FRIEND OF THE NATION

ATOU EPS 2

ATOU EPS 2

Pearls are still pearls, though hidden deep in the black mud though. Its beauty will not be eroded or lost in time. Then if you find him, take him. Simply flush with water and rub with a soft cloth, then the light will be radiated illuminating your face. And add to your beautiful value.

The night is getting late in the Baliem valley. The cold weather was so felt to make the Dani tribe in the land of Papua reluctant to leave the house. Only the animals of the night still hear the song. In an Ebei, the home of Dani women, most of the inhabitants are already asleep. Only a few people are still awake. They were waiting for a sick child.

Their village was hit by a disaster. A strange disease suddenly attacked the tribal inhabitants who live in the middle of the wilds of Papua. The disease that attacked them was a very powerful disease. Not an ordinary disease that can be cured through the prayers of the chieftain. Various offerings and ceremonies they have done but still the victims fall because of it.

In a room, Perpetua stroked her daughter's hair lying in a room in Ebei with affection. Her fingers are constantly reduced the number of her legs continue to caress her daughter's curly hair (in the Dani tribe custom, a mother must cut one finger segment every time there is a brother died). She hoped that her hand caress could ease the pain her daughter was suffering.

“Please Ma, Yohana's body hurts all,” whispered her daughter.

Pepertua just nodded his head with a smile. With all her ability she tried to hold back her tears from melting. A week ago her sister had just left her with the same illness. In his heart the middle-aged woman was very worried if the things that befell her sisters also befell her daughter. Ah, may her daughter quickly get her recovery.

“Please son, your father is praying that Atou will immediately release his curse to our village. Only Atou can help us,” Pepertua said.

“Why did Atou let this disease befall us, Ma?” ask Yohana.

Pepertua was silent for a moment, looking for the right words to comfort his daughter.

“Later Mama will ask your Papa, huh? Now go to sleep.”

Pepertua fixed the blanket covering Johana's body. The pain that befell his daughter and her aunts is not a disease that usually heals with the prayers of the chieftain. It used to be that rituals of prayer were performed to heal the aunts of Yohana but they were incurable. Her husband also told her about the severity of the disease which is now becoming a pandemic.

“Maybe Atou hasn't listened to our pleas. So we have to beg again,“ so the thing that Neles Ibo, her husband, who is also one of the chieftains.

“I am no longer strong listening to the moans of Yohana,” said Pepertua.

Pepertua's face looked so sad. While Papa Neles Ibo also seemed clueless, why this disease came so quickly, took the lives of his brothers and some of his citizens, without being prevented. Finally he came down from Ebei, and said goodbye to go back to the field.

“Mama!” sounds from downstairs.

Pepertua wiped his tears, then smiled faintly. That must be the voice of her twin sons. Pepertua and Neles Ibo have three children. The first was his eldest daughter Yohana, while his two younger siblings were twins Marlon and Marlin Isier. They do not live at home with him, but live in Honai with his father.Honai is home to men in the tribal interior of Papua.

“Mama!” heard the call again.

Perpetua went down a small staircase to find his two twins. As the wife of the chief, she and her daughter along with her sisters occupied a sizable Ebei. The house they occupied was a two-story house made of ulin wood and roofed woven sago leaves. As soon as he got below, he hugged the two pearls of his heart.

“Mama, we have brought dry grass to replace the bed sister” said Marlon while showing a roll of grass on his back..

“You are indeed the best of mama's children.”

Marlon took the roll of grass he had just picked up from the top of the hill with Marlin. Then put the roll of dry grass under the stairs. Men were only allowed to stand under the stairs. They are forbidden to enter Ebei, because Ebei is a special house for women.Pertua hugs the two twin sons tightly.

“Where did you get these dried grasses?”

“From the fields on that hill,” replied Marlin. “We also bring Red fruit to cook.”

Pepertua smiled. In his heart he was very proud because his two sons were also very attentive to his brother who was sick.

“Thanks son,” he said gently. “Now go back to the fields help papa and uncles grow yams. Later mama will cook delicious red fruit vegetables.”

Marlon and Marlin returned his mother's embrace. After that they ran back to the fields to help papa and his uncles grow yams. Most of the Dani tribe who live in the Baliem valley make sweet potatoes as their staple food. Some people also eat sago. They make the flour into a variety of delicious maanan and appetizing.

***

Pepertua took a long breath. With dry grass he re-entered the room where his daughter lay. Yohana looks still sluggish. It may be because cape is holding back the pain, or because it needs rest after a night of not being able to sleep. Gently, Perpetua woke up his daughter, then placed next to a grass mattress.

“Sepentari mama replace the grass in your mattress.”

What is called a mattress is a set of dried grass laid out on wood and then covered with woven leaves of red fruit trees. In addition to soft, dry grasses also store heat that warms their bodies at night.

Perpetua opened the woven red fruit leaves and then took the dried grass that began to disintegrate because it was bedded. Then put the new dry grass and closed again. After the grasses were neatly arranged, Pepertua immediately put Yohana back to sleep in its original place. While singing hymns to Atou to immediately eliminate the plague that attacked his tribe.

“Sleep back. Mama will cook red fruit for our lunch later.”

Johana who was still sleepy just nodded her head. Shortly after, his eyes closed again. After Yohana fell asleep, she went back downstairs. He saw some of his female relatives were peeling the red fruit brought by his two sons earlier.

Red fruit is a traditional fruit from Papua. By the Dhani people, this fruit is called kuansu. Its scientific name is Pandanus Conoideus because the Red Fruit plant belongs to the Pandan-gandan family plant. The height of this pandan plant can reach sixteen meters. With the height of the free stem of its own branch as high as five to eight meters reinforced roots of the buttocks on the lower trunk.

Oval-shaped fruit cultivar with buds covered in fruit leaves. Red fruit itself the length of the fruit reaches fifty centimeters, the maximum diameter is fifteen cm, and weighs about two to three kilograms. The color when ripe is bright maroon, although there are actually types of this plant that bear brown and yellowish brown fruits.

For the people in Wamena, Red Fruit is served for food at the traditional party of burning stones. However, many people use it as a medicine. Traditionally, Red Fruit from ancient times has been consumed because it is efficacious in curing various diseases such as preventing eye disease, intestinal worms, skin, and increasing stamina. Because of its high efficacy, red fruit has been dubbed as the miracle fruit of Papua.

Pepertua grinds the herbs needed to cook red fruit. While other women cook water and cut the red fruit into small parts. Sometimes Pepertua gave them a hint. As the wife of the chieftain, she must look strong in accompanying her husband to face this calamity.