Myriad Ways

The Hanoman's Vacation

Each day late afternoon, a wonderful ballet 'Ramayana' was held in the city amphitheatre. Hanoman, the white ape character was the favorite. It was a role with many dances and the most difficult salto.

Unfortunately, the only one who was considered could do the salto was a man with a real name: Hanoman.

Hanoman felt bored doing the same thing everyday. He asked a permission to his manager, Mr. Jum, to leave the stage, but he didn't mention the period.

Mr. Jum didn't approve his unlimited vacation, but Hanoman was insisted, "I'm doing the same thing everyday. I'm tired and bored."

"No one does the best dance like you."

"That's why, if I take vacation, somebody will make effort to be the best like me. Just give another a chance and let me have a rest."

The permission was finally granted. But, in the heart of Mr. Jum, Hanoman was irreplaceable. Hanoman was his passion. He wanted to see Hanoman shining like a star.

One day, in the very late afternoon, Mr. Jum saw Hanoman came up from stair --a way to go under the Uwot bridge. In his mind, "What a coincidence! I've been thinking about him and he appears." while he hid himself, so that Hanoman wouldn't know his presence. Mr. Jum then stalked Hanoman. The white ape turned out to go home.

The following day, Mr. Jum went again to around the bridge, in case Hanoman passed by. No result. A few days left.

At Saturday late afternoon, exactly when Ramayana ballet show began, he went down the bridge, walked along at side of the river. He found a cozy spot to sit and enjoyed the atmosphere. The wind blew gently, the wild flowers moved lightly. He felt, he might uncover something in the following day.

Exactly on Sunday at 16, Mr. Jum went down again the bridge. How surprised he was. He had seen the white ape sitting on the place he did the same on the day before and also with a litle girl, ca. 7 years old.

Mr. Jum couldn't understand at all, why Hanoman sat there talking with a litle girl.

"Is that girl his daughter? He is a bachelor so far, hmm. Is she his crush? But he looks impossible to be a pedophile, hmm."

Mr. Jum went crazy to see the odd phenomenon, but he continued watching them. He came there again on Monday and Tuesday at the same time. Then he was sure about something, an undeniable fact that Hanoman would talk to the girl by the time the performance at amphitheatre was ongoing and precisely on Sunday.

Mr. Jum was too curious, but he couldn't wait anymore till the next Sunday and he felt tired of stalking. So, he called the white ape. He wanted to visit him.

On midweek, Mr. Jum was at Hanoman's house.

"Hanoman, first, I come visiting for silaturahim. I would like to know your condition."

"Thank you for visiting me, Mr. Jum. I feel good and I'm very healthy. Wait for a moment." The white ape went to kitchen to serve a sweet hot tea for his manager. "Please you drink, Mr. Jum."

"Thank you, my son." Mr. Jum then gulp the hot tea. "The tea is fresh." He put down the half tea in the glass then started the main topic. "And then, my second purpose is to ask you about your schedule. You have been almost a month not performing on the stage. I think the audience start missing you."

"Yes, but you have approved my vacation, haven't you."

"But why I see you around. Have you finished with your vacation?" Mr. Jum asked back.

"No, not yet."

"I happened to see you under Uwot bridge with a litle girl every Sunday."

"Oh, that litle girl. Not every Sunday. It must be, when you saw us both, it was the first time i met her. She was making grass dolls and i helped her."

"Oh, I see." Mr. Jum was embarrased. He had thought much thing about Hanoman. "So, when will you perform again? Feel free to talk about your payment."

"It is not a problem with that."

"You are going nowhere, doing nothing. I hope you perform soon, otherwise you have to start from the beginning."

"Then I will start from the beginning."

"But it takes time and now you have chance to shine. You have fans and our recorded shows have been played on tv. So, I think you can go further for vacation. We can support you."

"Yeah, to Maldives, lying down at beach with naked babes; or to Japan, making picture under sakura tree when its flower fall; or skiing in Switzerland, then posting the evident pictures so that you get proof that I am really in vacation, then doing endorsement. Is it what you mean?"

"Eh, maybe some things like that."

A silent moment came then. A minute, maybe a minute and half.

"I'm sorry." Hanoman felt, it was overly and arrogant to say the such words above to the senior, Mr Jum.

"Never mind, my son. Nothing is wrong."

Hanoman was silent again. He knew, whatever Mr Jum did and said to him was because Mr. Jum cared about his life. It is like parents to their son, like an uncle to his nephew.

"I'm very grateful for your care, Mr. Jum."

"You are welcome, my son. I will let you alone but with a big hope that you will be back soon." Mr. Jum then finished his tea.

It was so cloudy when Mr. Jum took permission for leaving. Hanoman prevented him to go, but Mr. Jum was insisted, then stepped into the pouring rain.

Some times, some moments in Hanoman's vacation had made him think. Some thought was:
"When everything has been too mainstream, I trace back to the starting point and I begin to appreciate very ordinary things."