Once a year, Susi and her family took a trip to her Grandparent's house for a holiday named Eid Ul-Fitr. Eid Ul-Fitr celebrated the end of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims fasted from sunrise to sunset. Fasting was the practice of not eating for religious rituals. Eid Ul-Fitr marked the end of Ramadan, which also meant the end of fasting.
Susi loved Eid Ul-Fitr because she would get to see all of her cousins, and her aunts and uncles, too. Susi and her family were the last to arrive at her Grandparent's house. Susi raced to the door, where Grandpa Salim greeted her with a great big hug.
"Eid Mubarak!" said Grandpa, meaning 'blessed Eid'.
"Eid sa'id," replied Susi. It meant 'happy Eid'.
Aunt Lily came up and gave Susi and Reema (Susi's older sister) a hug.
"Are you ready for shopping?" asked Aunt Lily.
"I am ready to eat!" said Susi.
"One more night," reminded Aunt Lily.
"I know."
"We can keep our minds off tomorrow by thinking about today. Who wants to go shopping with me?"
"Me!" said Reema.
"Me, too," added Susi.
"Then I will take all the girls with me."
Eight women, young and old, packed into Aunt Lily's Minivan. When they arrived at the dress store, the girls ran inside.
Ankle-length dresses hung from the mannequins standing in the display window. Inside, dozens of mothers and daughters were shopping. Eid Ul-Fitr was a special time for young girls. It was one of the few times they were allowed to pick out fancy dresses.
Susi's sister Reema and cousin Sanna went their own way. leaving Susi with cousin Reine, who was barely four-years-old, and the old women.
"I want to go with them," pleaded Susi.
"Leave them alone," said her mother.
"We're more fun anyway," said Aunt Lily.
"I agree," said Aunt Dona.
Susi frowned as Aunt Lily led her through the store. Reine didn't understand why Susi was so upset. Reine giggled as each of the Aunts tried on outfits of all colors and shapes. Reine even enjoyed trying on a new sundress. Meanwhile, Susi sat on a chair next to the dressing room.
"When are you going to model a dress for us?" asked Aunt Lily.
"I don't know," sighed Susi.
"What's your favorite color?" asked Lily.
"Brown, I guess."
"Come with me. Let's find you a beautiful brown dress."
Aunt Lily dragged Susi through the store until she found some dresses. Some were Ikat and some were Batik. The names Ikat and Batik referred to the way the dresses were made. Susi noticed a bright purple dress with blue and gold designs.
"I've changed my mind."
"What do you mean?"
"I think purple is my favorite color," said Susi.
"Like this dress?" asked Lily.
Susi nodded.
Just then, Susi's mother joined them.
"This is a beautiful design," said Mrs. Urwani.
"Can I have it?"
"If it fits," replied Aunt Lily.
"It's a little pricy," said Mrs. Urwani as she looked at the price tag.
"No price is too high for my nieces," replied Aunt Lily.
Susi took the dress into one of the changing rooms. When she came out, everyone 'oohed' and 'ahhed.'
"Do you like it?" asked Susi.
"Of course!" said her mother.
"Then I like it, too."
After Susi changed again, the sales clerk took the dress and folded it carefully. She placed it with the others in a shopping bag. Aunt Lily paid for the dresses while Reine got the privilege of carrying the shopping bag. She held it tightly all the way home.
"We're back!" announced Reine as she entered Grandma's house.
"Can we see your new dress?" asked Mr. Urwani.
"You can wait until tomorrow," said Mrs. Urwani as she took the shopping bag and placed it in the closet.
Everyone gathered in the dining room. A basket of green bamboo leaves sat in the middle of the table.
Mrs. Urwani, Aunt Lily, and Aunt Dona each grabbed a handful of bamboo leaves and started weaving.
"Do you children know how to do this?" asked Aunt Lily.
All of the children but one nodded. That child was Reine. Aunt Lily placed a bamboo leaf into Reine's hands and twisted it into a loose coil. She then took another bamboo leaf and weaved it through the first leaf.
Slowly but surely, the interwoven leaves formed a tiny square purse. Aunt Lily adjusted each piece of bamboo until it was just right.
"There! Take this to your Grandma."
Reine obeyed her. Grandma Regina filled the pouch with uncooked rice and set it aside. She then returned her attention to the wok sitting on the stove.
"What are you making?" asked Reine.
"Resep Rendang."
Grandma Regina was stewing onions in the wok. They were fully cooked, but Grandma Regina did not remove them from the stove. Instead, she diced onions and garlic as fine as they could be chopped and mixed them into a paste. She added the paste to the onions, then squeezed a fresh lime into the stew. Grandma Regina covered the wok.
"What now?" asked Reine.
"Now we wait."
Grandma Regina pulled two stools up to the stove and sat on one. She offered the other to Reine, who sat beside her Grandma. Grandma Regina grabbed a handful of toothpicks from the counter and divided them into two equal piles.
"What are you doing now?" asked Reine.
"Let's play Semut, Orang, Gajah," said Grandma.
Semut, Orang, Gajah is Indonesian for 'Ant, Man, Elephant.' It's the Indonesian version of Paper, Rock, and Scissors. Elephant beats Man, Man beats Ant, and Ant beats Elephant.
Grandma and Granddaughter threw their fists towards each other, one, two, three.
Grandma put out a thumb. Reine put out her pointer finger.
"Gajah beats Orang," said Grandma as she bellowed like an Elephant and used her fist to trample Reine's tiny pointer finger. Grandma moved one of Reine's toothpicks into her own pile.
"Let's try again," said Reine, "One, two, three!"
Reine poked out her thumb. Grandma poked out her pinky finger.
"Semut beats Gajah," said Grandma.
She wiggled her pinky finger like a tiny ant and then moved another of Reine's toothpicks into her pile.
"I don't understand that," said Reine.
"You don’t understand what?"
"How on earth could Semut beat Gajah?"
"The tiny Semut can crawl into Gajah's ears."
"That still doesn’t beat him," argued Reine.
Grandma reached out towards Reine with her pinky finger, wiggling it towards her ear. Reine jumped from her seat and tan to the other side of the kitchen.
"What's wrong?" asked Grandma.
"You're going to tickle me."
"Exactly. That is why Semut beats Gajah."
Steam billowed from the wok as Grandma removed the lid. The stew had thickened into a paste. Grandma added large cubes of beef steak to the pot, followed by spices. She sprinkled in cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and cayenne pepper. She stirred the ingredients, coating the beef in a dark brown sauce. She poured a cup of coconut milk into the mix before replacing the lid.
"We have to wait again?" asked Reine.
Grandma nodded.
In fact, the wait was going to last overnight. Reine kissed everyone goodnight and went to the large bedroom in the back. The rest of the family participated in a special prayer for the last day of Ramadan. Before everyone went to bed, Grandpa Salim lit oil lamps in every room of the house. Finally, Susi and Reema joined Reine in the back bedroom, but Reine was already fast asleep.
Just before sunrise, everyone got up and ate a small breakfast of dates, cereal and goat's milk. Afterwards, most of the cousins, aunts, and uncles went to the Mosque for Eid Ul-Fitr prayers. However, Reine and her mother, who were Hindu, did not.
After everyone returned home, fourteen people gathered around three tables in two rooms. Mr. and Mrs. Urwani joined the other adults at the dining room table. Meanwhile, seven grandchildren gathered around two card tables in the living room.
During each day of Ramadan, the Urwani's did not eat from sunrise to sunset. It was called fasting. They fasted to purify themselves as the Qu'ran commanded, just like Muslims all across Indonesia. After thirty days of fasting, the Eid Ul-Fitr feast was a welcome treat.
Susi sat with her brother, her sister, and her cousin Reine.
"I saw the Ramadan Moon," said Susi's older brother, Yudhi.
"Me too," said Susi.
"I'm glad Ramadan is finally over. I've been so hungry."
"Me too," said Susi.
Aunt Lily and Aunt Dona brought serving platters to the children's tables.
"Who wants ketupat?" asked Aunt Lily.
Every child raised a hand. Aunt Lily dished out the ketupat. Each ketupat looked like a square packet made of interwoven green bamboo leaves.
Susi carefully unfastened the bamboo wrapping around her ketupat, revealing the steamed rice inside. She scooped the it onto her plate as Aunt Dona approached with a platter.
"Who wants Rendang?" asked Aunt Dona.
Again, every child raised a hand. Aunt Dona spooned portions of Rendang onto every child's plate. Chunks of stewed beef rested atop the steamed rice. The white rice changed to orange-brown as Susi stirred the Rendang into her ketupat. Susi took a bite.
"How is it?" asked Aunt Dona.
"The best in the world," replied Susi.
It was just as Susi remembered. The stewed beef melted in her mouth. The sauce, which was made from stewed onions, coconut milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, tasted smoky-sweet.
After dinner, Grandma gave a few pieces of Dodol to each child. The children unwrapped the candies and popped them into their mouths. Lips smacked as everyone chewed the sticky coconut-flavored toffee.
Grandpa Salim, Uncle Peter, and Yong (Susi's father) smoked clove cigarettes on the front porch. Grandma Regina counted toothpicks and handed them to the children. The children played Semut, Orang, Gajah while the women sat around the dining room table and chatted. At sunset, it was time for another prayer. Finally, it was time for everyone to go his or her separate way.
"Aunt Maly?" Reine asked Mrs. Urwani.
"Yes, dear?"
"Do you think I could stay with Susi sometime soon?"
"I don't think that would be a problem. Do you, Susi?"
"Not at all."
"Good. I always wanted a big sister," said Reine.
Susi hugged Reine and said goodbye to every aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandparent. As Mr. Urwani drove back to Yogyakarta. Susi looked out the back window. She waved at little Reine and Aunt Dona. Although Reine disappeared from view, she did not disappear from Susi's thoughts. Susi was already making plans ifor Reine's upcoming visit.
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