Twenty four hours on the road to get to Solo<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Solo<\/p>\n
After waiting for almost six hours, 59 passengers traveling on a
\nback-up bus finally departed for Solo, Central Java, from the
\nLebak Bulus bus station at 4.00 on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
"I have waited since 10 in the morning. How could they sell
\ntickets to us when the bus hadn't even arrived?" complained
\nMujianto, 42, one of the passengers.<\/p>\n
He looked very upset but tried to keep calm, with his two
\ndaughters, Wiwit, 2, and Wulan, 4, nestled in his arms in the
\nthree seat row. His wife Ngatmi, 35, arranged their baggage on
\nthe overhead rack. The two girls, however, looked very excited
\nand tried to break free from their father's grip.<\/p>\n
"This bus doesn't even have a sign referring to the bus agency
\nreferred to on our ticket. This is not supposed to be our bus.
\nBut we have no choice but to board it," said Mujianto.<\/p>\n
Most passengers initially complained about the circumstances
\nbut quickly adjusted as the bus moved smoothly along the highway.
\nAll they could think of was arriving in their hometowns. They
\nforgot the desperate struggle for tickets, the long wait for the
\nbus and their uncomfortable seats.<\/p>\n
The economy-class bus passed the Cikampek tollgate without
\ndifficulty but when it reached Subang regency -- especially in
\nthe Pamanukan area along West Java's northern coast -- trouble
\nstruck. There, the bus moved inch by inch, taking almost six
\nhours to pass through the area because of the severe traffic jam.<\/p>\n
Several babies started to cry from hunger and due to the
\nstifling heat. There were five babies on the bus and their crying
\nbecame a chorus that interspersed the passenger's talk. The five
\nmothers were continually occupied with trying to calm down the
\nbabies.<\/p>\n
Wiwit and Wulan stayed silent and ate whatever their mother
\ngave them while watching a mother in front of them, whose husband
\nhelplessly watched, trying to keep her three-month old baby calm.<\/p>\n
"We thank God that our daughters have stayed calm so far.
\nUsually, they will do so if we provide enough food for them. Last
\nyear the traffic jam was even worse in this area," said Mujianto
\nwhile trying to use a newspaper as a fan to produce cool air for
\nhis two daughters.<\/p>\n
The family have returned to their hometown every year since
\nMujianto first tried his fortune in Jakarta, in 1995 as a street
\nvendor selling fried chicken in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"I can make between Rp 50,000 (US$6) to 100,000 a day,
\ndepending on the customers. With this money, I can feed my family
\nand put some aside to bring home every year. Maybe I can buy land
\nand build a house there," he said.<\/p>\n
After some time the babies all fell asleep. The bus was
\ntemporarily quite, most adults also too tired to make a sound.<\/p>\n
The bus passed the border between West Java and Central Java
\nat 12:30 a.m. and stopped for half an hour at a restaurant in
\nLosari -- a border town that separates the two provinces --
\nbefore the bus headed toward Tegal, a regency in Central Java.<\/p>\n
Here, the first engine problem occurred. Several passengers
\nhelped the bus crew to push the bus. The passengers paid little
\nattention to the delay, considering engine problems a usual
\noccurrence during such a long journey.<\/p>\n
"I am aware of the difficulties of going home to Solo but we
\njust have to do it. Our pride, as a family who makes a living
\noutside our hometown lies there. Besides, the enjoyment to
\nreunite as an extended family at our parents' home, as well as
\nthe satisfaction of giving something to our parents, are things
\nthat money can't buy," Mujianto said.<\/p>\n
However, the travelers had not seen the worst of the journey.
\nThe bus had to stop three times in a row due to engine problems,
\nalmost every kilometer thereafter. So, they took two hours just
\nto get to the next regency, Pekalongan. It was already 3 a.m. and
\nthe bus had to make another restaurant stop for half an hour, to
\ngive the passengers a chance to have their last pre-dawn meal for
\nthe fasting month of Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
"I knew from the beginning that something would eventually go
\nwrong when they supplied us with this back-up bus. We were
\nsupposed to get here by midnight at the latest," said Karnadi, a
\npassenger who was traveling alone.<\/p>\n
Before reaching Semarang, the capital city of Central Java,
\nthe bus stopped for another two hours, again due to engine
\nproblems. The passengers were really frustrated with the
\nsituation, the babies were starting to cry once more and the
\nolder children screaming with rage and boredom. Many passengers
\nwere wondering if they would even reach Solo at all.<\/p>\n
"We thought that the biggest obstacle to our trip would be the
\ntraffic jam, not the bus," said Mujianto.<\/p>\n
The bus managed to pass through Semarang at noon. But the peak
\nof the journey's trouble hit in Salatiga, a town mid-way between
\nSemarang and Solo, when the driver announced that the bus could
\nno longer proceed because the steering wheel wasn't functioning.
\nHe was willing to transfer the passengers to another bus but said
\nthat he had no money and the passengers would have to pay for
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
The frustrated and furious passengers gathered around the
\ndriver and the bus crew, threatening them with violence.<\/p>\n
"Just burn the bus together with these guys," yelled one
\npassenger in the crowd.<\/p>\n
"Break all the windows and tie them down," another passenger
\nshouted.<\/p>\n
At last, the passengers accepted the transfer as long as they
\nwere not charged extra. They reached the Solo bus station at four
\nin the afternoon, all looking exhausted but relieved that they
\nhad arrived.<\/p>\n
"We have to take another bus to go to our village in Northern
\nSolo. It will take another two hours to get there," said Mujianto
\nwho was busy grabbing his families baggage.<\/p>\n
That night, Mujianto's village, Jabung in Sragen regency, was
\nfilled with the sound of takbir, the recital of praise to God.
\nMujianto's extended family -- including nine grandchildren from
\nthe five couples gathered in front of their parents in the living
\nroom -- were busy talking about their experiences. No sign of
\ntiredness was apparent. The happy moment had washed their
\nexhaustion away.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/twenty-four-hours-on-the-road-to-get-to-solo-1447893297",
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