The storm came without warning. The world that previously felt safe suddenly collapsed before Ragil’s eyes. That day is still fresh in his memory. After receiving the layoff letter, his life was as fragile as a house in the wind, but he still tried to stand.
Four years have passed since the storm came, thousands of people have lost the heart of their lives. Ragil never expected that the job his small family once depended on would disappear in a matter of seconds due to an unexpected outbreak.
At an age when he was no longer young, he continued to struggle to find a new job. But the expected job opportunity never came. The world no longer seemed to provide answers. Now he has to support his wife and four children as a scavenger.
His income is no longer secure; from a fixed salary as a factory worker, he now depends on sorting garbage that is worth only hundreds of rupiah per kilogram.
His fingers deftly sort through plastic bottles and cardboard boxes, accompanied by the trash cart that faithfully follows him. He walks through every corner of Cikarang’s streets, where the pungent smell of garbage mixed with vehicle exhaust fills the air.
His steps are never hurried, and his watchful eyes pay attention to every pile of garbage on the side of the road. For him, every piece of trash he collects is a constant prayer for his family.
Ragil says he leaves home every day at eight in the morning to collect garbage. To earn extra money, he continues his work until late at night.
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He feels that the money he earns in the morning is not enough to meet his family’s needs. Therefore, he is willing to face the cold night wind with a tired body, all for the sake of his loved ones who are the reason he continues to survive.
“I’m ashamed to be a scavenger, Ma’am,” Ragil said with a regretful look on his face.
But there was a glimmer of determination in him as he began to say, “But I would be even more ashamed if I couldn’t support my children and my wife.”
Immediately, his eyes drifted to his little daughter with shoulder-length jet-black hair, wearing a light green sweater, standing on a wooden cart filled with piles of garbage.
“She always cries to come to work with me,” he says, a look of sadness on his face. He pauses for a moment, imagining his little daughter playing outside the house with other children her age.
How wonderful it would be if he could find a steady job, then his child wouldn’t have to experience the harshness of life on the streets of this city.
However, Ragil knows all too well the dangers and uncertainties of life on the road. He has experienced it himself. One day, he saw a pile of plastic cups right in front of a restaurant.
With a twinkle in his eye, he quickly picked up the glasses and put them in his cart. Unexpectedly, it turned out that the plastic cups belonged to the restaurant, which would later be sold to collectors.
Like a person hit by a stone, Ragil was chased and accused of stealing by the restaurant staff. His tired and shabby face seemed to be the reason for them to immediately accuse him. After several minutes of trying to explain, he finally gave up and took the plastic cup in question.
With trembling hands, Ragil returned the item and apologized despite his innocence. Ragil left the restaurant with heavy steps, carrying the shame that was eating away at his heart.
Although his life as a scavenger feels like an endless road, Ragil knows that it is not the end of the world. There is one hope that always burns within him: to provide a brighter future for his children, especially his eldest daughter, who will be going to university next year.
He envisioned his eldest daughter sitting in a classroom, clutching thick books, ready to write a new chapter of a better life. For Ragil, that was more than enough to make all his hard work worthwhile. That hope, like a light that never goes out, strengthens his steps in the midst of adversity.
With a faint, hopeful smile, Ragil looked up at the sky, which was beginning to glow with stars. “It’s okay for parents to be stupid,” he says in a soft but meaningful voice, “The important thing is for children to be smart.”
For Ragil, his struggles may end up in the trash heap, but his hopes not. He believes that every drop of sweat is a small brick that will one day build big dreams for his children—a future far from the harshness of the streets and full of opportunities. Because, behind his heavy old cart, lies a big dream that he will never let crumble.
Penulis: Ghina Ramadhani
Mahasiswa Communication Science (Ilmu Komunikasi) President University
Editor: Ika Ayuni Lestari
Senior Editor: Rahmat Al Kafi
Ikuti berita terbaru di Google News
