OPEN LETTERS from the Koteka Children: Edition XIIIa, To Hon. Her Excellency: in-Vanuatu
Buku Seri XIII dari Surat-Surat Terbuka Anak Koteka ini terdiri dari tiga Edisi (XIIIa – XIIIc). Berikut terjemahan pengantar kepada Edisi XIIIa. Pada awalnya saya bermaksud menulis hanya satu buku, akan tetapi setelah dua tahu menyusun konsepnya dan menulisnya kembali, saya bermaskud membaginya ke dalam tiga bagian. Bagian pertama, yaitu yang sedang Anda baca ini. Booklet ini merupakan pendahuluan kepada dua bagian yang akan menyusul; memperkenalkan sejumlah pandangan dan perspektif sekaligus kesan yang telah saya miliki sebelum dan setelah mengunjungi Vanuatu.
Akan Anda temukan dalam bagian ini dimulai dengan perspektif terhadap Vanuatu sebelum saya datang kemari, disusul dengan hal-hal yang telah saya lakukan dan peristiwa yang terjadi menjelang kunjugan ke Vanuatu. Bagian ini khususnya dimaksudkan untuk menampilkan kesan-kesan, emosi setelah berkunjung ke Vantu, kesan dan pesan setelahnya.
Edisi berikutnya akan memfokuskan diri pada hal-hal yang telah saya lihat yang begitu mengganggu, atau yang perlu diperhatikan secara serious selama kunjungan ke Vanuatu.
Buku ini dipersembahkan kepada Almarhum Father Dr. Walter Lini, yang telah memimpin berbagai pulau di Vanuatu meraih kemerdekaan dari kekuasaan kolonial Perancis dan Inggris sekaligus, yang telah diracuni sampai mati karena membela hak-hak fundamental dan tak terabaikan dari sekalian orang Melanesia.
Dan juga kepada kerabatnya, Almarhum Ondofolo Dorttheys Hiyo Eluay; yang diculik pada 10 November 2001 dan ditemukan mati pada 11 November 2001, di tangan para musuh kebenaran dan keadilan di tanah Papua.
Visi mereka tidak pernah dan tidak akan pernah hilang sebelum sekalian orang Melanesia merdeka dan wilayah mereka bebas dari penjajahan.hingga Melanesia menjadi Melanesia sebagaimana ia ada sebelum orang asing datang, ke Pulau Harapan, Pulau Sorga; hingga setiap orang dari Mela yang mendiami nensos antara Oceania dan Asia, antara Polinesia dan Mikronesia, dimusnahkan dari muka Bumi.
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To My Dear Kava
c/o Lou Ko Tai Nakamal
The Black Man Town,
the Island of Tanna,
The Republic of Vanuatu, MELANESIA
Subject: Kava! Mi Ded Long Yu!
Dear Darling,
Since we met at the first time at Crossroads Kava Bar in Blacksands that evening, you totally and drastically changed my life. The changes are indescribable as they are beyond imagination of any kinds and above any words I have in my memory and my knowledge to describe.
What I want to say to you right now, my dear, is that I would like you to pass this letter to my fellow chiefs in the Republic of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Kanak, Bougainvillea, and my fellow Papuans in PNG, as I am here in West Papua, letting the chiefs here know as well of my love to you.
Please pass me their reply letter when they have finished writing it. Do not forget my address, or better you send it directly to my Nakamal.
Do not leave or even forget Nakamal, the place where we first caught each other’s eyes and began our telepathic exercise in sending our feeling’s voice in back-and-forth directions, where then on, we both normally do our personal and private affairs and talk over many sensitive and essential issues regarding our relationship, as your presence or work is always the key to the life of Nakamal. Without you, Nakamal would definitely go crazy.
Please do not forget yourself of the Nakamal laws: no women, no selling and buying, no white men, no christians, no muslims, no Buddhists, but only Melanesians with you yourself, my dear. And if I am here, I will be there too.
Please remember not to swear or curse, not to hate or kill, but to make peace for all beings within us, under us, around us and above us, among ourselves.
Do let the chiefs know of why I am writing this letter, and why I am passing it through you, as you are the only person I have loved and trusted so far. I do not know what would have happened in my life and my work without you.
Let them know that they need to leave Kava Bars, and go to Nakamal/ Nasara as you are more respected there than in bars. Bar is not your place. You are not for sale, but for peace and victory, for unity and respect, for communion and harmony among all communities of beings in Melanesia.
Oh Yes, before I forget, let me remind myself in this first letter ever to you, that I am writing a second letter in the coming years. Please do pray for me, please let our elders know about this, and ask them to pray for as well.
Also, politely but surely, let them know that our love is not going to an end. It will grow and flourish, bear flowers and fruits, and then produce seeds. That our ancestors will finally enjoy those fruits, plant from the seeds we will provide for them. Only, again, only if our relationship continue to grow, only if we understand our weaknesses and strengths, only if we accept our beings as we are, not as we are dreaming of to be.
Let the chiefs know as well, that this letter should also be known to the Government officials, politicians, academics and public servants. I know that our chiefs will welcome and congratulate this letter, but those in modern system will not be glad. They will not accept that we are already in full love with each other. They will find it hard to understand how we met and how we both finally fell in love with each other. However, it is our job, to let all Melanesians know, that we are Melanesians, we live in Melanesian Archipelago, our custom is Melanesian Custom, our law is Melanesian law, our solidarity is Melanesian Solidarity, our love is Melanesian love, and our future is Melanesian future.
As I write this letter, I cannot say a word to explain how I have fallen in love with you. I cannot finish this letter, as there is so much to say. Only when we meet face-to-face that I will pour out my oceans of feelings. So, I would rather come myself to see you and show you how big, how deep and how wide that ocean is, my dear.
I wanted to say so much and so many things. But my heart is not ready, and my words are limited to express this love that I am writing about. It is already “my time” right now. But I am coming. See you soon.
With Deep Love,
Karoba, Sem
