Patience behind the life of a 120-year-old woman

Patience behind the life of a 120-year-old woman

By Kosasih Derajat

LINGGAR JATI, West Java (JP): Most people want to live as long
as possible. This hope is expressed in prayers when a baby is
born, and at birthday and wedding parties. But how long do you
really want to live?

The 1992 Guinness Book of Records, on page 164, lists
Shigechiyo Izumi of Japan as the oldest human being: 120 years
and 237 days.

But since a long, suffering life burdens others, we should
also remember to pray for good health.

Kastirah, an elderly woman living in Lingga Mekar village of
Kuningan Regency, West Java, has had the good fortune to
experience both long years and good health. Her relatives and
neighbors claim she is 120 years old.

There are no reliable sources to verify her exact date of
birth. But it is evident that she can hear, see, speak and think
clearly - a rare achievement in view of Indonesia's current
average life expectancy of 65 years for women and 61 for men,
figures which may creep up to 70 for both sexes by the year 2020
according to the Ministry of Health.

When I called on Kastirah during the Lebaran holiday in March
this year she emerged from her room without requiring a cane or
walker. She conversed with her guests and accompanying relatives
in a solid, clear voice.

And after hearing Adzan, the call for the mid-day prayers, she
excused herself and performed her prayers unassisted.

Cecep, her 30-year-old great-grandson, said that Kastirah has
lived so long because of her great patience. This, he says, was
especially evident when her late husband left her and married a
younger woman, who was also her niece.

"When her husband took the entire harvest from the rice field
to his new wife's house, and not to Kastirah's as he used to, she
just said `never mind,'" Cecep related.

He recalled her words, "It was just garbage given to the young
wife, while the pohaci (virtue) remains with me." Pohaci also
refers to the goddess of wealth.

Kastirah claims to have once been a victim of black magic.

"I vomited blood after I refused to lend money to a neighbor,"
she recalled.

To ward off the magic, she said, "I didn't sleep a single
night for three months. I sat outside the house when night fell."

Kastirah also has a traditional recipe to keep her eyes in
good condition. She drops the juice of a green leaf called
korejat into her eyes whenever she feels her sight failing.
Korejat refers to the reflex when eyes react to pain. This occurs
because the solution initially stings when it is dropped into the
eye.

Kastirah may not be around for much longer, but her relatives
don't consider her a burden. She is able to take care of herself
and consumes less food than other members of the family.