My Tarzan

Today I want to tell you how incredible my father is — a farmer and a true Tarzan.

One afternoon we went to the hills near our home. I was still small. We were going to look for a beehive, because my father said this was the month when bees make their honey.

We walked along the hillside through the trees, finding all kinds of wild vegetables and fruit along the way, eating them right there as we went. After an hour of walking we reached a towering tree. I looked up and there were thousands of bees swarming around their hive. In my little child's mind I couldn't imagine how my father would ever get up there.

He explained how he would harvest the bees — he said: "I'll do it at night, preparing dry coconut leaves to burn, using the smoke to drive the bees away, and a big bucket with a rope" — so he could bring the honey down. But he would have to climb that enormous tree with no protection whatsoever. I admired him so much for that. As if the forest was his oldest friend, and he always knew exactly what he was doing there.

I remember asking him once what he wanted to be when he grew up. He answered: "I want to be a FARMER." Farming was his life, his breath, his strength. As if he was born for it.

He is my Ayah — my father.

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Tarzanku

Hari ini aku akan menceritakan betapa kerennya ayahku — seorang petani dan tarzan sejati.

Suatu sore kami pergi ke perbukitan di dekat rumah kami, aku masih kecil saat itu. Kami akan mencari sarang lebah, karena kata ayahku bulan ini adalah bulannya lebah menghasilkan madu.

Kami menyusuri lereng bukit yang penuh dengan pepohonan, menemukan banyak sayuran dan buah liar yang langsung kami nikmati. Satu jam berjalan, kami sampai di pohon yang menjulang tinggi. Aku mendongak — di sana ada ribuan lebah mengerumuni sarangnya. Di pikiran kecilku, bagaimana ayahku akan sampai ke sana?

Ayahku bercerita bagaimana memanen lebah. Dia berkata: "Ayah akan memanennya malam hari — menyiapkan daun kelapa kering untuk dibakar, asapnya untuk mengusir lebah, dan ember besar lengkap dengan tali" — sehingga dia bisa menurunkan madunya. Namun ayahku harus memanjat pohon setinggi itu tanpa pelindung apapun. Aku mengaguminya. Seolah hutan adalah sahabat lamanya, dan dia selalu tahu apa yang dia lakukan di sana.

Aku ingat ketika bertanya padanya apa cita-citanya. Dia menjawab: "Aku ingin menjadi PETANI." Petani adalah hidupnya, nafasnya, kekuatannya. Seolah dia terlahir untuk itu.

Beliaulah Ayahku.