A Goddess From A Far Distant Place

In the morning in Haratai, a small village in the remote area of Borneo Island, Indonesia, villagers were gathering together in the yard of a house of the elementary school.Haratai was enthusiastic. All the children did not go to either the shifting cultivation or go through the forest to looking for some rattans. They were dressing properly. Their faces were reflecting a gladness. They were waiting for a goddess.

Few days before, Jarani, a chief of the Dayak tribal in Haratai village, had been invited to Loksado, a sub district of Hulu Sungai Selatan district. The local leader had been informed that a women teacher would come to Haratai. Of course Jarani was happy. For a year the elementary school has not been running any activity because there were no teacher.

Teaching at elementary school in the remote village of Borneo was a heavy struggle. Coming to Haratai from Loksado, about eight kilometers, teachers must walk for three hours, getting through the wilderness.

The school building had been used for long times. It's roofs was leaking somewhere, some sheet of wallboard had damaged, and white ants had eaten the chair and the desk.

"What is the teacher's name, Sir?" asked Ranan, a villager.

"Miss Sulastri," Jarani said.

"Where will she lives in? Does she lives in Loksado?" Dukung asked.

"She prefers lives in Haratai. We hope she will enjoy teaching here."

"Will she stay at the balai* with us?"

"Temporarily she can stay at home a villager," Jarani said.

"Conveniently, Sir. At home of mine there is one empty room." Dukung is one of the villagers whose a home himself near balai. He was not stay at balai together with other villager.

Accompanying two people, the goddess who they had waited for was coming. The villagers were looking at her happily.

"Our teacher is coming!" said children simultaneously.

"Welcome to our village, Miss Sulastri. We have awaited you," Jarani said. "I am a leader here."

"Thank you so much. Glad to meet you all," Sulastri said friendly. She was young and beautiful women.She just graduated from an institute of education in Yogyakarta, central Java. She had been assigned by government to serving remote villager, far from her home town.

In the night Haratai performed a traditional ceremony to greet Sulastri. Tomorrow morning children would back to school.

* * *

Months have passed. The villagers hoped Sulastri would enjoy staying and teaching. She was always happy. At home's Dukung, she had become a friend of Dukung's wife. Every night she slept on mat on the wood floor, she never complained. Bathing in the river, she also enjoyed.

Sulastri could adapt to local environment circumstances. Living in the middle of jungle, without electricity, far from home town, nothing entertainment except monkey in the tree, birds chirp, or voice of night insect.

Three months had gone.

Sudiran, a headmaster, came to Haratai.He had been sent to Haratai for leading the school. Sulastri's burden was rather light. The villagers assured that Sulastri would not leave Haratai.

Four months... five months had passed.

"Miss Sulastri, do you like live here," said Asuy, twenty one year old man. He was Jarani's son.

"Yes, I do," said Sulastri.

"I have a suggestion...."

"What?"

"There is young man who love you."

Sulastri nervous. "What did you mean?"

"Do you want to know him?"

"Who is he?"

"Me." Asuy was smiling meaningfully.

Sulastri left him.

After that time, Sulastri always fought shy of Asuy although he often came to Dukung's house where Sulastri stay at. Sometime he brought some pineapples and bananas.

Seven months serving in the remote village, Sulastri seemed to live happily. Her salary came too late, she could tolerate.

But at one time, an accident occur in middle forest: Sudiran was found dead. His clothes had been torn up. Blood ran dry on his body. On his face seem track of animal claw, holey stomach. Villagers brought the Sudiran's body to the police office in Hulu Sungai Selatan district.

According to police officer investigation, five days later, Sudiran attacked by bear.

After that time, Sulastri often seem plunged in thought. At one time, Sulastri went to the river near beautiful waterfall. She seem thought her live in the village. She was sorrowful looked to be. Because her love to her pupils, she remain to teach as usual. Her burden became more heavy than before.

"He was attacked a bear," said Jarani in the evening at Dukung's house.

Sulastri shuddered. When she heard the accident, she followed go into the middle forest together with people. She saw herself body of Sudiran lay in brushwood. She found something.

"Miss Lastri has to beware. A lot of beast here. So, don't go alone into forest," said Jarani.

"I do not understand why Mr. Sudiran went into the middle forest," said Sulastri.

"Living in remote countryside like here is trues a lot of facing beast threat. We hope you do not fear. We are afraid you will leave Haratai, Miss Lastri. Haratai's children have started to like to go to school. Not easy to persuade the children for go to school."

"But why did Sudiran defeated like that. I really have no idea."

"I understand your sadness because losing your friend," said Jarani. "I am sorry.... Do you have a special relationship with Mr. Sudiran?"

"What did you mean?"

"I know...," Jarani said.

"I do not understand what you mean," Sulastri said.

"I do not sure that Sudiran was dead by bear...."

* * *

Early in the morning, Sulastri left Haratai sorrowfully. No one knew her departure except Dukung and his wife. She would not see Haratai's children face who lost a loved teacher.