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A CHAPTER NAMED BANDUNGAN

By: Berty Subagyo

The cold wind blew on my face, made me and my scout partner tighten our

jackets. After checking in the ‘Bandungan Asri’ hotel, we went to our own rooms to

take a rest, since the opening ceremony of the Regional Scout Conference was

postponed for about an hour.

I took my time reading my favorite novel I brought when a bass voice greeted

me.

“Good evening, sister. My name is Tommy, from the branch quarter of

Demak. Nice to meet you” He shook my hand.

“Hello, I’m Rully. From Purworejo. Nice to meet you, too”, I replied.

After the opening ceremony, he took a seat near mine. It seemed that he gave

me a different attention but I thought it because he hadn’t met yet to other

participants from other branches. That’s a moment when all branches sent the

members as the representatives in the conference which was held only once in

every four years.

The intense activities and the cold weather of Bandungan made my condition

become unwell. Too many tasks we had to do while the time available was very

limited, so we often did the marathon works all night. The whole week passed by and

the participants of the conference had worked unceasingly.

On the eighth day my blood pressure got dropped. I couldn’t even raise my

own head. My scout partner took over all my unfinished duties, since I was unable to

think anymore.

In that health unit room, Tommy visited me regularly, and again showed his

full attention to me. Conveniently, he took me meal, drink, and everything I needed

that I couldn’t reach myself from my bed. I was so thankful for all this. I felt protected

in my sickness, while he didn’t mind if he had to do such the things for me.

On the last day the conference held, before the closing ceremony, he asked

me to stay for a while in his house.

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“I assure you, my mother will be glad taking care of you until you’re getting

much better. I really want you to come to my house in a recent time, so that now

you’re in this condition; it is a chance to do my intention. Let me give you a good

service in my house and when you’ll be much better, then, I will escort you to your

parents.”

“That’s crazy”, said my scout partner. “I can’t let it happen. How can I, as her

scout partner, let her stay with you while I go back to Purworejo alone? No! I must

take her home. That’s my obligation to my quarter’s leader. Not yours”, He decided.

“But you’ve told me to ask her own agreement when I told you I wanted her to

be my companion. Now, I’m giving evidence for all my intention that I’m serious. I am

serious!”, again he proposed his opinion.

“But not in this condition. Rully is still sick and the most important thing we

must do is to bring her to the hospital for a better nursing care.”

I was too weak to hear the whole conversation. I didn’t know the rest, for I

found myself lying on one of the beds in hospital…….

I was watering flowers in the garden when Ridho, my scout partner, came.

“Hi! You look very well,” He smiled while waving a sheet of blue envelope to

me.

“Yes, I do, “ I replied, “That’s because of you. You’d helped me at that time.

Thank you so much, Ridho.”

“That’s not a matter in fact, as you’re my best scout partner. But, this…..”

He fell down the blue envelope on the table…….

“……..is for you.”

“For me…?” I echoed.

“Yes. Guess who? That’s the gentleman you met in Bandungan, kept you in

the sickroom, and, that’s the craziest thing, wanted to move you to his house when

you’re sick at that time…..”

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I tore the blue enveloped letter and read.

Dear, Rully….

If you read this letter I hope you’re in your best condition. I’m sorry I couldn’t escort

you to the hospital for I had to go back to my hometown with my scout partner at that

time. I’m sure that you still remember me, as well as I always remember you. I am

waiting for the time I can come to you in the future. Please, keep waiting for me. I’ll

come to you, and give you a happy life.

With all happiness,

Tommy.

But he never came…….

Two years later….

Karanggeneng, a campsite of the scouts from all branches quarter in Central

Java. I completed my scouting certificate in this place.

A slim, tall lady walked smiling close to me.

“You’re from Purworejo, right?”

“Yes I am. How about you? My name’s Rully? You?”

“I’m Honey, from Demak. Oh, yes. I take a warm regard from someone that

must be familiar to you,” replied her.

“But I’m not sure to be familiar with that one. We just meet each other.”

On my confusing she gave me a picture of the one whom I met in Bandungan

two years ago.

“Oh, that’s he. Do you live near him?”

“I am his partner in our branch quarter. He often talked about you….”

She smiled. “And, he told me to give his best regard to an adoring girl from

Purworejo. That’s you.”

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We changed our phone numbers just before going back to our hometowns.

I couldn’t take my Karanggeneng’s moment as a serious thing; because it was

only a coincidence I met Honey there. That he sent me a regard I was not sure if he

intended to continue the rest relationship.

“Good morning, Class…..,” I just began to teach my vocational students when

someone knocked the class door. The old staff administration nodded, “A phone for

you, Miss. In five minutes.”

“Thank you, Sir. I’ll be downstairs,” I replied. The old man went back to his

room.

The room was silent. I tried hard to calm down myself. He still repeated his

words over there, “I do miss you. So much. Let’s meet somewhere…….”

Then, we really made several outings on several holidays, as he also taught

at a Junior School in his hometown. He didn’t talk too much. He simply gave me

some souvenirs and gave me some nice lunches. No dinners, because he had to be

back home before night. I never understood his reasons.

One day, …….one fine day, a letter came to me.

Dear, Rully…

May be you’ll be surprised if I tell you the truth, as you have had the special

moment with someone.

Don’t you know that Tommy is a father of a two-year-old boy? That he is my

husband, too?

I, deliberately, write this letter for you after finding yours in my husband’s

pocket. You must know that bothering someone’s husband is very unkind action.

And don’t you know that that action is only done by a bitch? Don’t you know that your

action has made ruins on my marriage life and ……………

I didn’t want to continue my reading. It was too hurtful. Not Because of the

words of a painful wife so that she poured her anger to an unknown woman. Not

because of that. But the most painful deep in my heart was that the man had never

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told the real life of him. That he never told me that he had got married with someone

else and that that what he had done is a forbidden relationship.

Feeling so foolish, I took my pen and intended to answer the letter at once.

Lizzie, here is I am. You may say whatever you want to say. You may

undermine me such a thing like yours. But the most important fact is that Tommy

never tells me about anyone else in his life, that he has had a lovely wife waiting for

him at home, that he has had a little boy in his life. Never, never, and never! So, I

never know that I had had that kind of companionship.

For you to know that I met your husband first in Bandungan for more than

three years ago. I don’t know whether you’d married him or not at that time, as once

again, he never told me about another person.

So, because of this incident, I must say words to you to remember that it is

forbidden to me for bothering anyone else’s husband, even boyfriend.

Now, I say, I decide to my close episode named Bandungan.

Solve your internal family problem yourselves, ask your husband to be a good

husband for you, to be a good father for your son, and to be a good person for

others.

I won’t say sorry because it is not my mistake.

I don’t need giving my suggestion except to say that this important lesson for

us is not to believe a man easily. That’s all.

I sent the letter at the nearest post office. I didn’t want to know what

happened, then……….

A chapter named Bandungan finished, another chapter began……..

Bekasi, 6 September 2013