Handicapped beggar says no reason good enough to stop living<\/p>\n
By Yogita Tahil Ramani<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some people believe that ignorance is a bliss. A
\nstaunch believer of this is Asep, a 35-year-old handicapped
\nbeggar.<\/p>\n
If you meet him, he might tell you that he is like any other
\nordinary handicapped beggar. But he is not.<\/p>\n
\"I was born this way. I used to have questions in my head
\nabout it, like what had my parents done in their lives that I
\nturned out this way,\" Asep told The Jakarta Post on Thursday, a
\nfew meters from the Central Jakarta District Court on Jl. Gadjah
\nMada.<\/p>\n
Yet, he never felt discriminated against, nor had a \"great
\nneed\" to find out about his handicap since everybody he knew and
\nliked never looked at him and treated him like a disabled person.<\/p>\n
\"I am Sundanese and am not ashamed of speaking my mind.
\nDespite being so poor, my parents cared and loved me so much.
\nI'd rather not know about how I got this way, and remain happy
\ninstead.<\/p>\n
\"Asking about my physical status does not seem right. I see
\ndoctors only when I have colds,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The shock encountered by anyone passing through the Central
\nJakarta District Court and being confronted with Asep does not
\nonly lie in the fact that he is physically comprised of only a
\ntorso, two forearms, and one lower arm with three fingers.<\/p>\n
It also lies in the things he says, when one takes the time to
\nspeak with him.<\/p>\n
Asep said that he is about 35 years old and has married twice.
\nHe is a father of two young boys, Agus, 10, and Ujang, 3.<\/p>\n
\"I was born on Jl. Dago in Bandung, West Java. I had a very
\nhappy childhood, and my parents taught me that working to keep
\noneself busy is important,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Asep said that in Bandung, where his wife and two kids
\ncurrently stay, he used to have a grocery stall where he sold
\nfruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n
But, the prolonged economic crisis since mid-1997 had forced
\nhim to temporarily quit his business.<\/p>\n
\"The grocery business did not work out very well. So I
\ncollected some money and came here,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Upon his arrival in the capital one and a half years ago,
\nhowever, he found the reality that Jakartans are more apathetic
\nto human life than people who come from other regions in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
He said that despite his bad run of luck and the fact that he
\ndid not like begging, he got up daily at 6 a.m. and left his
\nsmall makeshift hut behind the district court to \"walk himself\"
\nto the court and beg until 4 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"Then I move to the area outside the nearby Gadjah Mada Plaza,
\nwhere there are several shoppers who may take pity on me and hand
\nme money.\"<\/p>\n
Having such a strong drive to survive his hard life in the
\ncapital, Asep is striving to collect money, which hopefully will
\nbe enough, not only to pay for his trip home to Bandung, but also
\nto start his grocery and fruit stall again.<\/p>\n
\"I cannot stand people who give up hope. I understand that
\nIndonesia is not at its best right now, but that does not mean
\nthat one should stop living.<\/p>\n
\"And suicide ... that's not an option. That's a sin,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A parking attendant, Gustam, said soft drink vendors, parking
\nattendants and cigarette vendors in the Gadjah Mada area were
\nvery fond of Asep.<\/p>\n
\"He's our friend and such a kind man. He's nice to have a
\ndiscussion with.<\/p>\n
\"By talking to him, one can never feel sad,\" Gustam said.<\/p>\n
Being handicapped, however, did not make Asep ignore his life.<\/p>\n
\"If guys with legs can get girls, so can I. My children are
\nliving proof of that. If you have the will, girls will come to
\nyou. That's never a problem.\"<\/p>\n
\"Yes, there are girls who have broken my heart. But that's
\nokay. The important thing is that one must keep on living.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/handicapped-beggar-says-no-reason-good-enough-to-stop-living-1447893297",
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