MALIN KUNDANG

Once upon a time, a family lived in Sumatera coastal area. The family had a son named Malin Kundang. Since their life condition was very awful, and then Malin’s dad decided to go to another country.

There was a big hope for Malin and his mother that one day his dad [and her husband] would come back home bringing a large amount of money which they hoped it would be enough for buying their daily needs.

After Malin Kundang had come of age, he thought of how to make a living [earn money] in a foreign country. He hoped, after coming back home, he would be a very rich man. He eventually joined sailing with a successful trading ship’s captain of his hometown.

During his days in the ship, Malin Kundang learned many things dealing with nautical from all experienced hands aboard [experienced crews]. He learned them so hard that he was very skillful in this field.

He had been visiting many islands. On one day, the ship he was sailing with was unexpectedly attacked by pirates. They robbed all trading things inside the ship. Almost all hands aboard and the people joined this sailing were murdered. Luckily, Malin Kundang was not killed by the pirates, as when this took place, he hided in a small room that was put out of sight by a timber.

Malin Kundang was floated in the middle of the sea until the ship he rode in went aground [casted ashore/dumped off at] a coastal area. With his remaining energy, he walked, heading for the nearest village. Reaching the village, Malin Kundang was helped by its people after he told them about what happened to him. The village where he was dumped off at was very fertile. By his perseverance and tenacity in working, he successfully achieved his dream to be a very rich man. He had lots of trading ships and their all hands aboard in abundance, more than 100 persons. Getting very rich, Malin Kundang afterward married a girl.

After several years of marriage, Malin and his wife sailed with his huge and gorgeous ship accompanied by his all hands aboard and many guards. Malin Kundang’s mother that was waiting for her son every single day saw the big and beautiful ship entering the seaport. She saw two people standing at the deck. She really knew for sure that they were Malin Kundang and his wife.

Malin Kundang then got off his ship. He was welcomed by his mother. The closer she walked forward, the clearer she saw many wounds on his right arm. She was really sure that the man she approached was Malin Kundang. “Malin Kundang, my son, why have you been away for so long without notifying me?” said his mother by hugging Malin Kundang. But, he immediately released himself from her hug and pushed her away. His mother fell down. Suddenly, he spoke in a rude way,”Who are you? I don’t know who you are! Don’t say that you are my mother!” He yelled at her. Malin Kundang acted as if he was not acquainted with his mom, because he was very embarrassed to have such an old mother that wore ragged clothes. “That woman is your mother?”, asked his wife. “No! She is only a beggar that pretended to be my mom so that she will get much money from me”, replied Malin Kundang. Hearing his statement and being treated impulsively/rashly/capriciously/arbitrarily/in a high handed and unfair fashion, his mother was very furious. She never fathomed that his son would be such a faithless son. Because of her fury, his mother gazed upward and lifted her palms of her hands and said, “Oh, God, if he is truly my son, I curse him to be a rock”. Not long afterward, the wind blew very hard and thundered. Sudden storm came smashing and destroying his ship. Malin Kundang’s body gradually became stiff and sooner or later he turned to be a rock.

Rembang, 5th of April, 2010