A night too stressful. Even if some of them are dozing off, members of the tribe out from their place. Some of them move, wearing an animal skin blankets. The cold air makes their bodies shivering and a little bit stiffed. Their legs seemed only able to move an inch by inch. Breath looks like a white smoke, coming out from each mouth and nose when they replied or whisper something to another.
Open hall in the middle of living area, had been cleared of weeds and briers. Large fireplace was already lit. The trial is about to begin.
Just like a tribe members, the elders actually never expected this. Because, if there’s a trial, means that there such a hardship was going on. And this time there was trouble over a dilemma. Between the responsibilities of inherent bond, and law they must upheld in community.
However,trial must be held too relief all. Retain their ancestors taught, they must constantly pursue dialog and consensus to resolve community problems, where everyone word and opinions should respected.
Hundreds of tribe members represent by twenty elders as consideration messenger. With sincerity, the elders were doing a special ritual for three days in advance. Pleading for god revelation, in order to give best consideration.
Twenty tribal elders were sitting, cross-legged in each their place respectively. Formal conversations have not begun, some people whispering about farming , plans to hunt, or subjects relating to the cubicle cottage they stay. Much of them choose to silence solemnly, thinking about a sugestion word and all the important thing to deliver.
Tonight, center of attention, Redbeak, had to explain in front of the assembly. He was already in the middle of the circle. Cross-legged and quiet. He looked with weariness sight, a sense of concern that he have pour in all the hassle that bring those disagreement.
Its getting night, some old man had a fit of coughing by the cold. All members of the tribe are present, even the children, who sleept at their mother’s lap. Then Chieftain comes out , skin robe dressed with formal makeup. Incense powder poured above holy furnace. The fragrant aroma spread after powder was burned. With the drum beat, the praise to the ancestors and God being yelled together.
Oiy..yaya..yo la ibaho hu ha caya biya uta hiya……
Oiy..yaya..yo la ibaho hu ha caya biya uta hiya…….
Kappa ya kalla uya ha talla…oiiii… Kappa ya kalla uya ha talla…oiiii
Blessing finished. Each shifted in their seat firmly, all know trial will last at morning comes. At a same time, the Chieftain, the greatness head of the tribe, put the machete right in the middle of circle as a symbol of his jurisdiction to lead the assembly.
“It’s a perfect night, I’ve meditated and asked to the almighty to provide us an explanation about this. Now is the most precise time, and should be now, at midnight…. Tonight!. “Shout the Chieftain as a preface.
“For that reason, we forced ourself to wake up. Trough awareness, tonight we’ll formulate the best thing to do and decided, an incarnation of our collective contemplation and seriousness , this midnight, at latest until the next morning comes, “he added obviously.
After a deep breath he continue to speak.
“RedBeak, a youth of our tribe openly opposed the custom and decency as taught and inherited by our ancestors. He considers all of the legal heritage of our ancestors were no longer right to apply. According to him, it was not feasible with what he called the acceleration of humans and life, “. Chieftains silent for a moment, he looked at the entire audience. “We, the elders, had advised and tried to speak. But he insisted with his attitude, which is why the tribal council of elders was held, ” Said Chieftains.
Some tribal members whispering in the back. Chieftain wait for a while then he continue a foreword. “As you know, now he present among us. He should be here, with open explanation. Here and now, we upholds the tribe rule, giving to you, O RedBeak, to talk … then talk, “concluded Chief while he pointing toward Redbeak.
Drums beaten. They yelling.
Oiy..yaya..yo la ibaho hu ha caya biya uta hiya……
Oiy..yaya..yo la ibaho hu ha caya biya uta hiya…….
Kappa ya kalla uya ha talla…oiiii… Kappa ya kalla uya ha talla…oiiii
Back to silence. RedBeak rose from his seat, calmly and slowly he turned around, looking at all assemblies. And he quietly began to speak.
“I have to say this, even you may dislike this. You all should know that what you call as my mistake acctually a concern for all my family. I care. And this concern that made me keep ressist, and brought me to this assembly, and I wish trough this assmebly you can understand me, “said Redbeak explains.
Elders who had been dissagree with Redbeak directly shout.”I’am the oldman, wanted to say too you, young man. In our bond, concern that you refer to is merely your effort to maintain your self-possessed. You only have an intention to make any law and rules to be conform with your self-possessed. Do you realize if it was just for self-possessed sake. You’re too young too say truly that you care, “he argued.
“Thank you for your guidance. But here too, I have a question. If the will controlled, then what can someone like me to do, while we marched through age. Which actually just to be old man like you, is it we finnally just passing on this kind of restraint to our descendants, “said Redbeak.
“That’s not our intention, not only for the elders this customary law enforced. Be Conscious. Alert, young man. Naturally, now you have a guarantee in the long days that you went trough, so you tend to think that everything will be fine. You’re young and free, always thinking there is still enough time to resolve all, feel capable and brave to face all. But be aware, what you have to remember is, there is always a probability of failure and mistake from what you believed and considered so sure. We don’t want, later, at your old day, you peek into the past with an empty heart for everything that can not be returned and repeated, “said the other Elders.
“You are too naive!, You impose what you think as good and bad. Did you realize that the age raise and educate us. We are not fully your children, we are also children of the age. We’ve got our own times and situation. Me and all your kids are children of the age!, “Said Redbeak, this time with resentment.
“We were young once, like you. And you never grow old like us. We’ve been through life and will to think just like you right now. But, you never grow old with life and will to think like us. Believe me, we love you young man, the rules are for your sakes, “an Elder who had been quiet trying to calm down.
“You just imagine what you’ve been trough in your life and put it as what we have going through. You are wrong. We’ve got our life. We can be responsible with our body, mind, desire, choices and our will, “Redbeak openly say it. He grew louder with his opinion.
“Yes, you could declare it, if only you could guarantee that your life just for yourself. But you have a life with so many other people’s lives around you. Body, mind, desire, choice and your will also be a part of and impact on others. Your parents, your friend, your lover, your grandson and your son oneday. We just remind that you should not only think about yourself. You alive, you a man, you are bound in life, you will not and don’t want to live alone, “said one elder stated, trying to direct the conversation to make it more clear.
Red beak shook his head. “Yes, finally … I, as your brother, your son, have to say it. This tribe lives in obscurity … Does it you understand a life and a rule with your awareness to the truth. Did you don’t understand that any law was forced to made all affairs easy. I’ve been thought, questioning whether I’m right or wrong, I stiil can not desribe what is a truth, but I find this reality … our laws is obscure as well as this tribe, you put everything into the laws that require us to do and act beyond our ability. We harm our humanity, its like with those laws you’re all happy because you almost become a god, “he said long.
“You will not be able to prove it. Both we and you have only assuming. However, what the elders estimate has been proved and bring something good, although it controlling and hard setted, “said another elder.
“Do you guys realize, all real life slowly being merged in the assimilation. There will be no eternal individual characteristics. There always be a new birth. When you insist with what right and proper in your thought, actually you’re sowing the seeds of tension and war. The rules, as you apply will bring a clash with another rules and laws. Can’t we look?, increasingly we isolated among the other tribes, “.
Redbeak paused, bowed apologetically. Then continued his speech.
“I stand by my opinion because I believe. The tension is the origin of all, it will force the differences to the equations. Humans will always strive to strengthen the unity of actions, attitudes, and feelings by taking it into an interests and objectives of the law they applied. No the most true and most cherished, all for the new benefits that arose at every pace of life, and the awareness what is being preached as a benefit, never permanent. For them, the benefits can turn into anything, anytime. A legal standard, could no longer manage it, “said Redbeak obviously.
Participants assembly was silent for a while, until one of the elders spoke.
“You describe a long way of live, my son’s?, may be beyond your own life. We just can’t run and will always be dealing with a various elements of life and events. It must be accepted and processed trough proper habits. If you always compromise, you will not lossing your selfness, but obviously you will lose your passion, your soul, “said an elder.
“ I don’t lose my soul and passion. That’s your passsion and soul, you left it for us. I want to grow with my own soul and thoughts. I want to start a new and right thing for me, with my own mind, “said Redbeak.
“It was just a young man’s mind, just a thought. Not life, “shouted one mother from behind.
“Yes indeed, that’s my thoughts, I think, and I think that’s true, and life is about the truth,” replied the Redbeak.
“There is one thing that you may missed, my son? anything that comes from the mind can always be defended. Whatever it is, you can defend it, and when you defend it, you might have been wrong in life, “said an elder of another.
“It’s possible, but at least there’s my efforts to be more right,?,” Redbeak still believes his opinion.
“Yes … but please remember, not only you who take the consequences if you’re wrong,” suddenly a member of the tribe said. Members of tribe arround him then talk each other with muffled noise.
Red beak stared at them, then talk. “An effort is better than doing nothing under right or wrong understanding. These efforts are the reasons why live can be continue. What I’m doing is an effort, and if you understand, this more true for people like you, “said Rebeak.
“If you don’t want to follow the right and the wrong, then think about the good and the bad, my son,” an old man again replied in a pleading tone.
In a low voice Redbeak replied, trying to convince. “Good and bad exist in the control of power, O my oldman?, depends on how the power determine which is good or bad. Just like a power that puts my opinion as bad then as a wrong according to your law. When you talk about how to defend truth and goodness, you’re actually talking about the power and will, that you feel comfortable on it. You’re afraid of difference, because you afraid your power vanish … did you realize?, did you truly obey and apply the laws for the sake of the good qualities of all people, or is it just for yourself,? Or is it we acctually same, just like when you think that my concern only my efforts to get comfortable? “
Redbeak stared deep into the whole assembly. He tired to explain.
The Chieftain then spoke up.
“We’ve lost our understanding O Redbeak. And after all, you oppose a valid laws. We will decide everything according to that law. And for the last time I spoke, would you ever change your mind and your deeds like our laws?, “Said chieftain slowly.
Redbeak initially bowed, shook his head slowly. He heaved a deep breath. Then he lifted her face to speak firmly and clearly,
“No,” he said simply.
The elders whispering, Redbeak attitude is clear. And he showed it in the official assemblies. So it is easy for the elders to formulate a considerations. Then one by one, the elders write their suggestions on palm leaves that had been prepared.
When its done, one of tribe member took it to submitted to the Chieftains. When the leaves were collected, chieftain read it one by one. sometimes he heaved a long breath with a wrinkled in his forehead. And after all the leaves were read, the Chieftains spoke.
“In the highest appreciation, consideration of the elders is a manifestation of the clarity of thought, manifest of our shared devotion to this tribe,” he said wisely.
“But really I want you to understand too, that the law and reality is difficult to be union in a sphere. Cycle of life and human issues are too complicated, not easy to enforce law and justice in the same altitude, “he added in a lower voice, as a solemn religious speech.
“Therefore, let us view this issue more clear. In a broader perspective, good and bad for us, “he added with a more steady tone and a convincing expression.
“The blood he have is in our blood, as well as blood in our blood flow. That’s a promise that we must grasp. A size that we never can not change. But forgive us Redbeak. Tonight, however, the Assembly decided, and with my jurisdiction, I assign. That we can not let Redbeak continue to hurt us with his thoughts about our law. For it, tribe will Provide Redbeak with a supplies as much as he need. And we’ll case him away as far as he could. For his own way. He could not return, “said the Chieftains in a deep voice.
The tribe members talk to each other, torn into a crowded atmosphere. Shortly before closing the morning, assembly came with that decision.
Voices of nocturnal animals and insects gradually quiet as pheasant crowing in the distance. Some young men preparing supplies taken from the tribe barn’s. All supplies were put in a bark bag.
Redbeak waiting with a bow in his hand. After supplies given, Redbeak then leave all tribe members without farewell. He walked confidently toward the sunrise. Away, did his choice.
After couple while the sun began to break. Redbeak out of sight toward the distant and bright of sunlight. Chieftain see there with a deep gaze. He seeing the sun bifurcated, whether indeed its risen, or whether in fact it was sink.
Jakarta, july 23,2010
