The story of my life (Chapter 2)

My name is Tuti Aritonang, had married and I’m 38 years old woman.

I come from a poor family where our lives are very simple and do not have any valuables or possessions. I have 6 brothers and one sister. I think my parent is a wonderful parent. Just imagine they both had to work hard to meet the needs of their eight children. To buy rice and side dishes for everyday meals must be quite hard for my father not to mention to pay for the cost of eight of our education. As I believe it must be very very tough life for my parent at that time. My father worked as a driver in a travel agency. He often goes out of town and left home and we were up to four days and then return home. My mother was mostly working in the house to take care of the children, cook and do other homework. My mother was also involved in many social activities and church. My mother was a choir teacher and she can play several musical instruments such as piano, guitar and harmonica very well. She has a multi-talented in art and music and she always took the time to teach young children to sing and play music and dance. She taught us as well. Five of my six brothers are singers and they have performed their singing skills in different cities of Indonesia and even often invited singing in abroad such as Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Switzerland.

Unfortunately my parents passed away on their age who has not been too old. My father and my mother suffered of heart disease and the disease eventually cause both my parents died. I and my seven siblings must fight together to meet the needs of our daily lives. After I graduated from high school, I was looking for just any job to get money. I was lucky because I was accepted to work in one of the leading newspaper in the city where I live, Medan, North Sumatra. After I worked at the company almost 4 years, I later enrolled at the university and take a three-year diploma majoring in marketing management. The fate of my brothers were almost same like me. They also needed to work and save money and pursue a better education. Until the end I graduated and I started looking for better job. I have been worked for many companies and my latest work is five years worked for Church World Service, a non-profit organization. My latest work will then connect me with TLM where I really enjoy so much such job. From since I was a teenager, I've been involved with social activities, volunteering and active in church youth activities. I learned a lot alone, including learning a foreign language like English. I never take a course or any formal education because of lack of money. I chose to study at home with my brothers. In my family we were all almost can speak English pretty well, even my other brother can speak German, Mandarin, Italian very well. Everything with a self-taught home study.

The most part I love about my doing is to write about other people who eventually took me to work in non-governmental organizations, first of all as a volunteer. I often volunteered to work as a youth volunteer in several cities in Indonesia and even in other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippine, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. I followed the internship program to work with some youth from several Southeast Asian countries to promote peace and justice, faith-based inter- discussion and dialogue through creative writing. I also often involved in humanitarian organizations when natural disasters occur as a humanitarian volunteer, such as earthquake and tsunami in Aceh and Nias Island, the earthquake in Yogyakarta, the tsunami in Pangandaran, etc.

I really enjoy the activities and my work. Meet with people who are different background, and hearing people life stories especially those who are marginalized and poor and write them to make my life meaningful. Although not much I can do for them, at least to hear then write their survival until they can back to smile again, is something that touching my heart as a humanitarian worker. And the same role then I go through almost a year in the city of Kupang in conjunction with TLM, where I work today. The role that I have still the same, such as to write their stories of struggle for a better life, on how they could out of poverty with a small business that can be developed. Being a translator to office guests especially from abroad who want to meet with TLM clients, and facilitate conversations that could enhance their passion for poor people better life, which perhaps will inspire the guests to find and connect people of good hearts across the world and care for people who are still marginalized and needy life to be care of. That's my hope when I decided to still want to work in TLM Foundation.

The Story of My Life - Chapter 1

There are times when I remember life in the past, I feel overwhelm and wonder as well. Too many memories whether in good and bad times attached deep down in my heart that would never be forgotten as long as I live. Wise man says that the best teacher in life is experiences. This proverb is proven to me. Learn to be still. At a time when I was just graduated from the senior high school, I had been gone with tough life. I have had tough years where I was really learned on how to survive for living and struggled to work on every single day. I remembered things in those years as if all efforts did not work out for me at all. First year after my graduation of senior school, I have to occupy my self for every thing that I needed. Being a laborer in the manufacturing company, in the down town of Medan, was my turning point to learn to respect life more than ever. I could not imagine that I had worthy experiences during the 3 months of working in the site of one of the biggest companies in the capital city. It was a bit short period of working meanwhile it was a bunch of life experiences I gained from it. It was very clear to me on how hard times that I must go through when come to apply of this job. I spent almost a couple of weeks walked down for almost 10 km to reach the company building, every day. I was really had no cash to pay the bus, walk down is the only option I could do. In front of a big gateway crowded with too many youth to apply the same job as I did, to be a laborer. When the gateway is opened, all of us were rushed moving forward to hand in the application letter to who ever out of the gateway. This is happened for almost 2 weeks until one day some one took out my letter when I almost given up to go home. It was around 11.30 p.m. after I waited so long and exhausted. Shortly after that, the security guard was calling my name and asked to meet the Human Resources Department on the day. I’m accepted. The Interviewer is a man with having heavy black mustache in his 30s looked nice and friendly. He then asked me to start on the morning after the day. I felt overwhelming as I rushed off back to home and meet my mother. I noticed that my mom was very happy. She was really helped me to prepare my lunch box during the times of working.

Most of people who were familiar with me are already aware of my behavior. They always said that I’m an easy going person. I like to make people laughing. There is always a reason for me to cheer up and make noise with other friends. While I had been working for a week, many of laborers are became good friends of mine. The struggle we had while we are worked as laborer did not burden us as well. I believe through the chain of friendship enabled us to cheer each other up by encourage and to love one another sincere. Some one has needed to shown some love to others first. Through simply thing we can always show our care to others. I remembered my mother once taught me to do so. By the way at the end of the month, I noticed the busy moment occurred to all employers of the lamp manufacturing. Leaders are shouted and easy to get upset to laborers once made mistake. I finally discovered that the company will receive very important guests in the coming few days. That is why all works needed to be well-done. No wonder the leaders had put the laborers in high tension and treat them exactly like machine. All laborers and I did every single work through extra carefully. One mistake is forbidden. And when the guests were finally visited the company at the other day, I noticed that these people are Singaporean who are made an inspection to the company and to observe the work on us. Something happened along their observation to my friend line. One tall man found out one lamp to be no good. He straight away spoke to the Leader using English (well… it is Singlish) and asked for explanation. Though I can speak English quite good but I chose to keep silent when some of Singaporean did check out the quality of the product in my line. But when they continued grumbling in my line just for one mistake that my friend did at the previous line, I can’t stand it longer for keeping quiet. So I speak up. In English. I spoke gentle and explained to them that we always tried to do our best for every single one of the lamp carefully. But you know something, people is learnt through the mistaken things in order to get the perfect one. Considered us, your laborers as your future assets that can bring you up onto succeed. Let us to have our dignity as a human being instead of your servants. Because I heard you are grumbled too much just because one mistake. In the end of my words I asked for apologize if my words are offended them as well and bow my head as an expression of regret feeling.

I won’t forget this remedy as soon as I finished my words, one of the visitors was coming closer to me and he stuck out his hand to shake with me. His name is Alex Tan. He was showing a bit friendly and nice attitude. Smiling I was given my hand and say my name. He said afterward that he was really appreciated to my words and explaining that this is just one of the couching laborer instead of grumbling them. He continued said that he has impressed to my ability and asked the mustache man to look over my filing document one more time. It was really surprised me to death as I finally knew that Alex Tan is the owner of the lamp manufacturing company. The most part of all wonders is shortly after the guests left the production lines, I had been hugged by all of laborers. They said they were very surprised to see me speaking English with the visitors and the braveness I had to speak out to Alex Tan. Ever since the day part of my days activities had changed. Some of friends of mine are sudden kept their distance away from me. Some are really got closer and stay the same. The heavy mustache man was even more surprised me. Every time he made a walking sight to our lines, my eyes captured him stared at me upset. I have no idea on why he reacted like that but also I did not want to think of his appeal further. He once called me to his room and informed me that Alex Tan wanted me to have better position and there he offered me to be his administrator. But then since I was just working for 2 months and I still need to complete one more month forward to finish my try-out session. He said after I complete my 3 months of try-out, he will later give me sort of examines and re-interview me for the new post. I won’t forget either his straight face when talk to me in the way, flatten and so discouraged. Hemmmm….

During the time one friend of mine was died because of sickness. She was a lovely girl and cheerfulness. We were buried her with a senseless feeling, sadly to know that she was just in her 20s left the world for good. She died because of high fever and found her death-body in her room, alone. Well, that is one of the saddest stories at a time. I myself had used to prepare my conscious to accept of losing the loved ones. As I had lost a father when I was 16 who my family and I are loved so much. Therein I learnt to encourage the rest of my friend’s families when the management asked me to convey condolence before her body entered the grave. I feel at the same time when conveying the condolence, I felt stronger at my faith ever. And I still continued this habit later in past years behind. I was always standing forth to convey the message whenever I’m invited to the funeral.

Back to the story of my first worked experience, when I had been working for a couple of months, my family embraced good news. My eldest brother, Arjon was offered to work in Singapore. He and his group singers are contracted by one of the biggest restaurants in Singapore called Alcaf Mansion. We were really overwhelmed and thanked God for this fortune. As you were not probably aware as well to one of our “Batak custom”, which later had caused me in trouble. When we (all of family members) were send Arjon to the airport leaving for Singapore, I had to take one day off too otherwise my bro will sad for not seeing him at the airport. That’s circumstance I called one of Batak custom. And by having the one day off, the management has fired me. This I called troublesome. When I pledged to win my case, the mustache man insisted that I shall not absent during my period of tried-out unless I was ill and had a letter from a doctor. So I must take this man’s decision and forced me to walk out. But before I walk my steps, when I was back to my line and take my lunch box out of wooden wardrobe, I never realized that many people had surrounded me. Shortly when I turned my head around I can see their faces almost to cry on. I myself was very sad at the time and I was completely feeling down to earth. But I decided not to show this grieve in front of my friends. So I told them not to worry me as I will find another job soonest. And ensured all of them to meet again outside and spend time together. I will never ever forget as well when I walked out, all I can hear is the crying friends behind. They just did not know that I was crying too. I was cried out to God to give me a heart on to forgive any of the management staff in the company. Secondly I cried out so God would help me to find the better one.

I was at home afterward. I’d seen my mother was really helped to fulfill our daily bread through the money that my brother who was regularly sent out every month.

The luck was really brought many changes in our life. I do love my brother as he was done a lot of things in my family life.

To be continued.