PARENTS

Taken from ‘Bungklang Bungkling’, ‘Rerama’, in Bali Post, Sunday, 18obst January, 2009,
a column by I Wayan Juniartha
Translated by Putu Semiada

PARENTS

Just after the cremation ceremony, all the late I Pekak Brondong’s children are gathered and discussed about inheritance.

“I have spent 50 millions Rupiah to make such a huge bade (cremation tower) for our father, so I am supposed to receive all of his inheritance,” says I Wayan Gagendong, Pekak’s first son.

As he had known that his father was rich, What Wayan did was spending his father’s money all the time. He asked for motor bike to his father when he was in elementary school, he asked for car when he was in junior high school and he wanted to get married when he was in senior high school, and wanted to get married again when he was at university.

So what he did was keep asking and asking.

“Brother, don’t you dare to say that! Don’t you know who paid all father’s hospital bills? He had been at VIP room at the hospital for two months due to blood pressure. It was not cheap at all. My deposit at the bank is finished to cover the bills. So, it is me, who is supposed to receive the inheritance.” Says I Made Gauk Saup.

Actually, Made’s deposit at the bank was not really his money. He was the treasurer at his father’s company. So what he did was always taking money from his father deposit box. In fact, he only visited twice when his father was at the hospital; that is when his father was taken to hospital and when he paid the bills.

“Both of you only able to talk. Where had you been when our father was sick? What did you care? In fact, it’s me who had been busy taking care of our father,” Ni Komang Juang Konyang argues.

Komang is the only daughter. She is just the same as her brother. She had not been busy taking care of their father, but instead she had busy looking for inexpensive nursing home so it won’t cost a lot.

Everybody could not believe what they saw: Pekak’s children are arguing about inheritance. So, nobody dare to drink their coffee, nor eat the cake nor smoke a cigarette.

“Well, if they talk about paying for cremation tower, the doctors, and nursing home, then they might talk about paying catering, snacks and cigarettes. And when we hear about this, we might loose our appetite,” says I Kadek Waras Ajebos.
One by one of them now is sneaking out and going home. They all are worried about their future.

“I am happy I have nothing. So when I die, I don’t have to worry my children will fight for inheritance,” says I Kadek calmly.

Nobody says anything. They all understand. It’s not just about money. It’s all about loving your parents.

“I note that their father loved them very much. How come that when their father was getting old, none of them really cared,” Kadek further says.

“Making a huge bade is just to enable them claim the inheritance, nothing else,” they say.


Glossary:
I Wayan Gagendong: refers to somebody who always leans on their parents’ wealth.
I Made Gauk Saup: refers to a greedy person.
Ni Komang Juang Konyang: refers to a greedy person.
I Kadek Waras Ajebos: refers to somebody who is rarely able to talk something good.