Jimbaran blasts take away a caring mother

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang

Fanny Kusumadewi held her mother's coffin tight, as if she did not want to let it go. Her tears were flowing, dripping down on the coffin.

"I want to hold my mother... I want to hold my mother," she cried, still hugging the sealed coffin which arrived at Panti Wilasa hospital in Citarum, Semarang on Sunday at around midnight.

Her loving and caring mother, 68-year-old Djuni Trisniati, is now gone. She was among the victims who were killed when bomb blasts ripped through the tourist island of Bali on Saturday night, killing at least 22 people.

In the tragic bombings, the second after similar blasts on Oct. 12, 2002, Djuni was killed along with her grandson Arthur Calvino, 19.

Fanny's sister, Susiko, who had earlier tried to be strong, broke into tears, holding her other sister, Hannyko, who is Arthur's mother.

"For us, mother was a loving and caring woman who was faithful and dutiful to her family. She went to Bali to see my brother Heru Djatmiko who is working there as well as to see Arthur who was in his first year at Diana Pura Tourism and Hotel Academy. Arthur celebrated his birthday on Sept. 19 and mother wanted to surprise her grandchild (with the visit)," Susiko said.

Djuni raised her six children on her own in the crowded Gebang Anom neighborhood in Central Semarang after her husband, Djatmiko, left her in 1983.

She left for Bali last Tuesday but only managed to talk to her family in Semarang on the fateful Saturday night, at 6:30 p.m., just about 20 minutes before the bomb blasts.

"On the phone mother said she would not go straight back home but would stay longer in Bali. She also asked about her family in Semarang," Susiko said.

Arthur's brother, Michael, said that Arthur sent him an SMS, saying that he was having seafood at Cafe Nyoman with his grandmother, uncle, aunt and nephews.

"That's the last SMS I received from him," Michael said.

The family received the sad news that both Djuni and Arthur were among the bombing victims from Heru's colleague in Bali.

"At that time, Heru was also hosting (dinner) for his 10 colleagues from Qantas Airlines at the cafe. I heard the news that Heru and his wife Julia Tumewu were injured and were being treated at the hospital while Heru's son Bram escaped the blast since he was playing on the beach at the time of the explosion," Susiko said.

That Sunday night, the family held a solemn prayer for Djuni and Arthur at the hospital, with Djuni's brother Ong Djoen Bie repeatedly performing prayers for them. Her remains will be cremated in Kedungmundu, Semarang on Thursday while the family are still undecided where Arthur will be buried.

"I hope you are now in heaven Djuni, along with Arthur," Ong said.