Homebound trip uncomfortable but worth it

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.