Chapter 1:
My World as Thin as Paper
In 2005 in Indonesia there were events that were enough to make the mass
media hectic. On May 19, Prime Dawn Express Lampung train crash with the long
chain coal train, 4 people died. On January 28, passenger motor boat "shady sea II",
which was carrying 438 passengers and 31 crew members, caught fire at 3 miles
from Peacock Harbor. On February 16, Transparency International Indonesia
declared Jakarta the most corrupt city in Indonesia.
The news has been broadcast in almost all of Indonesia and millions of people have seen it, but few people really care about the victims. That's opinion expressed
by a high school student in response to a question from an Indonesian
literature teacher and his homeroom teacher.
"Yes, now who can determine the facts and opinions of the Urip that was read
earlier?" asked Mrs. Asna while looking around the class.
"Urip, if you sleep again during my class, you have to stand outside the
classroom. “ With a cynical tone and a sharp gaze, yet followed by a smile, Mrs. Asna back to explained lesson in front of the class. In clamor of the class from students'
responses, Urip could only sit back and pensive.
Urip Suwung is a second year high school student at a senior high school in
West Bandung Districts. Student with straight-half-stiff hair who was born on April
22 with AB blood type, walks home with his seatmate. Arda Walepa, a wavy-stiff-
haired student who was born on July 1 with blood type O who is always made
fun of by other students because of his unusual name.
"Wung, don't come closer or your bad luck will spread." Arda joked once and
then walked away.
"Pa, don't open my wound and sprinkle it with salt." With a cold and empty
response, Urip just looked straight ahead without looking back at all.
*they are close friends so they call each other with last syllable of their name*
On the side of road while waiting for the public transport arrival, Arda
continued joking around that was funny only to himself, ignoring his friend beside
him who just stood there with a blank stare.
Going home by public transportation has become a necessity and even a
habit, even though they prefer the bus to other public transportation. The reason is certain for that two students, that is economic factors. After waiting for hundreds of seconds, wheeled block vehicle finally appeared.
*In Indonesia, there are a lot of public transportation such as: bus, train,
city transport car, rickshaw, and many more*
That two students get on the bus that looked worn out, yellow putty patched
up on the front and back of the bus. Countless how many volumes of sulfur and lead were coming out of the iron rods behind the bus. especially passenger seats are peeling off and reveal a yellow-black seat foam.
They sit on backseat because of wider space to avoid being cramped inside.
"This brings to mind the news that you read in classroom this afternoon,
Wung" said Arda in a friendly tone.
"Don't talk about the past, let alone other people's gloomy past" replied Urip,
hoping that the topic of conversation would end there.
"That is not what I mean, but the train accident in Lampung" said Arda to justify his intent and purpose in opening a topic that Urip was initially reluctant to discuss.
With amazement, he just looked at Arda who immediately said words that
were not commonly heard by his both ears. He became stutterly had to respond to
that statement. Urip thinks that his unlucky day is natural, but what makes his day
unnatural is when a friend he knows very well says something trivial but never heard before.
"Mrs. Asna asked for facts or opinions, but none of them knew the truth
behind it all, and do you know rip?" with a strong tone Arda continued his
statement.
"What?" Urip blocked by fog (became confused), he didn't understand more what had happened to his best friend.
Because Arda that he knows is a person who is always joking around and
often does things that are irregular, let alone regular speech, his regular school
uniform already looks like a labor uniform.
"In 2001, there was a train accident in- I forget where it was, which definitely
killed 31 people."
"My dad's friend works as a maintenance engineer there."
"He was the one who checked the condition and feasibility of the train, but did you know that Rip, at that time he did not carry out his duties so as you might
expect the train fell off the rails."
"But that's not all, there's a mob that steals parts of the rails"
"Then why are you discussing this?" Urip interrupt in wonder.
"Just listen first, I'm not finished, just conclude at the end" While slashing his
hand down like a sword that cuts the wind.
Situation is getting crowded, buses often stop to increase the number of
passengers. Busker and street sellers came one after another. There was sound of a baby crying from the mothers who held him. Although the atmosphere on the bus
was not as calm as before, it did not make that two students disturbed.
"After that accident happened, Boss of my father's friend kept reporters mouth shut
who were investigating."
"Unfortunately, the problem does not stop there because there are journalists who exaggerate the facts that occur in the field to increase the interest of the readers. He published the news with the title train derailed because of not
responsible employees and in the end he quit his job and some of his
co-workers" After told a long story Arda asked something that made Urip a kinda
uncomfortable.
“Wung, so whose act was wrong? This is the question I've been asking all
along."
All this time Urip thought everyone had their own thoughts and would keep
them for themselves.
"It's nobody's fault" Urip calmly answered which made Arda disagree of his friend's answer.
Arda thought everything that involved should be wrong. Starting from his
father's friends, the mob, journalists, even his father's friend's boss.
"Right and wrong is how the person views it, but that person can make the view of a thing better"
"If you want to think everyone is wrong, it's fine, but isn't it better to think
nobody's fault because everyone is wrong too is much better?"
Hearing this answer, Arda suddenly chuckled "Ha, it turns out that your answer is indeed different, Wung." while lowering his head. He was disappointed and
confused by the answer.
"One day I'll explain it if you still don't understand"
That was the closing sentence of a high school boy who answered his friend's question before the two of them were about to get off the bus near a repair shop.
While Arda had gotten off the bus, Urip's uniform caught on the handrail near
stairs, causing him to fall and roll before falling to the ground.
Seeing Urip falling to the ground, Arda laughed out loud "Wung, I was wrong, your bad luck isn't contagious" with a look of pity. He carried Urip into workshop. The workshop is Arda's house which was converted into a motor vehicle repair
service.
Urip used to spend his free time after school at Glorious Walepa Workshop.
There he spends his time chillin around, frolic around, and helping repair vehicles.
Because he visits the workshop too often, Arda certainly be asked by his parents if
Urip doesn't come.
"Hey, hey, are you sure to come here, this one can't be repaired boy" Arda's
father joked when Arda carried Urip in.
"Can Legs be repaired? sir" said Urip with a forced smile while hold back the pain and embarrassment.
"Then you need bone fracture repair not vehicle repair shop" replied arda's
father
For Urip, shabby and noisy workshop place from the tinkling of metal
colliding against the floor was much better and could not be compared to his clean
and quiet house. Arda once asked Urip a small but intimate thing. Arda asked why
He never came home early, do He didn't like it?
Urip always comes home at sunset. Arda's parents asked if Urip's parents
weren't worried. But that's life, there is cause and effect, there is fire there is smoke, there is action there is reaction and that afternoon, Urip's day ended with 70%
isopropyl alcohol and stitches on uniform.
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