Yesterday I traveled back to my hometown. It was more than a month since the last time I came back home. Yeah, though it is not that long, I still miss home very much. And glad to arrive here last night.
Two days ago, it was Thursday evening when I just came out of the library and heading back to my room. On my way, a voice stopped me. "Adik, pak cik nak ke Jalan Klang Lama, boleh bawak pak cik tak?" He is an old man I know working at the hostel's cafe, selling delicious chicken chop. One can be assured to love the chicken chop he makes, and I am one of his familiar regular customer.
"Eeemmm," I was hesitated. "Boleh pak cik, tapi saya tak tahu jalan," I gave excuses at first. "Tidak mengapa, kalau ngak tahu boleh ditanyain orang. Malu bertanya sesat jalan," said that pitiful Indonesian old man who tried to make me bring him there.
Long story short, I did take him to his desired destination. Apparently he just bought a car, small compact Kancil enough to bring his wife and him back and forth from home to work. However, I would not say this as funny, he do not have a license yet or even know how to drive. That's why he asked me to bring him there, using his car.
No thing interesting happened actually, it's just I was lost during our way back to my university. But that was when we had a long windy yet absorbing conversation. He told me about his previous work as a labor worker, how hardship brought him here. His children whom he left back in Indonesia, his family and even his tradition. I was astonished by his stories, his experience and how life teaches him to survive in this foreign land. Even though life keeps making him fall, he climbed back up. Still, he is grateful.
How life has made a strong man, standing and still fighting to survive. Not wanting to give up as he knows people, especially his family is depending on him. His sorrow and pain were his motivation, not his setback.
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It was a lucky day yesterday. As soon as I arrived at Puduraya, a bus was going to depart. Heaven was on my side maybe, I got a ticket on site and the bus departed as soon as I went aboard. Before arriving at the stop I was to go down, I decided to sit at the front of the bus, just next to the driver. I initiated a conversation. "Abang drive sorang je malam ni?" "A'ah, kejap lagi ade lagi satu trip pukol 12.30malam, itu berdua la." Then the driver went on asking me whether I am still studying and I answered him. He said he sent all of his children to religious school. It is not that he wants his children to be Ustaz or Ustazah, at least in religious school his children will get the basic information about Islam and are able to use that knowledge they gain.
I was glad to see how parents things of these things for their children. Although they are not well establish, knowledge still is the priority for their children. It is the only thing that can change human to become more humane, at least. I am glad I had thess great encounters.
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