Short story: Lebaran Story

By Claudine Frederik   |  Sun, 10/05/2008 10:41 AM  |  Bookmark

Miriam straightened her back and momentarily stopped the sweeping movements of the broom in her hands. She squinted against the glare of the morning sun that was already shining mercilessly at this hour of the day.

She heaved a deep sigh in an attempt to unburden the thoughts of despair which tormented her. There were only several days to go before her servant's Lebaran bonus was due, one week before the big day at the latest.

How on earth was she going to giver her servant double pay, when their meager income could barely sustain their family of three. And she wanted so much to reward Iyem for her services.

She had to thank God for blessing their family with such a servant. The woman was by nature very polite. Not once had she been rude to anyone in her household or displayed dissatisfaction.

She had clean habits which could not be said about her predecessors, she was not a beginner where cooking was concerned. Above all, she proved to be loyal.

Miriam thought about many of her neighbors whose daily lives had often been disrupted because of servant problems.

She often wondered why many housewives could not keep their maids. It was definitely not because of income problems since most of the neighbors owned cars. Some of them even possessed more than one car.

Unlike her household, they had to make do with public transportation which was not the most comfortable way of getting from one place to another.

A squealing sound from the rusty gate gracing the home front, jerked her out of her day dreams. Iyem, the maid, shouted her disapproval.

"What are you doing, Ma'am! Why couldn't you wait for me. That is my job."

She dropped the items from the market on the kitchen table and hurried over to Miriam.

"You are too old to do these things. We don't want you to tire yourself."

"Thank you, Yem," Miriam said as she gratefully sank into one of the terrace chairs.

"Where will you be during the Lebaran days?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Ma'am. I will pay homage to my parents who don't live too far away from us. Of course, we will visit the graves of my grandparents and other family members who passed before us. And that sums it up, I think."

"How long will you be away?" Miriam asked. She secretly hoped the maid would ask for a longer break. That would make it easier for her not presenting the full bonus she reasoned hopelessly. That is, if she got hold of some money first.

"I will only take two days off."

"Don't you want to spend more time with your family, Yem? We don't mind."

"What, and let you people potter around the house? And let you stand in the kitchen and cook, wash dishes, and pots and pans? No way," she said resolutely.

These words drove Miriam to make a decision that was formed reluctantly and with much pain. Then and there she decided she had to sacrifice the family's silverware. The only heirloom her family possessed. Tomorrow she would make the trip to the nearest pawnshop and Iyem would have a full bonus payment. She whole-heartedly deserved it.

This decision appeased her mind for the rest of the day. Suddenly she became aware of the bright sun-beams dancing playfully through the fragmented openings in the foliage bedecking a greater part of the back yard. A pleasant feeling surged through her as she absorbed the beauty of the moment and she quietly sent a grateful prayer upwards for granting her this pleasure.

The following morning Miriam was up early. In her hands she held a bulky package which was clearly too heavy for her.

Iyem rushed towards her.

"Where are you going, Ma'am? Let me carry that package for you."

"No," Miriam snapped at her. "You are to stay here. I will be fine."

Startled at her sudden rudeness, the girl stepped back, disappointment clearly marking her face.

Miriam had not meant to treat her unkindly, but this was an errand she had to do herself.

The bus trip was pure agony for Miriam. The vehicle was full, there were no more seats available and the heavy package she held onto did not make balancing in the rolling bus any easier.

At the pawnshop she slid into line and waited for her turn at the counter. There was a long line which was not unusual as Lebaran was looming. Up ahead she recognized the profile of Uncle Darwis. She had not seen him for quite some time. She ought to make an effort to drop by his home. The old man could use some company after his wife passed away. At that moment the old man moved away from the counter and spotted her.

"My dear Miriam, how good to see you. How is the family?"

"We're fine, Uncle. Although we could do better."

"Ah, couldn't we all. By the way, have you received the present I sent you? Its wasn't valuable, but I thought you could use it."

Miriam thought with dread of the shopping bag Uncle Darwis gave her last year. It was a vulgar looking affair. Especially the gaudy colors that covered the bag which seemed to attract everybody's attention.

"Have I thanked you for it? So sorry if I've forgotten to do so."

"You should have used it instead of lugging such parcels around," he said in a quiet voice. "But I've got to go. Take care, dear."

An impatient ticking from the counter lady reminded Miriam she was next to be served and she quickly pecked a parting kiss on Uncle Darwis' cheek.

With swift movements she unpacked the silver spoons and forks before the counter girl.

"I'm sorry Madam, we don't accept silver. We accept gold, houses, land, or cars."

Miriam's heart sank.

"What's wrong with silver items?", she croaked.

"It's one of the rules, Madam. Next please," the woman had dismissed her.

The trip to the pawnshop and back took up the better of the day.

Aside from the bus trip, the disappointing experience totally exhausted her.

A pricking sense behind her eyes became unbearable as she fought back unwanted tears. A constricted feeling behind her breasts made it difficult to breathe. Poor Iyem, she thought tearfully, no Lebaran bonus for her.

God knows, I tried to get it for her. Only a miracle could make Iyem's coveted bonus happen now.

Overcome with fatigue Miriam chose to retire early that evening.

But sleep stayed away as her mind was busy trying to grapple with the bonus problem.

What to do now? Who could she turn to in her present dilemma? There was nobody she could think of to help.

Would God help her? She thought of the numerous prayers she had addressed to her maker which had often left her without solace.

And because of the many unanswered prayers, doubts of unwavering faith were secretly eroding her spirit. What's the use of praying if He would not lend an ear to her cries? In Iyem's case, Miriam was left without an alternative.

She would send a desperate plea for the sake of the maid to heaven. It was the last resort. Dear God, make me a miracle, she prayed fervently. I'm not asking for myself. I'm asking for my servant because we want her to have a happy Lebaran.

Hear my prayer, Lord. Please..

There were now only a few days left before Lebaran. No miracle had happened.

Miriam was convinced she had to break the sad news to Iyem. She could no longer stall it. With resignation she rummaged thoughtlessly through unwanted stuff piled on the bottom shelf of her wardrobe. Her probing fingers stuck on coarse material which happened to be Uncle Darwis shopping bag.

Miriam got out the bag and started to unzip it. She had not bothered to check the bag's interior then as she had hurriedly put it away in distaste.

It was a roomy bag, containing several pockets. One of the pockets held something that she recognized as a sealed envelope. Miriam took it out and ripped it open. Several fifty thousand rupiah notes fluttered down into her lap.

For several minutes she stared with unbelieving eyes at the notes. Then it dawned on her that this was the miracle she had prayed for.

Eyes brimming with tears she realized that God had wanted her to meet Uncle Darwis that day. And He had heard her prayers all along.

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