Goodbye from Tini
The translation of Agus Dermawan T’s Indonesian short story “Tabik dari Tini” by Tjahaja.
My mom had just spread flowers on Tini’s grave, which was no longer clear. The rose, ylang-ylang, and ivory flower petals were delicately sprinkled and beautifully arranged. Red flowers were gathered, and yellow flowers were gathered. Beautiful. At first, mom doubted whether it was really Tini’s grave that she was looking for because the small cemetery in Kebalen hamlet in the Rogojampi sub-district had long been neglected. A few dozen years ago, it was said that the ground had sunk, and they tried to reclaim it. It was even said that there had been a pile of bodies in the same grave because many people who died did not find a new burial place.
The news about the exact location of Tini’s grave came a few years ago. The certainty began when a motorcycle dealer from Surabaya wanted to buy the cemetery land to construct a building for a motorcycle and spare parts warehouse. However, the community around the cemetery rejected this intention by spreading various mystical rumors. Among them was information that they often saw a spirit emerging from the cemetery on certain nights. The spirit floated and then stood under the mustard tree at the door of the small circle of the cemetery. It’s like she’s keeping watch so that the grave won’t be…
