Now..the giant is about to wake..... courtesy of AP/Photo


Yukiyo was twenty-six. He never traveled too far from Balerante a tiny village down the gigantic mount Merapi, the most active mountain here in south east Asia. Lived in a home-like barn with his wife and three kids, perhaps create a unexplainable rapture that I should never ask. And I won’t dare to ask either of how choices comes to people’s life. I’d rather watch, listen and try to learn from this sight.

This family jolted along with thousand villagers who should be evacuated as the giant Merapi begins its motion. The golden lava melt down through all passage, it flows rapidly down the volcano’s slopes. But I got amazed when he refuse to be evacuated from a place which almost showering tephra and gases in the air everyday. And it seems it would be no great matter if they were to miss the last truck used to evacuate villagers.

"It happens all the time, this giant won’t harm us. We won’t leave this place," said Yukiyo in somber tone

And just like all other Javanese, Yukiyo’s decision as the head of the family always mean order for the whole members, wife and kids. I try not to argue about this and just listen to all explanation he said. Above all term he use to explain, there’s a huge worries that I captured from his eyes. Worries of losing assets, mostly cattle he grown, farm and the barn. How could an assets compares to human’s life? That’s the biggest question inside my head. If I were him, perhaps I’ll run as far as I can go to avoid the anger of Merapi. In another angle, perhaps I could understand why he thought this way.

Most Indonesian have to struggle more than anyone could understand, just to posses one single cow or a goat. Villagers mostly depend their life as a farm labor earning dime to dime just to run their own tiny farm. Perhaps, land is somekind of inheritance assets to the villagers, but convert them to produce crops need lots of cash, which this people won’t able to touch unless work as a labor first. And from their own farm, they finally can afford to buy cattle which sometimes shown as a precious assets.

"I won’t leave the cattle, they’ve serve us more than enough. This cows and goats truly part of our life, and there’s no adequate reason to left them behind. If we leave them, it always mean we’ll lost them. And there’s no way for us able to buy them again," Yukiyo said in anxiety.

I sat on the concrete platform, somekind of water tank to irrigate Yukiyo’s small farm. In distance I saw Yukiyo’s youngest child, five years-old Dama leading seven goat to its home. His round brown face reflect mirth everythime he talked to the goats. I thank God I captured this view, lookin shiny glass eyes staring at one of the goat while he keep babbling words. Dama rub and hugs the goat back gently, and called this goat "Surip"

"Wow…that’s your goat name?," I asked Dama.

His shiny glass eyes stared at me now..then he nodded deep. Yukiyo smile and said to me,
"How could I separate Dama from his friends. I won’t able to see his shiny glass eyes anymore, he will torn apart. While all the strength I'll need to fight, I'll find inside his eyes. This won’t be easy for me," Yukiyo said.

I just smile to him, and always wish for this family safety. Since I know, no one will able to convince them to move.