ID :
91323
Tue, 11/24/2009 - 13:42
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/91323
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Feature : BEGGAR`S RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF CHILDHOOD ASPIRATION
By Ageng W Leksono
Jakarta, Nov 23 (ANTARA) - Senan alias Udin, a 85-year-old man, huddles in a corner of the train station of Kranji, West Bekasi, east of Jakarta, while chewing fried tofu for lunch.
The act of eating something as solid as fried tofu proceeds with some difficulty because most of his teeth have already fallen out due to the aging process.
He is at the station to wait for the economic train on the Bekasi-Jakarta route which is delayed because of a technical problem.
While sitting next to his rusty iron walking stick, he occasionally fixes the position of his old spectacles that always slides down his nose.
Although actually already frail in body, he looks relatively trim as he wears an old Indonesian Civil Servant Corps (Korpri) uniform, although he has never been a civil servant.
Senan, a resident of the Kayumanis area in Jakarta, is only an old beggar who has been in the "profession" for many years. He plies his trade in economy class trains and at stations on the Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi (Jabodetabek) routes.
Inside passenger train carriages, he, along with other beggars, walks down the aisles to ask for some small change from the passengers.
He knows that he is not alone, there are tens or perhaps hundreds of people who make their living by begging.
But Senan wants to be different, he does not want the pity of passengers by pretending to be injured, disabled or weak, he wants to look still strong and capable despite his advanced age.
Regularly, Senan wears the Korpri uniform when begging because since childhood he had always aspired to become a teacher on the government's payroll, but he never had an opportunity to realize his ambition.
But he also likes to wear the uniform for another reason. He is a great admirer of the late former President Soeharto who he had often seen wearing a Korpri uniform when the latter was still in power.
"I used to watch Pak Harto wear this kind of uniform and that is why I love wearing this costume, I want to look like Pak Harto," he says while still chewing fried tofu.
He says he has a few old-model Korpri outfits which he got from an acquaintance who was a teacher.
"What I am wearing is a gift from a friend who was a teacher," he says with a wistful expression on his face.
Udin says he is grateful to his friend who gave him the old Korpri costumes although his dream to become a teacher never came true.
Although he eventually realized he would never become a teacher, he kept the dream alive, no longer for himself but for his six sons. But because he never had enough money to pay for their school education beyond junior high school (SMP), none of them was able to realize his dream either.
Now, all six of them are earning their living as traders at Jakarta train stations. But Udin has not given up his dream because now he hopes one of his son's children can make it.
"I have a grandson who is now in grade 1 of high school, I want him to be a teacher, me and my children will pay for his schooling for as long as it takes for him to become a teacher," he says.
From begging in train cars, Udin can often get an income ranging between Rp20,000 and Rp50,000 per day if he "works" from morning till night. With this money he supports himself and his wife who is currently ill and unable to walk anymore.
"The kids have their own families now, so I live with my wife, but she is sickly and can barely walk," he says.
But from whatever he earns, Udin always sets aside an amount to be saved to help finance his grandson's schooling up to college level so that he could become a teacher.
"I don't mind living in poverty as long as I can realize my dream of having a teacher among my offspring, a granchild who can put on a uniform like the one I am wearing now," he says.
He knows that education is expensive and that he must therefore continue to make as money as he can to enable his grandson to make the grade to become a teacher.
Any man at age 85 should relax and stop dreaming but not Senan who is determined to pursue his dream that some day he will be the grandfather of one of the country's "undecorated heroes."
***
Jakarta, Nov 23 (ANTARA) - Senan alias Udin, a 85-year-old man, huddles in a corner of the train station of Kranji, West Bekasi, east of Jakarta, while chewing fried tofu for lunch.
The act of eating something as solid as fried tofu proceeds with some difficulty because most of his teeth have already fallen out due to the aging process.
He is at the station to wait for the economic train on the Bekasi-Jakarta route which is delayed because of a technical problem.
While sitting next to his rusty iron walking stick, he occasionally fixes the position of his old spectacles that always slides down his nose.
Although actually already frail in body, he looks relatively trim as he wears an old Indonesian Civil Servant Corps (Korpri) uniform, although he has never been a civil servant.
Senan, a resident of the Kayumanis area in Jakarta, is only an old beggar who has been in the "profession" for many years. He plies his trade in economy class trains and at stations on the Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi (Jabodetabek) routes.
Inside passenger train carriages, he, along with other beggars, walks down the aisles to ask for some small change from the passengers.
He knows that he is not alone, there are tens or perhaps hundreds of people who make their living by begging.
But Senan wants to be different, he does not want the pity of passengers by pretending to be injured, disabled or weak, he wants to look still strong and capable despite his advanced age.
Regularly, Senan wears the Korpri uniform when begging because since childhood he had always aspired to become a teacher on the government's payroll, but he never had an opportunity to realize his ambition.
But he also likes to wear the uniform for another reason. He is a great admirer of the late former President Soeharto who he had often seen wearing a Korpri uniform when the latter was still in power.
"I used to watch Pak Harto wear this kind of uniform and that is why I love wearing this costume, I want to look like Pak Harto," he says while still chewing fried tofu.
He says he has a few old-model Korpri outfits which he got from an acquaintance who was a teacher.
"What I am wearing is a gift from a friend who was a teacher," he says with a wistful expression on his face.
Udin says he is grateful to his friend who gave him the old Korpri costumes although his dream to become a teacher never came true.
Although he eventually realized he would never become a teacher, he kept the dream alive, no longer for himself but for his six sons. But because he never had enough money to pay for their school education beyond junior high school (SMP), none of them was able to realize his dream either.
Now, all six of them are earning their living as traders at Jakarta train stations. But Udin has not given up his dream because now he hopes one of his son's children can make it.
"I have a grandson who is now in grade 1 of high school, I want him to be a teacher, me and my children will pay for his schooling for as long as it takes for him to become a teacher," he says.
From begging in train cars, Udin can often get an income ranging between Rp20,000 and Rp50,000 per day if he "works" from morning till night. With this money he supports himself and his wife who is currently ill and unable to walk anymore.
"The kids have their own families now, so I live with my wife, but she is sickly and can barely walk," he says.
But from whatever he earns, Udin always sets aside an amount to be saved to help finance his grandson's schooling up to college level so that he could become a teacher.
"I don't mind living in poverty as long as I can realize my dream of having a teacher among my offspring, a granchild who can put on a uniform like the one I am wearing now," he says.
He knows that education is expensive and that he must therefore continue to make as money as he can to enable his grandson to make the grade to become a teacher.
Any man at age 85 should relax and stop dreaming but not Senan who is determined to pursue his dream that some day he will be the grandfather of one of the country's "undecorated heroes."
***
