The Bajang Child Swinging the Moon (32)

"Mother, don’t be sad that you gave birth to me from your bitterness. Didn't you also give birth to Sumantri, my older brother, from your sweetness?"

"No, my son, I was happy to give birth to you, as happy as I was to give birth to Sumantri, your older brother."

"Mother, that makes me happy. It turns out that I have a blood relative. It turns out, too, that I am not alone like I always thought."

"That's right, Sukrosono, you can never part from Sumantri, your older brother. You and your older brother are inseparable, like a banana peel and fruit. So, you must seek and find him. Like your father, your brother must have believed you were dead. Meet them, my son."

“After hearing your story, Mother, I can no longer resist the urge to see my father and my older brother. I am sure they miss me, too."

"Yes, son, but don't be in a hurry to see your older brother. Your journey until you meet your older brother is still long. You must still wander and learn from the world you travel and see. And don't forget, throughout your wandering, you should be kind and help those in need. Your wandering is certain to come to an end, and that is when you will meet Sumantri, your older brother. And this is my advice: After you meet your older brother, you must go to Mount Taranggana Sekar, the place where the golden banana exists, that golden banana I devoured before the two of you were born."

"Why must I go to that mountain, Mother?" asked Sukrosono.

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"Because there you will find something that you will need to help Sumantri, your older brother," answered Dewi Sokawati.

After receiving his mother’s advice, something unimaginable happened in front of Sukrosono. A bunch of white clouds suddenly fell from the sky. They fell through the trees in the forest. The moonlight reflects the color of the various leaves on the clouds. The bamboo creaked. And the clouds turned into a blanket that wrapped around Dewi Sokawati and then slowly lifted her up. Sukrosono tried to pull his mother down, but his efforts were in vain.

"Mother, don't leave! How could you have the heart to leave me again?” Sukrosono shouted.

"Son, have you forgotten my story? I have died, and my place now is in the realm of waiting. I was allowed to see you for a moment because you wept from longing and loneliness. Eternity did not have the courage to hear your weeping, and let me descend for a moment to see you and tell you the story of your life. Now I have to go back, my son. I am grateful that Eternity allowed me to see you for a moment. But time has run out and I have to leave you again, my son,” Dewi Sokawati said as her body was lifted higher and higher.

Mother, don't leave! How could you have the heart to leave me again?

"Mother...!" was the only word that Sukrosono could scream. He continued to gaze upward, watching the blanket of clouds carry his mother to a high place. And he heard his mother's soft words for the last time: "Son, I am waiting for you in the place where I await to be allowed entry to the eternal realm."

Sukrosono sits limply. Everything that has happened passes like a dream. But it was all too real to not believe. What was once dark is now bright. If so, how could everything that had happened be a mere dream? For him, it is as though there is no more night. Only the moon exists. It is clear who he is. Only, why have loneliness and silence pulled him away from such a beautiful event where he was able to meet his mother, who opened to him to the entire story about who he is. The light of the moon is like the darkness of the night. He understands who he is. But this comprehension has cost him his mother. He could enjoy his mother's love for just a moment. And now, he has to descend into his loneliness once again. The love that momentarily drowned out his loneliness has only made his loneliness even more painful. The moon curves sharply. It is mid-afternoon, but the light is only the dim light of night.

The forest animals realize that Sukrosono is sad. They try every way possible to try and cheer him up. The monkeys chatter up and down the trees. Their chatter is a song about the climbing vines of the jangga, showing where love must go. The peacock flaps its wings, turning into a colorful umbrella. The kalangkyang (peregrine) calls about the beauty of the moon, even though it usually calls only to sing about its sad longing for rain. The elephants, rhinoceros and wild boars dance in joyful movements in their desire to comfort their grieving friend.

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Sukrosono knows his friends are trying to cheer him up with all their heart and energy. Animals, plants, and all the creatures that inhabit the forest are his friends, always so close to him. All have made Sukrosono never feel lonely until now. So they will certainly be sad and disappointed now if Sukrosono becomes sad and lonely because his mother left him. Sukrosono instantly realizes how they are feeling. Should his sadness and loneliness eliminate all the life, comfort, and joy they give with all their heart and sincerity? They were not slow in realizing that Sukrosono was thrown away at the edge of Jatisrana Forest. They know about his sorrow, so they give everything to sweep away his sorrow until Sukrosono did not know the pain of his fate before he met his mother. Will all their efforts be in vain?

Sukrosono realizes this. So he also allows himself to be comforted and absorbed by their joy and consolation. His spirit leaps, and he is again happy with his life. His hope blooms as a beautiful dawn appears. The morning breeze blows tenderly, waving the leaves of the forest. Drops of dew fall, settling on the clumps of jangga flowers, and their fragrance spreads as the sun radiates its first smile.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.