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Victoria Tunggono: Rebirth through history
Sekar Krisnauli T
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Sekar Krisnauli T.
A woman with long black hair, who was wearing simple jeans and a T-shirt under a brown sleeveless batik vest, takes her seat in a café and lays down a novel on the table in front of her.
Ratu Victoria Marsiana Tunggono is presenting on the table in front of her a novel she wants to introduce to the literary world: her first of three historical fiction books, this one entitled Gerbang Nuswantara (Nuswantara Gate).
Pulling the book closer to her, its purple cover shows an illustration of a gapura (gate) that depicts the title theme, hinting to the readers the book is only the beginning of a longer narrative.
Victoria Tunggono, casually known as Tori, starts flipping through the pages and talks about what writing her first book means for her lifelong questioning of family heritage and the sense of belonging.
The 31-year-old writer was born in Ende, Flores, in East Nusa Tenggara province, but spent most of her adolescence in the West Java capital of Bandung and started her career as an interior design journalist in Jakarta and Bali.
During her high school and university years in Bandung, she questioned many things, one of which was always: 'Why do I have to stay in Bandung?'
Being fond of reading and writing since she was young, the woman of Sundanese, Chinese and British descent found literary comfort through authors Paulo Coelho and Betty J. Eadie's works in high school. Both their works advised her of spirituality, patience and a sense of purpose in life.
'I became more intact with my spirituality, not necessarily religion,' said Tori. 'I realized then that I was placed in Bandung to accomplish some kind of task, but I didn't know what.'
Similar to young Tunggono, Rani, the 16-year-old lead character in Gerbang Nuswantara, goes to high school in Bandung. In the book, Rani experiences trouble understanding herself and her emotions during her parent's divorce.
From talking to a peculiar uncle to climbing mystical mountains, Rani ends up going back through time on an adventure to an era far before the present, exploring her roots as a descendant of the great Mataram Kingdom. Accompanied by her omniscient same-aged cousin Bima, the novel captivates its readers with a journey through Javanese history in a quest to understand who Rani really is.
For Tori, her curiosity did not stop in her teen years ' it developed as she did.
Growing up with an empty space inside her that demanded constant questioning and searching, the author felt a surge of answers come out of her when a job opportunity went downhill in Bali, bringing her to begin writing her first novel.
Tori said she was often exposed to Hindu teachings in Bali because of her surroundings. She learned in depth what the religion entails and realized that the majority of Indonesia's history ' as well as hers ' stems from Javanese Hinduism.
She was then haunted with a big question mark as she found incoherence between what she had read in textbooks and what she had heard from Balinese and Javanese historians.
Using information she received from different people and places in Java, she decided to write the novel that unfolds what Nusantara truly was as an archipelago of powerful kingdoms: Nuswantara ' a realm existing between the space within us and the heavens, an intangible dimension that extends beyond physical lands and islands that also comprises outer space.
'There was something amazing about Java I never knew before. I feel as if there's an undisclosed history about Indonesia,' said Tori.
'We seem to have one query, an unexplained confusion; not examined by religion, or school, but I finally got the answer to my lifelong questioning through history, culture and Nuswantara.'
Through writing her first book, Tori revealed that it helped fill the blank space in her life.
The up-and-coming author also said 'the book writes its own story' and she is 'just a vehicle' for her spirituality to serve her well.
Undergoing further research, Tori is in the process of writing the sequel to Gerbang Nuswantara, entitled Ãandi Nuswantara, which is scheduled for publication in early 2016. The third book, Garudha Nuswantara, is not yet developed into a complete tale.
The books of the trilogy will complement each other by reciting Rani and Bima's self-identifying adventures through history.
'Youth is the time to explore, so why not explore our own culture? I hope these books can become a catalyst for the nation's successors for an introspection of their roots and heritage.'
From the batik she wears, it's safe to say Tori adores the country's culture and traditions.
Even so, only through writing the three novels and simultaneously understanding the nation's past did Tori begin to appreciate and see the country as the home she loves today.
Flipping through the pages of the book again, fiddling with the novel's cover and starting the conversation with a smirk, Tori said that she used to hate Indonesia. 'I would always whine about why my grandma didn't just stay in England,' laughed Tori.
Tori is 'clearly more content' after answering her ongoing curiosity and finding a sense of home and purpose. Investigating, planning and writing the novels have altered her perception of her history, the nation and its history.
Recently having found out that she was a descendant of the 10th Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa of Banten, Tori's Gerbang Nuswantara became a novel that opened a gate not only for the characters and the readers, but also for a wider and more welcoming entrance for herself.
'I think we're the only nation whose people do not understand and accept their own past, while foreigners do,' she said. 'Indonesia is far from the imperfection we see; there is a lot to delve into.'
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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.
