Teenager (XI)

It was new school, new environment and new friends. My friend Iwan and I were accepted at SMP 44 at Cipinang Kebembem, East Jakarta. I went to school by bike sometimes I used public transport. The distance between my house and my school is about 10-15 KM. We were so proud of wearing the uniform for the first time. “My gosh I am a Junior high school student and no longer a kid now” I proudly exclaimed!

I went to Lucky’s house on Sunday, he lived there with his mom, he was the only child, and his dad was working in a ship so his father was rarely at home. We often spent our time with other friends playing basketball, or just hanging around at some place. I remember that time we had so called a biker gang, its name was LAKNAT it’s signed by a red color. We all bikers often go with our unique bikes. All the bikes had to be painted red and modified. Wherever we go we always brought a red “pilox” it’s a paint spray and we proudly sprayed our gang’s name LAKNAT on any object and mostly found at bus stops, signboards, street walls, etc. we knew it’s not a good thing doing those things but as teenagers we were so notorious and rebellious, the more people said “no” to us the more challenge we had and the more we wanted to do it. I would say as a teenager I was really naughty. On Saturday night we would go to Monas or the national monument where many boys and some girls would gather there and did some attractions and demonstrations with their BMX. I would do standing with my BMX and some other demonstrations. On the way back home we would pass cempaka putih street where at night there would be “Banci jalanan” or street faggots, and started teasing and pissing them off until they threw away stones towards us, and we would run away very fast with our bikes trying to avoid the thrown stones and their anger.

My mom was called to school to collect the report book, I had three red marks on my report and I had a mark 4 on mathematics. My teacher told mom why I got mark 4 on mathematics, besides I often skipped the class I was so disobedient to the teacher. Mom ended up crying and advised me to behave at school

It was in 1984 back then, and people especially teenagers were having a break-dance fever, me too with no exception, I was very fond of break-dance. One Saturday night we went to see a break-dance festival at Instora senayan, it was so great, the music and the break-dancers were fabulous. We came back home very late by taxi that night. I bought a book about break-dance and tried to learn some steps and styles from the book with my friends. I mastered some styles such as donkey, head spins, freeze, etc. I forgot the names of other styles. I felt that my body was so flexible.

to be continued...