The Fool Coconuts

Someday Kabayan was going to the garden alone. He went at the early morning after he got some breakfast before. Abah was asked him to get some coconuts for his wife to cooks. Abah more loves foods with santan (milk squeezed from coconut) to eats, especially sayur lodeh (vegetable soup). It’s delicious, he said. Yesterday, at the evening they met, Abah asked Kabayan to get the coconut in the garden. As the fee, he can get some cassavas from the garden, the most favorite breakfast that Kabayan always like. And also, Kabayan permitted to stay around Abah’s daughter; Nyi Iteung.

Kabayan took the way to the garden that was side by side with the river. The garden is in the upper of the river located. After an hour he walked, Kabayan was arrived the garden and took a rest for a while and then he started climbing the trees. He putted a lot of coconuts as possible he could. There is a large sum coconut he got. And then, Kabayan was thinking to went home early, he continued take some cassavas to brought home.

Kabayan amassed the coconuts and cassavas at once. And look surprised on it, “it could be very heavy!” he was thinking how could to bring the amount himself. And then he just remembered the river, “alright!”

Kabayan brought the coconuts and amassed it around the river. And after it, he brought the cassavas later. After he done, he talked to the coconuts, “all of you are already old. You should know that the river arrives to the village. And I know that you all can swim, not like these cassavas. So, just swim straight to the village.” And then, Kabayan thrown all of the coconuts to the river and just walked away going home brought the cassavas. 

He almost arrive to the village when he meets Abah on the way home. Abah was going to sawah, the rice field. He looked socked, “what are doing, Kabayan?”

“I’m walking, Abah.” Kabayan answered.

“Yes I know it, but where is the coconuts?” Abah asked and looked angry.

“O, the coconut? Easy, Abah. I just tell them to arrive straightly on the river.” Kabayan said.

“What did you say?” Abah asked angrily.

“The coconuts, Abah, they was swimming arrive here to village. They will come, just easy.” Kabayan answered easily.

“Where are they? Just look for them, bring here all. Quick!” Abah said, and he still angry.

Kabayan went to the river and then came back after awhile. “They are not still arrived yet, Abah.” Kabayan said.

“What did you say? Just bring them and don’t ever come back before it!” Abah said.

 Kabayan went again to the river and then he just set on the grass around the river. He was going to wait the coconut. And then, after an hour pasted, Kabayan still out there and just start feel worried. How could be happen if the coconuts didn’t arrive. He knew Abah will not like it, and of course, it’s meaning the big trouble out there.

Suddenly, and Kabayan was socked on it, Abah voice just come loudly. “Where is it, Kabayan?”

“Ought…, Abah.” Kabayan looked panic, was trying to stay calm. “I don’t realize it, Abah. All of them are very old; of course they knew the way arrive here. I told them to swim straightly the village. They are not fool, aren’t?”

“Yeah, there are not fool but they don’t have any brain to use. But you are the fool, Borokokok!” Abah said loudly. “And now, back to garden taking another coconut. And don’t ever try doing what just you did!”

Kabayan looked confused, but he realized that he didn’t have any choice. “Yes I will, Abah.”

“Just go right now!” Abah spoke more loudly.

“Oke, Abah. Right now.” Kabayan said and just went ahead to the garden.

Kabayan has a good smell

Once upon a time in Sunda Island, there’s a man called Kabayan. He was known as a funny man, fool but pleasing many people. But Kabayan also has a lot non commonsense behaviors that makes people annoyed and get angry.

Sometime of a day, as the villager young man, Kabayan wake up early. After he was done with the praying, staying a lot beyond the fireplace with the cassava toasted. Kabayan was preparing for going to the garden, is not about farming places but the jungle that’s a part of it has some trees that were planted by human. The others trees were planted by the nature. Kabayan goes to the garden almost in all his days. He always has something to do or to get out there.

But today, he was invited by someone that very special to him, he was called Abah. He is the father of Nyi Iteung; Kabayan’s girlfriend. Abah is a temperamental person especially with Kabayan, he always angry anytime he talks to. But it doesn’t matter, as long as all things are about Nyi Iteung. Today, Kabayan has appointment, that they will go to Abah’s garden to see how well the planting growing up. It could be to do cutting through the grasses or anything. Then, thin morning Kabayan with Abah seen like intimate. Before they start the trip, Kabayan ask to bring for Abah’s bag, but he doesn’t let it.  

On the way of the trip, they start walk through the garden over the rice planting area called pesawahan. And then they are entering the garden area and the jungle. Right there Kabayan ask to stop walking. “Wait, wait…” he said. “I just like smell something right here.”

“Ough, really? What did you smell, I don’t smell anything.” Abah said.

“It is like the smell of durian Abah.”

“No way, there is no durian tree right here.”

“Just wait, Abah!” and then Kabayan jumps through the dense grasses and disappeared. Abah almost worries about him and then Kabayan just appears in the front. “Here is, Abah!” and he shows the durian.

“Alright, alright, let we continue the trip.” Abah said.

Not so far a while, Kabayan ask to stop the step again, “wait, Abah. I just like smell something again right here.”

“What else, Kabayan? I don’t smell anything right here!”

“It’s like the jackfruit, Abah?”

“Relly, I really like it. But I don’t smell it any way.”

“Just wait, Abah.” Kabayan jumps through the grasses again and disappears. And then just a while he comes back and shows the jackfruit.

“Oh, it’s really out there. You have good smell, Kabayan!”

And then they continue the trip and finish it after an hour and half of walking. And there is Abah’s garden, has many plants on it.

“Let we start working Kabayan!” Abah said.

“Just continuo working, Abah?” Kabayan seem socked.

“Yeah, what’s wrong whit that?” Abah talked gruffly. “We just look around first, you should fine something sweet out there!”

“Did us have many sweet we got, isn’t Abah?”

“Alright, just wait there. We’ll have a breakfast soon!”

“That’s right, Abah. You’ve know the matter is.” Kabayan said and then straightly moves to the little house called ‘saung’, and just lie down out there. Then he was sleeping.

And then, “wake up, Kabayan!” loudly sounded, makes Kabayan wakes startled.

“Whets up, what’s up?” Kabayan wake up and straightly toke fight position.

“Borokokok! What are you doing, did you want to eat your breakfast before, did you?”

“Breakfast, Abah? Alright…!”

After they had the breakfast, they start go around the garden. To work that Abah said actually is not working, they just look around the garden to see anything that disturbs the plants. Besides that, sometimes Abah ask Kabayan to get some fruits or anything that they should bring home. And there is some area that’s planted by cassava and right there Abah ask Kabayang to get some. Kabayan take off a lot of the cassava trees and get many big cassavas. Abah ask him take it off more and more.

After all, Kabayan was socked that’s there is very huge numbers of cassavas to bring home. He can’t imagine how to carry it, it’s so heavy. And of course, he minded, that he was the man that has to carry it.

“What’s wrong, Kabayan?” Abah asked, just like could know what just Kabayan thought. “Don’t worry, it’s not heavy! I know that’s you are a strong young man.”

“Hehe, of course, Abah. You can rely on me.” Kabayan said confidently.

“I know you should be, Kabayan” Abah said, seem happy.

But anyway, Kabayan really confused about it. He surely knew that he couldn’t bring all the cassavas home. He seem just thinking, try to get some trick on it. And then, “wait, Abah!” Kabayan just raised his hand. Abah stopped moving.

“What’s wrong, Kabayan?” Abah asked.

“I just smell something out there.” Kabayan said quietly.

“What’s did you smell, is there any fruit else you smell?”

“Ssshhht…,” Kabayan asked to be quiet. “I just smell…., there is some tiger out there around us, Abah.”

“What’s it, tiger? How big is it?” Abah seem panic.

“Yes, I sure it’s a very huge tiger, Abah.”

“A huge tiger? Ough…, run away Kabayan. Quickly, lets runaway!”

Abah just running away left Kabayan behind and didn’t stop yelling on Kabayan to run away. And there is Kabayan, he was smiling when he start a little running following Abah.

“Hehe…, good bye cassavas…!” Kabayan said, felt happy.