Mister Rigen's Letter

Mister Rigen, my loyal kitchen cabinet director, sent me a letter all the way from Canberra. 

I was surprised and impressed by his resourcefulness. 

How did he know my address? I've never sent him a letter before. He must have taken the initiative to find out my address. 

Maybe he asked around the office, interrogated various people, called Garuda Airlines, and maybe even Quantas, the Australian airline company. Anything is possible with Mister Rigen! I wouldn't be surprised if he contacted the intelligence world to get my address in Canberra. 

But he found my address and sent me a letter.

.............

Diyer Pak Ageng

.............

Pak Ageng, we miss you! Thole-thole Beni and Septian are doing okay, but we're worried about you. We've been struggling for two months now. We can only afford to eat kangkung and sambel every day. Our budget is tight since the prices have gone up. We're surviving on rice from the office and trading it for other food. The kids are upset, and it's hard to make ends meet. We hope you come back soon and bring back lots of goodies. Can we have kangaroo jerky as a souvenir? We heard it's delicious.

Mister Rigen's letter touched my heart. 

He's been eating kangkung and sambel every day, despite living in the city and having a stable job. If he's struggling, what about the people in the dry Pracimantara region? The dry season is expected to continue, and prices keep rising. In the past, during times of hardship, people would ask when their freedom would come. 

But now, what will they ask for? 

Freedom is an ongoing struggle.

I once tried kangaroo steak at a fancy restaurant in Canberra. The waiter explained how delicious it was, but when I pictured a kangaroo with its baby in its pouch, I lost my appetite. 

I had to cancel my order. Sorry, Mister Rigen, no kangaroo jerky for you. But I have a boomerang souvenir for Beni Prakosa and Ade Septian. Boomerangs are used by Aboriginal people to hunt kangaroos. Aboriginals are the indigenous people of Australia who have faced oppression for years.

I'm flying back to Denpasar tomorrow. 

Goodbye, Australia. 

The sunset in Sydney looks the same as in Canberra or Yogyakarta - red and beautiful. 

As I look out the window at Darling Harbour, I reflect on my time here. 

Australia, farewell.

(Translate and based on from Umar Kayam's Book)