Bu Sumini - Asongan Ibu Jamu (REPOST)

Kota disekitarnya sudah berubah, tapi Ibu Sumini tetap jalan kaki setiap hari untuk jual jamunya di kawasan Karet.

Halo Ibu, asli mana?

Saya asli orang Jawa, dari Solo.

Keluarganya ada di Jakarta?

Saya punya 6 anak, tapi di kampung semua. Mereka gak mau ke Jakarta. Saya jual jamu sini sendiri.

Tinggal di mana, bu?

Di kampung benhil, yang belakang menara seberang sini.

Jadi sering Lewat sini, bu?

Ya setiap hari jalan saya sama. Dari kampung saya naik jembatan penyeberangan, lewat sini, melalui kampung Karet terus balik lagi.

Selalu Jalan kaki begini? Tidak mau buka warung?

Iya selalu. Saya dagang jamu dari kelas 3 SD, dulunya gendong gak begini, jalan gak begini, gak pake sandal. Belum lahir kan, mas? Bahkan kalo hujan saya bawa payung supaya tetap bisa jalan. Pelanggan saya bilang saya masih terlihat sehat, ya karena saya minum cukup jamu! Saya gak mau buka warung karena masih kuat jalan, alhamdulilah.

Jadi Ibu jual setiap hari?

Senin sampe jumat saja, sabtu minggu libur. Gak ada banyak orang sini kalo gak hari kerja.

Siapa yang sering beli Jamu, bu?

Dulunya, tahun 1957, di area ini ada pabrik sabon, obat, dan pabrik ban, tapi sekarang gak ada. Jaman ini, biasanya orang-orang kantor, petugas keamanan, orang di halte bus dan anak sekolah SD yang ada di kampung-kampung sini juga.

Bajunya bagus sekali, bu, bolehkah kami ambil potret anda?

Masa? Iya boleh.

_______________________________ (ENGLISH)

The city around her has changed, but Bu Sumini still walks around every day, selling her herbal tonic in the Karet area.

Hello Ibu, where are you from?

I’m originally Javanese, from Solo.

Are your family here in Jakarta?

I have 6 children, but they’re all back in my village. They don’t want to come to Jakarta. I sell Jamu [traditional herbal drinks] here by myself.

So where do you live, bu?

In kampung Benhil, the one just behind those towers across the road from here.

So do you often pass by here, bu?

Yes, every day I follow the same route, from my kampung I cross the pedestrian bridge, go past here, and through kampung Karet before I turn around and go back again.

You always walk like this? You don’t want to open a warung?

Yes I always walk, I’ve been selling Jamu since I was 8 or 9 years old, but I didn’t always wear this traditional sarong, or even wear Sandals. Probably that’s before you were born, right? Even when it rains I have this umbrella so I can still keep walking. My customers say I still look healthy, I guess because I drink enough jamu! I don’t want to open a warung because I’m still strong enough to walk, thank god.

So do you sell every day?

Only from Monday to Friday, on the weekends I take a day off. There aren’t too many people around here unless it’s a working day.

Who normally buys your jamu, bu?

Before, back in 1957, there were a lot of factories in this area making soap, medicine and tyres, but now they’re all gone. These days, normally office workers, security officers, people at the bus stop and kids from the schools in the kampung around here.

Your clothes are beautiful, bu, could we take your portrait?

Really? Yes you may.