Love blossoms in camp for displaced Acehnese

Love blossoms in camp for displaced Acehnese

Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

If Gabriel Garcia Marquez were to write the story of Syamsu and
Karmilawati, refugees sheltered in Mata Ie, Banda Aceh, the title
could be, "Love in the Time of Tsunami."

The lovebirds laid their eyes on each other a little over two
months ago at the refugee camp where they fled to after walls of
water swallowed their homes. After a month of companionship, they
have already decided that they were meant for each other.

On Monday, Syamsu, 23, and Karmila, 21, will tie the knot at
the camp and host a one-day feast for families and neighbors.

"He's macho," said Karmila bluntly on Sunday, to describe what
she likes about her 23-year-old future husband. "He came to my
father himself to ask for my hand," the 21-year-old told The
Jakarta Post.

On paper, he is not her type -- Syamsu is not tall and not
good at whispering sweet nothings in her ears. Karmila did not
even like him at first. "But his confidence, his commitment to
this relationship, lured me to him," said the university student.

Karmila had a boyfriend -- a friend of Syamsu, in fact -- for
four years and Syamsu was also in a relationship when they met.
"But she is my soul mate, I know it," said Syamsu, who handed
over five mayam (one mayam equals about three grams) of gold to
Karmila's parents as a dowry.

"I love her sweet, dark skin, her eyes, her nose," he said.

They have not actually spent much time with each other, as
they could only meet in the late afternoons after Syamsu returned
from his job at a garage downtown. After 9 p.m., unmarried
couples are not allowed to fraternize.

"We had to steal moments; I missed him all the time," said
Karmila.

Getting married may cure their longing, but will bring with it
another problem: where to spend their honeymoon. Karmila lives in
a tent with her parents and two little brothers -- she lost three
other sisters and brothers in the tsunami -- while Syamsu also
lives with his family.

But Cupid finds a way after all. "Our neighbor has agreed to
lend us her tent for one night while she goes out of town," said
Karmila, grinning. "But you know, these tents get transparent at
night (when lights are on)."

After the wedding, the couple will live temporarily in the
tent of the groom's family, while they wait to get a tent of
their own.

Karmila's father, Muhammad Noer, scraped together all his
money and borrowed some more to get Rp 4 million (US$430) to make
sure that the wedding feast would be a proper one, as is the
custom of the Acehnese.

"We invited about 500 people. My friends from outside Banda
Aceh are also coming," he said, beaming.

All the preparation was made easier for the families as many
neighbors lent a hand, like cooking rendang (beef in chili sauce)
and chicken in coconut milk or grinding peanuts to make sauce for
gado-gado (stewed vegetables with tofu and tempeh) and many other
details.

So on Monday, amid the tents in the packed refugee camp of
Mata Ie, people will see that indeed, love can still thrive
despite adversity.