Robber

Robber

By Harris Effendi Tahar

As soon as the monthly Aug. 17th ceremony was over, I rushed
to the canteen behind the office. Apparently Hamsad had been
waiting for me. He was not wearing the Korpri's batik uniform, a
sign that he didn't attend the ceremony.

"Sit here. I really need you," Hamsad said, shoving a chair
toward me.

The canteen started to fill in with civil servants who did not
have time to eat breakfast at home because they had to hurry to
be on time for the flag hoisting ceremony which was held at seven
o'clock sharp.

"What do you want from me?"

"First, order your meal before they sell out. Let me order for
you."

He shouted, "Coffee with milk and nasi pecal."

Hamsad kept touching the folded paper in his shirt pocket. It
was as if he wanted to take it out, but each time he changed his
mind. It must be an important letter, but I would not ask. Hamsad
usually did not like to be questioned. He was high-strung. A
trait I didn't like. Easily provoked, but very sentimental, too.
I liked the fact he would apologize as soon as he felt he had
done others wrong.

"I want to apologize, the other day I met Pak Syamsul, the
chief personnel of the provincial office you introduced me to,"
he said.

I remember introducing him to Pak Syamsul three months ago at
a wedding reception of the son of the provincial office's head.

"I should have asked you to come along. But I thought, this is
a sensitive matter I am dealing with. It concerns bribery. I
heard it took Rp 4 million to make my wife a high school teacher.
Cash. After two failed tests, I had to find a short cut, although
my wife's IP is high enough. Besides, they still need a lot of
English teachers. But, that's it. If you want to reap profits,
first you must suffer losses. That is what people told me. Except
you. That's why I didn't ask you to compromise in this matter."

"You are terrific, Sad. Where did you get the money from? Is
there a guarantee your wife will be appointed as teacher? Is
there a receipt for the four million? I doubt it."

"I doubt it too. But it's not her promotion I worry about. I
am scared of getting arrested," Hamsad said, half whispering in
my ear.

"Arrested? Did you steal?" I asked in a similar hushed tone.

"No. I mugged someone."

I could not believe what I had heard. "When? Where?" I asked.

"That's the thing I want to tell you. I feel like I am being
chased by my sin. But I didn't kill anyone."

"You have to repent and ask God for His forgiveness."

"Never mind. Finish your breakfast."

I never told anyone about Hamsad's problem to enter his wife
into the trap of the mafia behind the placement of high school
teachers. I know my wife disapproves of such practices. She is
also a high school teacher who has been teaching for five years.

"Teachers who pass due to bribery will damage the education
system. If they don't pass the test, they must realize their own
weakness," was her response to bribing your way into a teaching
position.

How could I tell her about Hamsad who mugged some one for the
bribe? My wife has never been sympathetic towards Hamsad's
family. I don't know why. It could be because Hamsad often
forgets the time when he visits me and then invites me to a
soccer games after the rather long visit.

I know, my wife would be furious with me if I mentioned that
it was her uncle, the personnel head, on the other end of the
bribe. She always compares herself to other people.

"Just as I graduated from IKIP, I took the test directly, and
passed. It was not because my uncle was involved. It was really
because of my capability. So, if someone gives money to my uncle
in order to pass the test, it is their own fault. If there is
case of a bribery, the one who gives the money should be
questioned first," was her reasoning.

It had been more than a month since I last talked seriously to
Hamsad. Each time we met at the office, he only smiled dryly, as
if avoiding me. I came to think that Hamsad was afraid of me ever
since he told me his secret. It could also be that he had a new
problem. But that was not Hamsad's usual attitude. He was always
cheerful, frank and enthusiastic. We work in the same office, but
in different departments. He was my comrade in the academy. We
dated IKIP students together and both of us married IKIP
graduates. But Hamsad had turned cold on me.

"Hey, come here. I'll treat you to pecal," I shouted from the
corner of the canteen when I saw Hamsad crossing the badminton
court at the rear of the office.

"I hate you," he blared.

"I don't," I shouted back.

I saw his old self when I saw him return, heading towards me.
I waited for him at the outside corner of the canteen.

"They made the announcement. My wife did not pass."

"Oh, what a pity. I thought you were afraid that I reported
you to the police."

"It's not that. You should have helped me lobby your wife's
uncle after I handed him the four million sometime ago."

"You didn't want me to, did you? You said the problem was
sensitive. You remember, don't you? Let's see. Why don't I see
the chief personnel in his office tomorrow?"

"It's useless. They have made the announcement."

"Who knows it still could be done."

I saw his eyes brighten. He stared at me long and hard.

"But I don't promise anything. It depends on the result of my
talk with my wife's uncle..." I started to say, so as not to feel
burdened.

"That's you. That's the thing I hate about you. Try to think,
Har. We graduated from the academy together. Our wives are IKIP
graduates. Now you are happy to have a house you pay on
installment because your wife earns a salary too. Me? I haven't
even paid the rent and already I have to look for another house
to rent for the next six months. That's why I always say life is
unfair. If other people can commit robbery, why I can't? I have
lost faith in being a good person, Har."

"That's the thing I hate about you, Sad. Be patient. Pray and
believe that you always get His protection. He does, for you
haven't been arrested, have you?"

"I regret that as much as you do. Why did I only take four
million from that man? He had more than ten million. But, that's
it, just like me, a stupid person indeed. All I could think of
was to find the four million to make my wife a teacher. It's real
bad luck for me."

"You are still lucky."

"I am lucky, you said, while my fate remains unchanged."

"Learn to be patient and to think ahead," I offered.

"OK. Now I patiently wait for the result of your talk with
that man."

"Let me treat to lunch you now."

"No thank you. I am still full from seeing reality. Wait until
I'm starving. It will taste better and will help me forget how
poor civil servants like me are."

"It's your own fault. Who told you to be a civil servant? Why
don't you start a tire repair business?"

"Don't you look down on my father's profession. If I didn't
take up my father's business, what would the world say? I
studied hard and high in Jakarta only to slave on the roadside?
Go have a drink. I need some fresh air."

If it was not for solidarity, I would not have been able to
wait that long in front of the office of my wife's uncle. The
office hours had ended a long time ago. One by one the guests
entered his room, summoned by the satpam who arranged their turns
according to the guest book in which I had scribbled my name an
hour ago. As usual, close to six o'clock every working day, my
wife's uncle went home.

When the satpam called my name, I tried to appear as friendly
as possible before my wife's uncle. My personal relations with
him were rather strained because he was one of those who opposed
my marriage with his niece. People said it was because I only
managed a third-degree diploma, while his niece was a full
graduate. But he seemed friendly enough. There were two of his
staff who were still with him. One of them was showing him where
to initial a paper, and which ones he must sign.

"Please come in. You are alone?"

"Yes, Uncle."

"Sam, Rus, this is my nephew."

Both of my uncle's staff shook my hand respectfully. Then I
opened the talk as smoothly as possible. My uncle's facial
expression started to change. He tapped the end of his pen on the
thick glass which covered his desk, his eyes staring far away
through the tinted windows.

"It was lucky I did not send your friend to prison."

"What happened, Uncle?"

"He robbed my staff, Sam, in the parking lot of Reka Bank
before he brought in the money for his wife's appointment."

I was shocked, really shocked that Hamsad had robbed a staff
member of my wife's uncle.

"Are you sure?"

"Ask Sam," he said, pointing at the fat, bald staffer. Sam
seemed to be about my age.

"That's right, Pak, ha, Mas. I remember well, that day was
Friday, when Bapak ordered me to withdraw the ten million rupiah
from the bank. That person was also drawing some money from his
savings account next to my counter. He even smiled at me when I
counted the bundles of money before I put it into the bag. He
left the bank with me and we walked together to the parking lot.
Maybe because he saw I was alone in the car, suddenly he entered
from the left door and immediately pointed a knife at me,
threatening me, 'You are dead if you scream or resist me. Now
give me four million.' Maybe he saw me trembling and sweating, he
grabbed four bundles and put them into his shirt and got away on
his motorbike." My uncle just smirked at Sam's story.

"Well," my uncle said, "when he was leaving this room, Sam
entered and got the shock of his life. Then he whispered to me
that the man who had just came out of the room was the one who
robbed him the previous day. I was surprised and thought of you.
Then, thinking that the money had been returned as a deposit for
his wife's appointment, I thought, 'forget it'. It's lucky you
came here soon. If not, I would think you were involved." He said
his entire retort while continuing to examine the letters from
teachers in the regions asking to be transferred into the city.

I took a deep breath, offended.

"I remember he was from your village and is also your
colleague."

"I'm leaving, Uncle," I said, as a sign I was offended.

"Wait. Take this money to your wife."

"No, thank you Uncle. My wife doesn't like to eat human meat."

I arrived home when maghrib was drawing near. Sam was just
leaving. He nodded to me,

"I was ordered by Bapak to meet Mas' wife." He slammed his
jeep's door and left through the narrow road in front of my
house. My wife was in the doorway, waving the fat envelope at me.

"See this? This is enough for four installments for our
house."

"It's from your uncle, isn't it?"

"Do you think it comes from my illicit boyfriend? You are just
jealous."

Translated by Darul Aqsha

Born in Tembilahan, Riau on Jan. 4, 1950, Harris Effendi Thahar
graduated from IKIP Padang in 1994, majoring in language and
literature. He started writing short stories in 1971. He has also
written children's stories, serials and essays on literature. His
books include Lagu Sederhana Merdeka, Bendera Kertas and Daun
Jati. His short story Rampok first appeared in the Kompas daily
on May 8, 1994, and is included in Laki-Laki Yang Kawin Dengan
Peri: Cerpen Pilihan Kompas 1995 (The Man who Married the Fairy:
Kompas Selected Short Stories 1995). It is printed here courtesy
of Kompas.

Note:
Korpri = Indonesian Civil Servants Corps
IP = Indonesian abbreviation for Indeks Prestasi (Grade Point
Average)
Nasi pecal = steamed rice with boiled vegetables eaten with
peanut sauce
Satpam = security guard
Pak/Bapak = address for father; older or respected men; superior
Mas = Javanese address for older brother; older or respected men
Maghrib = the time of the sunset prayer
IKIP = Teachers' Training Institute