ProLOGUE
This article was originally written by Latif at izzuddinjanaton.blogspot.com on Monday about the trip he and yours truly made more than 12 years ago.
I thought I should give my two cents here, eventhough I have to admit that he remembers a lot more than I do. I am not modifying his, but would try to make the transition smooth to my two cents so that it becomes a conversation.
MONDAY, 26 JULY 2010
SARIAH - BULAN - FATIMAH ZAITON - ABDUL LATIFF JANATON
Latif:
Seawal usia 5 tahun, saya sudah meminati lagu lagu piring hitam yang dimiliki Emak/Bapak. Sering, emak akan memainkan piring hitam bila kelapangan. Antara piring piring hitam simpanan Emak : Tety Kadi, Orkes El-Suraya, Lilis Suryani, Titiek Sandhora dan Muschin, Tiar Ramon,Titiek Puspha, Rafeah Buang, Kak Pah, Andre Goh, Sarena Hashim, Habibah Yaakob, Hasnah Harun, A Ramli, J Sham.
Ya, banyak koleksi Emak/Bapak ni.
Rahman:
Hey, you forgot my fav Uji Rashid and Julie Remie.
How could you! ;-)
Actually there are over 300 vinyls in my collection right now, the bulk of them, of course, are mak's and bapak's. All of them are in working condition including those mentioned above by you. Of course they are all priceless collections, but I think the ones I coveted the most are the 78 (rpm) vinyls. Typically they are PRamlee's and by others, so they are all rare. You are looking at vinyls dated the 50s and earlier. My most treasured Indonesian album would be the one that contains songs like Fadjar Menyinsing, Babendi-Bendi, Gadih Minang etc. I have looked around at Jalan Surabaya, Jakarta for a replacement since a small part of it is broken, but could not find it anymore.
I guess with no TV around then (in our household), the vinyls were our only source of entertainment. We had no complaints before and to me I appreciate it more (that we have no TV then) as we would be able to remember those special nights when Mak and/or bapak would play the vinyls.
Those were the truly special nights.
Latif:
Ingat lagu J Sham tak? 'No 66, Jalan Tampin, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan ..." Kelakar lagu ni, sebab beri alamat rumahnya sekali. Bila remaja, baru saya kenal siapa J Sham. Pensyarah Muzik disalah sebuah IPTA .
Rahman:
Yes, for sure, in fact according to J Sham, this is the only song in the world with the lyric being entirely the content of a letter. I am not sure though if the address existed then, and especially now. We have that album, but nowadays for me it would be lagu Di Pinggir Kali.
Latif:
Tapi, mengapa emak dan Bapak begitu meminati lagu lagu dari Indonesia ni? Saya tidak tahu hubungkait lagu dan keluarga saya. Sahingga memasuki alam persekolahan, darjah 1 dan 2 di Lenggong. Mungkin suasana persekolahan di daerah pendalaman, anak anaknya lebih bertata tertib dalam perhubungan. Bila memasuki darjah 3 di SR KIng Edward VII-1, baru timbul pertaanyaan mengapa nama saya ada Janaton seiring dengan Abdul Latiff.
Kata emak, itu nama keluarga. Saya tak ambil pusing dari mana nama itu datang, tapi katanya, dari Indonesia jugak.
Rahman:
Well, back then I guess Indonesian songs were a bit more classier than ours, and as the big bro in our (Malaysia-Indonesia) relationship, we tend to look up to them quite a bit. Then too, Bapak has a lot of Indonesian novels especially of Bung HAMKA. In my mind, they set the standards back then, and we were playing catching up. Anyway, I thought I remember that conversation of yours with Mak at our Balai Polis Aulong house. But back then I guess, there were more important bread and butter issue than family roots.
Latif:
Apa yang saya mahu ceritakan ini, adalah perjalanan saya dan Rahman, dalam menjejaki salasilah keluarga keturunan Emak, dan bukannya keluarga Janaton.
Sebenarnya , saya takut untuk sendirian ke Indonesia. Pertamakali menjejakkan kaki ke Indonesia pada tahun 1995 ke daerah Kerinchi, lewat Dumai-Pekan Baru-Bengkulu. Waktu itu baru lepas kejadian gempa bumi yang meragut berpuloh nyawa di daerah ini.
Nanti akan saya rekodkan kisah perjalanan pertama saya ke Sumatera.
Dari sini, saya tekadkan , saya mesti menjelajah ke Sumatera Barat lagi untuk menyusuri Nenek Sariah.
Seharusnya sesuatu perjalanan itu dirancang, tetapi, kalau dirancang sangat, selalunya tak menjadi. Jadi, bila Rahman mencadangkan, 'kita ke Bukit Tinggi minggu depan, tapi, kena tunggu I siapkan kerja di Loksemawe , Acheh dulu , nak tak?' Itu cadangan Rahman di awal tahun 1998, 3 tahun selepas saya ke Kerinchi,
Rahman:
My work had taken me to most part of Indonesia, if not all; to the most remote part that you can think off, so I would not bat an eyelid going anywhere. I had been on a boat filled up to the brim with illegals being deported back, and I would have to say the whole boat smell, so I thought going on a social trip on a decent express bus would be something I would cherish. I had a teaching assignment at one petrochemical facilities at Lhoksemumawe, Aceh the week before. By the time I finished the assignment, it was already the weekend, so I thought it was the perfect arrangement. I was shown, while at Lhokseumawe, kampung PRamlee's, but I guess that was the first time I ever took leave continue post assignment and stay on to venture in Indonesia (or anywhere else).
Latif:
Saya setuju aje. Setelah siap atur janji kami, saya ke Medan melalui Kuala Lumpur dengan MAS. Masa tu tambang RM500++ duahala. Rahman dah sedia menunggu di Bandara Polonia. Pertamakali menjejakkan kaki ke Medan ni. Kami berjalan kaki di kota Medan mencari Stesyen Bas Ekspress . Dan dihari yang sama, kami mendapat bas ekspres ALS (Antar Langsung Sumatera) Kira sama taraf bas Transnasional lah. Tapi, istimewa kerana mereka sudah ada Bas 2 + 1, serta dibekalkan 2 bun roti & segelas air mineral. Bas bergerak mengikut waktu, tapi katanya Bas akan terus ke Jakarta, dan masa perjalanan 3 hari 2 malam. Dan kami dijangka tiba di Bukit Tinggi jam 1100 pagi keesokkan harinya. Wah!! 18 jam perjalanan!! Kusut masai ni!
Rahman:
I think it is called Antar Lintas Sumatra. But that's all I can remember, to be honest. I don't remember the bread and the aqua, nor do I remember much of the journey, except in hindsight, how dangerous that that had been. But I guess then we had no inkling on what we had bargained for, for we can't see anything in the pitch dark Sumatran night. I guess you are definitely right about us not being able to sleep. The swaying and the rocking was just terrible.
I think you have better recollection of the journey we took to menjejak kasih, which in hindsight should have been done much earlier.
Peta ini dapat menceritakan bagaimana jauhnya pejalanan yang kami lakukan, dengan menaiki bas dari Medan - Bukit Tinggi - Padang - Medan .
Rahman:
Yeah the journey was far. I am quite sure there was no flight to Padang then, even by Pelangi. But I guess, then, we were much younger, and I would not bat an eyelid to be doing that journey then. Most likely I would not do it again, to be honest and would chose a shorter and more convenient route. I probably would not mind doing it in a private car.
Latif:
Saya dan Rahman dapat seat paling belakang sekali, tak tidur lena akibat hentakkan dan goyangan badan bas bila menyusuri gunung, lurah dan bukit, yang hanya boleh saya bayangkan saja dimalam itu.
Rahman:
I don't think I have any picture in the bus, so I am glad you have one. If you look carefully at my seat, you would see a novel by HAMKA, a famous one at that - Tenggelamnya Kapal van der Wijck, other than, of course Sitti Nurbaya. I was really getting into the culture and trying to understand the psyche of the Minangs and their culture, by re-reading those novels, for the hundredth time, I presume. No doubt on both sides of the family we are budak Minang - so that made us close to 100% Minang, but I guess we were more like the lost generation Minangs!
Latif:
Bas jenis Mitsubshi dengan pemandu utama, seta 3 orang pembantu. Ramainya!! Ya, mekanik dan kelindan bas, dan saorang pembantu pemandu. Jarak melebehi 2000km mengarah dari Sumatera Utara ke Barat, Selatan terus ke Jakarta, menaiki fery melintasi Selat Sunda. Tapi kami hanya ke Sumatera Barat.
Rahman:
They have 200 Million people and can afford to have all the crew they had, and I guess it is a long drive, practically the length of the Sumatra island.
Latif:
Dah berada di dalam bas dan melewati setiap bandar/pekan di daerah Sumatera ini, baru saya tahu mengapa perjalanan begitu lama. Semuanya kerana hubungan jalan antara bandar /pekan, boleh diibaratkan saya menggunakan laluan Lenggong - Gerik tahun 1960 dulu!!
Rahman:
To be honest, I think it may be a bit worse than those roads you mentioned. At least our were meant as two-way road with ample of space on the shoulder, but the road in Sumatra then would barely fit in two cars.
Latif:
Jalanraya hanya mula elok/cantik bila memasuki Sumatera Barat. Itupun satelah menjelang subuh. Yang sangat saya kagum, pemandu bas begitu berhati hati mengambil selekoh dan curam. Waktu solat pun dijaga sepenuhnya.Tiba subuh disatu daerah terpencil, kami berhenti mandi dan solat. Ternyata penumpang sudah bersedia dengan tuala dan berus gigi, serta kain pelekat untuk mandi/wuduk dimasjid. Dan air yang digunakan adalah dari kali/anak anak sungai, atau buluh yang disambung terus memasuki kesetiap kamar mandi . Ini satu pengalaman yang sudah lama saya tinggalkan sejak keluar dari daerah kenangan, Lenggong .
Rahman:
I think we called in Air Palong in Lenggong, which we could find at the end of Kampung Sira. We can only reminisce now I guess for it is gone forever.
Latif:
Selesai sarapan kuih muih kampung, kami bergerak, dan bila melepasi kota kecil ,Lubok Sikaping, kami terus memberitahu tujuan kami kepada pemandu, bersama peta yang kami bawa. Pemandu yang sudah faham dengan selok belok jalan, mengangguk , tanda faham arahan kami supaya berhenti di Kampung Haraban.
Rahman:
I think we did tell the driver prior to the journey that we would be stopping at Haraban. I believe I remember the driver (Pak Supir) being aware of the of this kampung and was told that we would be arriving there very early in the morning. I am amazed that he knew Haraban, and I must say that Haraban is such a small kampung that I would not bat an eyelid if I were to pass through it and not knowing that it is our kampung.
Latif:
Bas berhenti betul betul dihadapn Masjid kg Haraban tepat jam 815 pagi.
Ada saorang tua, yang berdiri disisi Masjid, terus kami memberi salam. Tak pasti siapa orangnya, Rahman dan saya mula bercerita tujuan kami memasuki Desa tersebut. Mulanya agak susah memahami, kerana bahasa Minangnya agak pekat!!
Yang pasti Pak Makmum mengerti tujuan kami, terus dia mengajak kami memasuki kampung. Saya tak pasti kemana arah tujuan. Tapi kerap jugak bertanya, jauh lagi tak Pak? Memang jauh, kalau mahu diulang lagi kenangan itu, saya lebih rela naik motor aje menuju ketempat yang ditujui Pak Makmun.
Rahman:
Yalah, I was lugging my computer with me and computer in 1998 is nothing like what we have currently. It surely felt like carrying bricks in my bag. Beyond that I was also carrying my one-week worth of laundry coming back from the Lhokseumawe trip, but I guess we were all taking it in stride (sort of). Can't be telling that old man (supposedly he was 80 years old in 1998) that we, the orang muda, could not keep up with him! ;-)
Alfatihah for Pak Makmun.
Latif:
Saya hanya memberi nama nenek saya, Bulan binti Tamat(Datuk Junjung, nama gelarannya. Tamat adalah suami kepada Moyang Sariah), dan Pak Larah terus melakar salasilah keluar disebelah emak saya ini.
Kami rupanya harus melapur diri ke rumah Pak Lurah (ketua kampung). Pak Lurah dan isteri menyambut kami dengan senang hati walaupun beliau dan isteri sedang bersiap untuk ke Kota atas urusan keluarga. Tak sangka pulak, dia boleh siapkan carta salasilah keluarga dengan hanya memberi nama moyang kami, Sariah yang mempunyai empat anak, dua darinya Bulan dan Osman , terus di lakar cabang cabang keluarga di Desa Haraban, dan kami membetulkan cabang keluarga di Malaysia. Wah , besarnya cabang di Malaysia, terus membiak melata ke pelusuk Semenanjung dan melangkau ke Kota London dan benua Australia!! Tapi, yang di Desa Haraban cabangnya agak perlahan, tidak seramai kami di Malaysia. Lama jugak kami dilayan, sedangkan saya dah tak sabar mahu melihat Rumah Gadang milik emak kepada moyang Sariah.
Rahman:
Yalah, i was bored when I found out that we were heading to rumah Pak Lurah. Can we not just go to the kampung without having to report to him? Well, I guess, this was not Malaysia and this is the Indonesian way of doing things.
But amazingly, he could list down the family tree at one go, and without much thinking. Everything is already in his head. Amazing. I think the culture calls for close family ties and it is reflected in the attitude of the people. Up till today, I still have difficulty recognizing everybody and following every branch of the trees.
Latif:
Kami menyusuri batas bendang di lereng bukit , tak ubah seperti filem lama P Ramlee dimana mereka menuruni kali dan sawah yang melata dikelilingi bukit dan lurah.
Rahman:
The view was simply breathtaking. 
Sawah all over the place - the whole hill was terraced for that purpose; not a single area left for the lalang to grow - every single space is utilized for crops. I loved it then, and I could still remember them vividly - of coursewith the help of the pictures we took!
Di Pinggir Kali - This is Kampung Haraban with this cooling kali streaming through the kampung. This could be the 60s Malaysia, but it was close to the new millennium Indonesia. Best viewed with the song Di Pinggir Kali in mind.
But you can imagine what I was lugging that day. That heavy bag and another two you did not see - the computer bag and the camera/camcorder bag.
Latif:
Akhirnya , kami tiba di rumah ini.Inilah Rumah Gadang kelahiran ibu kepada ibu ibu kami,Nenek Sariah. Rumah ini terlalu usang, berdindingkan anyaman kulit kayu dan tiang yang hampir reput. Masih berpenghuni, saya kira 3 pupu kepada saya, ya lah, cicit-cicit saudara kepada Nenek Sariah jugak!!
Sebak bila mengenangkan betapa susahnya sejarah kehidupan Nenek Sariah serta Nenek Bulan, yang saya kira dilahirkan disini juga. Saya mendapat tahu setiap kali Nenek Sariah akan melahirkan zuriatnya, beliau akan pulang ke sini dari daerah Lenggeng, Negeri Sembilan, kira kira di awal tahun 1900. Tiada sempadan masa itu, semuanya satu nusantara dan serumpun.
Bersama angkatan kepada emak saya, serta sebahagian
angkatan sepupu dengan saya, serta anak anak buah. Pada mulanya mereka agak kebingungan, kerana tanpa angin ribut, selepas hampir 80-90 tahun, tetiba aje muncul cicit Sariah dihalaman rumah mereka.
Lalu foto ini mereka keluarkan dari simpanan mereka untuk pengesahan bersama.
Ya!! Foto kiriman tahun 1940an, yang masih tersimpan didalam almari cermin di ruang
tamu rumah mereka. Dari kanan, Mcik Midah (Bandar THO) , Gamber beramai2,
Nenek Sariah, dan anaknya, Osman (Polis SC) .
Dan dalam sekelip mata, heboh satu kampung tentang kehadiran kami berdua, dan tak henti henti tetamu tetamu dekat, yang datang bersalaman sambil bertanya khabar, dan memberitahu mereka dari salasilah yang mana, untuk panduan saya.
Rahman:
Actually if I remember correctly, practically the whole kampung was with us. I think the news spread like wild fires - ada orang Malaysia mencari saudara. We were like
the pipers then, and they were following us, from one person to the whole kampung.
The piper - these two ladies were walking too fast for the then not-so-old engineer. He was taking his breath at the back there and simply could not keep up. Ini lah orang bandar - kununnya.
Latif: Di kampung Air Kijang, kira kira 1.5 km dr Kg Haraban, dihadapan rumah Mak Sawi.
Jalan kaki aje kami petang tu, ulang alik dah 3 km.
Rahman:
It's only 3 km? I surely felt like 10 that day! I don't have this picture. I guess the only person I can recognize and remember the name is Mak Sawi.
(Latif: Untuk rekod, anak Mak Sawi -Syafirman, adalah saorang Guru di Kota Lubuk Sikaping, dan juga Ketua Adat dari suku Ciniago. Beliau juga adalah Imam dan Pengerusi Masjid Haraban. Memalui beliau saya bertanya khabar dan mengirim pelbagai bentuk bantuan untuk anak anak Kg Haraban. Syafirman senior 2 tahun, dan merupakan 3 pupu saya)
Kami bermalam di sini. Bertemankan lampu gaselin era Lenggong tahun 60-70 dulu, serta bermandikan air pancur dari buluh, kami kembali kepada asalnya.
Ternyata, wajah wajah kehampaan bila kami memberitahu yang kami akan berangkat ke Bukit Tinggi keesokan pagi. Memang saya sendiri dapat merasakan, sesaorang yang datang dari jauh, hanya bertandang untuk satu malam di rumah kita. Kita akan merasakan, mengapa tergesa gesa, belum puas bercerita dan berkenal mesra.
Beginilah. Yang penting kami sudah membuka jalan untuk seluruh anak cucu cicit Sariah, sekarang yang pertama, dan pasti akan ada yang kedua dan seterusnya. Itu janji saya dan Rahman sebelum kami berangkat ke Kota Bukit Tinggi, yang mengambil masa perjalanan dengan bas (disini disebut bis) kira kira satu setengah jam.
Ya, kami bermalam untuk semalam di Kota Bukit Tinggi ini. Saya merasa selamat berjalan dengan Rahman, kerana beliau sering ke Indonesia, dan pandai berbahasa Melayu dengan lentok dan nahu Indonesia. Serta buku rujukan setiap kota kota di Indonesia sentiasa didalam tangan beliau.
Rahman:
Well, it took me a couple of trips to the small room (read: interrogation room) of the Immigration dept of Indonesia to really get acquainted with them. Obvious my Indonesian is not perfect, but good enough to get me out of jail, so to speak. I think I can easily say I am one of them, especially if I were to say I am from Riau. Most likely they would not be able to detect my Malaysian slang, but sometimes they do wonder about my peculiar slang. Only once I was caught in my charade, but that's another story.
Like everywhere else, they will loosen up to you if you speak their language.
Latif:
Pertama kali ke sini, teruja jugak bila melihat Jam Gadang dan Istana Pagarruyungnya.
Di Istana Pagarruyung. (Istana inu sudah terbakar keseluruhannya 2-3 tahun yg lalu)
The new generation of anak-anak Minang pondering on the past. Pagarruyung is the place where bapak side of the family came from - the Jenatons that is.
Bersambung
EPILOGUE
Honestly looking back, I am glad our great grandparents made the journey back then to Lenggeng. Had they stayed back, I guess we would not have the lives that we currently enjoyed, if at least in material wealth. Life in Haraban is difficult. No electricity - and we were only a couple of years to the new millennium. No piped water either. No television, though we experienced this ourselves in Lenggong.
But the Haraban folks are the most humble and big-hearted people I have ever met. They treated us like one of them, even when we should have been strangers to them. They may not be rich in material wealth but certainly they are rich in budi bahasa.
In fact they treated us like we were kings, when we should have been just like one of them.
Confused? I am.
To be continued.
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