S A L I, 3 --Etnography Novel

T W O

S A L I

(The Story of a Woman Dani *)

By:

Dewi  linggasari

Jiwika, a young man in this kampong killed in a fight, a dispute over a girl. The blood that flows as well as the cry of the woman who gave birth to have fueled the fire of anger the whole village. And it did not stop crying for days too, moans and wails that eventually turned into the wind picks who rekindle the embers of the fire, so that the whole village awake.

"Jiwika, I have a child, why do you leave to go to mam blood in the body? Why thou slain? I gave birth and then raise you, but life is not fair, who will pay for the blood of your death? Who Jiwika? "

Wailing women continue to reverberate around the village, mourning like it will never end. Nothing can end unless there is mourning the death Jiwika paid blood. So the indigenous elders were gathered together to find a way so that the crying stopped. Days after the customary elders gathered, the decision to pay the blood against the death to Jiwika agreed. War declared interest for the people in this village. When the war was not waged, the tears she will never stop and the situation will continue to deteriorate.

To initiate a war, then custom roasted stone held. Crops best prepared, fat pigs with arrows, cut and then cooked with hot stones in a pit with a white. While the war has removed all equipment from customs honai, the drums, arrows, spears and stone axes. Head of the war had been wearing traditional clothes, and Perisa ready with spear in hand.

After the gardens and cook the pig, the soldiers were ready to fight any effort to prepare meals as full. And finally, it was ready for departure time already. The drums of war have been beating the pounding, the reverberations of the drums that give rise to magical power, an invisible force that is able to rekindle the spirit eyes every soldier to fight in the battle, to live or die. Women release her husband and son to countenance hard to describe. Every day men do not do the work means, except archery hunting or bird, while women gardening routine. Now, the men are faced with a mammoth task for the sake of dignity inescapable, namely war. The risk they will return or will never again return.

Kugara was among an army ready to fight it, he was ready with custom clothing and equipment of war and has also been fed with as full. He could not deny himself the demands of custom, namely war. Kugara takes leave on Lapina and Liwa unspeakable feeling, he seemed to pick the middle of death. He has repeatedly engaged with tribal war, but he never set out to fight with this feeling. Kugara off Lapina with a small baby in her arms, he did not say a word. When her husband went off the war, then she should put himself into a realization that maybe tomorrow she will wake up as a widow. This time with an innocent little creature which they are responsible. Lapina was glued to combat-ready soldiers moved towards the open field to the sound of blaring and shrieks long drums.

High when the sun began to "force" it arrived in the plains. The enemy had prepared to wait anyway, complete with equipment and the drums of war. After both sides were ready, warlord gestured, then loud screams came again, the two sides clashed, with a nudge, dropping the opponent.

Vast desert deserted on weekdays, now a sea of ​​people bustle by the conflict, attacking each other with war equipment. Slowly the blood began to flow, the soldiers no longer able to fight, flee into hiding to escape, so the amount of war is becoming less and less. When dusk falls, the more inclined the sunlight dispelled the gloomy overcast and finally extinguished altogether. So the war must stop, dark night is a sign of nature for both parties, that the war should end without having to take account of who wins and who loses.

Kugara back to silimo with all the soldiers, including wounded warriors, men are entitled to live. Until the next day when the war should be continued on the second day. Lapina and Liwa off Kugara locked away with her mouth, there's something strange in Kugara departure time. Man's face looked so pale, while a pair of eyes have lost the light.  Kugara stunned Lapina by the appearance, his voice exudes something scary, silently shaking his knee, but he does not think. The pigs must be fed and tobacco for Kugara to be prepared.

Lapina handed to Liwa for a little baby then she ran feeling giddy with busy work. Lapina seemed to not realize how fast time goes. She has burned more sweet potatoes than usual for the coming Kugara. She also has filled the pockets of water, so Kugara can immediately eliminate thirst, because of the war. But suddenly wracked with anxiety Lapina, she can not do anything in the distance came the sound of frenzied soldiers returning from battle. It was dark. Lapina hopes Kugara will burst into honai to get sweet potatoes and a water bag. Lapina look forward to ....

Lapina's hope apparently foundered. Kugara will never burst into honai to get food that has been prepared. The man would never ask for anything more, nor the rights and marriage. Kugara comes in a state of being carried abuzz with gash marks fall end, right in the chest. Blood was pouring, still warm, Kugara eyes closed, his face pale, his arms and legs could no longer move. Lifeforce that moves the body ballpark has been uprooted. The man had been killed on the battlefield as soldiers demanding pay blood for Jiwika death.

"Kugara ......!" Lapina stood stiffly, as if not believing in his vision, or that he was denied the sight that appear before his eyes, but in vain. "What happened to you?" Lapina immediately hunt Kugara, embrace blood-stained bodies. Tears, she cried a long howl. He could not deny his eyesight. Kugara lying with wounds in his chest, he did not move, he was dead.

Lapina sweeps Kugara body blood staining, wash the face, and then down to her chest. Lapina feels the pain, as the spearhead of it has penetrated her cleavage too. She is still very young, with a tiny baby in her arms, and the death of Kugara has made her a widow, a widow.

While Liwa sat down, her eyes became blurred and vague, as if she was repeating a nightmare. Dreams are forced to come in its wake, a very scary dream. "Father .... "Liwa calling Kugara stammered, she still hopes that all of this is just a dream. But the roar Lapina make Liwa realized she was not dreaming, but face reality. Kugara back from tribal warfare with the body lying drenched in blood. He did not move again, as had happened to Aburah, mam who recently passed away. Now Kugara dead after Aburah, Liwa was blaring, roared endlessly. Kugara he wept, wept Aburah, and cried for herself. She did not have anyone else except Lapina and a little baby.

Cries of Lapina and Liwa has sparked cries of the others, so that the atmosphere in silimo became deaf by the sound of crying. Tonight it was getting dark, thick fog seemed to dominate the whole valley of death a mystery to come on that day. Lapina and Liwa continue to roar until the sound becomes dry, grief and fatigue led her toward sleep soundly and agitated until the next morning. Kugara corpse was stiff, he died as a hero. The man was killed after he had cut the neck with a stone ax murderer Jiwika. He has to pay blood for Jiwika death with his own blood. He was a soldier in the last days. They prepared funeral pyre. Throughout the ceremony Liwa Lapina and never stopped screaming, wailing, and moaning. They are really sorry, Kugara did not die a natural death, because of old age such as a sprig of dried leaves that fall in autumn. He died in misery in tribal wars, Lapina not require designation widow a hero, she wants Kugara back, but wish it had gone.

When bodies start Kugara engulfed in flames, heart Lapina and destruction of the state of Liwa same Kugara corpse. The death and burning it makes Lapina understood, however, she never dreamed of becoming Kugara wife, but the man was ever-present in his life, even giving her a child, her beloved little baby. Kugara has been introduced to her about family life, daily confusions, which should continue to live, so she did not know yet, what is called the confusion. But she has learned about life. Lapina understands how Kugara has brought her to the realities of life that will inevitably be faced. And now, the man was engulfed in flames at the end of her life, Lapina sobbing. Her face suddenly turned into a very old, shriveled, and lesions. She had slammed mighty terrible storms of life had never been able to learn their origins, except that he was an actor.

"Kugara .... Kugara ....! "Lapina screaming, the smell of burning flesh wafted with a very hard, thick smoke billowing, blending with the sky. Not long ago this silimo being crowded by death Aburah, now charred corpse Kugara back in the fire burning.

Liwa roll in the mud, she has lost Aburah. Death seemed just happened yesterday, following Kugara now gone. Liwa feel alone, she has no one else in her life, except Lapina and her child. Liwa saw thick smoke was in despair. She seemed to want to fly soaring high into the sky, leaving the days of mourning that robs childhood. But she has no wings, the girl must go beyond the seconds time painful, heart-cut slice.

Then it all goes by so fast, time is burger as a law of the universe that beats with certainty and authority to change everything. The next day after his death, the Liwa should return to traditional actors. Indigenous scary and fulfill her pain. Lapina know it, she embraced Liwa with any sense of love, the tears flowed.

"I'm scared mommy!" Liwa hugged tightly Lapina in extreme fear. Board Liwa be thin and small, she did not have a place of refuge except Lapina.

"Do not you fear, all the children of the widowed parents, because the war had to understand things like this. Did you see my finger segment is missing, I had never experienced? If not, the spirit Kugara not be quiet. Would not you love him? "

"I've always loved him, but I do not want to lose my finger segment",  Lapina hug Liwa more tightly, as if she had already lost half of his consciousness. Her body shivered. On the other hand, Lapina became limp, she remembered the pad was a time, when I have felt the same as Liwa. Lapina rubbed her head and wiped his tears Liwa. The view her faraway, counting days ago that misfortune always. Today she still had to deal with misfortune. Misfortune what else will happen in the future?

Lapina stunned when an elder customs authorities cut knuckles Liwa comes with a stone ax in hand. Deaths due to war has occurred, a child of the person who died had to cut her knuckles as a statement of condolence. And this time, the girl was Liwa. Lapina must submit Liwa on indigenous elders, but she doubts, tears never stopped pouring, a pair of eyes was swollen. She could not tell which hurt more, between sorrow lost in a state Kugara killed or had to watch Liwa lost father, and had also lost her knuckles. Lapina's head became dizzy, more and more intense, until she realizes that no longer exist in Liwa in her arms. Lapina honai leaned against the wall, eyes closed, as if she wanted to throw away the reality of life that must be done. Above, the sun gets hot, bright blue sky, the air is hot, but Lapina feels cold vapor silimo whole. The female body was also shivering.

Lapina more tightly clenched eyes, when she heard the cries and howls Liwa. The screams and howls and the blaring sounds repetitive, bringing Lapina back to the past, when she had to feel the same pain. She was closing a pair of ears, her heart did not stop cursing demon named custom that has been cut off and now her knuckles Liwa.

Not far from Lapina, Liwa amid fighting unspeakable pain. A stone ax repeatedly rocked by a mighty hand merciless. She never understood about the customs, she can not fight, she was just a girl trapped in a terrible value system. The girl was not able to control the consciousness. Blood was pouring, drenching the soil. That the pain in encouraging Liwa scream. And suddenly, Liwa feels the sun slips into the western sky faster than a typical day. The bright atmosphere soon became dark. Night had come, the stars scattered, the rest black. Liwa could not see anything and could not feel anything. She fell with her hands covered in blood, her knuckles had been severed.

***

After a moment of misery, the Liwa found herself in a state of lying. She did not know exactly how long she was lying, she would not have to count the days, the pain in her fingertips had seized half of her consciousness. The boy was immersed in a sense of disappointment, regret, and helpless. Suffering comes a barrage, she was still a child too to deserve this, but can she dodge?

Her hands were small, now wrapped tightly in a large envelope to the limits of the elbow. Blood no longer flowed, but the pain was also reduced. Liwa put lives at Lapina, a young woman who has become a parent and always take care of her. Lapina grateful that the neighbors have brought the garden produce in large quantities, because of death, so she did not need to go to the garden to injury fingertips Liwa improved.

One day while lying in the middle of Liwa honai, she heard the sound of people talking. "How long will you be widowed Lapina?" Came the voice of a man to begin.

"Why do you ask that?" Lapina immediately answered.

"It's not good for too long a widow, and anyway you are still very young."

"Today, I'm even still in grief, what do you mean?" Lapina asked.

"I'm definitely going to propose to the pigs and you will certainly be my wife."

"Do not dream, I can still survive with their gardens. I do not want the pigs, "Lapina voice sound firm.

"A, young women. You are very snobby ", suddenly heard a noise, silent for a moment, then came back Lapina speaking voice. This time with the firm.

"If you dare disturb me, I would have complained to the elders of the people and they will sue thee a fine pig. Or I'll cry for days, so the sound can provoke tears this whole silimo to kill you! "Sound hard object slammed, soon Lapina immediately breaks into honai, lay the body beside Liwa. While her little baby was still asleep.

Lapina no longer speak, she stared at the ceiling honai grimly. Too many things happen to her without wills or she can refuse. But her marriage to Kugara been made to understand, the pigs are paid on the day of marriage has made her to be treated as slaves. It's not easy to forget these days that it's scary. Is there a man who knowingly intend to repeat in an atmosphere of grief? Lapina closed her eyes tightly as if does not want to open it again. She wanted to avoid, from the things that are not desired, without conscious woman's eyes became heavy, and she fell asleep.

Time had passed, the day runs into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Lapina carrying Liwa through the same routine until the girls grow into young adults, and women still choose to widowhood. While outside silimo change rolling. Missionary efforts to civilize society Dani ongoing since 1954 has past, when for the first missionaries set foot in the Valley of Baliem by floatplane ride in order to spread the Gospel. Change happens very slowly with a church and community  Dani with broken following a belief in God as the Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Proselytizing systematically applied, within the infinite.

Write history records that on October 1, 1962, the Dutch government Irian Jaya handed over to the government while the UN and subsequently handed over to the Government of Indonesia on May 1, 1963. Changes that occur after that historic day is very slow. While missionaries built churches and schools, the Indonesian government established institutions at the local level. Red and white flag flying.

Community Dani practically see the change as a spectator. They are faced with an airplane, a row of uniformed men who call themselves government officials, and all the rules. Liwa is too kid to understand the change. Amid the rapid changes in the flow of Liwa is a child who can not understand what all these changes have to happen? Things to remember Liwa is the people who call themselves uniformed state officials have banned the custom cutting finger joints when grief, as well as traditional war. The ban led to the sound of howling little boy cut her knuckles, no longer audible. While supplies secured from honai customs of war and kept in a museum. Both the government and missionaries alongside Dani empower people towards civilization. A condition that requires time or even millennia like an achievement.

Liwa continues to be a teenage girl with an increasingly slim waist, chest up after, and her innocence. Lapina remains a widow, she chose to live with Liwa while raising her infant son who has now become a child. She subsisted to the gardens, river water, and fresh air of the valley. Lapina very entertained with the chatter and movement behavior of her son who reminded her of Kugara. While Liwa has a friend working in the garden every day, all year. She was never born babby, but I have supported her in a state of giddy, because death after death. Now, she is her mother.

On Sunday Lapina bring Liwa worship to the church. She should look for preaching sermons simple understanding. School was then built,  inspection at Liwa already too late, she was too grown up to sit in elementary school. Liwa corresponding natural talent grew, until it was time to leave and start a new youthfulness, which entered marital life.

***

Yonder, where a civilization evolved a little girl receives a children's story title: War Drums of Wamena. The little girl was very fond of reading, she has imagination in comics  HC Andersen, fairy tales, and children's magazines stacked. They get a life other on every page that she understand. Read books that make her days a passionate fund questions.

The drums of war Wamena given by the oldest brother, the little girl was immediately immersed in her warm, open the pages full of thrill and mystery. The boy is a missionary man with a child-friendly Dani in a town called Wamena Baliem Valley located in the middle of Irian Jaya. Wamena is always filled with fog, cold, and frozen. In the past mas tribes that inhabited the valley was fond of war with the use of traditional weapons that have supernatural powers. However, the presence of missionaries and government official cause peoples fight to be stopped, while all forms of tools of  war finally hidden in certain places.

Long after the war to end and custom armor is hidden for security reasons. Two young missionaries and Dani play at a warehouse funds find drums of war were deliberately hidden. When the war drums were beating, then comes the white mist increasingly thick. In the thick fog that appeared two human figures communicate with each other, quarrel, and reconciled. Every day the boys were playing in the barn, beat the drums of war while witnessing dense fog with the events in the mist. Strangely every event that appears in thick fog eventually befall the children, children and young missionaries Dani. The picture seemed to forecast fog for days to come. Magical!

But the two boys became frightened. They do not even want to know the events that will happen tomorrow on them. Finally, the drums of war and even then is returned to the place, never touched it again. The little girl closed the story with curiosity nd a question in her mind. Where foggy city called Wamena?

"Gayatri, it's late, let's not forget your duty?" A voice call the  little girl, before she hurried out of the room for the daily routine tasks, swept the floor and tidied the whole house.

...... to be continued....