Waisak is upon us, and I figured that I would continue my yearly tradition of making Buddhism AMAs after several years of absence. Besides being an AMA, this post also contains an essay about the recent history of Buddhism in Indonesia.
This post will be a continuation of my previous posts regarding Buddhism as practiced by ethnic Javanese in Modern Indonesia, which I have written 3 years ago. However, that post covers the history of Buddhism in Java (and by extension in Indonesia) from the Classical Age of Hindu-Buddhist Kingdoms to the present day, while this post will focus more on the period at the start of the 20th Century (“the Buddhist Revival”) until today’s contemporary age of Social Media.
This post will be divided into several sections:

1. Brief Introduction on Buddhsim in Indonesia
2. The Buddhist Revival of the early 20th Century
3. The Communist Killings and Mass Conversions of the 60’s
4. The 21st Century – Thriving in Social Media
5. Conclusions

1. Brief Introduction on Buddhism in Indonesia

If you haven’t read my previous post regarding Buddhism as practiced by ethnic Javanese in Modern Indonesia, I highly recommend you to do so before reading this post. However, if you don’t have time to, this section will provide a short introduction of Buddhism in Indonesia, an especially among ethnic Javanese.
There is a stereotype among Indonesians that Buddhism is only practiced by ethnic Chinese. While for the most part, this is true, (out of almost 1,7 million Buddhists, 1,4 are ethnic Chinese), this is not the full picture. People are often surprised when they find entire villages in the mountains of Central and Eastern Java populated by Javanese Buddhists. According to Demography of Indonesia's Ethnicity (Ananta et al., 2015), in the year 2010 more than 90 thousand ethnic Javanese Buddhists were recorded in the census. For example, this is a video of an ethnic Javanese Budhist village in Central Java. This is not to mention Buddhists from other ethnic groups such as Sasaks and Dayaks.
Javanese villagers receive monks in their temple
Now you might be wondering, what is the significance of ethnic Javanese practicing Buddhism? To make a long story short, the Javanese serve as an important link between Indonesia’s Hindu-Budddhist past and Indonesia’s current multireligious and Pancasila-based present. Indonesia’s ancient kingdoms left behind many temples and writings relating to Hinduim as well as Buddhism. Many quintessentially Javanese practices and philosophies, such as meditation and wayang kulit stories, have their origins in Java’s Hindu-Buddhist past. Last, but not least, it was the ethnic Javanese, who along with Peranakan Chinese and Europeans, who helped to “revive” Buddhism in Indonesia during the early 20th Century.

2. The Buddhist Revival of the 20th Century

After the fall of the Majapahit Kingdom in the early 16th Century, Buddhism became “dormant” in Java. I use the term “dormant” because while the vast majority of Javanese did not practice Buddhism, certain Buddhistic philosophies and rituals became embedded in Javanese culture and are continually practiced to this day.
As an example, some Javanese, especially those interested in Javanism (Kejawen) and spirituality, stress the importance of semedi (meditation). This is a legacy of both Buddhism and Hinduism which encourages their followers to practice meditation as a way of spiritual and mental purification. Besides that, the Javanese (and by, extension, Malay/Indonesian) term for fasting is “poso” (puasa). This is not the Arabic word which is used to refer to the Muslim obligation of fasting (“sawm”), but instead, it derives from the Sanskrit “upavasatha”. Hindus and Buddhists have a tradition of fasting during nights of the Full Moon or New Moon, which is called “uposatha” in Theravada Buddhist countries.
Thus, during the 16^th-to late 19^th centuries, Buddhism had been slumbering in the land of Java. However, Java’s colonial masters would uncover the island’s ancient Hindu-Buddhist temples. Among them was Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, built in the 8th Century when Indonesia was in the midst of its Classical Hindu-Buddhist Era.
Although the Europeans originally came to Asia as colonisers, the interaction between different cultures and religions fascinated them. The British, French and Dutch in particular were fascinated by the histories of their colonial possessions and proceeded to study them. Some Europeans even became sympathetic with the natives and tried to help them to resist the colonisers’ efforts to convert them to Christianity.
These Europeans would found an organisation called the Theosophical Society. Now, the beliefs of the Theosophical Society are quite complex, and each individual member had their own individual beliefs/religions. But to oversimplify, the Theosophical Society believed that all religions had a piece of the truth and that they all must be studied and respected. Their motto was “There is no religion higher than Truth”. Many members of the Society did, however, prefer to study Eastern Religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as older European philosophies such as Neoplatonism and Occultism.
The Society was formed in British India, but soon spread around Asia due to the colonical connections forged by the British Empire. Soon sections of the Society sprouted in places such as British Ceylon (Sri Lanka) British Singapore, and from there, to Dutch Java. One of the society’s founders, Madame Helena Blavatsky, was particularly fascinated with Borobudur and even came to Java. The Society attracted members of all races: Europeans, Indians, Ceylonese, Peranakan Chinese and even Javanese aristocrats. This process of “Trans-National Connections” is succinctly described and explained in Yulianti’s Book: The Making of Buddhism in Modern Indonesia.
Yulianti describes how the Society was very interested in “reviving” Buddhism in Java, and so they used their resources to foster the growth of the Buddhist community there. They did this by several ways, such as by disseminating magazines, books and articles regarding Buddhism, holding regular meetings in big cities such as Batavia and Surabaya, inviting monks and speakers from other Buddhist countries, and so forth.
Members of the Mataram Lodge of the Theosophical Society travelling to Borobudur Temple in 1925
The efforts of the society bore fruit, as by the early 1900’s, there were a considerable number of native Javanese, Peranakan Chinese and some Europeans who identified as Buddhists. Most notably, when the restoration of Borobudur was finally completed, they were able to organise Indonesia’s first modern day Vesak (Waisak) celebrations.

3. The Communist Killings and Mass Conversions of the 60’s

The mid-20th Century was a turbulent time for Indonesia as well as the entire world. Indonesia experienced the devastation of the Japanese invasion and occupation, the struggle for independence from the Dutch, as well as subsequent rebellions. However, one event which impacted the religious landscape in Indonesia was the so-called GS30 PKI coup and the subsequent anti-Communist killings.
This post willl not be dedicated the fully explain the background of GS30 PKI nor the anti-Communist killings, as they are too complex and nuanced to do so in a single post. However, I will try to give an overimplified description of the situation prior to the coup, especially as related through Clifford’ Geertz’s famous book: The Religion of Java.
According to Geertz, the Javanese were divided into 3 communities: the Abangan who were the rural masses and were often poor, the Santri who were the most Islamically pious, and the Priyai who were the elites and nobility. Spiritually, most Priyayi enjoyed classical Hindu-Javanese culture and many of them were part of Kebatinan organisations. The Abangan practiced ancient Javanese rituals that were influenced by native Javanese, Hindu and Muslim practices but were generally not too concerned with religion. The Santri were the most concerned with Islam and made a living out of teaching religion as well as commerce.
Prior to 1965, the political situation in Indonesia was tense. President Soekarno’s “guided democracy” regime tried to balance off the different factions through his ideology of NASAKOM: Nasionalisme, Agama & Komunisme. However, in reality the different factions hated each other. Among the Javanese, Communism was particularly popular among the Abangans. Meanwhile, the Santri were generally wealthier and many of them owned large tracts of land, thus they considered the Communists as a threat.
When the so-called communist coup of GS30 PKI failed and the Army led a counter-coup, the Nationalists and the Religious took this opportunity to massacre Communists and even “suspected” Communists, which in many cases were innocent people.
Prior to that, many Abangan Javanese were considered nominal Muslims and/or were part of “New Religions” that sprung up all around Java. There is a thesis by Puji Sulani (2023) titled “Konstruksi Identitas Agama Buddha Wong Jawa Banyumasan di Eks-Keresidenan Banyumas Tahun 1965-1998” which tells the story of the Abangan in the Banyumas region who were part of a religious organisation called “Kawula Warga Naluri (KWN)”, a mystical pseudo-Islamic religious movement founded in the early 20th Century with esoteric teachings.
After the New Order took over power in 1965, there was an even greater pressure for Indonesians to register themselves under an “official” religion instead of their local beliefs. Otherwise, they could risk being labelled as Communists and risk imprisonment, or even death. Thus, Sulani’s thesis recounts the process of the Banyumasan Abangan Javanese who were formerly part of KWN and then were forced to pick a state-sanctioned religion.
An Executive Order from 1965 condemning so-called \"deviant sects\" and religions which are not officially recognised by the Indonesian State
Due to their desire to connect with their Javanese Hindu-Buddhist past, as well as their interactions with the Indonesian Buddhist Revivalists who were active in Java’s biggest cities, thousands of Banyumasan Abangan Javanese converted to Buddhism. This process also occurred in many other parts of Java, and the conversions to Indonesia’s other official religions happened, such as to Islam, Christianity or Hinduism. But for the purposes of this post, we shall focus on conversions to Buddhism.
Thus, there was an influx of “registered” Buddhists in Indonesia, particularly in Java. To the best of my knowledge, the areas with the most amounts of Javanese Buddhist villages in Central Java are: the Banyumas area of Java’s southern coast, the mountains of Temanggung Regency, the mountains of Semarang Regency, several areas in Java’s Northern Coast such as Jepara, and many more. There are also many such villages in East Java, as well as in Lampung where many Javanese transmigrants live.
These new Buddhist communities were instructed on the religion by the Indonesian Buddhist Revivalists which I have talked about in the previous section. The Buddhist Revivalists, who were mainly based in the big cities, sent monks and teachers to the villages in Java. As a prominent example, we have Parwati Soepangat, a Javanese Priyayi who hails from a Buddhist family from the Surakarta Keraton. She was very active in teaching Buddhism throughout the villages in Java, and at one point she was the head of the largest and most active Buddhist Women’s organisation in Indonesia (Wanita Buddhis Indonesia, WBI). This cultural interaction helped to shape Buddhist Javanese cultures and traditions which still are carried out to this day.

4. The 21st Century - Thriving in Social Media

After the events of 1965, the Javanese Buddhist community, and by extension, the Indonesian Buddhist community, had its ups and downs. Even though at its peak, the population of Indonesian Buddhists only reached 1% of the country’s population, you have to keep in mind that Indonesia is the 4th largest country in the world.
Various Buddhist organisations of various traditions and cultures sprung up all over the country. You could have Buddhists temples conducting services and rituals in various languages such as Pali, Sanskrit, Javanese, Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese, Tamil etc. Despite the diversity of different streams and traditions of Buddhism(s) practiced in Indonesia, Buddhists are generally united, especially when it comes to Waisak celebrations.
One notable tool that Indonesian Buddhists have taken advantage of during the last 10 years has been the internet and social media. Whereas before, Buddhists who lived in the villages were somewhat isolated from Buddhists who lived in the big cities, the availability of platforms such as Zoom and Youtube allowed new connections to be forged.
An interesting side effect of Indonesian Buddhism’s activity in social media has been that lately, especially in 2023 leading up to Waisak, Indonesian Buddhists have become famous in Indonesian mainstream social media as well. I attribute this phenomenon to two things in particular: Bhante Dhirapuñño and the Thudong Bhikkhus.
For those who don’t know, Bhante Dhirapuñño is a Buddhist monk who is a friend of Habib Jafar. He became popular in social media due to his regular appearances with Habib Jafar in social media, especially during Ramadhan in Jafar and Onad’s YouTube show “Log In”. Due to Dhirapuñño’s easygoing personality and his great chemistry with Habib Jafar, he has become somewhat famous in Indonesian social media.
Habib Jafar and Onad regularly invite Bhante Dhirapuñño on their show
The second event which made headlines last year was the Thudong Bhikkhus: a group of dozens of Buddhist monks from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia who walked on foot for several days from Jakarta to Borobudur to celebrate Waisak. During their trip, they were greeted and cheered by the local Indonesians of the cities that they passed by. It was a great show of interreligious and international solidarity, and it went viral on social media for a few weeks. In fact, the Thudong ritual is also being conducted this year as well, but the route is shorter: they started from Semarang and have arrived in Borobudur a few days ago. This year, they will celebrate Waisak in Jambi Province, where the ancient temples of Muaro Jambi reside.
The Thudong Bhikkhus are greeted and cheered on by local Indonesians during their long walk to Borobudur
Another notable Buddhist organisation in Indonesia is Tzu Chi. It is a humanitarian organisation whose headquarters are located in Taiwan, and it focuses on getting aid during natural disasters. The headquarters of the Indonesian Branch of Tzu Chi is located in Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK). There was a rather infamous incident in 2022 when an earthquake struck Cianjur, West Java. Tzu Chi quickly set up tents in Cianjur to give out aid to the locals who were affected in the ford of food, supplies and medicine. However, some irresponsible folk apparently couldn’t stand the sight of tents bearing the text “Yayasan Buddha Tzu Chi Indonesia” and proceeded to vandalise them. Luckily, this intolerant behaviour quickly became viral and was condemned, and Tzu Chi could continue giving out aid.

5. Conclusions

Buddhism in Indonesia has had a long history, from its peak during the Classical Hindu-Buddhist Era, its slumber during the 16th-19th centuries, its revival in the 20th century, and now it is seeing new life in the 21st century with the help of social media. Although small in number, Indonesian Buddhists continue to play an important role in society as entrepreneurs, doctors, celebrities, as well as the custodians of Indonesia’s history and culture. It is during Waisak that Buddhists from all over Indonesia unite and celebrate the birth, enlightenment and passing away of the religion’s founder: Siddhartha Gautama.
Thank you for reading, if you have any questions, you may ask them in the comments below.

Ok, terimakasih sudah mengikuti perjalan kisah hidupku. Postingan ini merupakan lanjutan dari "Perjalan Hidup Seorang Gamer - Part 01" Masih perkenalan-perkenalan, Drama nya nanti pas di Masa Kuliah yah.

Episode 10: Remaja

Masa-masa SMP adalah periode perubahan drastis dalam hidup saya dan mungkin Episode ini saya Rating 16++ bagi yang belum cukup umur skip saja haha. Di sini, saya mulai mengenal tubuh wanita. Maaf jika terdengar sedikit kurang sopan, tetapi itulah yang terjadi. Saat istirahat di sekolah, teman-teman dan saya sering pergi ke belakang perpustakaan, tempat rahasia para siswa berkumpul. Di sini adalah perbatasan dengan Sekolah Putri SMK. Kami kadang-kadang mencoba mengintip ke kelas putri melalui jendela. Kadang, kami melihat siswi-siswi berganti pakaian olahraga, meskipun tidak terlihat jelas karena terhalang oleh debu di kaca. Kami sering kali ketahuan dan mereka akan berteriak, "Hei, ngapain kalian, dasar bocah gendeng!" Sambil menggebrak kaca atau meja. Mereka selalu tahu bahwa kami seringkali mengintip mereka. Tapi kami hanya lari dan tertawa-tawa.
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Di tempat ini, saya juga diperkenalkan kepada anatomi wanita secara lebih lengkap dan gamblang. Seorang teman membawa sebuah buku dewasa dengan gambar-gambar sensual di dalamnya. Saya merasa campur aduk antara takut, kaget, berkeringat, dan penasaran. Itulah pertama kalinya saya memahami tentang wanita melalui gambar-gambar tersebut. Dulu, dalam pikiran saya, tubuh wanita terlihat mulus tanpa ada yang namanya bulu di ketiak atau bulu kemaluan (jembut). Dan yang saya tahu tentang hubungan badan adalah bahwa seorang pria dan wanita hanya bersentuhan tubuh, lalu munculah kehamilan. Ya dulu saya masih polos.
Saya ingat betul, kehilangan keperjakaan saya terjadi dalam sebuah momen yang cukup tidak terduga (Hmm bisakah ini disebut kehilangan keperjakaan?), Ceritanya yaitu saat saya sedang menghapal pelajaran agama. Untuk membantu saya ingat apa yang sedang saya pelajari, saya sering kali berbaring dan menegangkan tubuh saya. Suatu waktu, tanpa sengaja, tangan saya bergerak ke area 'si Robert'. Saya mulai menggosok-gosoknya dengan secara tidak sadar saat saya terus menghapal pelajaran. Lama kelamaan, sensasi yang aneh tapi menyenangkan muncul, dan tiba-tiba, semuanya terasa sangat nikmat. Saya bingung ketika mengetahui celana saya sudah basah. Tanpa saya sadari, ya cairan putih sudah keluar. Sungguh ironisnya, ini terjadi ketika saya sedang menghapal pelajaran agama. Saya jadi bertanya-tanya apakah ini mungkin adalah jalan Tuhan yang diberkati untuk saya. xD. Pada saat itu, saya juga mulai mengalami jerawat dan mulai tertarik pada lawan jenis.
Di masa ini, saya juga pertama kali terlibat dalam pertarungan satu lawan satu, perkelahian bahkan hampir tauran. Lucunya, saya sering berkomentar tentang anak-anak SMP yang terlihat sibuk pacaran atau tauran dalam berita pada saat ini, padahal sebenarnya saya juga pernah mengalami hal serupa. Haha! Ini adalah masa di mana saya pertama kali tahu tentang hal-hal berbau negatif di dunia. Tapi untungnya Merokok belum menjadi kebiasaan saya saat itu.
Saya sering bolos sekolah, terutama untuk bermain game, seperti main dingdong atau menyewa Playstation, yang sedang populer saat itu adalah Winning Eleven dan Resident Evil. Mama sering dipanggil oleh guru BP karena saya sering bolos. Akhirnya, mama memberikan ultimatum, mengancam akan melaporkan ke bapak jika saya masih sering bolos. Dan dengan demikian, saya kembali menjadi rajin di sekolah sementara. Ada beberapa mata pelajaran di mana nilai saya turun, dan saya merasa ada yang kurang dalam hidup saya. Saya merasa kehilangan sosok ayah di rumah.
Bapak pulang hanya dua minggu sekali dan hanya sebentar. Yang saya tunggu darinya hanyalah cemilan oleh-oleh ketika beliau pulang. Uniknya bapak selalu membeli jumlah cemilan sesuai dengan jumlah anak-anaknya. Misalnya, jika dia membeli ciki, dia akan membelinya sebanyak lima. Eskrim, lima. Coklat, juga lima. Semua makanan ringan itu selalu dihitung dan dibagikan secara adil kepada setiap anak. Namun, saat tiba di rumah, biasanya terjadi kekacauan saat kami semua berebutan untuk mengambil satu-satu. Itulah yang terjadi ketika memiliki banyak anak di rumah, selalu ada saja yang diributkan. Yah hanya sekedar itu, saya pun terlalu takut untuk bertanya atau ngobrol dengannya. Saya tidak memiliki patokan pria yang bisa saya jadikan panutan. Kemana si AA? Sama, kita merasakan hal yang sama ketika itu.
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Hari-hari di sekolah berjalan seperti biasa. Pada masa itu, saya masih merasa agak grogi dan cemas ketika harus berbicara dengan wanita, terutama jika wanita tersebut cantik. Dan tahukah kamu, bahkan disekolah ini salah satu teman saya seorang cewek menghadapi situasi yang cukup sulit. Dia seringkali dijauhi dan bahkan secara tidak langsung dibully oleh teman-teman cewek lainnya. Saya bisa melihatnya dengan jelas. Salah dia apa? Ya karena Cantik, dan tentu saja, setiap cewek di kelas terlihat iri padanya. Bullying ini terjadi secara tidak langsung, melalui sikap dan perlakuan yang membuatnya merasa terasing. Hai kamu cewek-cewek diluaran sana, pengen nanya nih. Apakah benar cewek sesama cewek suka seperti itu?
Setelah beberapa waktu, saya kembali bolos sekolah. Yah dunia game terus memanggilku. Selain itu saya juga sering naik kereta api tanpa membayar keliling kota mecari tempat-tempat game yang asik. Akhirnya Mama mengadukan hal ini kepada bapak, dan malam itu saya dipanggil untuk bicara. Bapak berkata, “Apa yang kamu mau?” dan saya sudah tahu dia akan marah. "Bolos sekolah? Ngapain, kamu merokok!? Silahkan! Kamu berantem, silahkan! Kamu nakal, silahkan! Main game? Boleh! Kamu mau kursus apapun, silahkan! Bapak mumpung masih bisa biayain semuanya! Asal satu, jangan bolos sekolah."Namun, dia memberikan pemahaman yang berbeda. Dia mengizinkan banyak hal, termasuk bermain game, selama saya tidak bolos sekolah. Kata-kata tersebut memotivasi saya untuk kembali berfokus pada pendidikan. Saya menyadari bahwa bermain game masih bisa dilakukan tanpa harus bolos sekolah.
Akhirnya, masa SMP pun berakhir, dan saya siap memasuki babak baru di SMA. Teman-teman baru, lingkungan baru, pengalaman baru, tetapi wajah saya tetap sama. xD.
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Episode 11: New Hobby

Hari pertama masuk SMA, wajah saya penuh dengan jerawat. Saya merasa marah, kesal, dan frustrasi, tapi tidak tahu kepada siapa saya harus melampiaskan perasaan ini. Anehnya, saya teringat teman saya di SMP yang pernah memberi saran saat pertama kali muncul komedo di wajah saya. Dia berkata, "Bro, lu punya komedo? Biar gak keliatan, tinggal pakai ini aja. Nanti setelah makan gorengan, pasti ada minyak bekasnya di tangan. Nah, lu olesin aja ke komedo, biar muka lu kinclong lagi." Mungkin karena saya belum tahu banyak atau mungkin saya bego, saya mengikuti saran teman tersebut. Beberapa hari kemudian, jerawat-jerawat pun bermunculan di wajah saya. Sungguh, keputusan yang ndableg. (Sigh)
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Masuklah ospek di SMA, suasana sangat berbeda dibandingkan dengan SMP. Saya merasa bahwa para siswi di sini sangat berbeda dan wangi-wangi. Teman-teman cowok juga terlihat lebih keren dan dewasa. Beberapa siswi di kelas saya saat itu sangat cantik. Kelas kami sangat kompak, baik dalam pelajaran maupun pertemanan. Kami dijuluki "Si Kelas 7" itu yang diingat oleh para guru disekolah. Guru-guru selalu mengingat nama kelas kami dan senang mengajar disini karena kami selalu aktif bertanya dalam kelas, sangat bersemangat dan juga paling sering berpartisipasi. Sebenernya Kami memiliki sebuah rahasia yaitu sering berbagi jawaban PR dan saling membantu saat ujian hehe.
Pada masa ini, saya diperkenalkan dengan genre musik pop rock oleh teman-teman sekolah dan teman-teman di rumah. Mulai dari Greenday, Blink-182, Rancid, Cranberries, bahkan Weezer dan Sixpence None the Richer, saya mulai menyukai beragam jenis musik. Saya sangat ingin mengenal dunia musik lebih dalam. Saya meminta kepada orang tua untuk membelikan saya gitar, dan mereka mengabulkannya. Saya senang sekali dengan gitar itu, meskipun sayangnya suaranya agak cempreng, seperti suara saya yang juga cempreng (iya, suara asli saya memang cempreng). Tapi saya tetap bersemangat untuk berlatih bermain gitar. Saya bahkan membuat drum dari kaleng bekas agar bisa berlatih main drum. Setiap malam, ketika saya menginap di rumah teman, saya selalu berlatih bermain musik. *7*
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SMA penuh dengan kenangan indah, tapi saya masih suka bermain game dan dingdong. Teman-teman di kelas dan di rumah tahu akan hobi saya itu. Ketertarikan saya terhadap lawan jenis sedikit bertambah, dan jerawat di wajah saya sudah tidak terkendali. Saya merasa kurang pede dan sering minder. Namun, jerawat bukanlah halangan untuk mencoba dan berani lho.
Ada seorang teman perempuan di kelas yang sering berpindah ke kursi di sebelah saya ketika bosan atau lelah duduk di depan. Namanya SENI. Dia memiliki pesona yang menarik, dan para cowok suka melihatnya dengan penuh rasa kagum ketika dia berjalan di depan kelas. Di masa itu, saya hanya bisa duduk dengan perasaan gugup ketika dia berada di dekat saya. Dia sering bertanya berbagai hal, seperti, "Males gw di depan, gw duduk sini yah," "Bangunin gw klo udah ada guru yah," "parfum gw baru nih cium deh, wangi gak?" atau "eh, makeup aku ketebelan gak sih?" Saya hanya bisa menjawab dengan ragu-ragu, Enggak & Tidak sambil tetap gugup dan salah tingkah (Oh Tuhan Sekarang saya lebih percaya diri dalam berbicara, sayangnya waktu itu saya tidak berani melanjutkan banyak pembicaraan dengan dia, entah bagaimana jika saya lebih berani ketika itu).
Di masa ini, saya mulai mengenal rokok dan sering merokok secara diam-diam di atas genteng rumah. Saya sering mengambil beberapa batang rokok milik bapak yang ditaruh di meja. Saya berpikir bapak tidak akan tahu atau mendengarnya, tapi sayangnya, beliau mengetahuinya. "Eh, rokok bapak kok ilang lagi sih? Hayo siapa? Kamu udah mulai merokok ya, Fan?" kata bapak sambil tertawa. Ups, ketahuan! Akhirnya bapak selalu memberi saya uang lebih saat beliau berada di rumah ketika saya ingin pergi bersama teman-teman. Saya sering pulang malam dan bahkan menginap di rumah teman. Mama sering mengingatkan, "Kamu tidak menggunakan narkoba, kan? Hati-hati jangan sampai tergoda untuk merokok yang teman-teman tawarkan. Lebih baik beli sendiri." Saya menjawab iya-iya untuk menghilangkan kekhawatiran mama, meskipun sebenarnya di rumah teman saya hanya berkumpul dan berbincang saja. Oh iya, salah satu teman saya mahir dalam mencukur rambut, jadi saya sering pergi ke rumahnya dan mendapatkan cukuran gratis, haha.
Selama liburan sekolah, saya sering menyewa PS1 karena saya belum memiliki konsol tersebut. Bahkan, saya membeli banyak CD game PS1 meskipun belum memiliki PlayStation. Tumpukan CD game itu sudah cukup banyak beberapa kardus. Teman-teman saya heran, "Kenapa kamu punya begitu banyak CD game PS1, tapi tidak punya konsolnya? Buat apa?" Saya menjawab, "Itu koleksi, bro." Ya, hobi bermain game saya belum berkurang sedikit pun.
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Singkat cerita, masa SMA pun berakhir. Kami semua lulus, meskipun ada beberapa mata pelajaran yang nilainya di bawah 3 (Waktu itu belum ada peraturan batasan minimal angka untuk kelulusan). Meskipun ada mata pelajaran yang nilai nya jelek, kami semua merasa aman. Semua lulus dengan bahagia. Ada banyak kisah seru selama masa SMA yang tidak saya ceritakan di sini, tapi secara singkat akhirnya teman-teman kami berpisah dan melanjutkan kehidupan masing-masing, ada yang kuliah, bekerja, keluar negeri, dan bahkan ada yang langsung menikah. Semua orang memiliki jalannya sendiri-sendiri. Saya pun memasuki masa kuliah dan disinilah puncaknya drama, yang sudah retak makin retak.
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Bersambung...
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Support Penulis, Untuk beli susu anak gan. Disini atau Disini. Terimakasih
Saya butuh bantuan teman-teman semua jika berkenan:
Mohon maaf sebelumnya, saat ini saya dalam situasi kesulitan finansial. Jika anda atau ada teman sanak saudara yang membutuhkan jasa service, Translate, Transkrip Audio/Video atau butuh membuat Subtitle untuk sebuah video, podcast, wawancara dll. Silahkan kontak saya langsung. Mohon infokan kepada teman-teman anda jika berkenan, terimakasih.
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Side Effect
- Andy (Misteri Horror)
- Kemelekatan (Inspirasi)
- Anto: Secangkir Kopi (Misteri)

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