter.

            The story I told her was only about a mouse deer and a tortoise. I only remembered three stories of them and which were in the book. The stories were certainly remained the same. However, Ade Ira was so fond of being told a story by me although her mom also did the same for her.

            We had been living here for 8 years. That is what Mom said. We lived here since I was 2, the same age as Ade Ira now. There were many memories in this house that I remembered. One of them happened when I was in the 1^st grade. It was a rainy season. One day, I watched TV and without my notice, a small bull frog came into the house. The frog jumped merrily and the next thing I knew it was near me. I shouted loudly and wham!! My forehead knocked a chair. I shouted again.

            Mom and Dad hurriedly came with anxiety drawn in their faces. I showed them the frog while my other hand rubbed the hurtful forehead.

            Dad sent the frog out with the broom made of bamboo mid rib. Because I had not stopped crying, Mom took a look at my forehead and rubbed it softly. Then she gave a traditional medicine - a mixture of rice pound, Kaempferia galanga L., and water - to the area where it was swollen. I finally slept in her lap.

            There is another funny moment. It was early in the morning and I still slept in my bedroom, when suddenly I heard Mom shouting. My dad, who practiced the dawn prayer, also lost his concentration. I got out of the room, decided to take a look what made she was so noisily banged the door. I thought that there was something bad happened. It was just ….. a worm actually. When the door was opened, Mom quickly burst out of the bathroom with her body was still covered with foams.

            I always laughed when I remembered that silly moment. Mom also laughed at herself,       

moreover Dad who really enjoyed teasing Mom about that. She explained that she was afraid of worms because of having worm disease when she was little.

            There was one more thing that made me so hard to move. Every Sunday evening, I liked to go to the mosque to follow Qur’an recitation. Every time I went there and then went back home again, Heri always gave me a ride with his bicycle. Our friends teased us about that. They said we were a perfect couple. I was really annoyed when I was teased like that. Yet, I felt something missing if I went to the mosque and came back home without Heri. So we were still on the same ride together.

            Heri was at the 1^st grade of junior high school. He was a tall boy with curly hair and dark skin. He used to be my schoolmate in elementary school. We took the same school bus too. I felt lucky to have a friend like him. He was patient and good in teaching, so I often asked him about my school lessons. In elementary, he always got a rank and was one of the brightest students. Mom also had a good opinion about Heri, “It’s good to have a smart and good friend like him.”  One day, in the celebration of Indonesia Independence Day, I got a role in children folk theater, so did Heri. In that play, we were husband and wife. Our friends, for sure, yelled and whistled at us.

           

            There were so many moments, so many sweet memories in this house that I would not ever forget. The memories of the jumping bull frog, Dad with the broom, the spot where my forehead bumped at.

            That stairs… the stairs heading to the place to dry the wet clothes… I remembered I liked to sit at its step to daydream.

            That footstool… He liked sit there while taking a look at the books. It was a habit of him to look at the encyclopedias of Indonesia or science book series when he came here. It was Dad who bought those books in order for me to read when I was older.

            Here, in this spot, I used to play trading game when I was a kindergarten student. I remembered Mom warned me about my bad habit of doodling the wall near the bathroom with marker pen.   

           

            Now, the fact said that this house would be sold and we had to move somewhere else. I thought maybe Bi Saroh knew the reason, so I tried to ask her. Nevertheless, she did not know why. Instead she ordered me to ask Mom or Dad by myself. The answer that I got from Mom was, “If you’re getting older later on, you will understand.” and from Dad, “Just ask your Mom.”  

            Their absurd answers did not give a clear explanation to me. I could not insist Mom to tell the truth. Why they could not give an answer that a girl of 10, almost 11 would understand? It was not that I wanted to know all adult’s problems, they were confusing. But, it was a house moving! I should have known the reason.

           

            I also had a pity on myself. The final exam would start soon. If I moved to a new school, I would be confused and I knew nobody there. How if there were lessons I did not understand? Who would I ask to? Heri was no longer near me. Dad did not explain the lessons clearly because of considering me a college student who knew everything. It was useless to ask Mom, because she was so fussy and I would only be annoyed as a result.

            This morning, I saw Mom having washed her hair. She dried it with a towel while waiting for me to take a bath. Just before she went to work, she grabbed the “House for Sale” sign and threw it into the garbage can.

            I could not believe what I had just seen for seconds. Then I ran into her and embraced her. We would not move! I cried for happiness. Dad, seeing me crying, said nothing and stroked my hair.     

            So when I went to school this morning, I felt so excited.  The reluctance was suddenly gone. I wanted to meet Heri as soon as possible to tell this good news. No, I did not need the reason why the sign was thrown away. Happiness was all I knew.

               

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[1] Aunty (often used to address a maid in the house)

[2] A term of address to older brother of father or mother 

[3] A term of address to someone’s younger than the speaker, especially to a little boy or girl

[4] A term of address to an older girl

Short Story : MONKEY

By : MAMAT SASMITA                                                                  Sundanese Version 
Translated from Sundanese into English by Josephine Natania.
 

It came to his senses that he might have neglected his family, that he might have less care to them. He went out whenever the darkness still covered the morning sky and came back home whenever the darkness covered back the sky. It was for his devotion to his job.

            Kang [1]Sabri pondered about this truth while sitting on a chair in front of his house. The cold morning breeze blew.

Suddenly his wife came out of the house. She took a seat beside him.

“Kang, don’t think it too much. A child only has little understanding of things. “

Kang Sabri just slightly glance at her and stared into the distance. Then he got up from the chair to stretch his body. He asked his wife to bring his sneakers.

Kang Sabri jogged and jumped on the streets of his house complex. His mind was preoccupied with what his son said before. He understood that he had not had understanding as he was a boy of three, of four almost. Still a child under five.

The kid had just learned to speak fluently. He liked to jump everywhere in the house and grabbed anything his hands could grab. Kang Sabri understood these facts very well.

Was what Bi[2] Amah said untrue? Or was I frightened by her? He deeply thought. But it was impossible. Bi Amah was just a maid in his house. It was surely inappropriate to ask her to tell the kid that he had done something wrong.

Kang Sabri had three children. The oldest one was in the 2^nd grade of junior high and the middle was a 5^th grade student. Both of them were girls. The youngest was a 3-year-old boy, almost 4.

At first, he and his wife felt that having two children was enough. However he wanted a boy. They had a baby boy eventually. That was why the boy’s age was quite far from his sisters.

He felt that his life was blissful. His career rose though he still held the position of the head of sub department in government. He had a good wife and healthy children.

Being responsible to his family made him working all out. He left home early in the morning and went back again at night.

The household matters were all taken by his wife as she did not work at office. She followed a few activities, such as RT[3] and RW[4] activities or women activities in her husband’s office.

Since they had the little boy, they looked for a housemaid to help with the chores. They found Bi Amah, a Ciawi-Tasik native, who came from a pesantren[5] in Sukapancar.

She was a middle-aged woman, yet she was able to handle her tasks well and always ready to do something. His wife liked Bi Amah very much since the first time. She no longer considered Bi Amah as a maid, but her parent. The children were also asked to call Bi Amah Enin, a nickname for nini[6].   

Kang Sabri jumped. He went around a park in his house complex. He had an early intention to take care his son while he jogged. Yet, the boy refused and the insistence at his dad only made him crying, clinging closely to his mom.

He felt as if his heart had been cut by a knife. Yeah, he realized that he had neglected his children. The boy never called him ‘dad’. It was normal to call ‘dad’ to the father and ‘mom’ to the mother, right? Still, he was never been called like that since the boy was taught how to speak. He also shrank back as his dad approached him. He looked afraid.

Normally, father and son should have been close to each other. Play and fight together, tickle one another. But this one, the boy seemed to have no interest to his own dad.

He had no problems with his friends. Even they thought him as an outspoken boy. He was also close to his sisters. It was funny to hear ‘teteh[7]’ with a lisp came out of his little mouth. To the oldest sister, he sometimes asked to draw a golden fish or a carp for him. Fish was his favorite animal. Every time he ate golden fish or carp, he always feasted on them.

Being realized that he had set aside his family, he decided to change himself. Whenever there was a day off, he tried to stay at home in order to be with his children.

It had been several months, but his self change showed no effects, especially of course, to the youngest. This Saturday was the proof.

On Saturdays, there were a lot of Kang Sabri’s friends who got a chance to work out along with their families. While drying off their sweats, they were very happy to walk hand-in-hand with their children, buy rice flour pancakes or chicken porridge at the street side, stuff themselves, and make jokes. 

Kang Sabri walked with quick steps. He panted. Then his cell phone rang and he answered it. He always kept his phone close to him, even when he took a bath.

“Sir, 40 kilos of durian have been sent to Buah Batu Street as usual.”

“Thank you. Don’t use ‘durian’ anymore. I’m afraid KPK[8] remembered the word. Change into ‘carp’.”

“Alright, Sir. It’s easy as long as I took the other projects as well.”

“It can be arranged, ok? Thanks,” he shortly decided and ended the call.

  Kang Sabri walked faster, feeling relieved and wiping the sweats from his forehead. He went around the park two more times then came back home. 

He arrived in front of the house. He quietened his steps as he heard his son was laughing loudly. Probably the sisters had been teasing him. He now looked with his own eyes that the boy was truly cheerful and outspoken.

Kang Sabri could not suppress his desire to join with this little happy group. He opened the door with a single push and exclaimed, “Bo-peep!” He thought that the boy would laugh louder, instead the boy shrieked, “Monkeeey…” while sacredly falling upon his sister.

It was really beyond his expectation. He just wanted to make joke with his son. The house turned silent. Only the boy was heard sniffing. Luckily, the mother got out of the kitchen. “What’s the matter?” she asked, but nobody spoke. It was just the boy darted to his mom.

Kang Sabri went away, undressed his sport clothes and took a bath. After that, he dressed suitably, brought his car out of the garage and drove somewhere. “Why did he call me monkey? So what’s that a monkey?” He asked to himself. A cloud of confusion hanged above him.

It was almost 5 PM when he came back home. He brought many things, fruits, craps, cakes, and toys.

He found Bi Amah was teaching the children to read Quran. The boy, who was wearing a little-sized sarong and white peci[9], also sat cross-legged near Bi Amah. Those stuffs suited him well and made him looked handsome. Kang Sabri sat near his wife too. He put down his belongings in the middle of the house.

Bi Amah used to teach to read Quran. She managed to read books too. She ever said, “You can read anything, as long as it’s good to set life examples and give self-reflection.” Kang Sabri’s wife set the study time perfectly so that the children had a useful thing to do while they were waiting for maghrib[10] time.

It was a habit of Bi Amah to tell a story for about 15 minutes after the lesson was finished. She often told them the fables of monkey and turtle. The children, who were fond of being told a story, clapped their hands right before the storyteller began.

            This time, she told a fable of monkey and turtle again. The monkey borrowed the turtle’s tiger-boned pipe but the monkey never returned it. At the end of the story, Bi Amah shared the moral lessons, “We may not be like that greedy monkey. We shouldn’t play tricks on somebody else nor consider what belongs to others as mine. We shouldn’t practice corruption like what often happened right now. Corruption is something harmful and it’s prohibited to buy food by using money coming from that evil action.”

            The boy burst out all of a sudden while pointing his little index finger at Kang Sabri, “He he, monkey…” Without any remorse, he moved his head to another direction and stuck his under lip out against his sister.

            It was only the laughter of the sisters heard in that room. Bi Amah and the mother were silent. Kang Sabri smiled bitterly.    

      

            At night, when the children had fallen asleep, a soft indistinct speech of a wife was heard. “Kang, let’s just take the lesson of it. I believe you’re clean and not doing something bad. Maybe it’s me who lack of understanding. Maybe I’ve ever done some religious mistakes or behaved improperly.”  

 

 

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[1] Brother (also used in conjunction with personal names, official title, etc)

[2] Aunty

[3] The abbreviation of ‘Rukun Tetangga’ (Neighborhood Community)

[4] The abbreviation of ‘Rukun Warga’. It is the unity of many neighborhood communities 

[5] A kind of school where the students are mostly taught about Islam religion

[6] Grandmother (also as a term of address to an old woman in general)

[7] A term to address older sister

[8] The abbreviation of Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (Corruption Eradication Committee)

[9] A skull-cap used by the Moslem men.

[10] It is one of five-time prayer set from the Moslems to pray, about 6 PM