Cerpen | A Rusty Man Changed A Virgin With A Pair of Pig's Feet

“How is the preparation for Sangjit ceremony next week?” asked kungkung to me.

“Mmm… It’s already finished Kung. I have prepared it well. I have bought it all. Maybe we can decorate it tomorrow” I said.

Kungkung - an old man who cares to me. He loved me so much since my parents died three years ago.

“Is your Cheongsam fit in you? Have you tried it ?”

“Of course Kung, I have tried my Cheongsam. And it’s very beautiful”.

“And how about fruits and other things for Sangjit ? Is it fix in amount and size?”

“I think so…”

“Don’t ignore our ancestor tradition Liong Fuk. It’s not good. Do it well” he said while pointed his little finger in front of my face. Then smiled.

“Yes kung. I understand” I said shortly.

“Let me see the Cheongsam for the woman” asked Niu Nai to Liong Fuk. She was Liong Fuk’s grandmother. She was still beautiful at her age. 85 years old. Then she checked it carefully.

“By the way, who is your girlfriend’s name ?” asked kungkung.

Liong Fuk told them about her beloved girlfriend. Her personality, family, job and her house of course. He talked so much about her.

“Hmmm… A nice person” said kungkung.

The next morning…

“At last, our duty to take care of him finish” said Niu Nai to Liong Nan in a sunny morning.

“Yes, I feel happy to hear it. I am happy that Liong Fuk get married soon. But….”

Suddenly Liong Nan stopped speaking.

“But why? Any problem with it ?” asked Niu Nai.

“Yes, as our tradition, we must know her first. We must know who our new family member is “

“Oh I see. Then do it. Find some information about her. I want my beloved grandson get the best one” said Niu Nai.

“OK… I’ll do it”

For some days, Liong Fuk tried to find some informations about Xiu Ying. He came to her house. Asked to the Xiu Ying’s neighbour. Asked to people around her house. Xiu ying didn’t know about this.

“What ? Xiu Ying is Xiu Yao’s grand daughter ?” Liong Nan replied.

“Yes Sir, don’t you know Xiu Yao Sir ? I’m not sure you don’t know him. Because he is very popular in Bandung. He is a successful businessman “ said the man to Liong Nan.

“OK… Thank you very much for your information. I appreciate it”

After that long conversation with Xiu Ying’s neighbour. Liong Nan’s memory flew away along his way home. His memories brought him to his past. It was in 1966.

“What ? You want to marry her ? It is so ridiculous. Hahahaha “ Xiu Yao laughed at him.

“Yes, I love her so much. We will get married next month. I promise to you” said Liong Nan.

“OK… Just see it then”

Suddenly, their marriage was canceled. Mei Lan’s father didn’t accept Liong Nan as Mei Lan’s husband.

“I’m sorry son, we can’t accept you as our family member”.

“But why ? What is the reason so you refuse me to marry your daughter ?” said Liong Nan sadly.

“Because you can’t provide a pair of pig’s feet. As in our family tradition, pig’s feet is a must in Sangjit ceremony. If you can’t provide a pair of pig’s feet, it means that you can’t guarantee my daughter safety. I don’t want my daughter get a bad luck in her life because of you. We must obey our ancestor rules. We don’t want to get karma”.

After heard that, Liong nan went home with a big disappointed in his heart. With much tears in Mei Lan’s eyes. Their love was separated by the egoism of Mei Lan’s father and the tradition. An unchangeable tradition.

“Someday, you must feel what I feel right now “ promised Liong Nan in his broken heart.

After several weeks, he had heard that Xiu Yao made a deal with Mei Lan’s father. Xiu Yao would help him to increase his business. This news came from Mei Lan. She told him by a letter which sent to him someday after her marriage. She also asked his apologize because she couldn’t do anything to save their love. She couldn’t refuse her father’s will.

***

My engagement with my girlfriend was near. I called her Xiu Ying. A beautiful chinese virgin. We were both chinese. Like in our tradition, we must prepared Sangjit. A chinese engagement ceremony before married.

Xiu Ying – a pretty woman from Bandung. Lived in a honorable family. She had a descent attitude. It made me love her so much. Even she was still young, she could respect me. As our age was different each other. I was fifty five and she was twenty one years old.

“Can you love older man like me? I said to her one day.

“Why not ? Love doesn’t look age. It’s about feeling. About heart. Then, why must I am worried ?” said Xiu Ying to me. It made me sure that I must married her.

The engagement day came. Liong Fuk and his big family visited his beloved girl - Xiu Ying. There were many cars. They all brought many trays which contain many things for Sangjit ceremony. There were : clothes and jeweleries for Xiu Ying, money, eighteen oranges – which symbolized prosperity, and eighteen red bowl cakes. The amount always had eight inside - element eight symbolized a luckily. A pair of red candle – to banished negative elements, two bottles of beer and the last were a pair of pig feet.

Aunt, uncle and of course apo and kungkung were happy because they could accompany their nephew to enter a new life. A marriage.

In front of Xiu Ying house, there were many beautiful decoration. Two big red lanterns and some fireworks hanged on the roof. Very nice with red dominated it. In chinese tradition, red symbolized a happiness and lucky. So, all of the decoration were red.

Then Xiu Ying’s family asked Liong Fuk’s family to enter their house. They welcomed warmly.

“Oh… Please come. We are happy to have you as our new family member” said Xiu Wen – Xiu Ying’s father.

“Thank you” I said.

Not far from them, Xiu Yao and Mei Lan got out from the house. They were Xiu Ying’s grandparents.

“Ni hao ma?” said Xiu Yao to Liong Fuk in Chinese throaty.

“Wo hen hao kung? Nin ne ?” I said

“Hao… Qing lai” he said.

“Xie – xie kung”

Then, Liong Fuk’s family entered the house. Gathered in a big livingroom.

Inside the car, kungkung watched them happily. He was smile.

“I win. You must feel what I feel” said kungkung.

For some reason, kungkung couldn’t accompany Liong Fuk. His feet were hurt. Last night he slipped in his house. In the kitchen. All of the family member were very afraid. They worried about kungkung. About his legs. Luckily kungkung didn’t get seriously injured.

“Don’t worry Liong Fuk. I’m fine. It’s just little accident. My left leg is just bruised. I have oiled it. It will get better soon” said kungkung to Liong Fuk who helped him to stand at that time of accident.

It wasn’t one hour yet. It wasn’t enough for two families to negotiate about Liong Fuk and Xiu Ying wedding. The negotiation was too fast. But from the street, Liong Nan could watch his angry face. Xiu Yao’s angry face. He could see that Xiu Yao angry with his family. And his family just begged for the appologize from Xiu Yao’s family. Liong Nan just smiled to see that incident.

“I know what happen inside” He mumbled himself. Then smiled.

“What happen inside there?” asked Niu Nai – his wife.

“Just look dear. Then you will find the answer” said Liong Nan.

***

Liong Fuk and some of his family member walked into their car. There were an embarrassed on their face. Liong Fuk then entered his car. Which his kungkung and apo inside it.

“What happened son?” asked Niu Nai – his apo.

“I will not married with Xiu Ying apo….” Said Liong Fuk sadly. His tears almost rolling down on his face. But he could hold it. He didn’t want his grandparents sad too.

“I’m sorry my dear grandson. I had to do it. I’m sorry to sacrifice your happiness. But they must pay what they have done to me. Eventhough they are in the hell. They must feel their karma. Karma by a pair of pig’s feet” mumbled Liong Nan inside his heart.

The night before Liong Fuk’s Sangjit ceremony, Liong Nan had changed a pair of fresh pig’s feet with a pair of tainted pig’s feet. No one knew about this. They just knew about pain in Liong Nan’s leg.