For postmen, Idul Fitri can be a time of separation

By Kafil Yamin

BANDUNG (JP): Many are still packing up and getting ready to leave for their hometowns (mudik) as Idul Fitri draws near. Others who have completed the trip are tasting the joy of reunion with their old friends and families.

Sudarna, 40, is not among them. He does not even have a plan to return to his village.

A postman since 1985, he knows that Idul Fitri always brings a lot of work for him -- five times more than usual. "I have to deliver around 400 letters a day. In normal times, I deliver some 100 letters a day," he told The Jakarta Post.

But he expects a much larger quantity of mail than usual because this year three celebrations -- Idul Fitri, New Year and Christmas -- come one after the other.

"The heavy load of Lebaran and Christmas greeting cards and parcels will really make us sweat," he said.

He works in a small post office in Margaasih subdistrict, on the outskirts of Bandung, which is only staffed by three people. The office serves a subdistrict with a population of around 150,000 people. On days like these, he realizes just how important his job is.

His work load starts increasing two weeks before Idul Fitri. Piles of Idul Fitri, or Lebaran greeting cards, money orders, packages and other mail reach their destinations due to his dedication.

And Sudarna's job is an inseparable part of Lebaran itself. He conveys important messages from faraway family members stating, perhaps, that they cannot come for the post-Ramadhan festivities, or he delivers money orders to help out with the Lebaran celebrations.

"Normally, I would have finished delivering letters at around 1 to 1:30 p.m., and would be back at home by four. During Lebaran I am still delivering letters until three and go home in the evening. And there is no such a thing as overtime pay in the Post Office," he said.

Everyday, on a motorcycle, he passes from one neighborhood to another, crossing rivers, passing through paddy fields and going from one alleyway to another, knocking on doors and shouting: "Pos!" (Post).

All the residents of the subdistrict know him well. And it might not cross his mind that he plays a very significant role in the community he serves. He connects the hearts of distant people, conveys things that are crucial to peoples' lives at that moment, and unites separated lovers.

There can hardly be anyone who knows the subdistrict better than Sudarna does. During his 15-year career, he has seen people come and go, babies born, people die. And there are no physical or environmental changes in the subdistrict that he does not notice.

"I know how things were, how they changed and why they changed," he said.

Syarif Cahyani, 35, a postman in the Jl. Asia-Afrika post office, shares Sudarna's experience in at least one respect: exhaustion from Lebaran. "Every year we arrive at this point. We are used to this situation -- being swamped with work while others are on holiday," he said.

Like Sudarna, Cahyani is a witness to the changes occurring in the city he serves: Bandung. As he puts it, the city has been changing mostly for the worse: public disorder, traffic jams, ineffectual laws and regulations, worsening environmental pollution and people who are less friendly than they were in the past.

Cahyani enjoys his job very much. He has been roaming around the city for 10 years delivering the mail. Thanks to his perambulations, he said he knew all the spots where he could meet pretty girls.

Rasmana, 33, a postman in the Cimahi area, has never experienced the joy and excitement of mudik, simply because he's never had the chance. He can only imagine the joy of meeting his brothers, sisters, uncles, cousins and other relatives at a big family reunion in his village.

During Idul Fitri, Cahyani and Rasmana said they usually became temporary bachelors. Why? "Because my wife cannot stand not going back to her hometown. I just let her go. Why should I make a fuss over it?" Cahyani said.

Rasmana said his wife had gone to her village in Depok and would only return two weeks after Idul Fitri.

So, while for many people Idul Fitri is a time for reunion, at least for these two it is a time of separation.

Yet, Sudarna, Cahyani and Rasmana are thankful to be postmen.

"Being a postman, I am always a welcome guest," Cahyani said. "We bring what's inside people's hearts to their loved ones -- yearning, love and affection. We convey money to those in need. So our arrival is always anticipated."

Sudarna added: "In my subdistrict, people close the door and hide somewhere inside when the taxman or a debt collector comes. But they open the door and welcome us with open arms".