Pak Bandrio’s August 17th Present
Pak Bandrio’s August 17th Present Subandrio’s latest love was in old age without the romance of young people in love. His hair was turning grey, his eyes, his sight, his looks, his strength, … were declining But among all men, he, who was still in prison, blamed, avoided by many people, was chosen, elected to be her husband.
Subandrio, political prisoner with a death sentence, was minister during the reign of President Sukarno. He is very lucky, people said. He was granted clemency and freed from the death penalty. Now he again was pardoned from imprisonment for life and has a loving wife who freed him as Savitri* did, who freed her husband from Yama, the guardian of Death.. She was so grateful, so happy facing a better, sunny future when he, Pak Bandrio even at the age of 81 just could be released and come home. Is there a grander present granted him and her? Contrary to what is common in marriages, their love was still growing in old age, despite his imprisonment. She couldn’t help the tears from falling down.
I don’t know whether all this, is so. I just imagined, pictured her and him, to be so.
From Ekonomi Neraca, August 25, 1995
* The heroin in a story of the Mahabharata.
