Father, Son and Women

By Aminudin

Although the parents of both sides have yet to decide the wedding day for Paidi and Latipah, all the preparations are underway.

So, everything was OK until suddenly the whole village was shocked by rumors that the future bridegroom was eying another woman. The second woman was Sarkonah, Paidi's girlfriend during high school. She just returned from Jakarta, where she lived for many years.

Neighbors said their recent encounter after a long separation apparently rekindled sweet memories. The illicit business enraged Latipah's father, particularly because of the rumors that Paidi and Sarkonah had more than a casual friendship.

Although to the public's eyes Sarkonah had not changed physically, it was no secret that she was pregnant. The people said Paidi could not resist the forbidden fruits.

So one evening, Latipah's angry father went to see Pak Bejo, Paidi's father, to protest the young man's irresponsibility.

"Pak Bejo, as a father, you should have been able to make your son a respectable man since we have decided that he and my daughter Latipah will be husband and wife. Now everybody in this village is talking that your son's irresponsibility because they know he has been fooling around."

"Excuse me, Pak Trimo, please be patient", Bejo said. "Please tell me who has told you that Paidi is womanizing? I trust my son and he does not have the heart to do anything like that. He has never had a girlfriend much less a mistress."

Trimo is not satisfied with the answer. "Pak Bejo, do you pretend to be ignorant, or are you just too stupid to comprehend the case? The whole village is talking about the scandal. How can you not know anything about your own blood, who lives with you?"

"Pak Trimo, the best way to solve the case is to check with Paidi."

"OK, where is he now," asked Trimo.

"You don't know that he is visiting Latipah at your house?"

"I'm sure he is not there because Paidi hasn't visited my daughter for weeks."

"Oh, Pak Trimo, he might have been on his way there while you were on your way here."

Bejo, who is much older than Trimo, could not say anything else. He was deep in thought. He remembered that every time Paidi left home he always said he was going to see Latipah. Bejo had no doubt about his son's honesty, even though he sometimes returned home early in the morning.

But Trimo's outrage made him think twice. The man might have every reason to be angry, he thought.

To his visitor, Bejo said, "Pak Trimo, you may be right, but before I talk to my son please conquer your anger."

Trimo said: "OK, but this problem is very serious to me."

Trimo left the house, followed by Bejo's angry glare. Trimo's anger was apparent in the way he left the house without saying good-bye.

While Bejo was deep in thought, his wife suddenly appeared from inside the home. She said she had overheard their conversation from behind the door.

"Oh dear, dear," Bejo said. "Your only son is causing us a headache. He is having an affair with another woman. Do you know who is she? Please tell me so I can thrash both of them in the street when I meet them. And I'm telling you, never let that woman enter this house. You understand?"

"But please be patient," Lastri, his wife, begged. "The rumor must be checked. Many people have asked me about it when I go to the market."

"Why haven't you told me this before? And who is this woman," Bejo asked loudly.

"She is Sarkonah, Lik Jami's daughter. She arrived from Jakarta several months ago."

Bejo reacted to this news violently: "Bitch! Oh my God, Sarkonah is a sex worker, the daughter of the cheapest street walker this village has ever known. I swear I'll find and beat them tomorrow," Bejo yelled, banging the table.

His wife tried to calm him.

"You can wage a war of revenge against Lik Jami but please control yourself. If you act tactlessly you are sure to be the loser. Paidi has fallen to Sarkonah. Maybe he was too weak to resist her lures. You know, she and her mother offer sexual services to any client. Blame your son before you take action against anybody else."

The mention of Lik Jami's name reminded Bejo of his intimacy with her more than two decades ago. He was a young bachelor then and Jami was a blossoming village lass. Their relationship developed so far it was common for them to share the same bed.

However, after a long love affair, Jami no longer felt warm beside Bejo anymore. Bejo looked for a reason behind the betrayal, and with the help of his friends he found Jami was sleeping with another man in the village. Bejo watched the two through a hole in the wall of their hut.

Bejo burned with anger. If his friends had not managed to persuade him to think twice before taking action, Bejo would have set fire to the hut to burned the lovers inside.

The residents of the village caught the couple and took the case to the neighborhood leader. They accused the pair of bringing shame to the village community. They forced the two to get married.

After the marriage, the man took Jami to Jakarta to lead a new life. The people of the village who visited Jakarta told their neighbors that Jami had been forced to work in a brothel.

When Jami returned home three years later accompanied only by her two-year-old daughter, the whole village believed she had come straight from a brother in the capital, although she refused to say anything about her activities in Jakarta. She only introduced her sweet daughter as Sarkonah.

Meanwhile, Bejo had happily married Lastri, a woman from the same village. Their marital bliss multiplied when Paidi was born.

While time had passed, Bejo's vindictiveness toward Jami remained the same. Yet, he was able to hide his love-hate affair with Jami from his family.

Ironically, the young Paidi fell madly in love with Sarkonah. When the girl got pregnant, Paidi promised to make her his wife.

But his plan enraged his father beyond words, especially when Paidi told him that Sarkonah was already pregnant.

"You want to marry a hooker's daughter? Where is your head? No, I say no," Bejo exploded.

"But papa ..."

"There is no buts. If you still respect me as your father, drive the dirty prostitute away."

Paidi could say nothing. His father's wrath was too fierce to challenge. After days of thinking, Paidi decided to leave Sarkonah. Jami, her mother, did not say anything because she took Paidi's decision as part of her family's karma.

She paid for her daughter to have an abortion. Once it was done, she dispatched her to the red-light district in Jakarta to earn a living.

When Paidi came home early in the morning his father was ready to berate him.

"You must come from the devil's world," Bejo shouted.

"Father, you know very well where I come from," Paidi said upon entering the house. He did not take the comment seriously.

"Hey! You should be more polite to me. Stop and talk to me with respect, will you?"

Paidi obeyed his father's request, but did now show any sense of apprehension. He seemed to be able to predict his father's reactions.

Bejo took a deep drag on his cigarette in an apparent effort to control himself. But, apparently, he was not successful.

"Young man, I warn you not to make trouble for the family. Tell me the truth, where were you last night?"

Everything was quiet for a moment. Bejo was waiting for his son's answer, slowly blowing out the smoke from his cigarette.

"Yes, papa. I was not with Latipah."

"You were with Sarkonah, your promiscuous woman, right?"

Paidi did not say anything. His silence made Bejo even more resentful.

"Paidi, tell me now, right now, what is your real plan? You seem to believe that your filthy hooker will be a better wife than pious Latipah."

Silence again.

"Open your mouth! I know that in your dirty mind there is nothing wrong with painting a black picture of your own family. You're creating a disaster," Bejo yelled.

Paidi spoke in a low voice: "Papa, I might be wrong because I did not tell you the whole truth from the beginning. Now I speak to you because you have become so angry. Papa, I do not plan to continue my relationship with Latipah."

"What did you say," Bejo shouted, his body trembling. He looked like he was about to kick his son.

"Go away, bastard! Don't dare come back."

Paidi did not look upset. "Please papa, let me say a few words."

"Get out, go to your hell."

"Don't worry, papa, I'll go. But let me say something first."

"OK, speak!"

"I have chosen Sarkonah because that is my conscience. I once loved Latipah, sincerely. That was before I found out that she was not intact."

"Do you know what you are saying," Bejo cut his son short.

"Latipah gave her virginity to someone else. She betrayed me and I don't want to be a pawn in Trimo's unchaste game. I prefer Sarkonah because her love for me is genuine. It is true that she is a sex worker. Remember papa, she had to enter the profession because of your vengeful attitude against her mother."

Hearing this, Bejo felt like he was struck by lightning. He slapped Paidi across the face.

"Don't speak about Jami to me. You know nothing about her," Bejo said.

Paidi did not react. Slowly, Bejo's wrath softened at his son's composure.

After a few minutes passed, Paidi said: "Please, hit me again, papa. But it will not erase the information I have about your scandalous life with Mrs. Jami. Sarkonah told me everything."

Bejo was silent, letting his son continue.

"But papa, you are not to be blamed because finally you chose my mother as your wife because she was better than Mrs. Jami. So please, do not stop me from making Sarkonah my wife because I too know the right choice."

Bejo felt like he had lost a case in a court of law. But what he did not realize was that his wife Lastri was listening to their conversation from behind the front door.

Paidi continued: "I understand you will oppose my marriage to Sarkonah because it will hurt your dignity. But I have made my decision. And please don't worry because I'll leave the village. And in case Pak Trimo files a law suit against us, I'll face him alone."

"OK, go where you want," Bejo said.

Glossary:

pak : Sir

lik (Javanese): auntie

-- Translated by TIS