Image by: Pixabay
Hundreds of Pipit birds fly from Telkom hilltop. Flocks of birds then maneuver in the air, snaking like snakes and swooping into the paddy's fields. The pipits then eat one by one the grains of padi. There are also among the birds who are greedy and try to bring a single straw of padi in its beak.
"Uuuuurrrraaaahhhhh ..." shouted a farmer from rangkang. Rangkang is the name of the hut in the Aceh language, which is built on paddy's fields. It is in this shell that the peasants watch and wait for their padi. Rangkang wall is made from rumbia heap that grows much in the region of Ulim. While the pillar of rangkang is made from coconut trunks.
Several pipits flew into the air as they heard the farmer's outrage. While the other dozens still survive and jump from one stalk to the other padi stalk. The farmer was upset. He grabbed a slingshot that had been hung around his neck. The farmer then pulls the catapult and releases the stone toward the pipits group. "Wusss ..." One pebble sized of marbles is almost hit a Pipit bird.
The bird was surprised and then flew into the air. That bird then hovering in the sky looking for flocks of other Pipit birds.
"Wusss ..." One stone flew back to the right side of the Pipit bird. Apparently, the farmer was really upset with these winged animals.
"Krengteng .... krengteng ... krengteng ..." The sounds of cans filled with rocks rang out from the other rice fields. The pipits panicked. The birds was exhausted flying from one field to another. Telkom hill is still far away. As far as this little bird's eye seeing.
There are hundreds of hectares of rice fields that every day become the target of Pipit to support their children's food needs. Of the hundreds of hectares of that rice fields, half a hectare of which is belongs to Abu Geuchik.
The small plot of paddy field planted with this padi, is a legacy of the family who is now the responsibility of Abu Geuchik. Many Ulim residents look busy when the harvest season arrives. These include Abu Geuchik and his "little" family. Abu Geuchik usually gets extra power from Pocut Aisyah to manage the rice fields. He can also breathe a sigh of relief when his five daughters participate in the fields.
The number of family members of Abu Geuchik makes it easier for this man to manage the paddy field, which is of little size. Abu Geuchik is usually assisted by Pocut Aisyah to plant and care for rice. He also received help from five of his daughters to plow the paddy fields, drive out the birds, and irrigate the fields.
If the harvest season arrives, Abu Geuchik and all villagers are off from all the side activities. They crowded down to rice fields to harvest rice. Usually before the padi is cut, the villagers sit in the village hall. The location of this hall is just behind Nora's house. This hall is a place where citizens often counsel to determine which fields are harvested first.
Although members of the family of Abu Geuchik are quite able to harvest their own crops, but the man continues to meusueraya (cooperate) with other residents. According to Abu Geuchik not only the necessary results in every harvest season arrives, but also togetherness and cohesiveness of citizens need to be built in order to feel hard and happy together. In addition to a sense of togetherness, harvesting rice with all the citizens also help the poor people in the village. Especially for those who have no agricultural land. Working together harvesting rice also helped to minimize the pest rodents, who that so disturb the farmers.
This habit also makes the area of Ulim rice field similar to the people's market when the harvest season arrives. Men and women of all ages are seen in the fields. So are the children like Dahri, Nora and peers.
The peasants in Ulim village also often shed their rice directly in the rice fields. Later, the newly purchased rice thresher machine will be responsible for separating the grains from the branches. The grains were then taken to the milling warehouse to get the final result: a rice.[] (to be continue...)
Read to:
This paper is just a fiction. The idea of stories, places and events is only the author's imagination by taking the background of Aceh's flow during the conflict. If there are names of characters, places and the same storyline, just coincidental. This fictional story I dedicate to my family.
THANK YOU FOR READING MY POST