GOING TO A DENTIST

By Cynthia

On one Tuesday, Sony, Eneng and I went to a dentist. Eneng and I waited at A ‘bule’’s house. Not long after, Sony arrived followed by A’bule’. A ‘bule’ said “Don’t leave now, wait for a while”. She went to change her clothes. After she changed into nice clothes, she asked us to join her to go to the dentist.

We took angkot (people mover operates as public transport) route number 21. Sony and I kept talking while we are on the road. After a short ride, we arrived at Pulo Gadung bus terminal. We got off the minibus and A’bule’ paid for our bus fares.

Kak A’bule’ : Let’s eat first. What would you like to eat?”
I said “Let’s eat Bakso (meatball)”.
Kak A’bule: “Where is the Warung Bakso (meatball stall)?”
Eneng: “The Warung Bakso is over there”.

We went to the Warung Bakso. At this place we ordered 4 bowls of Bakso and four glasses of sweet tea. We ate while waiting for Kak Uju.
“We have been waiting for so long!” said A ‘bule’. Then A ‘bule’ gave kak Uju a called on her mobile phone. Not long after that, Kak Uju arrived. She paid for our Bakso and sweet tea. Then she said “Let’s go”. We then took a mikrolet (type of public transport) route number 27. We passed a train station. At this place, we get off and continued the journey by taking a route number 01. We passed a market.

We walked for a short distance after we got off from the car to arrive at the Ciliwung clinic. We went in and registered our names. Soni would go in first, followed by me, and the Eneng.

Soni went in first to the examination room followed by me. The dentist extracted my tooth. After finished with me, it was Eneng’s turn. Her tooth was also extracted by the dentist. After that, we went home. On the way home, rain came pouring down. We ran to avoid the rain. Kak Uju carried Soni. We looked for mikrolet route number 27. I saw it and shout “That’s one over there!” We quickly get into the mikrolet. As soon as we sat in the car, Soni drank the milk given to us at the clinic. Not long after that, Eneng drank hers too.

The car that we were in had to stop at a railway crossing, waiting for a train to pass. “Why is it taken so long?” said Soni. We got off at the Pulo Gadung terminal. It was still raining heavily. We took shelter inside a toy store. Kak Uju said “Let’s use an umbrella rental service (ojek payung)!” We found a rental service and looked for angkot route number 21. We quickly got into the car. Kak Uju got off first. She got off in front of an alleyway where she lives. The rest of us continued for much further. We arrived at our house around 5 PM.

Translated by Maria Theresia Indrawan

Notes:
A’bule’ is a word used by people from Indramayu to call someone big sister/brother. It is not the same meaning to ‘bule’ as we like to call Mala. We call Mala “bule” because she has fare skin and blonde hair.

Ojek payung: is an umbrella rental service provided by children during rainy days.