My Biography Series

Early Life and Family

I was born on July 16, 1990 in a small village named Sungai Sirah, Surantih, Sutera, Pesisir Selatan Regency, West Sumatera Province, Indonesia. My mother is Nurhayati. She devotes all her times serving our family being a housewife. My father is Sarwisman, a traditional fisherman in my hometown, working during the day and night to fulfill our needs. I am the oldest child among my siblings. I have one sister and two brothers. My sister is Indah Permata Sari, a university student in my previous campus. She still tries to complete her final assessment pursuing graduation this year. My younger brother is Iqbal Wisnaldi. He has graduated from SMA 1 Sutera this year and now he is in Batam looking for experience before continuing his study to university next year. My youngest brother is Bambang Jumaidi, an elementary school student in the final year. He has been getting the first rank in his class since the first grade.

Both of my mother and father originally came from in the same village where I was born. They met and interacted intensely when they were participating as the membership of a group sport at my village. At the time, my father was a youth chairman. He came and gave motivation to the youths when they did sport competitions facing other clubs from other villages. Although he stopped his formal education at grade four in elementary school because of his father death, he much studied from nature about the value of lives. My mother was a senior high school student in SMA 1 Batangkapas but she admired him. Unfortunately, she was not only one, some girls kept their feeling to my father also. My father had decided to choose my mother. He never made special relationship to my mother because he wanted my mother focusing on her school tasks. After graduating from her school, my mother began more actively in youth organization and it affected their relation being closer. My father had to much struggle because my mother`s family still did not agree to my father. He repeatedly visited and communicated to my mother`s uncle and brothers. My mother`s family members needed to know about his seriousness. Finally, my mother`s family agreed and they married in 1989.

Sungai Sirah is one of the most beautiful places in Sutera Region. It has an amazing view of its beach, the white sand, and the good wave to swim. There are two hills are separated by the beach. They are named Gunung Rajo hill and Batu Mandamai hill. The coconut trees lie in the coastal line with some traditional houses among them. Every morning except friday, the fishermen are looking for fish in the sea using the small ship. On friday, no body goes to the beach to seek the fish because there is new regulation to respect the day as an islamic day. Moreover, Sungai Sirah has many rice fields serving its residents with farmer as their job. In the planting season, my father leaves the beach and moves to the field. My villagers work collectively helping each other.

Working as fisherman did not make my father allowing me to participate to the job. He banned me hardly going to the beach without him. He hoped some days that I would not be like him. He said that there is no future being a traditional fisherman. I often complained to him why many of my mates enjoy to involve the job. He said that it is because their parents did not know about the effects of it. He added "It will be something addicted if you get money directly from your activity in the beach with selling the fish. You will forget about your study and you are going to beach rather than school". I did not understand about these statements at the time. Sometimes, I went to the beach with my friends secretly.

My mother is the best cook ever. When father brings the fresh fish from the sea, she will accept them to make delicious foods. The fish often combine with vegetables. My mother always happy and proud when father said his gratitude after eating the foods. Father is a low-profile man and has many friends. Some of whom were invited to my house to tasted my mother`s meals. Many of my father`s friends praise genuinely about the tasteful foods. Father said that one of the man`s honors depended on the tasteful meals made by his wife. One day, one of my father nephews came to our house. He had spent much of his time in Malaysia. Mother prepared lunch for us and him. After lunch, with innocent face he said "Aunt, you have to come to Malaysia and open the restaurant over there. Believe me, you will be a rich mother". Mother just was laughing and father responded jokingly, "Ok, we will go there, the tickets please". (To be continued)