Heart and Stone
By Wayan Sadia
Desak Made Supadmi, still in her early twenties, looked exceptionally cheerful that morning. As usual, she went out early and walked a little distance to drink and wash at a public bathing pool, and to get a jun of water for her family's daily cooking.
Like public toilets in the capital, the pool was divided into two sections -- one for men and another for women. Located in the village about half a mile from the center of Bangli town, the bathing pool was open 24 hours a day.
Carrying the jun on her side, Desak Made couldn't help contemplating about the coming religious event, Galungan, one of the holiest days for Hindus on Bali and elsewhere. On that day, the people, young and old alike, offered their prayers to God, marking the victory of dharma over adharma.
***
"Hey, Padmi, you're so early. Isn't it too cold to fetch water at this hour of the day?" accosted Ketut Tista, a colleague and roommate of Wayan Subawa, a senior teacher at a local junior high school.
Desak Made Supadmi, rather surprised at this unexpected intervention, turned toward him and promptly replied: "Ehhh, Pak Ketut. I am used to this exercise and it has become routine, as a matter of fact." she said. "How are you, Pak?"
"Not bad," said Tista, and cleared his throat. "Are you forgetting your manners?"
"Sorry, what have I done that's not to your liking?"
"Nothing serious, don't get excited! But, um, you forgot to inquire about Subawa".
"Oh, how is he?" Supadmi asked hurriedly.
"Well, Sunday seems to be the most blissful day for him," Tista commented, with a broad smile. "He needs the extra sleep. We played chess last night. You see, when it comes to chess, he was born to win and at the same time, is a madman. We played until a little past midnight, and he beat me 3-0 straight."
"Shame, shame on you," kidded Padmi as if she was supporting Subawa wholly.
"OK, on you go. And I should get ready for a badminton game downtown," Tista said.
***
Thinking it was rather early for breakfast, Padmi nevertheless asked, "Mother, shall I get some porridge for you while it is still hot? It will do you good."
"I'm not particularly hungry just now, dear. Maybe later."
"By the way, Mother, I am worried about your health, but this morning, with your permission, I'd like to go to Denpasar to see a friend of mine, Gusti Ayu Untari. She was my classmate and we shared the same lodging when we were studying in Singaraja."
"What's so urgent that you need to see her?" Desak Nyoman Sukerti asked her daughter, slightly suspicious.
"Nothing particular, really. But, as rumors go, she's got a Javanese boyfriend, and they plan to get married at the end of the year."
"She? A Gusti Ayu, marrying a Javanese boy? What of her noble birth? She must have lost her mind," Padmi's mother commented, disapproving such a mixed marriage.
"No, Mother, she follows her mind -- and heart," Padmi said firmly. "Well, I don't want to miss the Denpasar bus. See you in the afternoon, Mother!"
"Take care of yourself!"
***
Returning home from the badminton game, Ketut Tista found Wayan Subawa dressed smartly. "I thought you were still in bed, snoring. Anything special happening today, Bawa?" asked Tista, poking around.
"No!" Bawa replied.
"I met Supadmi this morning on her way to get water from the pool. I must say she looked very cheerful, but I gathered her mother is not quite well."
"You're right. I arranged a date with her, and we agreed to meet at the bus station in Denpasar," Bawa confessed.
"Aha, no wonder. You two look joyous in anticipation of that date. But your dates don't particularly interest me. What I want to know is, when you will be marrying her?"
"I am headed in that direction. Promise to help me, will you?
"In what way?"
"We'll discuss it later."
"But I still have another concern. How are you going to overcome the age-long tradition that parents of a higher caste will not, under any circumstances, allow their daughter to marry a man of a lower caste, particularly the sudra caste like ours?"
"No, no, no, my friend. It doesn't work that way. Things change with time. I recall that, during the early forties when I was a child, older women said a young girl wearing a bra was a 'bad' girl, or even a 'prostitute'. Imagine if girls today didn't wear bras!" Bawa laughed. "Besides, I believe that 'even the hardest stone would crumble when shot by the Cupid's arrow'."
"Sounds too philosophical to be true. Anyway, I'll cross my fingers for you. May God bless you!" said Tisna.
***
To avoid prying eyes, Subawa got on a different bus than the one Padmi was taking to Denpasar. At about noon, Padmi reached the terminal, and to her surprise, spotted Subawa already there, sitting and looked rather worried.
"Hi Bawa, how come you arrived earlier than me, when you left Bangli much later?" she greeted him.
"Well, the driver drove the bus like a speeding ghost. He was very good at overtaking other buses, even at high speed. By the way, how's your mother?"
"Nothing to worry about. She had a little problem breathing because she overworked," explained Padmi.
"Overworked? And I'll bet you're putting on some weight from being overfed!" Bawa teased.
"Don't talk nonsense! We need to hurry. Either of those queuing buses will take us closer to Untari's home.
***
Gusti Ayu Untari and Padmi hugged each other for a while, rejoicing after a long separation.
"Untari, before anything else, please meet Wayan Subawa, my ... umm ..."
"Don't get tongue-tied, Padmi! I am good at reading lips," Untari cut in jokingly and turned to Bawa: "Glad to meet you, Pak Wayan."
Bawa only smiled. "The pleasure is mine. Padmi has talked a lot about you."
"Oh, Padmi, how I wish you could spend the night in my pondok, so that we would have plenty of time to chat and see a bit of Denpasar in the evening."
"I'd love to, Tari. Provided this gentleman is willing to be left out in the cold the whole night," Padmi smiled.
"How can you say that!" Untari teased back. "Pak Wayan, Padmi is not only a friend, she is also my consultant on many issues, particularly as far as women's fate is concerned."
***
Back home, Padmi told her mother about Tari's wedding plans, and how Tari wished her to attend the ceremonies.
"Marriage seems to be the happiest occasion of our lives. Don't you think, Mother?" she said, hinting at her own future D- day.
"What about you?" her Mother took the bait, curious.
Padmi only smiled. She sipped her tea, hiding her emotions.
***
There were restrictions, mostly traditional ones, which made it difficult for Bawa to meet Padmi in secret. Meanwhile, he sensed that Padmi's parents had learned of his intention to marry their daughter, and they tried hard to thwart the young lovers' plans.
But, when the watch relaxed slightly, with the help of Tista, Bawa managed to deliver a decisive note to Padmi.
It said: "My love, this is not quite how I should like to treat you, but there is no other means by which I can reach you.
"It is about our marriage that must be carried out at all costs. To delay it, even for a reasonable time, could be disastrous. We cannot afford to fail. For me, this is a matter of 'to be or not to be.' So, make up your mind; let your conscience guide you to what you deserve.
"Do not waste your time, get everything ready. I know it will be painful for you to leave and be separated from your parents and family, but again, it is a matter of 'now or never'," he wrote.
"So this is what you must do. On Saturday morning, I'll meet you at the intersection to Denpasar. Take a bus there and be sure that no one in your family notices. Together, we'll take another bus to Denpasar. This plan accomplished, we will be safe and free."
Upon reading this heartbreaking note, Padmi felt her hands tremble, dropping the note, and her mind went into a whirl of anxiety.
***
As tradition dictated, a daughter from nobility or a higher caste who married a commoner, or one of the sudra caste, would be disowned by her family and declared persona non grata.
When she came to her senses again, she spoke in her heart: "This war must be won."
Padmi prepared a farewell letter to her parents. With tears flowing as she finished, she reread what she had written.
"My dear Father and Mother. First and foremost, please forgive me for my insolent behavior, leaving you without your knowledge. But, as you are already aware, Wayan Subawa and I have been engaged for quite some time, and it is but natural and logical that marriage should end our engagement.
"We plan to get married in a few days at a place we have yet to choose. It is my humble hope, Father and Mother, that your love for me should not cause you to dislike Wayan Subawa, who will become my King and I, his Queen. Praying for your blessing, your affectionate daughter, Supadmi."
On the agreed day, Padmi set out on a journey of hope, following every detail prescribed in Bawa's note.
***
About a year later, Desak Made Supadmi and Wayan Subawa welcomed their first child, a boy. The happy couple named him Santa Karmabudhi, pure in body and soul.
-- Jakarta, Nov. 26, 2005
* jun: a kind of pitcher
* dharma: virtues
* adharma: vices
* pondok: cottage, cabin