SHORT STORY

HELL SHOWS US HEAVEN

It was April 2004. A man woke up from his sleeping in the morning when the sun was rising and accompanied by the sound of bird as if a beautiful morning with beautiful birds’ songs. The day was so bright.

The man was Raka, a father of three sons. It might be his fortune even though he was not a rich man, but he has a very happy family. His wife was so beautiful. Not only beautiful face, but also her inner beauty which made her became a loving and caring mother. His sons were all males. The first son was in grade 3 senior high school, the second son was I, who was in the third grade of junior high school, and the last son was 5 years old. Yeah, the last son was too young. Why? It was because Raka and his wife wished that they would get a daughter after having two sons but when the child was born, the child was male again. But no matter there was no female, Raka and his wife loved and cared their sons so much.

Our house just liked a heaven. A heaven where love of mother spread out.

In that morning, I played my flute.

Krrriiiiing…… krriiiing…, the telephone was ringing. “Peter, take the telephone!” said my mother to me.

“Ok mom,” I answered.

“Like usual, it must be daddy’s friend, Dewa Pasdalem”, I thought.

I took the telephone and greeted, “good morning”

The man in the telephone was Dewa Pasdalem, who I had guest.

“Good morning, Peter, can I speak to your father?”, Dewa asked.

“Ok Sir, just wait a moment”

“Dad, the telephone is for you!”

I left the telephone and went to the toilet quickly. The house was like the common house in Bali which has no toilet in it. The toilet is built separately in the southern. I took my towel and went to the toilet. But, my older brother, John, was using the toilet.

“John, Quick! I need to use the toilet. I don’t want to be late to school!”

“Just wait! I also don’t want to come late to school.” John said.

On the other side, my father was talking to Dewa Pasdalem by phone. Like usual, they talked about their job. He and Dewa Pasdalem were working in the same office. They work at a bank. The bank was the biggest local bank in their island. The bank had branches in all regencies of the island and even had some branches outside the island. The bank was Bank Dagang Bali (BDB) which could pass the national crisis of Indonesia.

After my brother finished taking a bath, I entered the toilet quickly. I know that it was already 7 o’clock so that I only washed my face and brushed by teeth. Yeah, it was because the class began at 7.30 and I should ride my bicycle about 20 minutes to school. I went to my room and wore my school uniform. When I was taking my clothes which are white shirt and blue short, dad was still talking with Dewa Pasdalem. Yeah, like usual, they talked about their job. I just ignored him because at that time I knew nothing about banking.

My father usually went to his office at 8 o’clock. His bank had many branches and my father was working at the branch in Klungkung regency. It was about 15 kilometers from our house.

“John, Peter, have a breakfast first!”

I heard my mother voice, asking me and john to have a breakfast. Of course, my mother always prepared our breakfast every morning. She was a very loving mother. She cared us.

“Yes mom”, I said.

I went to the kitchen and had my breakfast. I ate the bread quickly. Very quick. Even the last piece was still in my mouth when I was riding my bicycle. “Come on, Quick, Quick!!” I thought. The road was so busy with many cars and motorcycles. The cold winds flew from the north which was so cold. And I who forgot to wear my jacket felt so cold. But I have to go to school. “Nothing can block me” I thought.

And finally, I arrived in my school. I was sweaty and tired in the cold morning. But it didn’t matter. It was usual. “I will get my motorbike after graduating from here”, I murmured. I put my bicycle on the parking area, and walked to my class.

“Peter, hurry up! Mrs. Tantri is coming here!” my friend, Santika called me from the second floor. I ran to my class which was on the second floor. I was afraid if I was late coming to the class because Mrs. Tantri would punish me. I knew that. She always did it to the ones who were late.

“Yeah, I did it.” I thought. I could enter the class just before Mrs. Tantri came.

“Good morning class”, Mrs. Tantric greeted the students.

“Good morning Ma’am, the students answered.

And she started the lesson. Our English lesson. When the class just began, my friend, Septian, came and said, “Excuse me Ma’am”.

I was sure he would be punished.

“Stay outside!” said Mrs. Tantri angrily. She had said to the students that she didn’t like the one who comes late.

“Almost”, I murmured.

“What?” Santika asked me. He heard me because he sat next to me.

“Nothing”, I answered.

I prepared my books and the class began. The lesson was so boring. Taking a note, taking a note, and taking a note. Only that activity in English class. That’s why I didn’t like English. I got five lessons in five hours every day (except Sunday). Five different lessons in a day.

Teeeeeeeett… teeeet…….. The bell was ringing. That’s the sign that the students got a break for 15 minutes. When I took my books and put them in my bag, Santika asked me.

“Hey, next week will be the final examination. Are you ready?”

“I’m not sure, but I will do my best”, I answered.

“If the time comes, stay closer with me!” he said.

“OK bro, we have to cooperate.” I said.

I, Santika, and my friends were talking about the national examination. Some of them said that they were afraid. I was also not so sure. This day was so bored. I didn’t know why. It was unusual. The lessons, the teachers, and the tests at that time were so bored. I was only waiting for the last bell ringing when I could go back home. After 5 hours of boring time, the bell was ringing. I took a breath deeply, looked around my table to make sure that there was nothing left before I left the class.

I went to the parking area to take my bicycle. I walked so slowly as if there was no spirit in my body. As if there was no soul in my body. It might be because of the boring time.

“Wait for me!”

The voice was familiar in my ears. When I looked backward, I realized that was Santika. He wanted to go home together.

“Peter, wait for me! Let’s go home together.” said Santika

“I thought you already go”, I said

“Nope”, Santika said

We took our bicycle and went home together. Santika’s house was near to my house. We lived in the same village. I often went to his house, making the homework together. I thought he was my best friend. We were friends since we were in kindergarten.

The day was so hot. It was very different from the morning which was so cold. I felt more tired and got dehydration. And Santika looked too. The dust was everywhere combined with the smoke of the trucks which made us difficult to take a breath. And we arrived on the crossroad in our village.

“See you Bro”, Santika said.

“See you”, I replied.

Not more that one minute from the crossroad was my house.

“Mom, I came.” I said to greet my mother.

“Have a lunch son!” my mother said.

I can felt my spirit again. The boring day was lost after I saw my beautiful, loving, and caring mother. “My mother is the best mother around the world” I thought.

I went to my room to change my clothes and went to the kitchen quickly. I took the rice and the meat, then I put them on my plate. My mother’s cooking was so delicious. I was so happy, having a beautiful, loving, and caring mother who was also smart in cooking. It might be my fortune, and my father’s fortune that this woman could be his wife.

After eating, I went to the living room and watched television. My younger brother, Kevin, was there, watching the cartoon movie. I played with him, taught him match while watching television. My mother came and joined us. She brought some cakes for us and sat in the corner.

“Don’t you wanna study now?” my mother asked.

“No. tomorrow is 8 April. It is holiday” I answered.

“How about your lesson today?”

Ow, It was boring. I don’t know why, I felt so bored in the classroom.”

“Don’t be like that, you will face the final exam so you have to focus on your study!” My mother tried to give me advice.

“Yes mom” I answered.

Soon after that, older brother, John, came from school. He joined us watching television and took some cakes and ate them. We were talking about everything. Spent our time in front of the television together. My mother got up and opened the cupboard, looking for something. When she opened it, the gold brooch which is given by my father to her fell down and broken. My mother was shock. She looked worry and though something must be happen. There must be something happen to my father.

The evening came and I took a bath with my younger brother. My father came back home and nothing happened. My mother was not looked worry anymore. She made a coffee for my father and talked until night. I and my older brother studied together in my room. Even though the following day will be holyday, I still studied because I would face the national examination. And it was already 11 o’clock. My family already slept and I also needed to sleep.

The next morning I got up late because of the holiday. But, as usual, Dewa Pasdalem called again by phone.

Kriiiiiinggggg….. krrriiiiiinggg…..

“Peter, take the telephone!” said my mother.

“Yes mom.” I answered.

“It is for you dad!” I said and back to sleep.

When my father took the telephone and greeted Dewa Pasdalem, even though it was not so clear, I heard Dewa Pasdalem said that Bank Dagang Bali is liquidated by Bank Indonesia. At that time I didn’t understand why. But I understood what bank liquidation is. My father was shock and fell down unconsciously. I called my mother and John because I could not take my father alone. And we took my father together, laid him on the bed. My mother was crying. I and my older brother shed tears. I told them what I had heard from the telephone.

We were waiting about 15 minutes until my father was conscious. The situation became more complicated when the bank’s clients called my father asking about their money in the bank. One by one the clients called my father until my father said that he knew nothing. My father didn’t know the reason why.

He went to his office quickly, riding his motorbike as fast as he could. He tried to get the clear information about the bank. But there was no result. Everything was still unclear. We were sad at that time. Very sad. My father came back home looked like a man with no hope.

And in my mind, there was only confused. One thing in my mind was how did our family would be? How do we get money? How do we continue our life?

Nothing, there was nothing.

“My sons, you have to keep study. And you Peter, be focused on your final examination!” said my father.

“How can I focus dad?” I objected what my father suggested to us.

He could not say anything. It might be because he was shock. Job is very important. How would we life without job? How would we get money if my father lost their job? Because only him who provided money for our family.

The day was so fast. The night came and we were still worry. I stood in my room, didn’t want to make the problem bigger. And my mother came.

“Son, you have to continue your study. We will try it as we can. You don’t need to worry. If you object what your father says, it will make him become more frustrated. You and your brother are the only ones who can make our life better. You have to study hard, until you can finish your study until the university as what your father expects. If you can do it, try to find a job, and you will see your father smile again.” said my mother.

That advice made me struggle.

And three months had passed. I felt everything was changing. I had graduated from junior high school and I was received in the most famous senior high school in my town. My mother had tried to get jobs so that she could get money for our family. And my father was still in depression. Less speaking, no laughing, and no smiling. I was sad if I saw my father. The two opportunities in my mind were stop studying and try to get job, or continue studying at school hope that I could bring a better future which would make my father smile again.

But I could do both. I could continue my study while I was having a part time job. I became a wood carver. At night, twice a week, After following a group of traditional music, I, my brother, and my group played traditional music in some hotels in Ubud, a town which was in the northern of my town. I did them because I needed money. Only to get some money to pay my school payment. Yeah, I could do them, I could pay the school payment by myself. Yeah, I wanted to help my parents.

And fortunately, one afternoon the leader of our village came and asked my father to be the leader of the village’s bank. We were afraid and confused whether we had to take the job or not. It is because related to the condition of the village’s bank where there were so many corruptions. And my father accepted. He said that he have to try because it would be hard for him if he tried to find other jobs because of his age. It is because he still had the struggle. He still had the spirit. The spirit of a father. His smile was only hiding behind our pain. And I was sure that one day the smile would come up again.

Step by step he made the better condition to the village’s bank. Most of the people trusted him and save their money at the bank so that the bank could grow fast and built new building. By working at the village’s bank, he could provide our family with his salary.

Now, five years had passed. I continue my study to the university which is far from my hometown. My older brother already had a job and my younger brother was in elementary school. Bit by bit I can see the smile of my father. And I also can see my father laughing. One night when I came back home and sitting in the living room with my brother, my father came and said something to us. Something that I would never forget.

“My sons, sometimes hell shows us heaven. I had brought the hell for you, and now I try to bring the heaven back. If we never know pain, we will never know happiness. No matter how many times you fall, you have to try and try again. When you get your dreams, you will feel more than what you expect.”

THE END