That was happened from 1986 to 1995. At that time I went back and forth to Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary and several other prisons. Therefore, I made my social activities as my services to the inmates. The Prison was then still barren, no shady trees there. Then I took initiative to seek help for greening Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary, and got aid from Crops Research Board of Puspitek (Research Center for Science and Technology). There were tens of fruit trees of various kinds such as mango, guava, coconut and others.

When I was imprisoned at Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary in 2010, I saw the trees were already high, shady and bear much fruit. I couldn’t buy anything in the cafeteria or in front of the prison. I was not allowed to buy anything from where there was a flow of money from a crime. While in prison undoubtedly there is a lot of illicit money flow. So all the food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all were brought from home, including drinking water. But the special one was, that all the fruits grow in Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary were allowed to be eaten, said God, because the trees derived from my efforts.

So, I was very happy to eat the sweet guava fruit and the fruit were a lot. My assistance Ernawati, diligently picked the Guava fruit for me. Because that was the only halal food for me in prison, then I really enjoyed it. It was the time for me to enjoy my previous endeavor.

If I had never been asked by Mr. Ismail Saleh to teach dried flowers in the prison, maybe I was scared to be in jail when I had to go through it. It seems that God made me go through from one prison to another prison to make my social activities as a service to prisoners and ex-prisoners, in order to prepare my psychological state when I should face imprisonment. And truly, it could make me endure the condition. I have been familiarized with the smell of prison and the milieu before I was imprisonment. That is the wisdom.

Thus, when I was threatened to go to prison, it was not difficult for me to sincerely accepted it. Moreover, I knew the risk of conveying God’s Mandate to the public. I undoubtedly have to take all the dangers.

When I entered in Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary, some of the officers still recognized me well, including the Head of the Prison.  And maybe, because I once had ever taught there, then I was treated well. The former head of Workshop, Madam Sarmi still recognized me well, and she treated me happily. I was often touched when she told me the times when I taught there in the past. And she still kept all the tools that I bought for the workshop. Thus, we enjoyed our moment together holding one more time the dried flower lesson for the prisoners in there. The difference was at that time I also had already become an inmate.

I went through my quarantine’s period by being alone in my room. And afterwards, I was still the only one who occupied it. And that was a privilege to me. So I should be grateful to the late Ismail Saleh who had asked me to teach there. I once ask Mr. Ismail Saleh for support to build Dry Flower Workshop at Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary, and he agreed. And then I was granted with the fund.

However, when I reached at Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary, I saw that the dried flowers laboratory room in that Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary was not well maintained, it became a warehouse of abandon stuffs. And the prisoners said to me, that place used for sneaky drug activities or courtship between inmates.

And I felt so guilty if I let that happen continuously, because I was involved in the setting of the room. Luckily I was asked by the Head of the Prison to teach dried flowers for the inmates. And Mrs. Etty, the Head of the Prison at that time, allowed me to renovate that dried flowers laboratory.

After I sought the funding from Eden’s friends, I gradually tidied the room. And so it became my classroom to teach there. My dried flowers class was just like an international class, for my students were from Iran, Thailand, Malaysia, Nigeria and others.

I taught dried flowers while introducing idealism to the principles of flower arrangement and I made it into a book, so when I got my freedom they still had my book that could be learned.

Martha Tilaar had ever come to visit me. And then she accommodated the cards made by my students and marketed it. But since I was free, I doubt whether the quality could still be maintained and fulfill the standard of her sense. But anyway I say thanks to the kind Mrs. Martha Tilaar.

In Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary I was placed in Melati block, the same block as Ola, the queen of shabu drugs who was once notorious for getting a clemency from Soesilo Bambang Yudoyono (Indonesian former President).  Ola is indeed lucky that she could get a clemency. For actually Ola, “the general”, is the prison’s thug in Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary, it seems that all people are frightened of her including the wardens.

I wonder why many wardens willed to make good testimony for her, so she was entitled to be given a clemency, and she also succeeded to pass through all procedures to get clemency from the President. Whereas, all people know who she is. But what can we do, she has already received the clemency. In Indonesia luck indeed can be bought.

When I was in Pondok Bambu Detention Center I was placed in a crowded room, but in Tangerang Women’s Penitentiary I got a room for myself. I didn’t ask for it, suddenly I got that room and no other inmates stayed in that room until I was released. I just guessed, maybe I got that privilege because in the past, I once taught a lesson in that prison. And since I was alone there, then I wanted to renovate my room to make me feel comfortable. And I got the permission. Here is my room after it’s renovated:

I was allowed to replace the squatting closet to sitting closet due to my old age and I could not squat any longer, and I could not stand up after squatting. So I was allowed to replace it with the sitting closet.

Kamar ini biasanya diisi lima orang. Bayangkan, ruang sekecil ini kalau diisi lima orang. Untung aku hanya sendiri di sini. Dan aku menggunakan waktu banyak untuk menulis di kamar ini, terutama untuk menulis buku dan Pewahyuan.

This room was usually occupied by five persons. Just imagine, if this small room occupied by five persons. Fortunately, I was just alone in this room. And I spent most of my time in this room for writing, especially wrote books and Revelations.

Aku tak dipermasalahkan merenovasi kamarku ini, karena semua yang ada di kamarku itu bukan barang mewah. Apa-apa yang kupajang adalah buatanku sendiri atau buatan teman-teman di Eden.

I got not any problem in renovating my room, for all stuffs in my room were not the luxury ones. Everything I displayed in the room was self-made or a creation of my friends in Eden.

Thanks God, I am free, hooray….!

This is My Poem

Riding on the train everywhere
It isn’t like riding on a prisoner vehicle from prison to prison
I am free, ha..ha..ha…I am free
To be a free man doesn’t mean free in every way
I am still shackled in perverted accusation

However it is hard to free myself from that accusation
Before God proves that I am right

 Freedom means nothing without freedom of beliefs.

In This Cell I Communicated with Hendra’s spirit, the mutilation murder victim

I endure to state that Archangel Jibril the Holy Spirit is with me, why? That’s because I have already pushed into the corner. For 20 years I have been cornered by people for having jinn as my companion who stated himself as a fake Jibril. However, all the teachings given by Jibril unto me have always been full of wisdom. So, why should I doubt?

And he has taken me to another world completely, without being able to return to my previous world. Anyway I am already 68 years old, what is the aim to look for the meaning of life in other way? Rather than feeling sleepy, nothing else to do, I’m writing this. It is about my memory  having in touch with a supernatural while I was in prison.

Continue reading →

Gudeg was just mediocre for me before, until I found  ‘gudeg Bude’ at Pasar Kaget (a market that only open for a very limited hours a day in the morning). In Senen area there are lots of traditional markets, one of them is Poncol market. I like to eat side food and love to look for a place of good and cheap side food.

Long before that, I once thought why in Jakarta there are many places that sell side foods, which are not too good yet the price is quite high. I once lived in Surabaya and for a while stayed in Malang. In East Java, there are lots of street-foods that I like and they are cheap. If I go to Surabaya or Malang, I always buy side food. I love East Java food, for besides it is good, it also cheap.

In Malang, we called the cwi mie (typical noodle soup from Malang city) vendor who positioned at Ijen street, to bring his cart to the place we stayed. At that time, for the entire occupants in the house we only spent Rp. 50.000, since the price for a bowl was only Rp. 2.500. I am not sure how much it is now. Maybe four or five thousands per bowl. But clearly, it won’t be expensive. Looking for a cheap and such good side food in Jakarta seems non-sense.

But, do you want to know, at Poncol Market, there is a fat woman, usually called just as ‘Bude’ (auntie), her ‘gudeg’ is delicious. Eden’s members often bought me ‘auntie gudeg’. Complete ‘gudeg’ consists of one piece of chicken wing, a pinch of ‘gudeg’, a pinch of ‘krecek’, a pinch of cassava leaves, the price is only Rp. 7.000. if you order chicken thighs, add some more Rp. 1.500, so it all cost Rp. 8.500. By the way, rice is not included!. If you order with rice, it cost Rp. 10.000.

If we have a celebration, to add some menu, we order ‘auntie gudeg’. It makes the menu varies without spending too much money. The ‘krecek’ is awesome.

But what I want to write here is that her sincerity in selling her food. Just imagine, when the price of beef-meat has risen up, so is chicken, she keeps the price of Rp. 7.000. Because we are her loyal customer, sometimes she even adds some more vegetables.

Until recently I found out that we still pay for Rp. 7.000 for the complete ‘gudeg’, I shake my head. In Jakarta, there is ‘gudeg’ and the price is only Rp. 7.000? And it is amazingly delicious!
Then I think, such poor person, she is still sincere in selling her food. And when I think of the rich businesswomen and become socialite, could they be equal with the ‘auntie’ in terms of sincerity in selling their merchandize, consistently just taking small amount of profit from the merchandize that are loved by many people.

So, we always have to queue if we want to buy her ‘gudeg’. In my opinion, the ‘auntie’ is not money oriented and she is a socially concerned person. If we should categorize her, the ‘auntie’ is the socialite in Poncol market.

There is no certainty without hard work and sincerity. There is no nobility without appreciation. There is appreciation if someone doing something pleasing other people. But it is the sincerity that make it happens

Our head of RT’s  (Neighborhood Watch) name is Mr. Rudy. He always happy if he is asked for help, he never hesitates or not willing to help. One day Peter went to his hometown. And our garbage was piling up because of the absent of Peter. Then our head of RT maybe felt uncomfortable seeing the pile of our garbage. And he tried to replace Peter. He pushed the garbage cart to the front of our house and he emptied our garbage.
Seeing that we feel awkward, why he did that. Surely because he felt responsible inside his heart and that feeling made him humbly replace Peter’s job. Without any intention, except he wanted to see his neighborhood free of a piling garbage.

We never find any head of RT who cares about our garbage that made him push the garbage cart up to the façade of our house and clean our garbage totally. If we give him tip then it is not appropriate. Then what should we give him, except our sympathy and happiness for having such good head of RT.

One day, we cook another fish and dabu-dabu for Peter. And our daughter, Sejati, looked around for Peter, from the office of RW (community watch), up to the hangout place of the security men, she couldn’t find Peter. Then she met the head of our RT, he asked: “what’s up?”

Sejati answered, “Looking for Mr. Peter to give his rice”. Rudy said, “Just give it to me, I give it to Peter later.”

The next day, when Peter went back and took away our garbage, I asked, “Do you like the fish that I gave yesterday?”.

“I like it, mam.” He answered with flat voice. “But I felt hesitate, since Mr. Rudy looked around for me bringing the rice”.

Supposedly Peter felt uncomfortable since Mr. Rudy looked around for him, now I also feel the same way thinking the sincerity of our head of RT.

What I want to write here is the typical characteristic of sincerity, when it flows through one sincerity toward another sincerity. And that sincerity answers each other and becomes touchier. And I enjoy it.

There is no sincerity that is made up. There is no kindness before sincerity rise up.

In Jakarta it is difficult indeed to look for a sincere person. I always stay at home, therein I watch people’s character surrounding me. Such as Mr. Peter, the dustman from our neighborhood. His character is hard to understand, he never smiles and doesn’t need any attention. Like he lives in a jungle. He is totally unfriendly and he never needs any help.

One day, when he was collecting our garbage, I asked him,
“We are cooking rice and rawon (black beef soup). Would you like some, Mr. Peter?”
“No?”, he said without smiling.
I was surprise, then I asked him, “Why? Isn’t rice and rawon is delicious?”
“I am not Javanese”, he said.
“Then, where are you from, Mr. Peter?”, I asked.
“From Manado”, he answered still with a flat voice.
“If we cook bubur Manado (Manado porridge), would you like some?”
“O, then I would like some if you cook it.”

That’s it, that day ended without warm communication with Peter. Then I asked Eti to cook Manado porridge, so I could share with Peter. And we sent him the Manado porridge. And when I saw Mr. Peter, I asked him once again, “ Do you like the Manado porridge?”

“Ya, I like it, just need a little bit more spicy”, he said with a little bit warm voice.
Then I informed Eti that if she cooks Manado porridge, put some more chili to the sauce for Mr. Peter. After added some more chili, I asked him again,
“How is the Manado porridge, does it suit your taste?”
He laughed cheerfully and said, “ Ya, it suits my taste indeed! The last one, it was amazingly tasty. Reminds me of my hometown!”

That was the first time I saw Peter’s relieving laughing. Then I was more motivated to make him happy. I thought of other Manado’s cook that was easy to make. And I asked Eti again to cook fried fish with Dabu-dabu sauce.

Dabu-dabu usually eats together with grilled or fried fish. It tastes so fresh. Made from slices of cayenne and green tomato, onion and kemangi leaves, the spicy is just salt and lime, and put in just a small amount of oil.

Thus, when I asked Peter about the fish and dabu-dabu, he said he was very happy, but he didn’t want us to give him too often. And I wondered why he said that, he was happy but he didn’t want us to send him food too often, why? Then I asked him, and he answered, “If someone gives me my hometown cook, it reminds me of my hometown, and it makes me sad, since I have no money to go back to my hometown.”

Peter is actually a stranded person in this world. In Jakarta he is homeless. He sleeps at the roadside of our Community Watch Office just with a used cardboard as a mat. We just found out that he sleeps such that. And then we took initiative to buy him a rollaway bed. However, in fact he still sleeps with a used cardboard as a mat. When we asked him, he said, “It is too much for me, I cherish the rollaway bed.” And until now, he still leave the rollaway bed at Mrs. Tuti’s house, our neighbor at Mahoni.

In fact, Peter is the most diligent dustman in Jakarta, in my opinion. For he works diligently without expecting any tip. From his diligent work to collect the garbage every day, he keeps doing his work without complaining of the heat during the day and without asking for any attention.

Actually, his sincerity is a common thing for whoever considers his work as his duty. However, it becomes rare since in Jakarta to find a dustman who is so diligent cleaning people’s garbage everyday without asking for any tip, in my opinion it is odd. Therefore, though the character of the old Peter is frightening, unfriendly, but we love him.

I just want to say that in Jakarta there is a very poor person and has nothing, but seems like he doesn’t need anything in his life.

Just imagine if he goes back to meet his family in Indramayu, he is pedaling his bike along the street. Then we ask, “why don’t you use your money from Ied’s bonus (bonus given to celebrate Islamic celebration day) to go by train?”
Then he would say, “It is better to use the money for food.”

An old man like Peter, who is already 62 years old, but riding a bike to travel 16 hours to get to Indramayu for the sake of giving his Ied’s bonus money for his wife. It is very touchy.

Then I realize more that life is tough indeed and we must cleverly save money, no matter how limited is our earning. However, Peter teaches us that a tough life that he is going through with the garbage, doesn’t make him lose his sincerity. Thus, he just needs to be given a smile, so he could also smile.

It is not easy indeed to make Mr. Peter smile. I don’t want to think farther why he lives that way. However, I just found out when he told me that since his childhood he has already lived on the street. So he is used to live like Tarzan, live in the nature without any roof. I am sad to think there is someone who could stand living such that until his elderly.

As for the sincerity that I would like to lift up, it is a rare sincerity, for it comes from a very poor person. Such sincerity could be categorized as the tightest sincerity to share. But when it is given with sincere heart, then it becomes nobleness. For whoever sees such sincerity, surely he could judge how is the character of virtuousness inside Peter, the dustman without smile.

Say it as a model of sincerity from someone who is decent to receive the sincerity. The personality of Peter could be equalized with the public servant who sits on a throne abundant with money and honor, but less sincere.

No matter how is the kindness, it should be appreciated, for only rare people give their kindness and sincerity in their very shortage condition