Short stories with a violent thread<\/p>\n
Malam Kelabu, Ilyana dan Aku (Gray Night, Ilyana and I);
\nBy Martin Aleida; Damar Warga Foundation, Jakarta, July 1998;
\n88 pages; Rp 11,000<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Every nation has unforgettable events distinct
\nto their history. To Indonesians, the G-30S incident, the
\nabortive coup of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) on Sept.
\n30, 1965, and its bloody aftermath, is one.<\/p>\n
Many people were butchered or went missing following the coup
\nattempt. Tragically, the victims were not only PKI members, but
\nalso their relatives who were not involved in the party.<\/p>\n
The number of victims remains a moot point today. Some put the
\nfigure at hundreds of thousands, but others believe the figure is
\nbetween one million and two million.<\/p>\n
Understandably, the years following the event spawned much
\nfiction, particularly short stories and novels, dealing with the
\ntragedy or using it as the background. Several Indonesian short
\nstories on the theme have been translated into English by Harry
\nAveling, an editor-cum-translator, and published under the title
\nGestapu: Indonesian Short Stories on the Abortive Communist Coup
\nof 30th September, 1965 (Hawaii, 1975).<\/p>\n
Another short story is Malam Kelabu (Gray Night) by Martin
\nAleida, who was born in Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra, on Dec. 31,
\n1943. The book Malam Kelabu, Ilyana dan Aku consists of this
\nshort story and three others by him.<\/p>\n
Malam Kelabu tells the story of a sailor, Kamaluddin Armada,
\nwho received a letter from his girlfriend, Partini. The girl told
\nhim she was waiting for him in her village on the banks of the
\nBengawan Solo, the famous river. But when he arrived at the
\nvillage after a long journey, Armada could not find her.<\/p>\n
What really happened?<\/p>\n
"A week ago, a communist fugitive from Yogyakarta, the elder
\nbrother of Mulyoraharjo, was found to have spent the night at
\nPartini's house. This man was hacked to death. Partini's house
\nwas burned to the ground."<\/p>\n
Partini, her mother and her siblings also were killed.
\nPartini's father, a PKI official, went missing when the coup
\nattempt occurred, "killed in Bacan, dumped in the river just like
\nthe carcass of a chicken".<\/p>\n
Dismayed, Armada took a knife and killed himself -- his body
\n"fell freely into the flowing river".<\/p>\n
A tragic end, indeed!<\/p>\n
Violence, of course, can be found anywhere, not only in
\nIndonesia, but in a developed nation like the U.S.<\/p>\n
Ilyana Pavlovskaya undergoes collective violence in Ilyana,
\nTetaplah Bersama Kami (Ilyana, Stay with Us Always). Ilyana, a
\nRussian girl setting foot in the U.S. and braving everything
\nanew, runs a shop in a slum area notorious for its violence in
\nBrooklyn, New York. She has been subjected to all types of
\nharassment and torture, including nearly being raped.<\/p>\n
Ilyana never gave up. "This Russian girl looked set to die at
\nthe corner of the city, if, indeed, it was her destiny that would
\ncome her way." Thanks to her determination and perseverance,
\nIlyana finally could win sympathy from people in her
\nsurroundings.<\/p>\n
One day the visit of a number of children to her shop caught
\nher by surprise. They said: "Our moms said today is your
\nbirthday, Ilyana. Take this small gift. What matters to us is
\nthat you are here. Never, ever go away from here. We love you."<\/p>\n
A sweet end, indeed!<\/p>\n
However, another short story, Jangan Kembali Lagi, Juli (Never
\nReturn, Juli) does not end sweetly. As, a character in the short
\nstory, asks Juli to go away and never ever to return. Why?<\/p>\n
Juli is a dog, a friend to As. They became good friends
\nbecause As' husband, Sanur, always came home late at night.<\/p>\n
But Juli caused trouble in As' surroundings in Ancol. It bit a
\npasser-by and on another occasion it chased a young man. The
\nyoung man could not let go of what the dog did to him. One day,
\nhe plotted with some friends of his to kill Juli.<\/p>\n
Juli was caught and put into a sack. However, she managed to
\nget out of the sack and run away.<\/p>\n
"Like a tiger, it pounced on the calf of the young man and bit
\nit. He tried to run. As fast as lightning, Juli pounced on the
\nother calf. The young man fell down. The dog, as if possessed by
\nthe devil, pounced on the young man's nape and held it in its
\nmouth for a few seconds. Two sharp fangs pierced the artery in
\nthe neck of this unfortunate youngster. Blood oozed. A trembling
\nscream of horror was heard. Then silence."<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the young man died.<\/p>\n
Juli ran away and disappeared. "Never come back, Juli. They
\nwill kill you right here. I won't bear seeing you lying dead
\nbefore me," As said. And Juli never came back to its mistress.<\/p>\n
A tragic end is also found in Aku Sepercik Air (I am a
\nSprinkle of Water), a story about a wife who was compelled to
\nkill her husband because she could not bear him having another
\nwife.<\/p>\n
The four short stories by Martin Aleida in this collection
\nmake us realize that violence can take place anywhere. It may
\neven be said to live within us.<\/p>\n
Martin Aleida, who is an officer at the United Nations
\nInformation Center in Jakarta, is a talented short-story writer
\nbut, unfortunately, his output has been small. This, his only
\ncollection of short stories, consists of only four works, which,
\napart from Ilyana, Tetaplah Bersama Kami, were published in
\nHorison literary magazine in 1969, 1970 and 1971.<\/p>\n
-- Pamusuk Eneste<\/p>\n
The reviewer is a literary observer.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/short-stories-with-a-violent-thread-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }