Staying in Jakarta, Struggling for Family Happiness During Eid

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Jakarta’s streets have suddenly emptied. Skyscrapers seem to be asleep, abandoned by millions of their inhabitants who flock back to their roots in various regions. Amid this annual mass exodus phenomenon, social media is often enlivened by a teasing yet meaningful quip: “Jakarta now only has its main players left”. That phrase describes a strong social reality. These “main players” are those who choose to stay amid the silence of the capital. They hold back the wave of longing for their hometowns to fulfil work responsibilities, ensure the wheels of city life keep turning, and most importantly, struggle so that the family kitchen across there remains warmly steaming to welcome the day of victory. One of these “main players” is Dasman, a middle-aged man from Padang, West Sumatra. While many Minang migrants joyfully plan their homecoming trips, Dasman sits calmly behind the wheel of a Transjakarta bus. Day by day, he navigates the capital’s streets, now no longer plagued by severe traffic jams, serving route 1H that connects Tanah Abang to Gondangdia Station. Not yet a full year, precisely nine months, Dasman has been neatly uniformed as a city bus conductor. Previously, he spent years challenging the harsh asphalt as a long-haul goods truck driver. That long experience controlling heavy vehicles is now devoted to serving Jakarta residents’ mobility, even when most people are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. This year marks the second consecutive Eid for Dasman without the homecoming ritual. This decision was made with very careful and grounded calculations. Staying in Jakarta and taking work shifts during the holiday provides him with a valuable opportunity to earn overtime pay.