(cerpen fiksi #1) DESA PERUT NAGA

(written & illustrated by Nadhira Fidelia)

Namaku Evelyn, aku tinggal di Desa Perut Naga dengan masyarakat desa lainnya. Kami semua bekerja untuk raja kita, Sang Naga Besar.

Sang Naga besar selalu bertempur, dengan apinya tentunya. Kadang beberapa dari kita berfikir, “dari manakah datangnya api naga tersebut?” Jawabannya adalah dari jerih payah masayarakat di desa Perut Naga, desa dimana kami tinggal dan bekerja.

Api yang keluar dari mulut Sang Naga berasal dari pembakaran tumbuhan-tumbuhan yang kami tanam setiap harinya. Tumbuhan-tumbuhan tersebut akan dimasukkan kedalam Lubang Hitam, lubang yang sangat besar dan gelap, tidak ada satu orangpun yang berani mengintip kedalamnya, karena apapun yang jatuh kedalam lubang tersebut akan terbakar menjadi bara api yang selanjutnya akan disimpan didalam tabungan api Sang Naga.

Jadi beginilah hidup kami, pagi siang malam bekerja untuk raja kami. Ingin sekali aku merasakan hidup diluar sana, dimana gadis-gadis seumurku merasakan pahit manisnya hidup serta cinta. Ah, bukan hanya itu, aku juga ingin bisa melihat keadaan dunia diluar sana, sepertinya mengagumkan.

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Namaku Edward, aku sudah lama tinggal di Desa Perut Naga, bekerja untuk Sang Raja tanpa kenal lelah. Semua orang sudah mengenalku dengan julukan ‘Si Anak Naga’ karena semangat kerjaku yang tinggi.

Selain semangat kerjaku yang tak ada tandingannya, sudah beberapa minggu ini aku memperhatikan seorang gadis sederhana yang menurutku sangat baik hati dan pekerja keras, namun orang-orang menganggap remeh dirinya karena dia satu-satunya remaja perempuan yang paling muda dan tubuhnya kecil. Gadis itu perlu kereta dorong untuk mengangkut tumbuhan-tumbuhan dimana tidak ada seorang pun yang membutuhkannya. Karena itu, semua orang meremehkannya. Gadis itu bernama Evelyn.

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Aku ingin mengambil kereta dorong yang biasa aku parkirkan di samping pohon ek, namun tiba-tiba aku terkena lemparan tomat dari tetanggaku, Reina. Reina yang selalu membenciku lalu tertawa sambil menunjuk kearahku, “Evelyn! Kamu memang lemah! Buat apa kamu perlukan kereta dorong tua itu?! Kamu hanya bisa membawa lima wortel dan lima ikat sawi dengan kereta itu, sedangkan kami semua mampu membawa puluhan dengan kedua tangan kami! Hahaha dasar kamu lemah tidak berguna dan tidak akan pernah berguna!”

Dan, betul. Semua orang yang mendengar teriakkan Reina ikut tertawa karena aku juga tahu kalau mereka semua meremehkanku. Lalu, ketika semua orang sudah selesai menertawakanku dan pergi, aku menemukan sebuah surat didalam kereta dorongku.

Maka aku naik ke puncak pohon ek, dan aku kaget ketika sampai puncak pohon dan bertemu dengan tangga yang sangat tinggi hingga ke langit, dan aku heran karena tangga ini tidak pernah terlihat keberadaannya sebelumnya. Tapi karena penasaran, tanpa pikir panjang aku telah sampai di anak tangga tertinggi.

Aku berada di anak tangga yang paling tinggi.

"Apa ini? Kenapa begitu indah?" kata-kata itu dengan sendirinya keluar dari mulutku.

Oh, aku sedang melihat apa yang Sang Naga lihat. Ternyata aku berada di jendela mata Sang Naga. Aku melihat cahaya matahari yang besar dan indah, dan pepohonan yang lebat. Aku baru tahu dunia diluar seperti apa. Wujudku memang manusia, namun aku belum pernah melihat dan menginjakkan kakiku di tanah dunia. Aku tidak tahu harus berterima kasih sebesar apa kepada siapapun yang menunjukkanku tempat seperti ini. Hadiah terbesar yang pernah kuterima.

Tiba-tiba aku teringat dengan pekerjaanku, lalu secara spontan aku turun kebawah untuk melanjutkannya. Aku kembali mengangkut wortel dan sawi menuju lubang hitam.

Aku sudah sampai di gerbang Lubang Hitam. Aku bertemu dengan Edward, sosok lelaki yang dipuji semua orang karena kerja kerasnya. Aku jarang bertemu Edward, karena aku malu dengan statusku yang selalu diremehkan, berbeda jauh dengan dirinya. Aku sudah lama mengagumi Edward, karena sifatnya yang tidak mudah menyerah dan wajahnya yang mempesona. Tak lama, Edward menyapaku.

“Apakah kau tidak bergabung dengan yang lainnya di taman? Aku dengar Reina mengadakan pesta wortel karena dirinya memecahkan rekor membawa 70 wortel dengan satu tangan”

“Ah, tidak. Aku terlalu malu melihatkan keberadaanku disana. Bagaimana dengan kamu? Bukankah acaranya akan semakin seru jika ‘Si Anak Naga’ ikut bergabung? Hahaha.” Jawabku sambil tertawa malu.

“Hahaha, aku tidak terlalu suka keramaian. Lebih baik aku disini bekerja memasukkan wortel dan sawi kedalam lubang hitam. Oh iya, silakan kalau kamu mau duluan memasukkan bawaanmu ke lubang hitam, aku setelah giliranmu saja.”

Maka aku berjalan ke tepi lubang hitam. Namun seketika aku terpeleset dan kereta dorongku terjatuh kedalam lubang hitam, dan secara spontan aku ingin mengambilnya namun Edward langsung menahan gerakanku dan mencoba menangkap kereta dorong tersebut. Dan ketika Edward mencoba menangkap, dirinya pun tidak mampu menangkap dan jatuh ke lubang hitam, namun untungnya dia masih bisa bertahan dengan berpegangan di tepi lubang.

Aku mencoba menarik tangan Edward. Namun tubuh Edward jauh lebih besar dan jauh lebih berat dariku sedangkan tubuhku sangat kecil dan kurus. Dan aku menengok ke sekitar dan  tidak ada wujud seorangpun karena semua orang sedang berpesta di taman. Edward lalu berkata sambil mencoba bertahan,

“Sudah, Ev. Tidak perlu panggil mereka.”

Aku panik dan bingung, akhirnya air mataku menetes. Sambil memegang tangan Edward dan merasakan urat-uratnya yang tegang karena sedang mencoba bertahan, aku berkata “Maafkan aku Ed, Ini semua karena kecerobohanku.”

“Tidak, Ev. Maafkan aku karena aku tidak sanggup menangkap kereta dorongmu, aku tahu kamu tidak dapat bekerja dengan kereta dorong itu. Setelah ini, aku mau kau pergi ke rumahku dan mengambil kereta dorong peninggalan kakekku di gudang. Ah, aku sudah tidak tahan lagi, sepertinya aku akan melepas tanganku.”

“Edward! Tahan!” Aku mencoba menarik tangan Edward lagi, namun apa daya, aku terlalu kecil.

“Ev, mulai hari ini jangan pernah kau beri tahu ke siapapun tentang kejadian ini. Anggap tidak terjadi apa-apa. Maafkan aku, Ev.”

“Edward! Tolong tahan, Ed! Aku akan coba cari seseorang di sekitar sini yang bisa menarikmu, kamu tunggu dan coba tetap bertahan!” Lalu aku berbalik badan, berdiri untuk berlari mencari bantuan.

“Ev!” suara itu menghentikanku. “Ev! Sudah kubilang tak perlu kamu pergi ke taman itu! Taman itu sangat jauh dan aku tidak bisa bertahan lama lagi, tanganku sudah terlalu sakit. Sudahlah, Ev. Biarkan saja aku.”

Aku berbalik badan lagi, berlari menuju Edward dan memegang tangannya sambil menangis. Tiba-tiba Edward memanggil namaku dan berkata,

“Ev, sudahkah kamu naik ke puncak pohon ek? Indah bukan?”

Kata-kata itu membuatku terdiam. Hadiah terbesar dan terindah yang pernah kuterima ternyata adalah pemberian dari seseorang yang tak pernah aku duga sebelumnya.

“Selamat ulang tahun, Ev. Jangan lupa ambil kereta dorong di gudang rumahku.”

Lalu Edward melepaskan tangannya dan terjatuh kedalam lubang tersebut.

Aku melihat air matanya menetes ketika dia terjatuh, sambil menatapku dan tersenyum. Aku berteriak memanggil namanya, terus berteriak walaupun aku tahu aku tidak dapat mendapatkannya kembali. Aku sadar bahwa aku kehilangan satu-satunya orang yang telah memberikanku kebahagiaan yang akan berbekas selamanya di hatiku, di hari ulang tahunku.

lagi-lagi

lagi-lagi saya duduk disini,
depan saya ada jendela
depannya lagi ada pohon

lagi-lagi saya lupa
lupa sama semuanya
saya nggak tahu harus melakukan apa
saya lupa, saya hidup untuk apa?
untuk siapa?
untuk kemana?

lagi-lagi saya asal mengetik
di temani si nada yang berfrekuensi,
yang masuk ke telinga saya.
saya hanya mengetik,
menaiki bukit dan turun ke lembah,
karena mereka ada di setiap tepi frekuensi.

sudah lah jangan ngomongin frekuensi.
saya sudah muak sama fisika.

mengerti tidak maksud saya?
saya bosan.
saya bosan.
saya bosan.

bosan.
bosan.
kenapa hidup ini begitu membosankan.
saya suka malas keluar dari sudut berjendela ini.
lebih baik disini, hening.

tapi kenapa, kenapa saya begitu bosan.
apakah tak ada hal lain yang menarik perhatian saya?

kenapa bumi ini bulat?
kenapa nggak kotak?
atau segitiga?
saya suka heran.
kenapa buah itu dinamakan apel?
kenapa nggak alp?
atau epal?
atau lepa?

lagi-lagi saya ngomong sendiri.
lagi-lagi.
lagi.
lagi.

lagi.

mikro meter

kadang saya suka berfikir.

hijau.

pohon itu hijau.

berjarak lima ratus meter dari pintu rumahku,

apa warnanya jika berjarak lima ratus mikro meter dari mataku?

apakah tetap hijau?

biru.

awan itu biru.

berjarak satu juta meter dari mataku,

apa warnanya jika berjarak satu mikro meter dari bola mataku?

apakah tetap biru?

indah.

senyuman itu indah.

berjarak sepuluh meter dari tempat ku berdiri.

seperti apa senyumannya jika berjarak sepuluh mikro meter dari mataku?

apakah tetap indah?

apakah semua yang saya bisa lihat dari jauh, sama dengan apa yang saya akan lihat dari dekat?

apakah semua hal dapat saya nilai berdasarkan penglihatan jarak jauh saya?

semuanya tidak berarti buruk, dan semuanya tidak berarti indah.

lihat sekali lagi, secara dekat.

Speech Text #1 (Should There Be A Ban on Using Animals for Testing Chemicals and Drugs?)

So, on september 2012 my friends and I were in Oxford, doing a speech competition and the good news is, we won second place. SMAN 6 Jakarta sent 4 students to compete in speech competition and 4 students to compete in debate competition.

I was in the speech team. Each of us had one script that we made by ourselves.

Here's my speech script.

SHOULD THERE BE A BAN ON USING ANIMALS FOR TESTING CHEMICALS AND DRUGS?

Hello, I’m Nadhira Fidelia speaking for Oxford Youth Elite’s Speech Competition 2012, for all listeners and also for all generations after us. I am one of many participants who are concerned about animal testing for chemicals and drugs that have been carried out since a really long time.

I am here to speak about some awful news and facts that I know from the news, and live from some places and people. Standing here, in front of you all, I want to tell the bad things that have been happening to the animals that suffer just for our kind’s goods.

I am here to speak for the countless animals dying just to give some good things for human’s sake. Knowing that, what makes us humans anyway?

Animal testing is basically making use of animals in experiments carried out for the betterment of human lives. These animal experiments are carried out by universities, pharmaceutical companies and even by students and researchers at medical schools. Animal testing helps in finding ways to help save lives of animals and humans by testing lifesaving drugs and processes.

I am against animal testing because animals can’t speak. They cannot tell us to stop hurting them while we are doing things that we know it’s hurting them. Animal testing should be banned.

I am sad to know that those animals help save lives of millions of humans, but in turn, thousands of these animals lose their lives.

Animal discomfort and death, species-extrapolation problems, and excessive time and expense. While we use all the things that were made by their suffering.

I am eager to say that animals do have rights. They are powerless, so they look to us for support. Some believe animals shouldn’t have rights because they don’t live like the way we live, because they can’t think like the way we think. They’re like babies, animals don’t have our abilities as the best living thing on Earth, so we should take more care of them. They cannot fend for themselves so we need to fend for them. I just don’t think it is fair to test on someone that has no say.

For all the ladies, have you ever realized that the mascara you use, the perfume you use or the lotion that you use everyday, were made after some rabbits’ death? Those rabbits died because of your perfumes before being enhanced. And for all the gentlemen, have you ever realized that the shampoo you use, the tissue you use or the muscle milk you often consume have killed the countless innocent chimpanzees? What would you think if you were that chimpanzee who suffered just for humans’ sake? Would you hate humans?

About 5 percent of all animal deaths by human beings result from animal testing, however, the number killed which is around 500 million is not inconsiderable. You must agree that 500 million animal deaths a year from animal testing is ridiculous. With all the alternative methods there is no reason why so many animals should die each year. Many believe that it is for a good cause because some of the tests benefit human beings. I disagree; a lot of the tests, which are done on animals, can be done on computers or on lower organisms such as bacteria.

I’ve known these alternative methods to use besides making animals as testing. There are in-vitro methods, which are in an artificial environment outside the living organism. Computer simulation of experiments is also a reliable source. Another alternative to animal testing is building databases of tests to avoid duplication. And also the Three-R’s which are: Replacement, Refinement and Reduction. Alternative methods are more cost effective, better predictors of human injury, produce far quicker results, and do not involve animal cruelty.

I know I’m no one but seeing those all, hearing those all, knowing those all, and using some of the things that have killed many innocent animals just make me sick. I know I’m no one but I really want the people that have no heart of killing those creatures realize what they’re doing yet there are alternative ways to do beside making them being tested. I know I’m just a 16 year-old girl yet I’m not afraid to tell the world about how I feel.

Another reason why people seem to agree with animal testing is because a majority of the tests are done on rats and mice. It is true that a large percentage of animal testing is done on rats and mice, however they are still animals. Their purpose in this world isn’t to be tested on; it is to be a member of the food chain and to breed. I don’t think it is fair to judge one animal’s level on the food chain as an acceptance to be tested on.

Have you ever imagined, 5,000 animals are used for each chemical being tested, with 12,000 needed to test pesticides? And without anesthesia or the injection that leads to unconsciousness. Imagine how hurt that could feel? And usually after that, they’ll be euthanized or being injected that leads to death.

If we keep experimenting animals, finally one day it will extinct and if that happens, a huge part of our nature will go. Animals are living things that deserve to live a life given to it. Just because we want a cream that tans our skin or milk that makes bigger muscle we CANNOT kill a living thing that is part of our world.

What would you feel if you were those animals? Being tested without mercy, being a specimen, being stabbed, sliced, injected, locked up and even being raised to be killed. It’s like living without happiness, living with no purpose. Do you want to live like that?

You can decide for yourself, whether you are against it or just a mute spectator to animal testing. Every door has two sides, so does animal testing. It is now up to each one of us to decide, which side do we choose.

Thank you for listening.

what if

1. what if you were all alone and suddenly a cat is running after you?
2. what if you had that feeling to be the winner but unfortunately, at the end you lose?
3. what if you stood up on the roof and suddenly a bird flies through you?
4. what if you were enjoying your time being alone and suddenly a guy likes you and you like him back, but at the same time you still want to be alone?
5. what if you had that passion and dream, but your parents do not support you?
6. what if you were not you?


what would you feel?





(p.s: if you answer positively for number 6, that means you're not satisfied with yourself. that means, you're not able to love yourself.)

despair and desire

the sky is pitch black,

but actually there are billion stars behind it,

even zillion,

that shine with hopes.

i'm just a small creature, 

just a single living person,

with a heartbeat that fends me, 

and with a brain that leads me,

.

.

.

but that's exactly why.

that's exactly why i'm walking,

exactly why i'm breathing,

and why i'm smiling,

because i know,

i know that all stars have hopes.

and i do have one.

----the end.

GLOBAL WARMING – Is More Global Action Needed?

Seeing birds flying everyday through the polluted air, seeing kids lying down on the streets, hearing bad news everywhere which caused by global warming, environmental issues that placed on everywhere inside the newspaper’s columns.

Are you tired of knowing those all?

When you grow up, you may have children, and your children will probably have children. They, too, will need the things the Earth provides. Between the years 1990 and 2000, the population of the Earth may have grown by about 900 million people. By the year 2050, the population could have doubled. Will there still be food for everyone? Will the Earth be a healthy and pleasant place to live? Will there be enough clean water, and will the air be fresh enough to breathe?

Now look around, 80% of world teenagers are smoking cigarettes, every cigarettes can make our ozone leaked, so the sun bright is not resisted by the leaked ozone. It can create a sun storm that happened approximately 10 million years ago that made dinosaurs extinct. So we can reduce the consumption of cigarettes due to help global warming.

Each day passing brings yet new proof that we are now in front of a global emergency, a climate emergency that needs instant action to piercingly decrease carbon dioxide emissions worldwide in order to turn down the earth's rising temperatures and avoid any catastrophe.

We need to eat, to build homes and to stay warm. We farm crops and herds of animals for food. We dig up coal and drill for oil. We cut down many forests, drained wetlands and wiped out plant.  We use up things that Earth provides. But why do we keep breaking it?

Scientist has proven that a single plastic bag needs 100 year to be degraded, imagine every day we use at least 2 plastic bags. There are 6 billion people in this world, imagine that there’s 12 billion plastic bags everyday, imagine how many years that we need to degrade the plastic bag to soil.

Every one of us has a part to play in saving the earth. There are lots of things we can do to help. What can you do for the earth?

It isn’t just the earth who’s been suffering. The people, too, some of us who’s living on this planet has been suffering for years because of global warming that caused health impacts. Malnutrition because of the drought, heat waves and fires caused death, and also infectious diseases like dengue and malaria. Various diseases due to Ebola, hanta and machupo virus are expected due to warmer climates.

Taking care of nature means trying to keep a balance between the needs of people and the needs of wildlife. The world has to be shared. People everywhere are realizing that wild animals, wild plants, and wild places need to be saved. So why you just realized yet you’re not doing anything to help?

There is more action needed to safe this planet from ending. Action should be taken to prevent the environment from these green house gases thus, polluting the air. Today, global warming is the major concern for everyone. So necessary action should be taken.

Many efforts are being made by various nations to cut down the rate of global warming. One such effort is the Kyoto agreement that has been made between various nations to reduce the emissions of various green house gases. Also many nonprofit organizations are working for the cause.

Furthermore, i have these thoughts that seem could help to reduce this global warming issues, although maybe it’ll bring just a little help.

Global actions for global warming, actions that need to be done to safe the Earth. I’ve thought that cars, whose have tons of bad factors because of its fumes, need to be reduced. But not everyone likes to ride bicycles, right? And not everyone wants to spend time walking by feet.

So this is what I’ve thought: hybrid cars. They’re maybe expensive, but it’s worth to use because it helps a lot. Hybrid cars reduce fuel emissions because the hybrid engine uses the battery and not gasoline when accelerating, which improves fuel economy and lowers emissions of pollution going into the air. Hybrid cars reduce smog by ninety percent and use far less gas than conventional cars do.

So i thought that hybrid cars’ price should’ve been reduced for our earth’s sake.

Next, I’ll tell you things that we can do easily. We know the basic actions like avoid CFCs and so on, but there’s more. Unplug unused electronics (because they use energy even when they’re off),  grow fast-growing plants (like bamboo, plus it produces 35% more oxygen than other plants), use public transportations or use your vehicle as a tool against global warming (such as hybrid cars or at least fuel efficient cars), Try using refills instead of buying new jars or bottles each time (this reduces your consumption and is usually cheaper, too).

We need them not just to looked at and enjoy. We need them because they provide us with food and oxygen. If the earth can’t survive, we can’t either! So if you don’t know how to fix it, please stop breaking it! If we do all we can to protect the Earth, its air and its water, they will last as long as we need them. It is up to everyone of us to help save the Earth!

The Earth has no mouth to tell us that it has been suffering for so long time. I’m sure a hundred percent that we all know the Earth has suffered. Is it the Earth? Or is it us that caused all the newspaper’s columns crowded with bad issues? The Earth can’t heal itself, so now it is up to us. I bet you have told to many ones “don’t break the earth” so now let your words pay.