Finally the picture application works again, it wasn't working on 11 AM, which irritated me briefly.
Yesterday night, I was going with my parents to a friend of theirs in Pondok Indah. I had wanted to stay, but then the new maid hasn't arrived yet, or to put it better, hasn't been found yet (the recent one will never come back), so I reluctantly went with them. Initially their business was to clarify some catering affairs for a company gathering due next week, so it was obvious they would make verifications and final adjustments and whatnot. I thought that the meeting would be short and I'll come home early and start writing on this blog. A while later, when my parents were discussing with the lady her husband came and greeted us. Sometime later we were prompted to dinner with them. At first we hesitated and took away the offer, but then they said that hospitalities like these should be accepted without reluctance. I thought, "Well, at least it's better than having headaches about where to eat after this," so us three enjoyed dinner at their place.
At the dinner table I listened about various things, but mostly it was all pretty much related to religion, such as fanatics and sects and all (The husband explained this all to us, by the way). After that I listened about various religious leaders (namely, kiai in Indonesian terms) spread across Indonesia and people in Yemen. Firstly, the religious leaders in Indonesia, Muslim leaders, that is, since their spiritual 'power' is advanced enough, one can speak to a crowd without even moving his jaw, and so his students beside him would have to interpret his seemingly telepathic speech to the rest of the crowd. He said the the leader was slightly above 200 years old although I have doubts about that only slightly. And then he talked about another leader in Central Java who's very short but his voice can be heard vividly almost 2km away from him without using a microphone or any kind of sound amplification devices.
A while later came the main topic, there and this blog. It was about a man who wouldn't take answers for granted and leave it like that; he would even ask my father for 3 years finding what is God, and take it further from there. He was a man who divided part of his wage with people who work for him or know him who needed more than they got. He was a man who had a dream, a vision about all of his and her wife's family doing a pilgrimage together to the holy lands of Mecca and Medina, and he even had the funds ready. He was a man who built a mosque and also a boarding school for orphaned children, yet he was killed tragically; his car was smashed by a train and died on the way to the hospital. It was 3 years ago.
That man was my uncle, my dad's eldest brother.
The way he died itself was enigmatic on its own. The night before his death, my dad was supposed to lead the evening prayers for his side of the family after breaking the fast (it was the month of Ramadan at the time), but instead he did it for my mother's family. And so when he got there, he was extremely furious at him. The strange thing is, for as long as my mother had been married with my father, she had never experienced my uncle getting furious to my dad like that, and even his wife doesn't know why. After a while, he informs to my uncle for his departure home, and he said to be in his house again the next day at 3 PM. When we hit the wheels and not far from their house his wife phoned my mother, vehemently apologizing us body and soul for my uncle's mysterious temper. Even she doesn't know why, and she said sorry once again.
The next day, it was well around 2 past 30 PM. My father was taking a bath. The phone rang, and I was the closest one to answer it. It was from my aunt; my dad's older sister. She prompted for my father very urgently. Half-finished bathing, he came out, puzzled.
"Pak Adhi meninggal!! Cepat ke sana!!!"
After an incredulous "APA!? (WHAT !?)" he finished his bath in a flash and called other relatives and colleagues immediately (A cousin recalls feeling numb on their knees when hearing the news). We all dressed in black and flashed to the nearest mortuary. Actually, except me. I , still naive and quite nebulous, instead went to a birthday party of my friend's over at Shangri-La hotel, which easily became one of my greatest regrets now. After I broke my fasting there, I told my friend that I have to go see my deceased uncle. He was surprised and after a talk, he told me that next time, family comes first. I heeded his saying until today. I finally made it to his house and both my uncle and his wife had very clean and peaceful faces. Only during their burial did I cried, having realized all that he did for me me all these years. (my aunt who called almost went hysteric and wanted to be
What was strange about this death for me was that he told my father to come to his house at three and then died around that timespan. the night before, he was furious and even his wife didn't know why. It was as if he knew his death was coming, and that his temper to my father was some sort of a farewell last speech, something to remember about after his death. My uncle lived a very strong religious foundation. It is said that those like him and greater can sense their death coming their way. Having testifying this, I have to second that notion. I would have to classify it as premonition. Three years later, people still talk about his deeds and his humble and selfless character. His life makes me feel proud about having an uncle like him. Now, I still wish he was still here when Lebaran came.
Things would have been very much different when he's still around.
You can tune a guitar, but can you tune a fish?I will not be posting a Song of the Day today. Instead, I will introduce something else interesting. Tomorrow. I promise. I have homework. Which sucks. But hey, no pain no gain.
Cheerio.
Regards from the schizophrenically psychotic retard,
Yoga Pradana A.K.A. Dr VoltsPerSecond
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