The Fun of Childhood When Stealing Corn

By, Febri Wengke

Picture source; Brilio.net

When I was childhood, the most I knew how the world is. It was started when I am 4 years old. On that moment I have begun found so many friends. Especially in my village, there are my friends that I still remember Ignas, Ocen and Rino, we have got in the same school that is Wae Belang Elementary School. When we were at the classroom, we are actively during the lessons, no one no focus on during the study. Because of that we have similar principal that is “the study is the bridge for the better future”.

Once upon the time where we go out to the estate, as our plan when we have finished the lessons. The reason that to filch the fruits, cassavas, and corns. We were going to Lalang area most of plantations, which planted by estate owner, even though we don’t know whoever they are. That was not so far from our village. We were enjoyed walking through rice fields and river.

“Hi…guys come here and look at there! There are so many corns”, Ignas said.

Then me and our friends Ocen also Rino comes to Ignas was standing, there happened there are so many corns, how we are so amazed when look at the corns.

“Wahh… They’re so nice I just would like take only three corns”, I said.

“No, I would like to take more then you, I would take ten corns because some of that I would bring it to home”, Ocen said.

I was going inside the corns plantation through the right side, and also my partner Rino he just to follow me.

“I know with you will be save”, Rino said.

“Huss…don’t be noise! Just to walk it slowly and look around”, I stressed.

Then Ignas and Ocen go through the left side. While we were taking the corns, someone from the corner of the estate was scream.

“Hay…What are you doing there???” he asked loud.

That’s estate owner screamed, we were straightly shut up on that scream and nobody do something it’s like a statue.

When I look at Rino, he was really square and began to shaking.

I were scream back to that people, because I didn’t know who is he?

“Yeah. . . Who are you?” I ask him. “We just want to take some of these corns”, I stressed on what he ask to us.

“Ohh... Thief!”

“Don’t take my corns, and I will kill you if you take my corns, this my garden and these are my plants”, He screamed.

Me and my friends was really square, because of his statement that he will kill us.

On that time, I began to hold my slippers and started to run.

“Hay… what?  What do you want to do?” Rino asked.

“Let us get out from this estate prepare yourself,” I said.

“No… no... no... I know you would like to run, but I can’t run fast, could we just walk calm?” He suggested me.

“No! Run...! as fast as you can!” I push him up.

While I am running, I look to the Ignas and Ocen they are so far as fast as they can run and I see the their slippers in ground they  just released it down, some of their corns that they have taken was fell down, I don’t care it I just run as fast as I can. Also, I turn back a bit of my view to the Rino, all his corns were fell it down, he didn’t bring it at all. I just care one corn because the only one that I have taken.

“Run... run...run…!” I screamed.

I was feeling tired, and just run slowly I look back at Rino, he was walked.

“Hay. . .Febry! no body pursued us that man didn’t run follow us please stop to run again”, he screamed and I stop to waiting him.

“Where are your corns why you didn’t care it?” I asked him.

“Oouh... No man, that was too much I taken the corns, I feel heavy that’s why I was fell it down, while we were run”, he stressed.

“Ha. . .ha. . .ha. . .it’s okay man”, I laughter look at his face was funny.

We are looking back to way where we run, there was monkeys take our corns which fell down.

“Ha...ha...ha...”, we were laughter.

“We are like monkeys too”, Rino said. Ha...ha...ha...”

After that, we walked through the rice fields and show the Ignas, and Ocen was sitting on the edge of the river, they were already making fire to burns their corns, while they are burning the corns, me and Rino to surprised them.

“Wahh...!!!” we screamed.

Ignas and Ocen was so amazed and they would like to run.

“Run…!!!”, they were screamed and run with the square.

“Ha…ha…ha...”, we were laugh.

Because of our laugh Ignas and Ocen was turn back they was confused look at me and Rino, which nothing brings the corns. That actually I hide my corn in my pocket which the only one.

“Hay, man! Where are your corns?” Ignas asked.

“Did you don’t go into the estate? Because you already know if there was a garden owner and you didn’t tell us, which you were lied to us?” Ocen added and like angry to me and Rino.

“No man, I have care one corn and I save it in my pocket otherwise it fell down”, I stressed.

“All of mine I have fell it down, because feel heavy when I am running and I can’t run fast.

Even though, I have taken a lot of corns, but now it was nothing. Here the only body of mine still safety otherwise almost killed by the estate owner”, Rino exclaimed.

“Ha…ha…ha…”, we were laughed together. 

Then we were burn the corns, I have one corn, Ocen ’s three corns and Ignas ‘s four corns.

We were enjoying the corns and also view of rice fields, which so beautiful and sunset.

We spend the rest of the afternoon in the rice fields, until we go home.

Angle in the House

By, Febri Wengke

 A husband and wife named Alec and Zooey are abandoned by their five-year-old son. The child died as a result of the impact that hit him, which occurred in front of the door of the house. After a long time without having children, the husband and wife longed to have another child in their lives, but a medical examination revealed that the wife would not be able to conceive again. Then the husband and wife plan to adopt a child from an orphanage named Foster. The wife met a boy who was very unique from his very different nature from other small children, the name of the little boy was Eli. Uniquely, it is not husband and wife who choose children, but children who choose husband and wife and suddenly appear at the door. Husband and wife adopt a small child. The unique thing about the presence of the seven-year-old child turned out to be a little angel that the husband and wife did not realize. That a child is from a unique appearance, attitude and speech like an adult. The husband and wife were surprised and liked the little boy very much. Throughout life with this small family, many changes have occurred, starting from the loss of sadness over the loss of a husband and wife's biological child, the game business of her husband's children which previously declined and then rose again to become a developed and prestigious business, and finally. family life becomes more harmonious. . Thus, when the wife returned for an obstetrical examination, it was stated that she could be pregnant again. Everything is united in the welfare of family life because of the presence of a little angel who brings blessings in the house. in the end one day, that it was true that the little boy was an angel, he also disappeared and left a husband and wife they did not expect.

Bisikan Neneku

Oleh, Febri Wengke

Siang itu dikala teriknya matahari menyinari bumi manusia ini, aku kembali sejenak berteduh di warung pojok jalan milik seorang perempuan tua yang kini kuanggap neneku sendiri, Nenek Okimah namanya. Selang beberapa bulan setelah selesainya sebagian urusan kuliahku yang menjelang wisuda, neneku yang sedang menyiapkan dagangan di warungnya lantas kaget dengan kedatanganku. 

“Nek, selamat sore. Apa kabar?” Salam dan tanyaku pada nenek.

Nenekpun kaget dan berdiri karena menedengar suaraku sambil tanganya yang satu memegang jajanan jualanya, tanganya yang satu menepuk bahuku.

“Nak, nak. Sudah lama kau tak kesini lagi? Saya tunggu selama ini, saya pikir, barangkali kau sudah pulang kampung” tanya dan seru nenek tanpa menanggapi pertanyaanku terkait kabarnya. Melihat kondisinya sayapun bersyukur nenek masih sehat dan masih dengan tegarnya berjualan.

“Ma’afkan saya nek, semenjak saya selesai ujian skripsi saya terima kerjaan, selama ini saya sibuk kerja, jadinya jarang datang kemari” jelasku pada nenek.

“Syukurlah kalau kau sudah kerja nak. Tidak ada hari libur’kah”? Tanya nenek sambil buatkan kopi hitam kesukaan saya.

“Ma’af nek, ada liburnya diakhir pekan. Tapi ada-ada saja kerja tambahan yang hasilnya cukup” 

“Baiklah, intinya jangan sia-siakan harimu dengan hal yang tidak bermanfaat. Apalagi kau masih muda, nak. Kerjalah apa-apapun itu kalau memang menghasilkan sesuatu yang bermanfaat untuk hidupmu” pesan nenek untukku. Entah apa yang diketahui nenek dengan pedalamanya memandangi saya sambil berbisik “nak, carilah pasangan hidupmu dan menikahlah, agar kau lebih terarah lagi perjalananmu selanjutnya dan bahagia”. Aku yang mendengar bisikan itu tertawa bercampur kebingungan “kenapa seperti itu nek” tanyaku.

“Iya, supaya kau ada penuntun yang mendobrakmu untuk lebih giat lagi bekerja mencapai puncak kebahagian” tambah nenek.

Kuseruputi kopiku yang hangat dengan ampasnya menempel pada kumisku yang tipis. Kemudian kumenerangkan “nek, memang soal itu pasti akan kucari, nanti seiring peroses berjalanya hidup, untuk saat sekarang jangan dulu bagiku, karena anak perempuan orang tidak bisa didekatin begitu saja dan belum tentu menerima keadaan kita seperti ini”.

Sambil kucicipi satu persatu jajanan yang disiapkan oleh nenekuntuk menemani seruput kopiku. Nenek pun mencurahkan “baiklah, kalau memang urusan itu nanti dan pasti kau lakukan, intinya sekarang kau harus banyak cari pengalaman, perbaiki diri dan tambahi penghasilan sebagai bekalmu nanti”.

Pandangku pada langit menyebelahi atap warung nenek “iya nek, benar-benar harus mempersiapkan diri”.

Tegas nenekpun melanjut “tentu diatas segalanya kau harus bertanggung jawab, realita kau harus bekerja menghasilkan sesuatu yang memenuhui kekurangan dan mencukupi kebutuhan, yang walaupun sekiranya nanti kalian bisa berjuang bersama. Tetapi tetap awalnya dari kau sendiri karena kau lelaki”.

Perjumpaan siang yang menjelang sore itu dengan neneku, kurasakan sebagai salah satu kuliah tambahan yang begitu bermanfaat. Seruputan terakhir kopiku mengisyaratkanku untuk beranjak, kemudian kuserahkan gelas kopiku pada nenek dan kubuang pelastik jajan pada tempat sampah yang seketika juga handphone’ku bordering panggilan dari adik kelasku untuk membantu mengerjakan tugas kuliahnya di kos. Sebelum beranjak kumintai nenek totalan belanjaku yaitu enam ribu rupiah. Dengan demikian kuberpamitan dari nenek.

Nggerang

By; Febri Wengke

Ilustration from: Floresa.co

Nggerang is a girl in the legend of the Manggarai community who is very beautiful and elegant. Groaning because of her elegance and beauty, she was contested by several local kings in Manggarai. Because many kings wanted Nggerang, Nggerang was fought over and finally killed as a way to try the kings who fought over Nggerang. Which resulted in Nggerang's skin being used as one of the materials for traditional Manggarai musical instruments, namely Gendang or the drum.

Once upon a time, right in the village of Ndoso “beo Ndoso” which is located in West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province. In Ndoso village, there was a small baby, namely Nggerang was found on the bank of a river near Ndoso village by one of the residents of Ndoso village. Thus the Nggerang was cared for and raised by the residents of the Ndoso village. Nggerang grew into a very beautiful and graceful girl from the appearance of her white skin and long hair. Because of the beauty and grace of the Nggerang, Nggerang is the highlight of the conversation of Ndoso villagers and spread in several villages in Manggarai. Likewise, the local kings in Manggarai know about the beauty and grace of Nggerang. At that time the most powerful kings and wanted Nggerang to be married included King Todo from Manggarai and King Bima from the Sumbawa archipelago. Even though Nggerang became a struggle for kings, Nggerang with his determination was not interested in being proposed to by these kings. Until several times the king of Todo and the king of Bima came to see Nggerang, but with the power that Nggerang had as a descendant of another human, Nggerang could transform into anything around him. With the power to change shape, Nggerang was not seen at home or around the village of Ndoso. In the end, King Todo and King Bima threatened to kill Nggerang's father, if Ngerang didn't show up to meet the two kings. Because of this threat and Nggerang's love for his father, Nggerang willingly appeared to the kings of Todo and the king of Bima. Even though because of the threat, Nggerang still with his determination did not want to be used as a struggle for the kings and did not want to be proposed to by the kings. Because of Nggerang's refusal, the kings agreed to kill Nggerang. The kings of Todo and the king of Bima with their power made the skin of the stomach and the skin of the back of the Nggerang as two drums, which are one of the traditional Manggarai musical instruments. Because of the Nggerang that comes from another human being and has the power to change shape, making the two drums made of Nggerang skin a sacred drum, that is, when one of the drums is played, it causes light to appear from the sky and the sound propagation will be heard wherever one goes. one Gendang was saved. Of which the two drums, one of which is stored in the king of Todo, was taken from Ndoso because at that time the village of Ndoso was the territory of the Todo Kingdom. Likewise, the other drum is stored in the king of Bima as one of the kings who really wants Nggerang the beautiful and elegant angel. From the sound of the two drums, if from the king of Todo one of the drums is hit, it causes the sound to propagate to the king of Bima, and vice versa. Thus the two drums are stored until now in the Todo Kingdom and the Bima Kingdom. Part of Nggerang's body was buried in the village of Ndoso, where the grave is still well-preserved today.

Personal documentation at Nggerang's cemetery.

Reference; Interviews and stories from Mrs. Elisabet Hasmi, a native of Ndoso Village, West Manggarai Regency, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.