Merantau To Riau Islands

POV Faisal

I, Faisal Ramadahana, Faisal or Ily call my familiar. But the people at Home call me Faisal, my friends call me Ical.

The habits of the Minangkabau community one of them is MERANTAU. Yes wandering because they like to explore the country, province, island and country, many Minangkabau people do it, to study, work as the backbone of the family, open a business, trade, trade, stay for a long time until death.

Leaving home, parents and relatives. Merantau has become a culture and tradition that must be lived by the Minangkabau community. The lack of employment in the hometown made us leave the village and everything, trying to pioneer the business from Zero to the top.

Not only to study school and college and work, but by wander through we will learn more mature, do nothing ourselves, take care of ourselves, enjoy the hardships of pleasure ourselves, and work, independent in all things. Involving strangers in all our endeavors.

Also done because Minangkabau boy used to be small in surau, large chained. That's how society says it. When a large boy leaves his house to go wherever he wants, with the intention and determination of the whole, unethical for the community minus boys are adults still living in the parents' house.

The most work done by the Minangkabau community is trading to open their own business, become an Artist/actor, politics, writers and others.  

Monitor you, so that you know the sweetness of living in the land of people, away from parents and relatives, difficult to be happy, healthy sick through yourself, no money, no food, no food, business is not smooth, and in PHK, living yourself.each parent greets through the newspaper or phone, the parent asks. "How are you?" "what's it eating yet?" how's it working?" "how's business?" if you don't have money say yes, don't be lazy!

Many more parents ask, but regional children will always say "just fine, smooth work, smooth business, everything smoothly does not have to worry about his son here, we are adults. Because regional children will not talk about the real situation because they are afraid to make their parents sad and thoughtful. The spirit of the children.

I'm the first of 4 children, the distance between Me and Nana is 10 years old, Nana is 3rd child, Nana is, while on top of Nana there is another 5-year-old adrift under me named Farrahitta Nandhini. Unfortunately, he died at the age of 2 due to a fever. 

Since childhood, I have been used to helping parents find firewood, gardening, rice fields, taking care of homework, and taking care of younger siblings. I'm used to it, because of the upbringing of my mother who taught me to be multitalented in everything, because domestic work said I'm not a woman's job but a man's job, it's good that, when I spend my time, I spend my time, stay away from the parents' house, we can do it does not make friends se kos object to us. After marriage, we can ease the wife's work.

Unfortunately when I was 14 years old still sitting in the 3rd grade of Junior High School, my father died of asthma that he suffered since childhood. I don't know why I can't cry, I'm still too young, I don't understand a lot of things. Nana was 4 years old, the Bungsu Angga was only 1 year old. Father died a wife and 3 small children.

Mother's world was destroyed 7 days 7 nights Mother's tears did not stop pouring followed by sisters who were sad to see Mother crying. Many relatives who donate Envelopes containing money, the money was used to open a small shop business. Selling Lontong, fried food for breakfast, and side dishes. Not easy to do alone especially at that time Mother did not have a trading soul, not all of them are good at trading. 

Falling up unyielding for the sake of children, love to plant vegetables in a garden a patch behind the house, caring for, fertilizing, spraying, and so on, the result is made side dishes for sale big lam-lam so the Padang Ampera restaurant or mandate of people. For a long time many customers came to judge Mother's cuisine is very good, often in messages by phone, Mother relied on me to deliver orders. If there is no Me because of school there is a mother's captain who drives her.

After SMP continued to enter SMK majoring in shipping so that it is finished if not college can apply for a job as a sailor on the island of Kalimantan. Because the school and the house are close enough, I choose to repeat at once in order to help Mom.

Helping to find firewood because at that time it had not used gas, a lot of pollution indeed, did not want the father's disease inherited to us. The sisters were entrusted at the grandmother's house from the mother's pihk, we had to be careful in dealing with the Fire. After school, dropping off orders, serving customers, teaching, studying, courses, and helping you make spices. Many brothers who helped us so Mother's work felt a little light. I quickly memorized how to concoct seasonings and cook them.

After the SMK cruise, I left with a friend to Jakarta....

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