Homebound trip uncomfortable but worth it
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Blitar
Carrying a travel bags, two shoulder bags and a cardboard box, Sunartin, 47, got out of the worn-out cab. With unsteady steps she approached Pulo Gadung bus station in East Jakarta to join the sea of homebound travelers.
It had been two years since she last visited her hometown in East Java, and now, two days prior to Idul Fitri, it was time to go home, redeeming her longing for her family by celebrating the holiday together.
Embarking on her journey with her neice, Sunartin confidently entered the bus station that is notorious for passenger extortion and other criminal acts.
Just a few steps and the two were surrounded by dozens of ticket brokers.
One broker rudely asked the destination of Sunartin and after her reply, he grabbed her arm and dragged her hurriedly toward a ticket box.
Sunartin, who has been working for seven years in Jakarta as a housemaid for a Chinese-Indonesian family earning a monthly salary of Rp 200,000, was told to pay Rp 100,000 for an economy class bus ticket for Blitar.
The price was 150 percent higher than the legal price imposed by the government, which is Rp 44,000, including the official 12 percent price increase.
Although she and her niece had tickets, they were forced to struggle and jostle with hundreds of other passengers to board the Dahlia Indah bus, which had a maximum capacity of 54 seats.
They managed to get on the bus at last - that was after they were nearly dragged by the bus, which had already impatiently started to move.
There was no seat left for Sunartin, so she sat on the bus aisle as it was impossible for her to stand all the way on the 950-kilometer-long journey. There were several other passengers who also sat on the aisle or stood by the door.
Some of the seats were taken by passengers who had no ticket, but had paid the driver aboard.
The bus departed from the station at 12:15 p.m., the driver turned on the tape player with campursari Javanese music.
After two kilometers, the bus pulled over to pick up another seven illegal passengers.
The already stifled and steamy overloaded bus now carried 70 people, including four bus crew: a driver, a reserved driver, a conductor and a driver's assistant.
As the bus was about to depart, three singing beggars boarded and rudely demanded money from the passengers. Sunartin had to give away Rp 1,000.
During the journey, which was 21 hours of reckless bus driving, Sunartin sat cross-legged on the aisle. At times her body jerked from side to side as the bus stopped suddenly or speeded up.
After three hours, the bus was held up in a two-hour traffic jam in Indramayu regency, West Jakarta.
Distressed, the passengers, most of whom were factory workers, housemaids and construction workers, had to suffer the extreme heat as there were no air conditioners or fans.
To overcome their stress, some passengers chatted. Once in a while, they laughed.
In the midst of her laughter, Sunartin told The Jakarta Post she had anticipated the stressful trip.
"I am used to this situation. Going home by train or bus is always the same, you will always find it uncomfortable. Anyway, what can I expect? I don't have any choice, I can't afford to ride in comfort, it's too expensive for me," she said.
Sunartin, a divorcee, wanted to meet her sisters and brother, and grandmother in the village. Married twice, she remains childless and without parents, as her mother and father died four years ago.
"I feel terribly sad if I don't go home. Last year I cried because I was not able to return home. That was the first time I hadn't managed to return home for Idul Fitri", she said. Last year, she could not get a ticket.
At 7:30 p.m. the bus stopped at a restaurant in Cirebon, West Java. The passengers hurriedly left the bus, heading toward the toilet.
No toilet was available on the bus. Passengers had to hold the call of nature as the bus only stopped twice along the route.
After an hour-long break, the bus was on its way again. The next stop was at about midnight in Kendal, Central Java. However, Sunartin and many passengers stayed aboard the bus, sleeping.
Heavy rain poured on the bus as it entered Semarang, the capital of Central Java. The passengers were further inconvenienced when they got wet because the roof leaked.
At least 16 passengers, including Sunartin, had to stand for three hours as the aisle where they sat was wet.
In the morning, the passengers were busy with expectation as they neared their destination. They exchanged addresses with each other and promised to get in touch soon upon their arrival in Jakarta.
At 8 a.m., the bus arrived in Tulung Agung, East Java. There were 37 passengers left who were bound for Blitar as the rest had got off on the way. Unfortunately, the passengers had to change the bus.
At last, after another uncomfortable trip, they arrived at Patria bus station in Blitar at 8:30 a.m.
But for Sunartin and her niece, this was not the end of the journey. They had to take a public van that would take them to their home in the hamlet of Kali Kuning in Wonotirto subdistrict, 40 kilometers south of Blitar. Luckily they arrived before 11 a.m. and were able to catch a minivan. Otherwise, they would have to take an ojek (motorcycle taxi) costing Rp 25,000.
After waiting for five minutes, the van, a 1988 Mitsubishi Colt arrived. Fifteen minutes later, when the seats were all occupied, it left. Along the way, passengers got on and off. Occasionally, it took about five minutes for passengers with a lot of stuff, such as sacks or bamboo storage baskets tied to the van's roof, to get off.
After two hours of a steady upward ride along a steep and sharply curved road, the two arrived at their village.
Sunartin's house is located on high land, 250 meters away from the main road. From her village one can clearly see both the Blitar and Tulung Agung regency, and the South Sea (Indian Ocean).
The road that leads to her house is made from rocky limestone and those who are not accustomed to the road should be careful, otherwise they might get hurt.
A mixture of joy and commotion shrouded Sunartin's feelings as her neighbors came one by one to greet her.
Tears of joy dripped down Sunartin's cheek as she entered her modest house, where she was welcomed by her older sister, who had remained all her lifetime at the village, and her younger brother and sister who had just arrived from Surabaya a day before.
They hugged each other with excitement, and the house was soon full with Sunartin's childhood friends, who came immediately to see her.
And she cheerfully handed over presents for family members, including her nieces and nephews, mostly new clothes. Interestingly, she had also brought home a pair of door handles - they were given away by her employer, who sells household equipment. Sunartin spent about Rp 1.3 million for her travel and all the gifts.
Hundreds of people like Sunartin bring great excitement and joy to their home village during the yearly Idul Fitri holidays. As for the migrants, the hardness of their journey is quickly redeemed by their beloved relatives and friends at home.
"I admit, that in my employer's house, things are very easy and comfortable for me compared to my own house. Here there's no toilet, I have to relieve myself in the plantation. However, I come home to meet the rest of my family. They are the people I most love", she said.