Good Bye Jakarta (XII)

Our family had to make a hard decision on whether we would keep living in Jakarta or go back to village. Our lives had been so tough since dad passed away. My mom didn’t work she’s only a housewife, yes there was some business that that we could run, but still it wasn’t enough, luckily we had a lot of relatives here in Jakarta, so much or less our lives had been supported by them.
Eventually the family decided that we would leave Jakarta and go back to village, I had been to village once with my dad when I was still a kid and didn’t remember much as probably it’s only a short time period. Surely a lot of discussions and considerations must have been taken, and sure the family was very concerned with the continuity of our education and future.

It was my very last night in Jakarta and was sad that I would leave my friends and neighbors. We were packing our things, we didn’t bring much luggage as some of the furniture and household appliances we had were sold with cheap prices and some were left or given away to our neighbors and relatives. I had a new wristwatch given by uncle Cun, that night he was at my house helping us pack the things. I went to my friends’ houses to say goodbye, but there was one tragedy that happened that night before my leaving. I was going to get the break-dance book which was borrowed by my friend Ricky, he’s batakness or amboness I forgot and actually I just knew this fellow. I needed the book coz the next day I would be leaving, but he would not want to give the book to me, and he slapped me even at his house in front of his family. I wanted to fight back but he was surely not my comparison, he was much older than me probably he’s about twenty years old or more and I was only fourteen, he was also much bigger and taller that me. I was so hurt to what he had done to me, I was sob and went home. Seeing my sob uncle Cun hurried me a question if something had happened to me” somebody stole your watch??” he asked me, I told what just happened to uncle Cun, he was so angry to have heard the story, you know my house was full that night with my friends who were helping us pact the goods. So Uncle Cun asked my friends to go to Ricky’s house, so we went there, uncle Cun got used to living in a tough environment and had a lot of friends too and also was short of high tempered person, he wouldn’t accept his nephew to be hurt that way and would do anything to take a revenge. So were my friends who most of them were betawiness and they were all so angry with Ricky who slapped me on my very last day. We arrived at his house, it’s not far from my house it only took about ten or fifteen minutes from my house, we knocked the door and some body opened the door and Ricky approached us to the door, not much word from my friend, suddenly Marsudi punched him very hard right on his face, and the others including his family tried to separate them, calmed us down, Ricky with his family seemed so afraid coz a lot of people at his house, and uncle Cun asked and said to them why on earth Ricky slapped me and asked them to apologize to me or a war would start, uncle Cun added and threatened. Knowing that they were a in deep shit and trouble also too many people outside ready with their war tools and stones at their hands like they’re very ready for war and throw the stones if things didn’t work out well and the anger showed on uncle Cun’s face and my other friends’ faces. They finally apologized to me and to all of us. Thanked god it ended well, and we all went back home with heroic feeling, I was so glad that they were all so concerned with me. Big thanks to my friends and uclce Cun. So long and good-bye lovely town Jakarta!


The next day we were ready to leave, after saying good-bye to all the neighbors and friends, we then headed for Pulogadung Bus terminal. We the family took a bus from Jakarta to Payakumbuh, because it’s much cheaper I guess coz it’s a group of five people, Mom, Uncle Ije, my younger sister Ade, my youngest brother Iyan and me. So long and good-bye lovely town Jakarta!

to be continued...