PART 1     

               Just like the majority of people in Jakarta, we all leave this city to go back to our home during Lebaran. I did, too. And I got these things...

               My flight was on the 16th of September at around three. I managed to get to the airport in time to do all the checking in and stuff. I didn’t have the chance to hunt for books in PERIPLUS—my fav bookstore at the airport, though.

               Anw,...I was half way to sleep on the plane when suddenly I felt a strong and I meant,....STRONG impact on the plane that made me open my eyes only to find that my plane landed already. Goooosh!!! After I did what a man's gotta do after flight--taking a pee :)--I went out to get home. There were several buses waiting for me and some men hailing at me. Am I that populer??? No!!! They just wanted to get me on to the bus. That's all. And so I did. I spent Rp.15.000 to go to the bus station and continued my trip back home. A lot different from what usually happens in Jakarta--with Rp. 20.000 I could go home directly. At that time I really wanted to take a taxi so I could get some comfort. However,...a voice of a woman in the past appeared to me out of the darkness like a female ginny with all the smoke!!!!

              "You are still young, young man! Take a bus instead!"

              "And who are you?" I asked.

              "I am the goddes of stinginess!"

              "Oh,...no wonder." I replied.

             I followed her advice. I took a bus and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan that bus was SMELLY--as in Goeslow! But that bus taught me a life lesson. It opened my eyes wide on the truths I have been forgetting.

             Two girls in their teen age came inside the bus with a guitar. They were bus singers. They complained to the co-driver about the Lebaran rate.

     "Why does it have to be Rp. 4.000?" Girl A

     "Yeah. No change for the passengers to give to us." Girl B.

     "Yeah,...you are all be DEAD!" Co-driver.

     "Damn you!" Girl A

     "Yeah,...damn you!" Girl B

That co-driver was double damned, I guess.

     "Well,...who knows that the passengers will give us Rp. 1000" Girl A was very optimistic.

     "Impossible." Co-driver.

     "You never know!" Girl B.

               And so they sang songs that I couldn't hear coz I was at the backseat. Girl B was distributing envelopes to each passenger. I got one, too. I was a bit confused coz there were writings at the back of the envelope. The writing went:

     "Kami bukan pengemis. Kami hanya menyanyi di bis untuk biaya sekolah dan membantu orang tua kami. Mohon Bapak dan Ibu membantu kami."

Translation:

     "We are not beggars. We just some singers singing in this bus to get some money for our school and for helping our parents. Please help us."

               There you go. I almost burst into tears. I imagined they were writing the same words on many envelopes for each passengers. We gotta appreciate efforts, right? I decided to slip some money from my change and felt good about it. I didn't really care if they really used it for their school fee or not. After all, it's the intention that matters, right? I am just happy that I took a bus instead of taxi :)