A special guest on a special day

A special guest on a special day

By AA Navis

An aged couple enjoyed the Idul Fitri holiday from the
verandah of their house, watching the well-dressed and cheerful
procession of passers-by. They were celebrating the first day of
the Muslim post-fasting festivities, popularly known as Lebaran.

Some people were happily strolling the streets, while many
others were riding horse-drawn carts. Some were also in cars
which moved slowly through the crowd.

The old couple were sitting comfortably in their rocking
chairs. They sat close to each other, separated only by a small
Italian-made marble table.

Their traditional wooden home is rather old, ocher in color,
and appears to be strangely squeezed between modern houses. But
to the people of this small town the sight is common. They know
the old couple who live there well: Datuk Bijo Rajo and Jurai
Ameh, his wife. But the locals prefer to call the couple by only
Inyik and Encik.

When he was young Inyik was known as a fierce nationalist who
later became governor of the province. Enjoying his pension, he
now lives happily with Encik and two servants who have worked for
them for years. Their six children have promising careers and
work in other provinces.

Encik is a plump woman with dark skin, while Inyik is rather
thin with fair skin. On this blessed holiday -- like other people
-- the two wear new clothing. The difference between their
clothing from that of others is the style. Of course the two
embody an era of the past.

While rocking her chair, Encik talks continuously. She seems
to be speaking her mind. While Inyik only speaks to himself.

"On every Idul Fitri I wish all our sons and daughters with
their spouses and children would come here, lining one by one to
wish us a good Idul Fitri, kiss our hands and ask for
forgiveness. I used to shed many tears of happiness at such
times. But now, no children care to visit us any more.

"In fact, all of them can afford to come home. The only less
privileged among us is Ruski, who lives with his family in the
farthest province, Irian Jaya. But the other children could help
him with the plane tickets if they wanted to.

"I don't blame myself in this case. I have provided every one
of them with a good education. I paid the best Islamic preacher
available to give them religious instruction three times a week.
The children have become egocentric after obtaining good career
positions. Since then, on every Idul Fitri day, I feel my heart
is bleeding, worse and worse from year to year. In the past when
you were still the governor all the children never missed an
opportunity to come home at the right time.

"But lately, one by one, they have started to forget us. Why?
It was just the same case with your former staff members. The
number of them who came here on Idul Fitri grew smaller from year
to year. Such fading respect has become a trend now. The old
adage says sparrows only flock the ripe paddies. But I don't
think the adage is applicable to our children and their spouses,"
Encik said.

Inyik responded, but only in his heart. "Once I read an
article written by Ki Hajar Dewantara, the noted nationalist and
educator, saying Idul Fitri is very special because, on that day,
every person, whatever his or her age and social status, greet
each other and say 'let's forgive and forget our past mistakes
and misdeeds'. There is no reason for inferiority and superiority
complexes.

"But now the noble day has become part of a new culture. Only
the poor and those of lower social status visit members of the
privileged groups of society to ask forgiveness for their obscure
sins.

"However, the local authorities do not feel they have a moral
obligation to do the same with the public, despite their wrongful
acts having been widespread. Many of them seem to have forgotten
that the way they got their positions has caused much suffering
among the public.

"Worse still, the only obligation they still care to perform
at Idul Fitri is to pay the compulsory alms, the amount of which
for them means nothing. With their wealth they are able to not
only feed one person, but a hundred of them," Inyik said.

Meanwhile, Encik is still speaking to herself. "Ruski is
unbendable. He does not want to beg help from anybody, not even
from his brothers. But, on the other hand, his brothers will only
help him if he asks them for help. Why should they wait for their
brother's begging while they know he has been living from hand to
mouth? Who has taught them such low morality? Don't they know
that I am longing to see all of them here on Idul Fitri? Look at
Mael, the wealthiest among them. He has developed a strange
lifestyle. On the eve of every Idul Fitri he takes his family on
vacation to the United States or Europe or Japan.

"Whose article was it I read many years ago about morality? I
have forgotten. Anyway, it said that Prophet Muhammad never asked
his followers to hold a big feast on the eve of Idul Fitri, but
instead to remember their obligation to give to the poor.

"But the new culture has changed everything. The gathering to
glorify God's name has been turned into a public show in a town
square, complete with music."

***

Inyik coughed. To soothe his throat he drank some water and
continued with his reflection. "When I was governor I seriously
tried to add a modern touch to the local tradition. But as I
tried to clean the religious celebrations from negative worldly
elements many people started to protest. They included
traditional religious preachers, who went as far as issuing a
decree to censure me.

"My son Sabir also failed to visit us this year. He said that
he had to attend the open house held by his most superior boss, a
cabinet minister. According to Sabir if he did not show up at the
reception he was afraid that his excellency the minister might
feel his absence a dishonor to himself and his family. For me,
his father, his excuse is nothing but a cheap campaign to save
his job."

Encik said that when her husband was a governor he too got
angry at his staff who failed to be punctual at his open house
reception, let alone if they failed to show up at all.
"Yesterday, we received a telegram from Melani, our daughter,
saying that she and her husband would not be able to spend the
holiday with their parents because her husband is still on his
tour of Europe."

Inyik told himself that he had to admit that, during the five
years of his governorship, he had failed to change the old
mentality. "Now I myself look like being out of date.

"But Kiai Marzuk, the traditional religious scholar, has told
me that if I wanted to be an exemplary peoples' leader I should
follow the prophet's example. After successfully conducting his
mission over 23 years, Muhammad passed away as a poor old man. He
left some small things behind but ordered his companions to
distribute them among the poor, or give them to the social
welfare.

"Marzuk also said that God Almighty ended the prophet's
mission when he was 63 years of age. It shows that after that
age, human beings are -- mentally and physically -- too old to
carry a heavy and noble responsibility. The lesson for us here
is: how can a senile leader lead a nation or a community?"

Due to this profound contemplation, Inyik suddenly found it
very hard to breathe. To relieve the burden the old man put his
head on the back of his chair. It helped a bit, and a moment
later he tried to stand up.

"I feel very tired. I want to lie down, Jurai," he said to his
wife. Inyik made a great effort to walk to the bedroom by
himself.

"Me too," said Encik. "I also feel this Idul Fitri is dragging
along too slowly. If our children were here with us the day would
not be as short."

Encik continued talking to herself. "I think I have
successfully educated my children to be good and helpful to
anybody, but at this old age I have to see each of them go his or
her own way. I can't imagine what will happen after my death.
They might go against each other, who knows?"

***

Encik's chair rocked more and more slowly before it stopped.
As it came to its final movement the old woman saw in her
imagination several cars, all bright blue in color, entering the
compound of her house. The next scene made her rejoice. All of
the people who came from the vehicles were her family members,
including her in-laws.

Each of them in turn bowed to kiss her cheeks and hands. Encik
was so happy that tears streamed down her cheeks. She expressed
her gratitude to God, the Compassionate and Merciful. "How
glorious and wonderful this Idul Fitri is," she whispered to
herself. "Even if this is only a dream. My final dream."

While Inyik was lying on the bed which he only used for
afternoon naps, he was immersed in his own daydream. He said to
himself that he had wished to hold his governorship much longer
because, he said, there had been nobody to replace him. All of
them were too young and incapable, despite their better
educations. They lack courage and a sense of social
responsibility, he said.

While Inyik was deep in thought, a man suddenly entered his
room without saying a word. Although shocked by the intrusion
Inyik said nothing. And neither was he surprised by intruder's
conduct, who took a seat just beside the old man's bed.

"In fact I had no plan to come here until I heard your
grumbling." The intruder's words were a great insult for Inyik,
who had never grumbled in his life.

The intruder continued: "You and your people are of the same
mentality."

"The older you get, the more arrogant you become. You should
learn from history that, when Prophet Muhammad passed away, only
half of the Arabian peninsula population had embraced Islam. But
the caliphs who ruled the Islamic state after him expanded their
reign until it encompassed the vast region between Spain and the
south Asian continent. So don't try to act against the law of the
universe."

"The law of the Universe, what is that?"

"That is the cosmic order, or what God has designated."

Inyik was silent about what the intruder had said. He seemed
to be at a loss to understand what he meant. What he had
experienced was that old age had made him feeble-minded and slow
in action. Had he started to become ignorant also?

"How old am I now? Just 70 years but I feel everything is very
slow with me," he told himself. And he asked the intruder: "What
is the purpose of your visit?"

"There is an old adage among your people 'anybody can go away
and there is always a new person to replace him or her'. You seem
to have forgotten it."

Inyik felt that the intruder was behaving like an unwanted
professor. That is an insult, he thought. He was about to explode
but was too weak to make an emotional response. So he changed the
topic of the conversation. "Are you here to greet me for Idul
Fitri?"

"I have business with your wife."

"What has happened with her."

"Her rocking chair has stopped for good."

Inyik kept silent before he could digest the intruder's
words. After a moment he was sure that the intruder was the Angel
of Death. He remembered that the cycle of human life rotates
between birth, survival and death. Pantarei, says an old Greek
proverb. Everything flows.

"Now my time has come," he said.

"Oh no, no," said the intruder. "Not yet."

"In that case, I hope that the rest of my life will not
disturb anybody."

"No, you'll disturb nobody because you don't have any power
now," said the intruder, leaving the room.

Inyik was left alone with his frailty. From the television set
in the next room he overheard a program where Muslims glorified
the name of Allah.

-- Translated by TIS

(From Derabat, Kompas selected

short stories, 1999)