----- Original Message ----- From: Wady Afriadi To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 10:01 PM Subject: Malin Kundang Story
Preface: I planned to introduce the traditional wind instruments of Minangkabau folks, of West Sumatra region (where I came from), playing it in front of Grade 2 students. To make it more interested, I meant to tell them a story of Malin Kundang, a well known folk tale of Minangkabau people. In trying to remember the plot of that story, I found myself develop my own version of the story. I wasnt sleep in the nights where I wrote it. And manytimes when I imagined what happen in my story, my tears are rolled down without I can control it. In telling this story, I really entered the scenes too deep. Like I was there when it was happened. Here I proudly presents my story, especially to the MadTeachers. My ENGLISH? I know it will takes a long time for anybody to correct any grammatical, syntactictical, and whateveritical errors in my writing. Even Duncan himself maybe will just throw away my paper if I asked him to make some correction. But,what I expect from you (if you don't mind to take a moment from your priceless time to read it), are: Do you thing there was a sense in my writing? Can you feel something in it? Are you think it's better for me to be a carpenter rather than write a story in a very stupid way? I'm waiting for your response. P.S.: Dear Miss Andri and Mr. Ricky, seems that your writing workshop long time ago still has a sigfnificant impact on on me... :) Thanks! Oops..., I almost forget it. Of course I won't tell the students the ending part of the story as I write HERE.... It was a JOKE, folks... don't take it so serious!!! Rgds, Wady Afriadi 0815-970-1611 http://wady.or.id ---------------------------------------------------------------- MALIN KUNDANG FOR GRADE 2 It was a sun up in a very bright morning. The people in Air Manis, a little village in the waterside of Padang Beach, were prepared to work. A little voice of a little boy was heard break the silence. �Mother... Mother.., where�s my little paddle? Because I want to play with my little canoe in the water now...� That was Malin Kundang�s voice, a poor young boy that lives with his mother only. A mother�s voice heard answered her son, �Oh, no my boy. Don�t play in the water again, you can fall down and sink to the sea.� �Don�t worry mother, if I fell down, I can swim to the shore.� And then Malin looked very glad playing and row his little canoe (small wooden boat) in the beach. Malin�s canoe was made by his father that already died some years ago. Day after, month after month, and year after year passed. Now Malin grow up into a young man that very handsome. He loves his mother very much, and always helps her, no matter he like or not. One night, Malin talk to his mother. �Mother, we work hard, but still poor. We still live in this old small wooden house, with the floor of ground... We have no money, and our food is only enough for today. We have no jewelry... I can�t stand this anymore, mother. I got to go and find a better life. I want to get rich, Mom.� His mother looked to him very deeply, and with her wise voice, she answered; �My son... Do not regret our life. It�s our destiny... Our family was born to be poor. Your grandfather and grandmother are poor peoples. So do us. We are poor people but we are happy. If we get rich, maybe we will not be this happy. For rich peoples, there are so many things to be worry about...� �No, Mom. I already made my decision, I will leave. And if I already became rich, I will go back here.� There�s a silence surround them for a while. Then, the old mother�s tears fall down, it looks blinking under the light of their kerosene lamp. Then she speaks with a weak voice... �My son.., I am already old now. If you leave, who will help me..? But if your decision is very tough, I will support you, my son... I will pray for you...� Some week later, the people of Air Manis heard that there was a big ship came near the village. Malin go to the beach to see the truth of that news by his own eyes. And Malin surprised to see, how big the ship is. That ship was so big to be landed on Air Manis shore. If the ship is too big, it can�t land on the shore, because around the beach, the water is not too deep. So they pull down their anchor far from the waterside, and the people from that ship land for shore with a boat. That ship stopped just for three or four days, to get fresh food and water to drink. And when the ship captain�s spokesman announced that they still needed some men. Young Malin runs for his mother. �Mother..! Mother..! They need some men, maybe I join them, mom. It�s a very huge ship I�ve ever see!� �Give me a break, my boy. They need peoples, but do you meet their requirements? Of course they can�t accept every man from this village, my boy. You better go to the captain, and ask whom they really want.� And Malin do what his mother said. With some men from the village, he paddled up to the ship to meet the captain. In Malin�s turn to meet him, the captain looks from his hair to his toe. Seems he was very doubtful. And with his heavy voice, he speaks to Malin; �You, want to join our men..? We need strong peoples, Son. Not a skinny boy like you. Please go back to your mother and just bury all of your dream to work in a big ship like this.� Then he turns his look to his staff, for asking to call the next person. Malin turned down on his knees, and said with a trembling voice; �No, Sir... I really want to work in this ship. Just take me as your servant, to clean all things in this ship.., anything you want, but just let me go with you...� Malin begged with his tears. The captain takes a think for a while. Turn up and down his eyebrow, furrowing his forehead, and again looks to Malin so deep. He can see one thing in Malin, innocence and honesty. Live in the sea for years; he knows that kind of thing is seldom found in a ship. Then, with his heavy and low voice, he asked to Malin, �Can you cook? You may try to join our cooking men.� Malin�s heart feels like jumped out, and his face looks very glad. He almost yelled up because of the happiness when he said to the captain, �Of course, Sir! I am a Padang boy, of course I can cook! I always replace my mother to cook when she was sick. Just tell me what you want for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you�ll get the best taste sir..!� �Okay, Son. Prepare yourself. Tomorrow we will leave this land, and go for the sea. Please tell your mother. May God bless thou.� Malin leave the ship with a very mixed feeling. He talked to himself, tomorrow? He didn�t think that fast. But when he remembers again his dream to be rich, and looked to his poor village. He made up his mind, chattering his teeth and said: �I go with them!� His mother waves her old hand weakly from the beach when the ship is pulling up her anchor. And start sailing for the sea. Malin stand up in front of the deck�s fence, look to his poor old mother with the tears rolled down from his eyes. �Good bye mother... When I got rich, I will come back here and pick you to my palace... You will wear the finest clothes, not the old rags like what we have now. You will wear golden jewelries with diamond... I will go back, Mother... � They can�t hear each other�s voice now, because the ship getting far and far from shore. They only can talk through the heart-wire between mother and son. And the old mother speaks to Malin for last time, �Go on my son... Go on to reach your dream... My praying always follows you, wherever you go, son...� In the ship, the activity runs as usual. Some men clean the deck, some cooking, and in a regular time, a watchman climbs the highest mast of the ship and look around, if there was an island or another ship. Some week passed, and there�s nothing they can see. It�s only water around, as long as the eyes can see, and the blue sky above. Malin enjoyed his job so much. Sometimes he work with cooking men, and sometimes he join the men who clean the deck. The captain himself, like to see Malin�s work because he always did it very well. Deep in his heart, the Captain actually loves Malin because Malin remembered him to his son that died on a sea accident some years ago. One day, in the day of misfortune, the watchman saw a little black spot far away over there. He covered his eyes from sunlight with his right hand, while his left hand hold the pillar�s peak very tight, so he can not fall down by the wind. That little black dot become bigger and bigger, as it getting near. And then the watchman can see it clearly now, it was a ship! He yelled out, �Yahoo!!! There�s a ship over there!� The shipmen are glad to hear that. Because if a ship meet another in the middle of the sea, they can change the things they have with barter system. Malin�s ship still has a lot of coffee stock, but they almost out of tobacco for smoking. So they want to barter the stuffs if that coming ship has enough stock. And all of the shipmen agree that a cup of coffee without tobacco wasn�t fine. The ship is getting near and near. The watchman covered his eyes again trying to see more clearly, what ship is it? Nobody can be seen in her deck. It seems like a ghost�s ship, without anybody in there. He tried to see, what flag they have. The flag was black and when the wind waved it, he can see it was a flag with a drawing of a skull and crossed bones on it! The watchman shouted up �The Pirates!!!� and climbed down the mast as quick as he can. There�s a rush then on Malin�s ship. The captain asked some men to got their sword and take their position in front of the deck. That strange ship was point forward to Malin�s ship. If they don�t stop, it will crash the Malin�s ship right in the middle. The captain yelled to the shipmen in steering oar, �Turn her to the left!� And Malin�s ship turned left to avoid the crash. But it�s late. The pirate�s ship crashed the rear side of Malin�s ship and turned her to the left so quick. That crash make both of ships became side to side now with only a tiny gap between them. Somebody can jump from one ship to another very easily now. And all of a sudden, around twenty people jump out from their hiding place in pirate ship and attack the men on Malin�s ship. They all wear black clothes, with a black mask covered their head; there are only two holes in their mask, in front of their eyes so they can see. The pirates� captain appeared to follow his men, and shouted to them: �Rob them all!!! Don�t leave anything!� And Malin�s captain also come out, and yelled �They can�t take anything from us, as long as we live!! Beat them!� And he jumped out to attack the pirates� captain. Because that riot, Malin went out, up to the deck to see what happen. And suddenly his eyes catch one of the pirates� men, take his arrow, and stretch it with his bow, ready to shot. Malin saw that he will shot Malin�s captain! Without thinking anymore, Malin jumped to that man, to take that bow from him at the time when he released his arrow. That arrow fly away with a very high speed, but its direction was changed, not to Malin�s captain, but to the pirates� captain which stand up not far from Malin�s Captain! �Ouch!!!� The pirates� captain yelled up by the pain, when that sharp arrow landed right on his breast. And the red bloods bleed his black clothes. His hands hold that arrow stick upon his breast, while its sharp point already stabbed inside into his breast�s flesh, and he shouted to his men, �Back off, I got hurt..!� And in a very quick move, the pirates disappeared, go back to their ship and leave to rescue their captain. The people in the ship feel glad again, because the danger was over. All of the shipmen feel very thankful for Malin, because he was the man who saved them and the ship from the cruel piracy. After that riot, the captain elected Malin as his assistance who have the responsibility for the ship if he takes a rest. Some years passed, they have landed on many places, and so many things they have bought and sold. And the captain is getting old. One day, after some weeks never leave his bed because of sick, he asked Malin to meet him alone, and he talked to Malin. �Malin my son...� �Yes, father.� Malin answered with very polite and gently voice. So many years they have passed together in the sea. And pirates are no stranger. But they help one another and always stay safe and sound until now. Malin already treat him as his father that he didn�t have, and the captain found his lost son in Malin. �I feel that my life will not longer.., I feel that my departure was come...� the old captain continued his words. �No, father.., you will get well again. Our men will find a better medicine for you. Don�t say that, Father...� �No, my son. I can feel it. I want to ask you for something. If I die, you must take this ship and lead her in the sea...� Malin had a very terrific feeling. But he just answered him, �Yes, father...� �One thing more...� the old captain continued. �I want you to marry my daught...� Before he finished his words, he coughed two or three times, and then, his breathe was stopped. His hand fell down and hung beside his bed, in front of Malin. The old captain was passed away. It�s already some years passed after Captain Malin took over the ship. And as his promise to the old captain, he took full responsibility to the ship. And he married his daughter, a very beautiful young woman. Now she follows Malin in sailing, cheered up his husband every time. Malin is already a rich man now. Very very rich. The fortune always with him while doing the business and his trading was always successful. If he got some bad trading that make loss, his beautiful wife always there to cheered him up from the sadness. And his men are very loyal and obey all of his command. But day after day, Malin feels so lonely, and he missed something; he long for home... It�s been so long he never met his mother, and he didn�t know if she still alive or not. The nightmares disturb Malin�s sleep every night. And one night when he woke up and sat alone in his bed, he remembered his promise to his poor old mother. Those nights full of nightmare was leading Malin�s ship sailed again to Air Manis shore, in the Minangkabau land where he was born and raised. Malin stepped out from the boat to his land, but a strange feeling spread over Malin�s heart. There�s nothing changed in his poor village. Old wooden houses roofed with palm leafs, it seems they never changed it with the new ones since Mount Merapi still as big as a duck�s egg.[1] He saw broken canoes everywhere, and a very stinky smell of the dead fishes entered his nostrils. He looked with a disparage sight to some people that sat down under the roof of an old shop, smoking a cigarette that made from a roll of dried sugar palm�s leaf filled with some tobaccos inside. Malin walked to his old house. He went to the back of his wooden house and found his little canoe, which was broken, leak with some big hole in it. Nobody can use it anymore without sinking in the water. And its paddle was broken too into two pieces, and only one piece left, the shorter one. Some little children followed Malin�s step and look to his fine clothes every now and then. And some others look from behind of their mother. The women in this village started to whisper to each other, and some of them nodding his head up and down, like they just understand something. A very old woman walked out from the house. Her face and hands are wizened by the age. She holds a wooden stick to help her walking, bent. And some hairs that appear from a rag cloth that cover her head, are white. He said with a weak voice, �Who is that? Is that you, Malin? My son..?� Then he continued; �Oh my God, you listen to my praying every night... Here he come Malin my son... I only hope you come back, son... No matter you are rich or not.., I only want to see my son come back...� Malin walk back to the front yard of the house. Some people started to crowd among him. The young women looked with fully interested sight. Some young men looked at him too, but with jealous sight. The old woman follows Malin�s step and try to reach him. �Is it you, Malin my son... Please speak, is it you..?� Malin stand up still without saying anything. The sun was hiding behind the dark cloud, and it is getting darker and darker. Some small lightning glitters in the sky. And the rain begins to fall... Malin still stand still, because the battle in his heart is not over. An angel, with his white wing, flight to Malin and whispered to his right ear. �Malin, remember your promise. Look at your mother, she is the woman who born and raised you. He takes care of you every night and day when you are still a baby. Now what is you waiting for? Come and met your mother. She�s been waiting for you so long.� But, at the same time, a black evil with his its arrowed tail flight to Malin�s left ear, and said: �No, no Malin. Look at yourself, you are a very rich and a gentleman of honor. If you confess she is your mother, you sink your self into a mud of humiliation... Imagine what the people would think about you if you say that she is your mother... No, Malin. Just say no! � Malin walks around for a while. There�s a battle in his mind that�s waging so hard. He takes a look to his old house, his little broken canoe behind, and to his bent-and-full-of-wrinkle mother again. A mother�s tie to son will never be broken until the end of time, said Malin in his heart. And when he looked back of his shoulder, his eyes see his monstrous ship over there in the sea, where he was a captain for years. Some of his men waving their hands to him, and not far from him, in the shelter of a beautiful umbrella, stand up his pretty wife smiling at him, accompanied by some of their servants Finally, Malin made up his mind. He, was surrendered, to the voice of evil..! He scattered his teeth, and with a clear and strong voice, he said: �No! You are not my mother!� His spell was followed by a lightning in the sky with the sound of storm that could make someone�s ear got a premature deafness. The old mother looked at him so deep for a while; stand up with her old wooden stick, and then in a very slowly movement, she fell down on her knees. She sat down on the ground, that getting wet by the drizzle, with her legs folded to back. The she looked up to the sky, hold her stick vertically in front her face, so tight, and then with a trembling hands, she spoke softly. �Oh God..., who creates the entire universe... If he is not my son..., my son that I�ve been born with the struggle against the death, that I keep care more than my self, since he was a baby, until his boyhood, manhood.., if he is not the only son that I have in the world...,� She stopped before it seems that his hands were trembling so hard. After she tried to take some breath, she continued again. �If he is not my son.., please let him go in peace...� There�s a silence surrounded the sphere for a while. The people who crowded there hold their breath. The children that hung in their mother�s shoulder was never be seen again. The sky is getting dark, and darker. Everybody was frightened. Even the fishes and sea stars were swum to their hidden places behind the coral reef deep under the sea. They can feel that something bad is happen up there above the water. But they didn�t know what, and have nobody to asking why. �But.., if he is my son, my real son...� The old mother continued with the trembling on her voice became greater than before, her whole body was shaking, like the tail of a rattlesnake, but she hold his old wooden stick very tight, so tight that nobody can release her hands from that stick that stand up vertically to the ground, right in front of her face. The rain started to fall from the sky, and with scattered teeth, she looked straight to the sky, the old mother said again; If, he is my real son.., Please change him into a stone!!!!!� A very sudden and shocked-to-death-everybody lightning followed the old mother�s spell, with a big storm that made someone think that the judgment day has come, and regret what they have done in the past. The rain fell down thicker and thicker, make everybody spread around and hide in their houses. The old mother stay holding her stick with his eyes looked straight to the sky still, it�s very awful scene everybody could see. She looks like statue of anger, only her eyes show that she was alive. A servant ran for Malin with a luxury black wide umbrella with gold adorned. Malin followed him and walk to the beach where their boat that will row them back to their big ship was tied. But his steps were stopped. Looks like he was conscious to what just happened. He looked back and ran for his mother in the rain, left his servant that hold the umbrella behind. He yelled, �No...!!! Mother!!! Mother!!!! I am Malin your son... I came back to you as my promise! Forgive me, mother... Forgive me...!!!!!!!!!!� But it was too late. Some steps again when he could reach his mother, he feel that his left foot was became harder and harder. And then, his right foot. The change was spreading so fast. Before she can say a word again, all of his body already changed became stone. A solid rock. There�s no muscles and bones again in it. Even his eyes were changed to rock too; they are become so hard, to say it as the eyes. Malin stand up in his last position before he turns to rock, while he ran for her mother. His right leg is in the air, only his left leg that stands up in the ground. His right hand was in the air, like he trying to reach the sky, his eyes open wide, bulge out. And his mouth still opens as in the time while he was screaming. A very awful sight to everybody to looks at. The old mother, at he time when Malin ran for her, stands up as quick as her could. But her stick didn�t help her very well. He heard Malin screaming, and tried to answer Malin�s hysteric call, but no voice she can spelled. Looks like a supernatural power locked his mouth. When she arrived to where Malin stands up, all she could touch is a solid rock. She stands up there, bent holding her stick and said again, �Oh God the Almighty..., I already forgive my son, please change him back to a human again...� But it was too late too... God has no responds again upon her request. Because he old mother feels that there�s no hope again to change her son to be a human again, finally he scattered her teeth again, hold her stick tight again and said her final request to God. �Okay, if Thou the Almighty wouldn�t change my son to a human again, so, I asked you just to make me become a stone too! Because I want to be together with my son to the end of time...!� But God has no responds as well. Then, an angel flying to the old mother and whispered to her ears: �Ssh..., maybe The Almighty would have no response to your request again. But you can ask Wady for help....� The old mother widened his eyes to that angel, and then asked with a loud voice, shows that she warns to not play with an old mother. Then the angel continued, �Yes.., I speak honestly... Maybe Wady can help your problem. He always presses the Ctrl-Alt- and Del buttons if a request was stuck and has no responding... But for this case he could help you better, because he can change the plot of this story... This is a story of his own version...� The old mother getting mad and yelled; �Who the hell is Wady?!! And what�s the hell are you doing?!!� But the angel continued, �Not only that, Mom. Maybe Duncan could revise and correct the grammatical error of Wady�s weird English, so, you don�t have to endure the tragic plot like this...� ----That�s enough, folks...... ---------------------------------------------------------------- [1] It was a Minangkabau proverb. Minang folks believe that Mount Merapi, the tallest and active volcano in the land, long time ago was only as big as an egg of a duck. But it grew up until as big as now. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ____________________________________________________ Berhenti/mengganti konfigurasi keanggotaan anda, silahkan ke: http://rantaunet.org/palanta-setting ------------------------------------------------------------ Tata Tertib Palanta RantauNet: http://rantaunet.org/palanta-tatatertib ____________________________________________________
