For some people graveyard is a sacred place. For some other people graveyard is a scary mystic place. But for those boys, graveyard is a pleasant place. A playground, they never had.
–
The size of Fendi’s world is 2 levels of 36 square meters of enclosed space that full of old furniture. He spends most of his days trying to play football while his mother never tired of shouting at him to stop.
“If you break anything, I’ll beat your ass!”
His mother’s threat never makes Fendi afraid. It seems that there’s a lot of ants in Fendi’s pant. Since he was a little, he couldn’t sit still even if he really wanted to. His body aches if he doesn’t move his legs and arms.
“Fendi! Put your ball in the closet! You make a lot of mess in the house!”
Seven years old vigorous boy tried to control his spirit. Obviously, he couldn’t.
“FENDI! NOW!”
Poor Fendi. All he could do was screaming as loud as he could, while running to his tiny room and slamming the door. He jumped, jumped, jumped on his bed to release his excessive energy.
“FENDI! You’ll ruin the bed!”
Fendi dropped his body onto the bed.
“Then let me play outside!” He screamed.
“NO!” His mother screamed louder. “Do you want to end up like your brother?”
Fendi covered his face with pillow and screamed, screamed and screamed. When he mentioned about playing outside, his mother’s response was always the same predictable answer.
Poor, poor Fendi. School holiday was felt like a jail time for him. He missed his old home where there’s wide green fields surrounded his home. There was a lot of space for him to run, jump, kick a football, and scream happily. He missed everything he had left behind. He never stops asking why should they move to this disgusting overcrowded city. They don’t have any house yard. Open the door; take a step over, and tadaaa… you get to crowded streets. When it’s a busy hour, motorcycles march like ants. The other times motorcycles speed like they were in a racing area. The children are not allowed to play outside. The street is dangerous, it’s not a playground, they said. Yes, it’s true. Months ago, the parents still let their children play outside, until it happened; a terrible accident that everyone didn’t want to talk about. Only bad things happened in here. And one of those bad things had taken his brother away.
–
The size of Aki’s world is 36 square meters of enclosed space that full of old furniture. He spends most of his days sitting on an old chair near the window while daydreaming about his old happy memories when the world felt smaller.
“Catch me, grandpa! Walk faster!”
He missed those shouts.
“You are too slow! Even a turtle is faster than you!”
He was willing to pay whatever it took to hear that shout again. Unfortunately, there’re many things money couldn’t buy, and this is one of them.
“You must eat more Grandpa! You are getting shorter.”
Sometimes he forgot he’s gone. He still heard those shouts, but only in his mind. Poor Aki.
Everyday feels like the same. Days are boring enough, but nights are torturing the 70 years old man. He felt that the world gradually forgot him. One person that made him still relevant to the world was taken away by a terrible accident that everyone didn’t want to talk about anymore. It’s just him and himself now. He was alone in the big overcrowded world. Poor, poor Aki.
“Hey! Don’t play in the street! It’s dangerous you know!” Aki shouted vigorously.
The only thing that awaked him from his daydreaming was when some random neighbor boys got really bored doing nothing inside their small house, and then decided to forget about their history and play on the street that never sleeps.
“I’ll call your mom!” Aki shouted with a threatening voice.
Those magical words usually made those boys run like a mice into their house. It’s a very powerful spell, both for the boys and Aki. While the boys were terrified, Aki felt satisfied with himself. At least there’s something he could do for the world.
–
“I’ll visit Dani’s cemetery,” murmured Fendi.
His mother didn’t say anything. She doesn’t like Fendi spending too much time in graveyard but it’s better than making a mess in the house. It seems that the graveyard is the safest place their society has.
Fendi did nothing in Dani’s cemetery, but pulled out the grass and threw it carelessly to the next cemetery. The grass littered the grave of a man who killed his brother. He didn’t mean to take revenge but a little prank won’t do any harm.
“So you are the one who always mess around with my grandson tomb!”
Fendi was startled. He took a few steps back. Aki looked at Fendi with anger.
“A murderer certainly deserved it!” Fendi tried to defend himself.
Aki’s face was black and blue. His grandson was the nicest person in the world.
“Get your fact straight! Your brother is the murderer, not my grandson!”
Fendi didn’t want to have an argument with an old man who probably has been senile. But he couldn’t resist it.
“If your grandson wasn’t speeding, my brother and his other friends would still be here right now.”
“If your brother and his friends didn’t play football in the street, my grandson would still accompany me! It’s a street not a playground!”
“No! You are wrong!” Fendi shouted while stomping his feet.
Aki stared Fendi closely. He’s so ready to say another hatred words when he realized he, 70 years old man, had a fight with a little kid. He felt embarrassed. So he decided to keep his mouth closed, ignored him and started to clean his grandson’s cemetery. Fendi didn’t prepare for the silent treatment. He didn’t expect the old man was given up so easily.
Once again, Fendi stomped his feet.
“You are wrong! Your grandson is a murderer!” He screamed.
Aki ignored him completely. He acted like nobody said anything; nobody was there.
Fendi stomped, and stomped his feet, hard and harder.
Still, Aki did nothing.
Unexpectedly, tears came out from Fendi’s eyes. He cried and cried, louder and louder.
Aki turned his head, stood up and gave Fendi a tight hug. Both of them stood still, and hug each other tight for some time. Gradually his crying stopped, but they still stood there in silent.
–
Since that evening, the graveyard had regular visitors. Fendi and Aki. They said nothing; they did nothing, but sat still next to each other, besides their beloved ones’ tomb. The silence seemed to comfort them.
“Maybe it’s not only your brother’s fault or my grandson’s fault. The fault was in both of them and us as the society.”
Fendi nodded even though he didn’t really understand what Aki said.
–
The next morning, every child on the neighborhood received the same secret letters in their bedroom window.
THE GRAND OPENING OF A NEW PLAYGROUND
No more playing in the streets.
Run, play football, play hide and seek, sing as loud as you want to.
Come and join us in the cemetery at 4 PM.
For the first time Fendi and Aki could smile from their heart. This was the greatest gift both of them could give as a tribute to their beloved ones that had rested in peace.
I wrote this as the third assignment of Power of the Pen: Identities and Social Issues in Fiction and Nonfiction online course from The University of Iowa, powered by NovoEd.
Ketak.Ketik.Ku 