THE fate of poor and old street vendors like Maryam always has to deal with Satpol PP. Maryam wants to trade at market stalls, and even wants to have her own mega mall. The problem is, where is the capital? The goods that Maryam sells are used clothes, which sometimes sell, sometimes they don't. There was no other choice for Maryam, if expelled from one place Maryam moved to another place. Never fight, never comment, let alone curse. Maryam knew that she was guilty of trading on the sidewalk, but where else would she trade? Change the sidewalk. Many pass by. It's pretty good to sell a piece of used pants and get some money. Maryam embraced the ten thousand note with feeling. He was touched because today he would be able to buy a packet of rice. He hasn't eaten in two days. Trade does not sell. Let alone selling, the merchandise has just been held, the Satpol PP has arrived. Merchandise rolled back and carried away.
Mary was surprised. Satpol PP came again. This time Maryam did not have time to roll up her merchandise. The dashing man who Maryam called a soldier took Maryam's merchandise. Maryam's merchandise was arbitrarily thrown into the back of the loot truck. Maryam's merchandise would be taken to a landfill and burned. Maryam was not willing. He begged for his merchandise to be returned. But the sadistic treatment that Maryam got. Maryam was kicked by a Satpol PP until she fell backwards. Even though the Satpol PP really looks like his son.
"How can such a brave soldier be to an old woman..." Maryam's words were soft but it was an eloquence that came from the bottom of the heart. Even so, Maryam did not shed tears. The old woman had not been able to shed tears for a long time, even though sadness swept through her heart. Why do you have to burst into tears? Things won't get any better just because of crying. Or maybe Maryam's tears have run out because sadness always comes to her heart. “The soldier is not my son. My son is not that young. He is fifty years old now."
Since setting foot in Jakarta, Maryam has felt that Jakarta is not friendly with her. Since twenty five years ago. Since he was fifty years old and is now seventy-five years old. Since the desire to find an only child peaked stifling his mind and brain. Twenty-five years looking for his only child in Jakarta, so far they have not met him. From South Jakarta to North Jakarta, from West Jakarta to East Jakarta, Maryam looked for and searched for Yusuf but could not find him. Why did Maryam never stop looking for her son? Why didn't Maryam just think that Yusuf was dead? Why did Maryam suffer herself in Jakarta just to look for a child who forgot his mother?
“Because I am a mother, the eyes of a mother's heart know that her child is still alive. But somehow today I feel hopeless. You are outrageous Yusuf, petrified no matter what your heart is, you must have missed your mother. But why did you neglect it? Sometimes I feel you are near and see me but you don't want to see me. Is it because in Jakarta I am so poor and despised? Yusuf, today I feel tired looking for you," complained Maryam as she entered her cardboard hut. Maryam wanted to lay down for a moment her fragile body. I feel so tired. If the rest continued forever, today Maryam would not mind. The spirit of looking for her child was very thin, so that when she died, Maryam gave up.
*&*
Consciousness is just about to drift into dreamland. His droopy eyes began to close. His frail and skinny body is only the skin covering the bones, lying in poverty. Brak bruk bruk! Breeeeek! Level it with the ground! Don't mind it! The cardboard huts erected on the river embankment were one by one leveled to the ground. Maryam's cardboard hut is no exception. The old woman who was about to fall asleep was crushed by the bamboo pole of her cardboard hut.
"Oh, Allahu Akbar!" Maryam was in pain because her head was hit by a bamboo. "What is this?" Maryam had not realized what was going on. The cardboard hut collapsed. "Oh!" Maryam screams loudly. The Satpol PP batons hit her back so badly that the old woman who was trying to stand up fell to the ground.
"Pain huh? So if you are told to disband, then disband! That's the reward for stubbornly living on this embankment!” cursed a young Satpol PP.
There must be a limit to people's patience. Human steadfastness also has its measure. Today, Maryam's used clothing merchandise was confiscated by Satpol PP. The cardboard hut was also damaged by the Satpol PP. Maryam slowly got up. The index finger of his right hand was shaking, pointing at the face of the young Satpol PP in front of him. The Satpol PP made it seem as if Maryam was dealing with Yusuf, her son, who was missed all the time. But the soldier was not his son. He looks the same but his behavior is not at all. Yusuf was very polite to his parents. Is it right? If you are polite, why would you leave your mother?
“Young people, clumsy like me, understand very well that setting up cardboard huts here spoils the beauty, violates the rules. I was forced to break all of that!” Maryam growled in a trembling voice with anger. Maryam got even angrier when the young Satpol PP pulled her body like she was pulling a goat. Maryam's anger was ignored by the young Satpol PP, as well as the other Satpol PP. Maryam's body was lifted and then thrown into the truck. Maryam felt her bones breaking. Now, the Satpol PP is no longer rude but inhumane. His rudeness made the old woman faint.
"We will take Grandma to the nursing home!" said the young Satpol PP assigned to look after Maryam in the hospital, when he found out that Maryam had woken up.
"You?" Maryam had just woken up from her stupor, the first person she saw was a young Satpol PP who made her heart irritated and even very angry. Maryam remembered that this young Satpol PP was also the one who often ransacked his merchandise. "Go! Don't mind me! I will not trade anymore nor will I build a cardboard hut! I want to go home!”
"Commander's orders, after being allowed by the grandmother's doctor, I must take her to a nursing home! Should!"
"I want to go home!"
“Must go to a nursing home!”
“Hey stupid soldier! Twenty-five years ago, because of the nights on the streets I was arrested and forced to admit to being a street WTS. I'm looking for my son you know? Now I want to go home, you are forced to also go back to the nursing home! I don't want to look for my son anymore!"
“Grandma has to come with me to the nursing home!”
Angry not playing. The anger culminated into anger in Maryam's heart. The young Satpol PP was determined to take Maryam to a nursing home that same day, because the doctor allowed Maryam to go home. Not! Reject Maryam's heart firmly.
"How dare you treat me being pulled around like a goat, I curse you!"
"I'm not Malin Kundang!"
"You are not Malin Kundang, but I am a mother who is hurting! You and your father who are not good at educating you, I curse!"
"Ha ha ha!" The young Satpol PP laughed. Maryam felt humiliated, and even more humiliated when the young Satpol PP grabbed her hand roughly. "Come on, Grandma, let's go to the nursing home!"
"Stop! By Allah, forgive me!”
"Come on Grandma, don't talk too much! It's already evening!”
“Apologize to me!”
"Ha ha ha!"
"By Allah, be paralyzed! Paralyze! Paralyze!”
"Oh!" suddenly the young Satpol PP fell.
"I am a mother who is hurt by a young child, don't underestimate a mother's prayer!" said Maryam angrily. Then he left the young Satpol PP who was suddenly paralyzed. "Mom cursed, Mother's heart is broken."
*&*
Maryam's old house in the village still stands strong, artistic, and clean. The yard, which is overgrown with mango trees, is also clean and cool. On the right side of the big house, stood a rice barn filled with rice. Maryam is a rich and respected person in the village. Darmin is her loyal pawongan who looks after Maryam's house, cultivates the yard and rice fields. Actually, Darmin didn't agree with Maryam wandering around Jakarta looking for her son Yusuf. Darmin also wanted to follow Maryam, but Maryam strongly advised Darmin not to follow him. Last night, Darmin dreamed that his employer would come home. It turned out that an unknown person came.
"I'm home Min," said Maryam when Darmin was locking the big house and would soon return to his own house.
"Mother?"
"Yes Min!"
"Is Mother, is Maryam's mother?" asked a middle-aged woman getting out of the car. The woman did not go to see Maryam home.
"Yes!"
“In the car parked under the mango tree, my mother's children and grandchildren are paralyzed. I'm Mother's daughter-in-law. According to smart people, my husband and son will recover if they get forgiveness from Mother."
“Darmin, tell those rich people, ask Allah for forgiveness and healing, not me! Tell them to go back to Jakarta!”
"The Bitter Tongue is angry!"
“Darmin, all mothers are Bitter Tongue for their children. His every word is a sacred prayer. I'm a stupid mother who just wants to be toyed with with affection for a child who she has known for a long time is rebellious, forgets her mother. I deny the fact that my son is disobedient! I just kept praying and trying for his good. I'm sure he knows I'm looking for him in Jakarta. But he didn't meet his mother and even had the heart to live on a river embankment and his cardboard hut was ransacked by his own grandson! I failed to be a good mother and cursed her!” // Short story Untung Gautara // Pilang , 9 May 2013
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