Under the Shade of Mango Tree

Once I wrote a song about mango tree. That was my first song. Actually not the first ever, coz I also wrote some songs few years before for Budi Darma’s Keluarga M, a musical performance for dramatic reading in Vrederburg Fort Jogja when I was with Teater Garasi doing actor studio presentation. But that song is my first single without any purpose, just wrote. I gave it title “The short story of poor mango tree”.

I just remembered, I sat under one of mango tree in Balewiyata, almost rain. And suddenly I thought: how old it was, it gave me shelter from drizzling rain. The leaves are thick and green just like dome of the mosque in the north east of Balewiyata. Green, the sacred color. I remembered Mas Ogleng, in one of our workshop in Garasi once said just like musical notes, some color also gives influence to human perception, just like green gives calm and comfort for eyes, in opposite of red. And I wrote, “Kau seperti kubah masjid itu, menaungiku dengan suci hijaumu … baru sejenak menjulang melampauiku”

Mango tree also gave Paolo Freire inspiration for his pedagogy system. He wrote his strong book, “Under the Shade of This Mango Tree”. He learned to read under that tree, and use it as metaphor for educational system. That book is one of great reference to opened, liberate, and participative educational system. That book drive me to make some classes for kids. Of course I’m not the smartest or brightest one, but I just wanna do something that I could do. It’s easy to pretend there is no problem around or just sit down and doing nothing, someday people will do something for them. But I’m an impulsive person, and explosive one, so yeah, “Whatsoever happened, let’s just do it!” In Jogja I give English and Math lesson for kids around my rented house. I still keep their picture, and I remembered Krista and Wahyu accompanied me in our study tour in Gembira Loka zoo. I try to split my time for college, theater, and that class.

I remembered, in one of Kompas’ advertisement, I saw Butet Manurung doing that kind of class for Suku Anak Dalam, Jambi. I tried to reach her. I searched any information about her and her class. Until I got her phone number from my friend, Acen. Coincidently, Butet Manurung was in Jakarta for her cooperation with Eager. She was so opened to me and invited me to meet her in Jakarta and prepare to go to Jambi with her. I’m in dilemma, coz I couldn’t leave my college. So I texted her, “Wait for me until I graduate.” Alas, I can’t fulfil my promise.

But it was not the end of the journey. Freire’s book encourage me to embrace creativity and fun in one pack for my learning class for these two years in Tunglur. I know how formal school give their lesson in class. And I know many kids do not enjoy the process. So I want to make a class, with kinda different method from any classes in formal school, even though I must take the curriculum from formal school, I don’t have formal training and education about curriculum and education system. Just do it. We play, we sing, we’re doing some researchs, we run, counting gravel, and many more. That class opened for any kids.

I got some harsh critiques when I opened that class for the first time. Some people said I didn’t give proper education to those children, it is so different from any les-lesan around us. They said I was not qualified as a teacher. Some of them also said I was too soft to the children, so it’s just become playing club than learning class. Many more. I have to deal with all the critique. Sometimes I heard, sometimes I just walked and went on.

But after these two years, I got different feedback. I just remembered, Paldaplang, one of kampong in West Tunglur is full of Moslem and known for their fanatic view to Christian. They also known for their abusive children, with their rough attitude, they never give some respect to older and others. I smiled when I heard Zoga, the troublemaker kids give a greeting to older people when he walked in front of them. He is from Paldaplang. Some parents for Paldaplang also said to me this New Year, when they come to my place, “Pak Pen next semester, my kid will be in elementary school, you’ll get one more student.” I’m amazed.

I heard about some children’s attitude improve one to another, they have some responsibility to their tasks, homework or housework. For these two years they are, who known as mischievous children, never took any stuff without permission, I never lost anything from my house, they never stole from it or from their friends. They know the border for private and public space, they never entered my bedroom even if it was opened. And some of them just learned clearer in our learning class and that improved their grade in school. Of course they’re not suddenly become the number one kids, but they’re improved. Our class is far from ideal, but we enjoy it all. I see it also from their loyalty to our class.

All of that things are just connected to mango tree. Under that mango tree I put a big table and chair for their class. Under the mango tree they learned about school, nature, friendship, and life. Under the shade of mango tree we made gobak sodor field. Under the mango tree we learned life is not that perfect. Just like life itself, out class is not perfect at all, but full of joy and happiness. Their parents finally trust our class. The missed that class when it comes to holiday, me also. That mango tree just stand beside us, covered us with its grace green leaves. Sometimes when it fruity times, they climb that tree until the very top, and took some for rujakan together. Above all, under the shade of mango tree we share love, prove that love actually is all around. And people change to be good for love their took, not the hate or bitterness.

This morning I sat down in my terrace and stare the leaves of that mango tree are falling down around my yard. There’s no more fruits, rainy season has came. The fruity season of that tree is just sign of last days of summer, and rain will come, give a new life, new hope. I walked to its runner and touch it. Thank you! Under the mango tree my dream just be come true: my first song, my class. And that mango tree just stand still there, calm and warm, just like mother of life, Eywa. And I was unaware for myself burst into song, “Ijinkan aku berteduh padamu, walau sejenak”