YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET

Here I am, lying on a thin bed on a white-colored and small room in the one and the only health center in this village, powerless. My body feels having no bone at all. I don’t even know whose blood which flows on my body through a transfusion. I just remember that I needed to wait for a long time for getting a help from a person. I cried and screamed so loud, but no one came helping me. Yeah, maybe what many people say is right, no one cares to you unless you’re pretty or dying. But see,
somebody was coming to help me, it means I am still pretty, right? Well, that’s not the point, but how could there was only one person who helped me? Where are the people of this village?

            “Have you awoken? Did you sleep tight, Ms. Arina?” he is asking. He must have looked at my ID card that is why he can know my name.

            “What do you think? Do I look so fresh? Do you think that I take a super-early nap?” I answer his question emotionally. “Don’t you see? I got a car accident, no one helped me and now somebody’s blood is flowing on my body.”

            “That’s the problem! You’re gonna die but you’re still so arrogant. You think you can buy everything in this world even a soul, don’t you?”

            “….”

            “You’d better think what you’ve done rather than complain about what you’ve got.” He is speaking firmly almost screaming.

            “…”

            “Well, if tomorrow you’re not getting well or your condition is getting worse, you’re gonna be moved to the nearest hospital.” He’s adding while leaving my room, for this time, he’s getting calmer in speaking.

Jaya Yudha Adhiwira, S.Ked, that’s his name which is pinned on that young man’s uniform, a young doctor’s white uniform. How could I don’t know that he is one of my friends, I mean, a person who is from same college and come to this over-developing village for same reason, finishing the professional program?

            Maybe Jaya, I mean Yudha, mmm I mean Jaya Yudha Adhiwira is right, I was too arrogant, I was false. I, a young doctor who was sent for my profession program, shouldn’t be that arrogant, I should be able to behave. What have I done so far? I was false, that is why no one came to help me when I got a car accident. My mind suddenly goes back to the things I’ve done.

“Two hundred rupiahs a night? Are you kidding me, Sir? I have another thing to do rather than putting aside two hundred rupiahs every night in a small bowl in front of my house. It’s not about how much I must put aside every night but it must be wasting my time. Just tell me how much do you need and I will pay it for a month or even for two or three months.”

“That’s the rule of our village, Dok, and it’s been a tradition, mmm a culture, Dok. Every night, when the men are joining ronda, they will take the money for our deposit.”

“Are you talkin’ about culture? What do you know about culture anyway? I’m telling you that culture is kinda traditional dance, traditional puppet show, traditional culinary, or anything which is traditional, right?”

“Since it’s a habit Dok, a habit grows to be a culture, right? Something likes a character of a person if a country was a person.” He’s speaking clearly with his local accent.

“Up to you. For me, it is nonsense. It’s better for you all to add your security system in your own houses so you’ll need no ronda anymore and you’ll have enough time for sleeping. Then you’ll be healthier than before. Correct me if I am wrong.”

“…”

“…and is it enough?”I give some money to them proudly. I know it’s more than enough.

“More than enough, Dok. This is the change for…”

“Just take it, and I’m very pleased if you all lemme go to bed earlier.”

“Oh yes, of course, we’re so sorry for disturbing you, but anyway, we’re gonna have mutual aid program in our mosque on Sunday morning, you might join us if you don’t mind.”

“Mutual aid program? Is it a must?”

“No, it’s not, but, because it is one of our cultures, we really hope that you kindly join this activity.”

“For the sake of culture? Do you name all activities in this village as culture?”

“It is different from what you think, Dok. But, if you know, from those activities we can see the contribution of a person and it tightens our togetherness. Someday, if you will have a marriage party, syukuran, and other events, people will kindly come to help you, even if one of your families is passed away, people will help you to handle everything you need.”

“Oh, c’mon! Have you ever heard about event organizer, wedding organizer and even funeral organizer? We just need to contact them whenever we need them, and people just need to come to our event or ceremony. It must be much better to tighten your togetherness. I come here for my profession program, I don’t  live herefor the rest of my life, so I don’t need to join any activity that deep, right?, I won’t come to that ‘culture’ activity on Sunday. So, is there anything else, Sir?”

“Well, maybe we have different concept of living life, Dok. Thank you so much for your participation anyway, good night.”

“You’re very welcome, Sir.”

***

This sunny Sunday morning is gonna be a perfect morning. While people are busy with their mutual aid activity, I can go to a wonderful beach near this village for refreshing my mind and my body.

“Aaaaaaa…aaaa.” Claaaarpppp, bang, clark. I can’t handle my car. My pink city car hits a big rock in front of me. I should drive a four wheel-drive to pass this bad rocky street. Damn.

“Help me… please. Anyone, help me…hiks hiks. Does anyone hear meeee? I need your help…. Hiks hiks hiks.” I am crying and screaming so loud. Still, no one comes to help me, until for a long time I’m waiting. There is a man helps me and carries me with his hands. My blood is flowing and I am crying. Everything is getting darker and darker until I don’t know what is happening to me. And now, here I am, lying on the thin bed on the white-colored and small room in the one and the only health center in this village, powerless. I just notice that since that night, no one ever come to my home to ask uang jimpitan or invite me to join some activities except activity that relates to my job as a doctor. Now, I just know that they don’t care about me at all. Yeah, it’s not about they are respecting my idealism or my life, but it is more about they don’t care about me at all because I don’t care about them first. Well, they are right. I pay for what I get.

*This short story was submitted for joining short story competition hold by UNESA